Andy Malone is an ambitious reporter, determined to make it onto a network program. In her mind, her ticket to the big-time is uncovering the reason behind General Ratliff’s self-imposed seclusion on a Texas ranch. But when she travels to Kerrville, Texas, to land the story, she runs into Lyon Ratliff, the General’s surly son. Although he is violently opposed to the interviews with his father, Lyon sparks Andy’s interest, both emotionally and romantically. Prime Time is a close look at how far a woman will go for her story – and for love.
Plot Overview: Verbal Sparring, Guilt and Lust
Andy leads a quiet life in Nashville; her husband died years ago on assignment, and she has since devoted herself to work. Her love life is nonexistent, and she has few friends, save for her editor; Wes. It isn’t until she meets Lyon Ratliff that her love life is reawakened. Despite Lyon’s shabby treatment toward her, Andy can’t resist trying to break through his hard shell to reach the emotionally vulnerable man inside.
Complicating matters is General’s Ratliff’s refusal to answer questions about his military career. With mounting pressure from Wes to discover the General’s secrets and from Lyon to leave his father alone, Andy finds herself struggling for balance. Will she relent to Wes’s demands and secure the future of her career, or will she sacrifice everything to please the man she loves?
Criticisms and Compliments
Prime Time is one of Sandra Brown’s earlier works, and it shows. Her main character is naïve and foolish, a woman willing to suffer her love interest’s cruel behavior while she remains helplessly drawn to him. The resulting relationship is distressingly similar to an abusive relationship. Not only is it frustrating to read about a woman who allows herself to be treated as a doormat, but it is also a challenge to finish Prime Time, which quickly becomes unappealing. Were it not for the question surrounding General Ratliff’s actions during his military career, Prime Time would be a failure.
Prime Time is not Brown’s best novel, given its shallow character development and upsetting love story, but her later works are certainly worth reading. She is a writer who gets better with time, particularly with some of her later novels, such as Lethal and Smash Cut. For those who enjoy cookie-cutter romance novels that border on harlequin romances, Prime Time is not a bad choice. But for those who enjoy grittier, more thrilling and crime-based novels, Prime Time is one to avoid.
Source:
- Brown, Sandra. Prime Time. Vision, 1995 ISBN 9780446364290
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