The Ideal Man

by Julie Garwood, Christina Traister (Read by)

Overview

A woman's life and love are compromised in this pulse-pounding thriller from #1 New York Times bestselling author Julie Garwood.

Dr. Ellie Sullivan has witnessed the shooting of an FBI agent in pursuit of a ruthless modern-day Bonnie and Clyde. The only person to see the shooter's face, Ellie is suddenly thrust into the center of a criminal investigation spearheaded by the no-nonsense, by-the-book, and tantalizingly handsome agent Max Daniels.

When the couple is captured, she'll be called to testify. But the Landrys have been caught before, and each time the witnesses are scared into silence—or they disappear. Now Max vows to be Ellie's shadow, promising never to leave her side until the trial. But that could be dangerous for both of them, and it isn't long before the sparks—and the bullets—fly.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781469297422
Publisher:	Brilliance Audio
Publication date:	12/01/2013
Series:	Buchanan-Renard-MacKenna , #9
Edition description:	Unabridged
Product dimensions:	5.50(w) x 5.00(h) x 0.70(d)

About the Author

Julie Garwood is the author of numerous New York Times bestsellers, including Sizzle, Fire and Ice, Shadow Music, Shadow Dance, and Slow Burn. She lives near Kansas City.

Christina Traister has worked nationally as a professional actor for over fifteen years with a career focusing on classical theatre. She currently teaches acting, voice, and stage combat in the Department of Theatre at Michigan State University, and lives in the country with her husband and three daughters.

Read an Excerpt

ONE

The first time she slit a man’s throat she felt sick to her stomach. The second time? Not so much.
TWO

Agent Daniels waited for her in the hallway just outside the ICU doors. He was leaning with his back to the wall, one ankle crossed over the other, looking half asleep and thoroughly relaxed.
(Continues…)

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Excerpted from "The Ideal Man"
by .
Copyright © 2012 Julie Garwood.
Excerpted by permission of Penguin Publishing Group.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Excerpts are provided by Dial-A-Book Inc. solely for the personal use of visitors to this web site.

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Editorial Reviews

Bestseller Garwood (Shadow Music) turns out another high-quality romantic thriller. St. Louis trauma surgeon Ellie Sullivan walks in on a failed gun-dealer bust, saves an FBI agent, and quickly becomes more than friendly with another agent, Max Daniels. As Ellie and Max develop their relationship, the dealers send an assassin after Ellie; the psychopath who stalked her as a child is freed from prison; and her "bridezilla" younger sister prepares to wed Ellie's former fiancé. While two murderous stalkers feels excessive, the thriller elements help compensate for a near-overload of soap opera. Competent, quirky Ellie is a wonderfully assertive heroine who gives as good as she gets in the face of Max's stubborn and sometimes overbearing determination to protect her, and the erotic attraction between these two busy careerists makes for a top-notch contemporary romance effectively leavened by suspense and family affection. (Aug.)

Publishers Weekly

Praise for The Ideal Man

“Bestseller Garwood turns out another high-quality romantic thriller…the erotic attraction between these two busy careerists makes for a top-notch contemporary romance effectively leavened by suspense.”—Publishers Weekly

“Garwood’s latest polished romantic suspense has all the literary ingredients her readers expect: snappy writing, sharp humor, a fast-paced plot spiced with plenty of danger and suspense and an abundance of sexy chemistry between two perfectly matched protagonists.”—Booklist

“Undoubtedly Garwood is a pro—the pacing is taut, the characters are swiftly drawn and she even throws in a few surprises.”—Kirkus Reviews

More Praise for #1 New York Times bestselling author Julie Garwood

“Whoever thinks romantic suspense is dead should read a Julie Garwood book.”—USA Today

“A trusted brand name in romantic suspense.”—People

“Julie Garwood creates masterpieces every time she writes a book.”—The Kansas City Star

“Undoubtedly Garwood is a pro.”—Kirkus Reviews

“If a book has Julie Garwood’s name on it, it’s guaranteed to be a meticulously written...and thoroughly engaging story.”—Sun Journal (ME)

From the Publisher

When trauma surgeon Ellie Sullivan witnesses a crime and saves the life of the victim, FBI agent Max Daniels fears she may be in danger from the perps. But Ellie has her sister's wedding to attend and can't put her life on hold, so Max tags along as her "date" and ends up dealing with a stalker, vindictive crooks, volatile family dynamics, and the surprising passion that is rapidly developing between them. VERDICT With her classic combination of easygoing humor, heart-stopping romance, and nail-biting danger, Garwood takes a tough, protective hero and a brilliant, courageous heroine on a risky, romantic journey that will have fans cheering as the good guys win, the bad guys get their comeuppance, and Ellie and Max get their much-deserved happy ending. Garwood (Sizzle) lives in Leawood, KS.

Library Journal

A paint-by-numbers thriller by bestselling romance writer Garwood.

Dr. Ellie Sullivan has had her fair share of trouble: At 11, an older boy stalked and nearly killed her, sending her into hiding. Now that she's finished her medical residency at a St. Louis hospital (she's a brilliant surgeon) and her stalker Evan Patterson has been released from an institution, she's not sure where to turn. To make matters worse, while jogging she is witness to the attempted murder of an FBI agent and is soon involved in the case. The Landrys are husband-and-wife weapons dealers (as well as murderers and kidnappers) that the FBI has been trying to nail for years. Unfortunately, their witnesses keep disappearing. Ellie witnesses the failed sting and is soon being guarded by Agent Max Daniels. Happily, both feel an immediate, uncontrollable passion. Max is ruggedly handsome, forthright and a little bit controlling. Ellie is any man's dream come true: gorgeous but laid back, brilliant, but a little insecure, and the kind of girl who wants to end the evening watching SportsCenter with a cold beer. And absolutely no post-coital snuggling. Amid the danger, they begin to fall in love, even though neither is up for a commitment. When Ellie needs to go home to South Carolina for her sister's wedding, Max soon follows; it seems one of the witnesses to the shooting has disappeared. And it is just as well—psychotic stalker Evan Patterson has been sighted in town at the local gun shop. With the Landry's hit man driving to South Carolina and Evan Patterson on the loose, the question is who will to try to kill Ellie first.

Undoubtedly Garwood is a pro—the pacing is taut, the characters are swiftly drawn and she even throws in a few surprises before the obligatory happy ending. But everything is too formulaic to be truly suspenseful, too clichéd to be truly romantic.

Kirkus Reviews