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    The Ideal Man: A Novel
    The Ideal Man: A Novel
    The Ideal Man: A Novel
    Audiobook (abridged)5 hours

    The Ideal Man: A Novel

    Written by Julie Garwood

    Narrated by Christina Traister

    4/5

    ()

    About this audiobook

    A woman's life and love are compromised in this pulse-pounding thriller from #1 New York Times bestselling author Julie Garwood.

    Dr. Ellie Sullivan has witnessed the shooting of an FBI agent in pursuit of a ruthless modern-day Bonnie and Clyde. The only person to see the shooter's face, Ellie is suddenly thrust into the center of a criminal investigation spearheaded by the no-nonsense, by-the-book, and tantalizingly handsome agent Max Daniels.

    When the couple is captured, she'll be called to testify. But the Landrys have been caught before, and each time the witnesses are scared into silence—or they disappear. Now Max vows to be Ellie's shadow, promising never to leave her side until the trial. But that could be dangerous for both of them, and it isn't long before the sparks—and the bullets—fly.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherBrilliance Audio
    Release dateAug 9, 2011
    ISBN9781441882684
    The Ideal Man: A Novel
    Author

    Julie Garwood

    Julie Garwood (1944--2023) was the author of numerous New York Times bestsellers, including Fire and Ice, Shadow Music, Shadow Dance, Murder List, Killjoy, Mercy, Heartbreaker, Ransom, and Come the Spring. There are more than thirty-six million copies of her books in print.

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    Reviews for The Ideal Man

