The Ideal Man by Julie Garwood (ARC)

Title: An Ideal Man

Author: Julie Garwood

My rating: 3 Stars

Synopsis: Trauma Surgeon, Ellie Sullivan, is no stranger to crisis. As a teenager, she was almost killed by a psychopathic stalker and now she is in need of FBI protection after witnessing the shooting of an agent. Tough, sexy and no-nonsense agent, Max Daniels, takes on the assignment of shadowing Ellie and soon the two are fighting not only for their lives but for their hearts as well.

Review: This is my first ARC review and as much as it pains me to write a less than stellar review, I really have no choice.

This is a quick read that never quite lives up to its potential.  The writing is overly descriptive and includes several annoying and excessively detailed anecdotes. While one or two might have been entertaining, they only manage to fill up the pages and add nothing to the plot or characterization.  

The title should have been “An Ideal Woman” because Ellie is so sweet and perfect that she makes your teeth hurt. No one is that beautiful, intelligent, compassionate, forgiving, etc. It sort of helps to understand why her sister, Ava, dislikes her so much.

The plot has a strong premise but lacks suspense and credibility. It is difficult to believe that so many terrible things can happen to one person. Despite everything Ellie has endured, I could not empathize with her or become emotionally invested in her story. Perhaps this is due to the fact that there are too many sub-plots that distract from the main story and romance. The last chapter is dedicated to tying up the loose ends but merely emphasizes the unnecessary and artificial descriptions.

The romance is the one saving grace in the book. Max and Ellie have tremendous tension and chemistry, and their dialogue is witty and entertaining. The interaction between Ellie and her family is as real as it gets.

Overall, not too bad but not a must read either.

An Ideal Man is scheduled for release on August 9, 2011. A advance copy of the book was provided to me for review by the publisher and NetGalley.com.