[.ca] Listen/Your Heart (Mp3-Cd) (Unabr.) (ISBN 1596006471)

Would the Real Fern Michaels Enter and Sign In Please?:
I have been a long-time fan of Fern Michaels, but occasionally you run into one of her novels that does not sound as if she wrote it. Late Bloomer, No Place Like Home, and Cinders to Satin were wonderful reads. Her book The Future Scrolls was disappointing and defintiely not of the same caliber. Unfortunately Listen to Your Heart is another example of one of her poorer writing efforts. While reading Listen to Your Heart I couldn't help but wonder if this was written by a member of a stable of writers that call themselves Fern Michaels, a very junior member. The story line was contrived and predictable. The characters were shallow, and the conversations unbelievable. There was no plot development, save for the detailed explanations given during conversations between the characters. One example is the first time that one of the principle characters, Josie, meets a new business client. The client compliments her on her place of business. Jose responds by saying, "My sister and I have only been here three years. Our parents operated the catering service until their death. There was a gas-line explosion that killed them. This has all been redone and landscaped. We added more flowers, some shrubbery, and we repainted the ladybugs and the cottage. I apologize for the condition of the carpet, but we had a bit of an accident this morning. I had to take the screen door to the hardware store for repairs and didn't get to the floor. Step carefully." Please, enough! Information overload! Poor writing. Skip this one.

Not a keeper:
Josie runs a catering business with her twin sister Kitty after her parents' death. Josie's only relationship is with her dog when suddenly Paul and his giant Boxer smash into her life. This was the most pathetically contrived book I've read in a long time. I really have little respect for a romance that goes from "I'm not sure I like him" to "Let's get married" with little or no development. This book did that and had little else to redeem itself. Even the lush setting of New Orleans was barely explored. The dialogue was pure torture, rambling sentences and interruptions. Sure, the dog thing is cute, but it will only get you so far in a romance.

Great potential, but no detail:
This book has the potential for a wonderful love story, but I felt it was written in a rush. First of all, there were mistakes that weren't even caught, using the wrong names for characters, Paul when it should have been Jack, etc. I really felt I was reading an "abridged" version of the book, there was no time to get to know the characters, no development of their relationships, no detail into their past. I felt more like I was watching a movie. My first Fern Michaels novel, and a bit of a disappointment.

Don't Miss This One!:
As always, Ms. Michaels does an outstanding job of entertaining readers with her gift of storytelling. "Listen To Your Heart" is no exception. A fast-paced love story with a supernatural twist, she takes readers on a journey revealing just how far the bonds of love can reach.

A pleasing southern tale, a little bit supernatural:
This is my first Fern Michaels book. This was a pleasant story about a "work alcholic" twin and the love she finally meets. The story tells a lot of details about life in the "richer" part of the south and paints a real good picture in your mind so it is easy to see the setting. The story centers around a maltese and a boxer (dog) and their owners. It is love at first sight for the dogs and this leads to some rather humorous situations. I did think that the book was VERY predictable as to what would happen next which I found to be a bit dissapointing. Which is why I only gave it 3 stars. I did find all of the references to the "dead mother" giving signs a bit far fetched and I thought it actually took away from the story. This refers to the unabridged audio version.