Sandy M’s review of Wanderlust by Shelley Munro
Romantic Suspense eBook released by Cerridwen Press 17 Apr 08
I love a lengthy read as much as the next person. But this book went on and on and on and…way too long. I ended up being bored more than I was excited, mystified, turned on, or any other emotion you’d care to work in there. I got through eighteen chapters and just had to call it quits.
Anna is a tour guide for Wanderlust Adventures and her current assignment is in India, ushering passengers around the country in a huge truck named Alice. She has an interesting array of folks traveling with her, but interesting turns to whiny and menacing in short order. The only person worth anything in her tour group and in the book is Sebastian, Anna’s casual lover she meets up with a few times a year for some great sex. He unexpectedly shows up to wander around with her, something she resents initially. She wants him when she wants him and not as part of her work, which she takes very seriously and wants any personal complications left behind. Too bad she didn’t tell her parents that when they decided to send her sister Elizabeth along on the Indian tour.
Gradually strange things begin to happen to the group, including murder. One by one the passengers begin to fall and it takes forever between each event. We get more whining from the female passengers, especially Elizabeth, who we find out doesn’t get along with Anna and never really has. Anna lets her go her own way, she’s an adult, she can live with whatever consequences.
She also finally gives in to Sebastian’s seduction and finally I perked up, although now I forget what chapter that was and how long it took to get there. But Anna goes right back to being Anna, pushing him away while he helps her at every turn, tries to protect her from a stalker and murderer, and has the sexiest grin around. She’s a little too independent if she’s going to keep Sebastian on the back burner for three-quarters of the book.
We also get a glimpse every so often from the culprit’s point of view, which, sorry to say, is just as boring as all the other in-between stuff from Anna’s point of view. It’s like there’s just too many little details that takes us away from the main point too many times. I gave the book one last chance up to the point Sebastian and Anna make love in the shower, which was the second best scene, right after the first time they make love, because she still hadn’t changed enough to keep me interested to get to the end.
Pull out all those unnecessary details, put in a lot more of Sebastian, plus Sebastian pulling out all the stops at seduction and you’d have a much better book. Well, IMHO anyway.
Grade: DNF
Summary:
Not many people live their dream, but I’ve been incredibly lucky. I’m Anna Tietjens, and I work as a tour leader for Wanderlust Adventures.
My current tour is through incredible India. It should be a breeze, except my younger sister is joining in New Delhi. Things are not exactly civil between us — a childhood full of upheaval didn’t help — and our parents have insisted she travel with me or not at all. I see fun times ahead. Now my boyfriend has turned up without warning. Don’t get me wrong. I really like Sebastian Brady. The sex is good, spectacular even, but meeting a few times a year is enough. I mean, I’m not looking for love or happy ever after.
But worst of all is the bad luck I’ve been having recently. One of my passengers died in Syria, and now it looks like my co-driver might have to leave the tour. Despite the exotic location, it’s not exactly smooth sailing, and I’m starting to think someone is out to halt the tour…
Read an excerpt here.
