I’ve read and enjoyed many of Sandra Brown’s books, even some of her old Loveswepts. Send No Flowers is not the best example of her story-telling ability. Hot love scenes, yes. If you are a collector of Sandra Brown Loveswepts, this book is a re-issue a 1984 Loveswept of the same name. If you like Sandra Brown books, read this at the library – I’m not sure why a publisher would re-issue any series romance as a hardback, let alone this one. If you’ve never tried a Sandra Brown book before, please don’t start with this one.

Alicia Russel is a widower with two young boys who has never been on her own before. She has always had the support of a male in her life. When her friend Carter gets married, Alicia realizes she must re-examine her life and her priorities. Alicia’s boss loans her his cabin in the woods, and since the boys have been begging her for a real-life camping trip, she decides to take advantage of the offer and stay at the cabin for a week.

Pierce Reynolds is a successful businessman, and a real ladies’ man. Because of a life crisis, he is also spending time at his cabin in the woods. A fierce storm and Alicia’s ineptness in the wild combine to throw these two people together. The attraction is immediate on Pierce’s part as evidenced by the first line in the book, “It was probably the cutest tush he had ever seen.” Although original, I can’t say that this line endeared me to the rest of the story.

This book also had some of the most purple prose I’ve ever read. I normally expect some very hot attraction in Sandra Brown’s books, but this was almost laughable. From page 62: “With rhythmic, wild, savage thrusts he deflowered it (her mouth) and left no question as to his claim of absolute possession.” Then on page 145 Pierce’s tongue is again doing some amazing feats: “…pumping erotically, swirling lazily. . .” Almost every other page is filled with similar language.

Somehow, between all the pumping and heaving, Sandra Brown manages to fit in a story. The two boys were well written, neither angels nor monsters, but normal boys. Alicia has a successful profession also; she isn’t written as a spineless, quivering mass of Jell-O. Pierce is also a nice guy, but he is uncommunicative and has a tendency to run off at the wrong time. He is good with Alicia’s children, and I enjoyed the interaction between Pierce and the boys. My problems were not with the characters, they were with the story. I felt as if I was reading a very melodramatic soap opera condensed into 211 pages. The book jumps from one climactic (excuse the pun) problem to another. And when Pierce’s reasoning for avoiding a relationship with Alicia is revealed, I very nearly tossed the book in disgust. I would never have finished this book, had I not needed to write this review. A lesser problem, but still annoying was the title. I never could determine how the title related to the story, maybe someone who has read the book and liked it could explain it to me?

The part I liked best about this story was the teaser for Sandra’s new book. It hooked me right away and is a better example of her story telling ability. My advice is to skip Send No Flowers and wait for In a Class by Itself, due out in Fall of 1999.