True Colors (True Trilogy #2) by Joyce Lamb
Romantic Suspense
January 4, 2011
Paperback, 384 Pages
Berkley
Reviewed by Tori
Alex Trudeau coded DOA at the end of True Visions when she took a bullet meant for her sister Charlie Trudeau, but was brought back 3 times. She survived death but brought something back with her. Alex discovers she has the empathic ability that her sister Charlie has but with a twist. She not only experiences what has happened to others, she also mirrors their injuries.
When John Logan came to Lake Avalon he just wanted to forget what happened in his previous job. But the problems have followed him. As he and Alex embark on a relationship, she becomes the target of a madman determined to destroy Logan. Logan must race against the clock to save Alex from a killer who’s twisted mind could drive Alex over the edge.
Joyce Lamb’s True Colors is the second book in her True Trilogy. Here we focus on Alex Trudeau and John Logan. True Colors is similar in storyline to her first one True Vision but less suspenseful and very disorganized. Almost everything in given away in the beginning and the rest of the book is spent seeing how everyone deals with it. It felt rushed and forced as though Ms. Lamb was on a deadline and had to spit it out fast. It honestly reads like someone else wrote it. There is no arc development so I’m not sure where Ms. Lamb is going with this unless there is to be a huge finale in the last story which features Alex and Charlie’s sister Sam.
I found Alex and Logan to be one dimensional characters whose interactions consisted mainly of make up and “I don’t want to deal with this right now” sex. I never felt any real chemistry between them. That could be because we are dropped in right in the middle of their relationship and do not see the build up to it.
Logan comes off irrational in his inability to accept Alex’s powers. He knows Charlie is an empath and Charlie’s boyfriend backs her up. Yet, he is consistently denying the obvious throughout the book. Rather then coming off conflicting, it comes off strange. There is a sub plot invoked that is used as a bridge to understand Logan’s past and for Logan to finally accept Alex but its randomness sticks out like a sore thumb. It has no baring on the main plot.
Alex has a bit more meat to her but still doesn’t cross the finish line for me. I don’t sense any real feeling from her concerning Logan beyond the physical. After discovering her powers she really doesn’t try to explore or gain any information on them. Rather she runs around having sex or freaking out about them.
Our villain is extremely nasty and made more so by the fact that Ms. Lamb includes much of his point of view into the story. So much so that he rates main character status. I found him to be the most developed and interactive of them all. I will warn you, there are some graphic scenes in here that were violent in description. In True Vision we weren’t privy to this much from the villain and it’s a bit shocking to find it in here.
The ending is anti climatic in it’s development and unfolding. It didn’t have the delicious impact that True Visions had. All in all, this one was very different from True Visions and very disappointing.
Rating: D
Recent Reviews
Errant Dreams Reviews – 4/5
All About Romance – B+
Goodreads
True Trilogy:
True Visions
True Colors
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Cheryl says
I haven't read this one yet and I don't plan on it anytime soon. You did a great review and it's too bad that you didn't like it.
tori aka ggs_closet says
Cheryl-Thank you. I loved the first one in this series-not sure what happened here.
Fiction Vixen says
I really don't like a flat ending. :( Sorry you didn't like this one.
tori aka ggs_closet says
FV-Me neither.
Mandi says
Too bad the first worked so well and this one didn't! Great review :)
tori aka ggs_closet says
Mand-*sigh* Yes. It made me sad.
Smokinhotbooks says
one dimensional characters is one of my pet peeves.
Jenny says
Too bad on this one Tori, I can tell from your thoughts on Alex that I will find her irritating. The villain sounds very intriguing since we get some of his POV, but not enough to make me want to pick this one up. Hopefully the next in the series is better!
Kayanna Kirby says
you have systematically broken down this book. this review would have been valuable to the author during editing. have you thought of editing. Thanks for your honest review.