Review: Burn

Guest Post by Anja 

Burn by Linda Howard
Release Date: August 31, 2010
Buy @ Amazon

It’s true what they say: Money changes everything. And in Linda Howard’s red-hot novel Burn, the changes come fast, furious, and filled with the kind of sexy suspense, heart-stopping romance, beautiful people, and risky business guaranteed to give you the most bang for your buck. Money certainly changes Jenner Redwine’s life when she wins a lottery jackpot. But it also costs her plenty: Her father rips her off and disappears, her fortune-hunting boyfriend soon becomes her ex, and friends-turned-freeloaders give her the cold shoulder when she stops paying for everything. Flush with new money, Jenner can’t imagine ever finding a place in the world of the wealthy. Seven years later, though, she’s rubbing elbows with the rich, despite the fact she still feels like a party crasher. Luckily she finds an ally–and a guide to the rarefied realm of privilege–in shy, kind-hearted heiress Sydney Hazlett, who quickly becomes Jenner’s confidante and surrogate sister. When Sydney invites Jenner on a charity cruise aboard a luxury liner, Jenner reluctantly agrees. But while she’s expecting–and dreading–two weeks of masquerade balls, art auctions, and preening glitterati, what she gets is more like a Hitchcock movie than a Love Boat episode. Taken hostage by a menacing stranger, Jenner must cooperate in a mysterious cloak-and-dagger scheme–or else. With nowhere to run, and with Sydney’s life as well as her own at risk, Jenner is drawn into a game of dizzying intrigue and harrowing danger. But as her panic gives way to exhilaration, and fear of her captor turns to fascination, Jenner rediscovers feelings she hasn’t had in years–and realizes she’s found a life worth living. 

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When Jenner Redwine wins a lottery jackpot, she can’t imagine ever finding a place in the world of the wealthy. Seven years later, though, she finds an ally—and a guide to the rarefied realm of privilege—in the kind-hearted heiress Sydney Hazlett, who invites Jenner on a charity cruise aboard a luxury liner. But what Jenner gets is more like a Hitchcock movie than a Love Boat episode. Taken hostage by a menacing stranger, with nowhere to run, Jenner is drawn into a game of dizzying intrigue and harrowing danger. But as fear of her captor turns to fascination, Jenner rediscovers feelings she hasn’t had in years—and realizes she’s found a life worth living. If she survives.


In the Prologue we get a scene from later in the Book with a glimpse of what will happen. But then we met Jenner Redwine at the beginning, a girl who works hard for her money in a factory. She has one of these Boyfriends who think they are God’s gift to the world. After a long Day at work waiting in a Supermarket Jenner plays in the lottery and drum roll please, wins the Jackpot. From now on, we follow Jenner as she discovers that money changes people. Her Ex-Boyfriend wants money from her because she was in the supermarket to buy his beer. Her Father, who isn’t really a person that earns this title because he treats her so poorly, stole a large amount of her money but that’s not the worst part.

Her long life best friend Michelle turns into a completely different person and sees Jenner as a 24-hour seven day a week bank. With the help of a new found friend and finance coach Al, she leaves everything from her old live behind and starts over creating a new live for herself. Fast forward several years into the future and Jenner is best friends with Syd Hazlett. Both women plan to go on a charity cruise together but the owner, Frank Larkin, has an evil plan that will make every passenger regret taking the cruise in the first place. In order to stop Larkin, Cael Traylor and his crew take Jenner and Syd hostage. But Jenner isn’t a normal Damsel in Distress, she is a strong woman and soon sparks are flying between her and Cael.

All hell breaks loose after they discover Larkin’s whole plan. With nearly no time left the Crew around Cael have to save a full ship of innocent people and stop Larkin from following through with his evil plans. This was one of the best books that Linda Howard wrote. You could identify from the first second with Jenner, and root for her to find her place in the world. The interaction between her and the hostage crew is great to read also. How she explores learning what they are after and finding out that they are really the good guys. As a reader you know a little bit more than Jenner, but the book is a really page-turner. If you don’t mind a little passion and violence this book is perfect for you. All the characters are wonderful, elaborate, and very believable. You will laugh with her, be angry for her, mourn with her and thoroughly enjoy the read once it’s through.