    4/5

    73 ratings16 reviews

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    • 4/5
      For the longest time Julie Garwood was one of those authors that I bought her newest book without even hesitating because I love her so much. However, since she moved from writing historical romances to focusing on contemporary suspense romances I've lost some of the excitement over her books. I read maybe the first 3 or 4 of her contemporary books and they were so blah I gave up on them. The only reason I picked this one up was a friend told me she thought it was so much better than the rest of her contemporary books. Lo and behold that was very true. I found myself really enjoying this book and I pretty much read it through in one sitting.Ellie was a great character and returned back to the spunky, smart heroine who you can't help but admire and fall in love with that were present in Garwood's historical books. She's gorgeous, was a child prodigy finishing medical school years earlier than most and yet still kind and caring. I loved Max just as much. He was handsome, smart and had a heart of gold. Despite stating he was more into one night stand relationships you could feel the chemistry sizzling between he and Ellie. Garwood's trademark humor was also back in force and made me smile and almost laugh out loud several times through out the book. Her humor is so memorable that while out shopping I even found myself staring at the candy display looking for a Clark bar and Hershey bar (once you read the book you'll get it). lol.The only part that really bugged me about this book was the secondary story about Ellie's sister, Annie. It gets thrown in pretty late in the book and I thought it was setting up for another book. It sounded intriguing as we find out she fell for a Navy SEAL who has disappeared. So I was excited thinking that was going to be the next book. To my shock that story gets wrapped up within a few pages at the very end of the book. It was a disappointment as I felt that story deserved to be so much more fleshed out.Still I am glad I picked this one up and suggest it to even those who aren't contemporary Garwood book fans.
    • 3/5
      Fun book. The characters aren't all that complex, but they have personality and there's enough adventure & romance to make it a worthwhile beach read. Loved Ellie's selfish sister, although I can't remember her name right now.
    • 4/5
      RECEIVED FROM: Net Galley for Review***NOTE MY REVIEWS OFTEN CONTAIN SPOILERS***Ellie Sullivan is a gifted trauma surgeon with a haunted past that she’s tried for years to put behind her. When she observes a crime and becomes a hunted witness in a high profile FBI case her life becomes more dangerous than ever before. Max Daniels is an FBI agent who has been hunting the same criminals for a long time, every time they come close to catching them the witnesses have accidents before the arms dealers can be convicted. When Elle saves another agent’s life after the event he resolves that she will not be like the other witnesses. However in the process of protecting her sparks start to fly, and it becomes about more than protecting her. But will their attraction get in the way of her safety and can he keep her safe when danger seems to follow her at every turn? There were actually only a couple things I didn’t like about this book. The first was that while I enjoyed the plot I thought there was a little too much going on. Not only do we have a female lead who’s been stalked since age eleven by a psychopath who is again on the loose, but the same woman is a witness in a high profile FBI case and now has a hit out on her. While I think it was well written and both plot lines were compelling, the idea that this woman attracts that much trouble into her life is a little hard to believe. My second issue is also with believability. Though none of the character’s lives are perfect they’re all very high profile, not many of the characters are quite average. Ellie is a child prodigy, she graduated high school at age twelve went on to college to become a brilliant trauma surgeon who is the best in her hospital and is award a highly prestigious award during the course of the novel. Max also appears to be somewhat of a prodigy because not only is he an FBI agent he’s also a lawyer who graduated from a very prestigious law school before going into FBI training. On top of this Max’s adopted brother is a high profile NFL football player. While the characters are by no means perfect I personally feel it’s too much high profile for the cast. Maybe one of the characters being something surprising I could buy, but three such impressive people makes it harder to believe the characters are real and could exist. It’s clear the Garwood loved her characters for this book so much that she stopped just short of making them perfect which actually detracts from the believability of the novel. As I mention above the book is extremely well written. While I maintain it was a little too busy, Garwood manages to provide three intricately woven storylines surrounding these characters and maintain them beautifully and without confusion. The book is written in a close third person with a fairly fast pace. There are slower portions meant to help with character development, such as the scene surrounding her sister’s wedding, but most of it was fairly fast paced. It is a suspenseful contemporary romance and as I have mentioned in previous reviews not really the genre I most prefer, but this book does include an interesting and fast paced plot outside of just the characters falling in love. The action in this book is edge of your seat intense; however it’s mingled with drama in the form of Ellie’s sister marrying the man who used to be her fiancée, and littered with laugh out loud humor. I have to say my favorite scene in this novel is the first date Ellie and Max go on. During the date he begins talking about dumb criminals, and I don’t just mean that as an insult to criminals, I mean those idiots committing crimes that make it on the crime comedy shows. When Max began to talk about a man robbing a bank with a paper bag over his head that had eye holes cut out in the forehead section who since he couldn't see pointed his gun at a potted plant, I laughed so hard I had tears in my eyes. My summary of the story doesn’t even come close to how it was told in the book. Another thing I really liked about this book is that she didn’t leave any loose ends at the end of the novel. Garwood may have opened multiple cans of worms throughout the course of this book, however when it was finished every issue mentioned in the book was neatly cleaned up. It’s fulfilling to read a story where you don’t have to wonder; oh I wonder what happened to this character or that one. She even neatly ties up secondary character plot lines before ending the story. Like most best selling romance novelists