Harlequin Romance? I have them all over the place. The other half reads them and so do I when out of other books. Hey it's printed right? Kate and Jim isn't even near that genre. From everyone crying and whining about Kate I assumed Stabenow suddenly got hit on the head on the way in from the oil field and took off with some strange writing style. She didn't.

It was well done. It worked in nicely. Put me in mind of a relationship I once had and I can understand why it was there. It worked with the developing relationship of Kate and Jim. It also worked with their personalities. I wouldn't have been expecting them to hold hands over the ice flow and blush at each other. They are too red blooded full of life people for that.

Why not the five star? Because by the end of the book I wanted to knock some of the side characters on the head and dump em into a river never to be found. They were more annoying than anything and not because of plot. They were just annoying.

So if your idea of great sex is holding hands over the ice flow.. yeah you might be shocked. Some of us go for more than that. Now excuse me, I am going to go get in trouble with my other half because of "You have that grin on your face again..." Memories

Dana Stabenow was suggested to me because I enjoy Nevada Barr (Mysteries in National Parks) and Sue Henry (Alaska Mysteries). This was the second Stabenow book I've read. Her writing style is different but I'm adjusting. I've enjoyed the plots and the pages keep turning, but I can do without the descriptive sex scenes, especially when I am reading in the lunchroom at work. I prefer something similar to Sue Henry's style. One scene comes to mind..... "I noticed you have a new bed." "Oh, you did, did you?" That makes me smile instead of turning beet red in public. But what will keep me coming back for more is the Alaska scenery and history.

I'm a fan of Dana Stabenow and have had the pleasure of meeting her at several booksignings when I lived in Arizona. That being said, I also have to say that this book really wasn't as good as some of the others in the series.

The premise of the case (Kate hired to prove the innocence of a convicted murderer who doesn't want to get out of prison)is very interesting and kept me turning the pages.

However, I find myself agreeing with some of the other reviewers who compared parts of this book to a Harlequin romance novel. It seemed to me that every few pages, Kate and Jim were having sex (mainly at her instigation) and it got really old, really fast. I found myself flipping past those parts to get back to the mystery.

I also thought that the figurative chest thumping between Jim and the retired cop went on for longer than it needed to.

I guess what it all boils down to is that I've always found Kate to be a smart, funny heroine, and that's why I like the stories. All this sex business makes her seem like a silly, stupid bimbo, which she most certainly is not. I don't want to see this series turn into a comic opera like the Stone Barrington and Holly Barker series (in my opinion anyway) have.

I give this book 3 stars for the plot, and 1 star for the (ahem)previously mentioned distractions; all of which add up to my overall score of 2 stars.

As I always say, "Here's hoping the next one will be better."

If I had know that this would read like a Harlequin Romance novel then I wouldn't have bought it.

Too much bosom heaving and fluid draining for me.

I can understand that Stabenow wants her readers to know that Kate is moving on but TMI on the sex with Chopin.

Mutt as always is the best character.

As funny as Breakup - Dana Stabenow is high form. Despite the complex politic plot running in the background, the insight into Kate and her relations with Jim Chopin was worth double the price of the book. Read it twice upon arrival. Working on reading three and four now. Loved it.