When I think of Heart of the Night, I think of one of the characters in the book, late-night disc jockey Jared Snow. So do many of my readers, if the mail they send me is any indication. It's his voice - always his voice - there on the radio, as soothing as a massage and twice as sexy. For me, Jared Snow is also a concept, the idea that a single voice on the radio is heard by many different people, with a different effect on each.
I wrote Heart of the Night in 1988. I was still writing category romances at the time, but this book is different. In the solving of the kidnapping of a society wife, it has a strong element of mystery. In the relationship between twins Savannah and Susan, it explores the issue of sibling rivalry. And yes, it has a love story, but one that is deeper, stronger, and hotter than I had been allowed by the constraints of the genre.
How does Jared Snow fit in? As Savannah and Susan look for the missing woman, the trail they follow leads to one desperate voice, that of an anonymous caller who pours out her heart to a certain radio personality.
My writing style has changed since I wrote this book, but the heart and soul of my characters have not. The emotional intensity here is the very same that marks my current work. Please enjoy Heart of the Night as much as I did then - and do now.
Warmly,
Barbara Delinsky
©2004 Brilliance Audio, Inc.; ©1989 Barbara Delinsky
"okay"
The story is pretty intersting but I could not like the characters. I don't know if they are just not my type or if the writer is not good at drawing characters. I felt that I was supposed to believe that the main character was a "superwoman" but there was no compelling reason for me to belive it based on the characterization drawn by the author. People conveniently fell passionately in love without any background laid to make it believable. The story line was good enough that it could have been a much better book than it turned out to be. It wasn't the reader's fault - the reader did the best that could be done with what was provided. In my opinion, the writing was rushed and the author failed to draw intesting, believable or even consistent characters. Others may disagree but that is my opinion. Also, I believe the graphic sex was either gratuitous or was the only reason for writing the book. It turned me off.
"Heart of the Night a waste of time"
This is a very poorly written book. The plot was okay but the dialogue and characters were vacuous. Also the author gives away the major plot twist in the beginning of the book. Can you give minus stars? I am glad I bought it on sale.
"Waste of time"
While I have read worse books, this one was just not good. I couldn't like the characters either, like others mentioned. It seemed like they were all desperately in need of therapy. The descriptions were so classic "crazy" with sibling rivalry and women's issues. There wasn't much said to make you feel that they were in love and when there was a description of sex it felt wrong. Don't waste your time!
"A Never-ending BAD soap opera"
Thank goodness that's over! Ninety-nine percent of this story was about EVERYONE's never-ending emotional problems and it went on and on. I don't know if this story could have been saved by a psychiatrist... or a good exorcist. It could have been an interesting plot: a kidnap-mystery with a twist, including a late-night sexy-voiced DJ...but it ended being quite creepy (all the female's obsession over the DJ) and extremely cheesy. The mystery was barely mentioned and the "twist" was made way too obvious early on as it could have been a good "shocker" at the end. Narrator, Sandra Burr, uses a little-girl, syrupy voice for her females and a goofy or nasally voice for her males. Not even worth $4.95.