fantastic read!
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The McKenzie series is just awesome! I was pleasantly surprised at how I felt reading them--such a wide range of emotions. One thing though I didn't want any of the books to end (or the series). Definately recommend reading--I will keep these to read over again.
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Great Story
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Linda Howard is one of my favorite authors. I will pretty much read anything with her name on it. Still, you have to like her style of writing. The story lines tend to change, but the basic premise is always there. Heroine meets man, he usually has a few issues, and they must learn to love and trust each other with whatever plot Ms. Howard has thrown in. I personally like the way she maneuvers these types of novels. I think Game of Chance is an especially good Linda Howard story. Meet Sunny Miller. She has had a very tough life. She is living on her own with no relatives or even friends. Her mother is dead, and she has only one person in her life that she contacts by cell phone for a couple of minutes a week. She has never had the luxury of settling down or trusting anyone. She can't afford trust, her father is a world renown terrorist and looking for her. To keep from staying in one location, Sunny has a job as a courier, delivering packages (for very important clients) from one location to another. During one of Sunny's deliveries, she is robbed. Due to the nature of the job, Sunny is investigated and comes to the attention of CIA agent Chance MacKenzie. Chance is a top agent in his field and thinks Sunny is working with her father. The plan is to meet her and to either have her learn to trust him enough to divulge her secrets or spend enough time with her that she will make a mistake so the CIA can catch both her and her father. Take one very wounded heroine afraid to trust, throw in a CIA agent who has his own set of trust issues (even though he is attracted to Sunny), and you have the basic plot of this book. It's simple, it's straight forward, it works. You have an empathy for the character of Sunny and all that she goes through. Quick read; good story; I would recommend.
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Recommended
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For those of you who aren't familiar witn Linda Howard, know that A Game of Chance is part of a series. I was unaware of this when I purchased the book, and was having a hard time keeping up with everything because I hadn't known that there were books before this, and I hadn't known any of the characters. Aside from that, A Game of Chance was a great book. I assume it would have been a lot better had I read the books following up to this, but nonetheless a great read. In my honest opinion, I think that the book ended too quick. I think LH spent so much time with the rest of the story and then hurried to finish it up. Maybe it's because there's going to be a book following it, maybe not - either way, I wasn't ready for it to end. I felt like I needed more explanation from both Chance and Sunny. Despite everything else, I really enjoyed this novel. Linda Howard is quickly becoming my favorite author, and I think it's safe to assume that she can't write a bad book. It always works out to her advantage in the end.
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EEEUUUW!
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I started reading Howard's books because I loved the hero in "Now You See Her". Unfortunately, all (most?!!) of her heros don't hold up quality-wise, and this Chance is one of the worst. He *uses* Sunny as bait, without her knowledge or consent, sets her up for attack. Unfortunately, I have come to realize that this is a formula Howard often employees. (See also Dream Man and others.) Not only is this NOT the embodiment of everywoman's dream, I don't think (HOPE it ISN'T) legal, even in the world of espionage and terrorism. After you read a few of Howard's books, you come to realize how the formula works: If the HEROINE is under suspicion (Loving Evangeline, Game of Chance, etc.), the hero tricks her, investigates her, then uses her/ sets her up as BAIT. If the HERO is under suspicion (Mackenzie's Mountain, Shades of Twilight), the heroine believes in him and stands by him against all odds. YUCK!!! If this is someone's sad idea of what "real men" are like, I don't want 'em!
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WOW ! WHAT A STORY -
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Hey! you know that Chance scouted out the location of the canyon when he was haveing her plane connections delayed and rerouted. I loved the way L. Howard kept the character of Chance true to form from one story to the next. Also if John is old enough to have a girlfriend he is old enough to get caught up in some machinations that needs Zane and Chance to rescue him and set him on the path of his two uncles'- besides Zane needs to produce another daughter and Chance one to put them into a hilarious competition [aided and abetted by their wives] there are still enough up close stories to be told with Mary and Wolf still in the background -- and lets go back in time to Michael's and Josh's stories. I, along with so many others, agree that this has been the best family series ever written - with all of the ladies well matched with the Mackenzie men - this is a family that can't stand still - these are classics - With Sunny willing to put her life on the line for Chance, she does a great job of breaking down his reserve and teaching him to love. Love only comes from giving. I do love a woman who is willing to take care of her own self-preservation [grin] and dragging a man into realizing her worth. L. Howard has spoiled us with her Mackenzie Men -- Don't stop now! HIGHLY RECOMMENDED -- DEFINITELY A KEEPER FOR ANY LIBRARY!
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