Garwood knows her genre when it comes to characters. In many genres you might be able to pass off a flat character and write a plot driven novel. While critics may notice and complain, if the plot is good enough readers are unlikely to be upset by it. In romance however books are character driven. One dimensional character will not cut it for a reader of romance. If they’re to believe they’re sharing a moment when this character falls in love, the characters have to be written so they pop from the page. They have to be the type of characters you believe you could meet on the street or have as a part of your life. In the Ideal Man Garwood has multiple well developed characters we can root for and relate to. While the villains are more abstract and less developed she obviously fleshed out the leads of the story as well as their close friends and Ellie’s family. Each member of those groups had attributes and flaws and really came to life for the reader. Despite having this unbelievable life Ellie remains easy to relate to and root for during the novel. The reader is brought right inside her thoughts, her fears and her memories. While we only receive hints of Max’s past, he’s still got the brooding alpha male hero going on that is a popular and well loved theme for the male leads in romance. Max takes alpha male to such an extreme it’s funny. He doesn’t ask Ellie on a date, he tells her she’s going. And that’s not the only thing that should be a question which instead he makes an order but I’ll let you read to find out the many other humorous things he says. He’s not trying to be funny, he’s just all about being in charge, he doesn’t think twice about giving orders. While in real life the guy would probably come across as a jerk, on the page he’s so overbearing it’s hilarious. Plus it’s clear he’s not possessive in a creepy stalker way but rather in a protective, mine sort of way. There are characters you’ll take with you after finishing the book. They are the kind of characters who will cross your mind and make you smile about something they said or did during this adventure. Overall as you can see I loved this book. As this isn’t the type of genre I’m really into I’m unlikely to read it twice, but the couple hours I spent reading it the first time were well worth the time spent. I really enjoyed the journey with these characters and would highly recommend this to fans to contemporary and suspenseful romance.
    • 3/5
      Surgeon Ellie Sullivan was a child prodigy with a particularly nasty stalker. Now she's just brilliant, poor, and undecided about where to take her budding medical career next. But when an FBI take-down goes wrong and pair of killers target her for elimination her life gets a lot more complicated, fast. Especially considering how attracted she is to Hawaii-based FBI agent Max Daniels.For FBI agent Max Daniels, getting the bad guys he's chased halfway across the country is imperative - but once he's seen Ellie, making sure she stays out of harm's way is even more important. With both a hired killer and a psychotic stalker on her trail, Max will have his hands full keeping her safe. Mediocre and very predictable romance with too many quirky characters, too many subplots, and larger than life characters that don't ring true. Borrow, don't buy.
    • 4/5
      If you like reading Julie Garwood's books then this will not disappoint you, you'll love it. The story starts off simple enough, an off-duty trauma surgeon witnesses the shooting of an FBI agent during a sting operation gone awry. Although Dr. Ellie Sullivan can't actually identify the couple (other than saying it was a man and a woman), she is still considered a potential witness and may be in danger. Enter FBI agent Max Daniels. Max and Ellie hit it off and begin this rather sweet, and weird (in a good way), romance. Max is concerned about the potential that the gun-running couple that got away, may have hired a hit man to kill Ellie before she can testify, as this has happened to previous witnesses. His fears are well-founded as there is a hit man after Ellie.The fun really begins when Ellie returns to her hometown for her younger sister's wedding. Her sister, Ava (a self-absorbed, egocentric bridezilla), is engaged to marry Ellie's ex-fiance. Ava slept with the guy the day after Ellie had brought him home to announce their engagement. (I said she was self-absorbed.) Annie, Ava's twin sister, is also in crisis mode because she's pregnant and can't locate the father-to-be. Oh, did I forget to mention that Ellie also has a demented stalker based in her hometown? So make that two potential hit men after Ellie.There are a lot of twists to the story that keep it lively and intense. I found myself reading it in one-sitting simply because I couldn't wait to see what was going to happen next. This is not your typical romantic suspense but it is definitely worth reading. The characters are all somewhat quirky but likeable, well except for the bad guys. Personally I can't wait for this to be released later this year just so I can purchase a copy to re-read.
    • 4/5
      Fun, light, fluffy. These are the words I think of when I think of Garwood. Also romance and suspense. As usual, she lived up to all my expectations. Strong female lead, in this case a doctor. Law enforcement male lead, usually FBI, or a cop. Always gorgeous, of course. He is put in charge of protecting her from something. The love follows. ok. Maybe it's a bit formulaic. But sometimes that is good. Comforting. This is very much a comfort read. It might not be great literature, but I can never wait for the next one to come out to melt into. This one didn't disappoint. Apropos of nothing, I love the cover image of this one.
    • 3/5
      Sigh. I read tons of Garwood in my college years, but this one was just lousy. It's not just her fault (many romance novels fall victim to this), but I'm sooooo tired of perfect women in romance novels. Ellie is a very young doctor (so smart she skipped two years of high school), and is BEAUTIFUL. Her sister bemoans the fact that Ellie would be a perfect size 6 - if not for her giant breasts. Oh, and she is obsessed with fantasy football and falls asleep right after sex, instead of "looking for approval or cuddling." Is this not written for women? Does Garwood think every woman wishes she were this ridiculous male fantasy? Nevermind the fact that Garwood shoves random plots into the mix and seems to lose interest in her own characters, as the last several chapters simply 'sum up' the endings to all those plots.NOT recommended. This one is just lousy.
    • 3/5
