The Ugly Duckling: A Novel

Yet to read a bad Iris Johansen novel -- and not looking to find one. A thriller with a shy, plain woman thrown into a nightmare and a man who rescues her (for his own ends, of course). Full of conniving, evil types and bad guys who might be good guys and drug cartels and money laundering and action and ultimately -- ? You will have to read this to find out. Really gripping read. Reminds me how glad I am NOT to be involved in any of this stuff.

Many of the characteristic features.A very wealthy, fascinating man who likes strong women.A heroine with a dramatic circumstance & unusual skill set.Dogs often play a role.I like this formula. Especially in the Eve Duncan series which had not yet been written when this book was released.Good predictor of things to come.Very enjoyable read!

What if you had lived a life of suppression and been constantly passed over? Suddenly, your comfortable world and everything that you hold dear are stripped away from you and you are brutally attacked. Through cosmetic surgery you are given an exquisite face and seek nothing but revenge. This is the premise that Iris Johansen presents in THE UGLY DUCKLING.This was really a good book. It was not quite as "gruesome" in terms of the specific details as some of her novels, which I appreciated.I especially enjoyed that she referred to a scene (that reminded me of the movie as well) as remeniscent of the movie, TRUE LIES.I also really enjoyed the singleness of purpose as Nell strives to make herself strong.So many things work with this novel. We are given an insight into Nell Calder's childhood as to why she is so submissive; we are given a glimpse into the dynamics of her marriage; we are even a party to the horrible dreams that she endures night after night.The supporting characters are some of the best from Johansen. Tania, a woman who truly understands what Nell has been through and Peter, the young man who stands by her through adversity were two of my favorites.A great book from a great author.

This is an amazing story of one woman's journey from playing the role of dutiful wife and mother to a powerful man, while trying to overcome her feelings of inadequacy. Then suddenly she is thrust into a world of intrigue, with a chance at a new life (no spoilers).It is a heart rending story, but one with hopes of redemption, the possibility of remaking oneself, and finding the strength to start a new life.Lots of mystery, intrigue, love interests, heartbreak and all the other elements that make up a good book. The characters are well developed, you really get to know them and feel for them. I loved it,

This is my all time favorite of Iris Johansen. I've read it over and over and I still can't read it without reading it word for word. And the only disappointment is the abrupt ending that almost leaves you bereft of a happy ending. It was happy just abrupt in the romance department. But the romance seemed to take a second story to the main thrUst of the story. Well worth the time of reading and re-reading.

I read this book when it was first released many years ago, so when I decided to re-read it, I thought I knew what was going to happen. I was wrong, it was like reading it and loving all of the surprises all over again. I highly recommend this book.

Wonderful read. Fast moving and full of excitement. A refreshing book with unique ways to deal with the unknowns such as revenge.

I've been reading them for years ,I'm never disappointed , have a hard time putting them down. You will enjoy The Ugly Duckling

This is very suspense-filled and fast-paced and certainly held my attention throughout. I really liked it. The cover is a lovely one and when I bought it it was only 49p so I'm dead chuffed !! I had heard of this author but I've not read anything by her before. I looked her up and it seems she was more of a romance-only writer in the past or fantasy stuff. However, the Eve Duncan series sounds just my type of story so I've marked those to try out as well.I love a story where someone's out for revenge as our heroine in this story is. You're just pulling for them all the way !! Nell was a nice person too, a lovely lady dealt a really miserable hand. Actually, all the people she met along her journey that helped her were all smashing characters. A special favourite for me was Peter. There were a few shocking, unexpected moments and towards the end I was sick with nerves for them at one point....couldn't stop reading then, that's for sure !!I did find Jill's vocabulary a bit too advanced for a 4 year old and there were a few apostrophe mistakes and the odd passage that could benefit from a comma. Then a couple of instances that made me gasp, since they'd not been picked up. Rint used instead of print, Thompson's and not Thomson's, waiver and not waver....I vacillated between 5* then 4* (due to those mistakes that were overlooked) and decided in the end to revert to the 5* as it did really keep me entertained the whole way through.

Great read kept you intrigued right to the end of the book would recommend it will look for more of her stories

This story reads like a ' sophisticated' mills and boons book. It follows a similar formula and anyone who has read those type of romantic books will know what I mean. The story does keep you interested enough to keep turning the pages.

An exciting and passionate book. Thoroughly enjoyed it

Excellent read, good thriller, thoroughly enjoyed it.