      If taken at face value, this is a fairly enjoyable book. The characters are appealing, the romance is tangible, and the premise has a lot going for it. There is a major problem, however; the bulk of the plot happens either "off screen" or in such a tidy, condensed fashion that there is no real action in the story. No suspense, no drama, no feeling of urgency. The story is so out of touch with its own plot that events are rather surreal and almost comical. Yes, I read the whole book and, yes, I enjoyed it. But when I see a cover with a strapping, gun-toting, badge-wearing guy on the front, I'm expecting a little more than what I got.
    • 2/5
      Not one of Julie Garwood best. Ellie, trauma surgeon prodigy and Max, FBI agent. She has to go to her sister's wedding. Her sister is marrying her former fiance. Ellie has two reasons to be frighten, she witness and can identify 2 murders and psyco from her childhood is out of jail.
    • 4/5
      Requested from NetGalley by MeOverall Rating 4.25Story Rating 4.25Character Rating 4.25NOTE: This is one of those books I picked up based on the cover (yes they sell books people) and can say I really enjoyed it. The pacing, plot, and romance were all really well done!What I Loved: I really love when authors aren't afraid to write really smart, strong, and arrogant in their professions women. In The Ideal Man, Ellie is that type of character. She is a prodigy. Ellie knows that she is good at her job but she is very vulnerable in other ways. I also felt that writing Ellie as someone who has school loans and other issues was very realistic also. Max was the perfect type for her because he is also very secure in himself. I felt their chemistry from their first interaction and never felt it fizzle.What I Liked: The Landry gun smuggling case was very well done. I felt the pacing and plotting were very even. Even though you knew who did it the whole time, it felt like a very good episode of your favorite procedural show.Complaints: I felt the storyline with her one sister was just not needed but it did not distract from my enjoyment of the story.Why I gave it a 4.25: This was a great Contemporary Romantic Suspense that I am glad I picked up to read. If you like these type of stories, I highly recommend The Ideal Man.
    • 3/5
      The Ideal Man
      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.
    • 3/5
      "The Ideal Man" is okay, but not one of Julie Garwood's best.
    • 4/5
      Dr. Ellie Sullivan is not looking for any man. She has survived being stalked and almost killed as a young girl and still lives under the shadow of a threat by the stalker. And now she has potentially seen two arms dealing and murdering people in action. Which brings her to the attention of FBI agent Max Daniels and under his protection. Their interaction while he is protecting her from multiple threats leads to realize that he is the ideal man for her.
    • 4/5
      The Ideal Man was 5 stars right up until Ellie decided "to do the right thing" near the end of the book which was not in any way the right thing. Other than that, and a slightly too abrupt ending, I really liked it. It was well-written, I liked the characters, and it was paced well. There might have been a little too much going on in the plot but it was never boring. All in all, if you enjoy Garwood's contemporary romance novels, you'll probably like this one.
    • 3/5
      This was an ARC I received from NetGalley. It’s actually the first one I requested as I was playing around with the site. I have not read any romantic suspense in quite some time, though it used to be regular fare in my reading diet. This one was better than a lot, but not as good as some. The plot is fairly typical: damsel in distress, though this damsel was more interesting than most – smart, funny, accomplished (but emotionally wounded, of course). The hero is perfect - ideal - in that hero kind of way – handsome, strong, sensitive, somewhat vulnerable, etc. etc. Damsel meets hero under extreme circumstances, chemistry ensues, hero protects and saves damsel, hero and damsel admit their love and live happily ever after. It’s formulaic, but it works, especially if one is in the mood for escapism.There were a few things that bothered me about this book, some of which can be cleared up before publication. The misuse of words: at one point, one of the characters is “plummeted” by another (I think the word is pummeled); another time, “she glimpsed up at him” (glanced?). It was kind of distracting. Also, the resolution of the threat(s) against our damsel were a little too quick, as was the resolution of the romantic tension between damsel and hero. Obviously, there is going to be a happy ending but the best romantic suspense builds up to satisfying conclusions, while this one just raced to the finish. I wanted to get this read and reviewed since I received it a couple of months ago. I might have enjoyed it more had I been mood-driven rather than duty-driven in reading it.
    • 4/5
      The Ideal Man by Julie Garwood was a really nice surprise. I've read several of Julie's other books - both romantic suspense and historical - and enjoyed them. This book however, I loved.From the very beginning, the characters felt real. Between their interactions and the constantly moving plot, I immediately felt like I'd turned on the TV. I could picture everything perfectly! (Of course, that might be in part because it begins in a hospital and I've spent way too many hours watching Grey's Anatomy not to be familiar with that setting...) Dr. Ellie Sullivan is just finishing up her residency at a busy hospital. When she is out jogging one day, she witnesses a FBI agent being shot while in pursuit of a criminal duo. This leads her to become acquainted with Max Daniels, the agent in charge of interviewing her. Explosive. Immediate. Attraction. Whoa mama.Luckily, there is nothing so silly as insta-love. The chemistry is off the charts, but it takes awhile for the rest to come along. I loved the progression of their relationship! Max learns that Ellie has had a lot more stress to deal with than just seeing a shooting - insert crazy life-long stalker here. Max's protective instincts flare up and that, mixed with the sparks flying, means Max isn't willing to leave Ellie's side anytime soon...even if it means following her to her parents' home for her sister's wedding.I really loved Max! He had just the right combination of dedicated cop and man-being-led-around-by-the-hormones. Seeing he and Ellie battle it out in regards to how they felt about one another was very realistic, very charming, and super sizzling. Their interactions mixed in with the dangers in Ellie's life - both because she has a stalker and because she is a witness - keep the pages turning. I read the book in one sitting: putting it down was not an option! Definitely one of the best romantic suspense books I've read.So, if you're a fan of romance, suspense and/or mystery - this is definitely a book I declare worth reading! For those of you who have read Julie Garwood in the past and were thinking about passing this one by - I seriously recommend giving it another look. By far the best I've seen from her!