Harlequin - En quête de vérité

I can't even tell you how horrified I was to watch this awful movie. The book and the movie are NOTHING alike. The secondary characters and even the plot are not from the book. If someone truly wanted to make an awful movie, fine, but why use the title and lead characters from Ms. Howard's book when the story is completely different? There is no Grant Shaw in the book, Grant Shaw is the actor from Melrose Place. And who is Mrs. Beacham? She is not in the book, either.

Anyone who has read this book and may be tempted to watch this piece of cheap filmmaking, don't bother. It is not worth it. Even if it wasn't based on a Howard book, this movie is not worth your time. Paint your nails, hammer some nails, eat some nails, anything other than watching this drivel makes more sense. And I hope Ms. Howard has more sense than turning over her work to producers who will butcher it.

I was very excited when I saw Loving Evangeline was going to air on WE. It's one of my favorite Linda Howard books and I couldn't wait to see it 'live and in color'.

I only wish I would have come here first and found out how horrible this movie really was.

After watching this farce I couldn't help but feel disappointed. I realize that sometimes the movies have to take liberties with the books; but the writer, director and producers completely ruined a wonderful story.

In fact the movie is NOTHING like the book aside from the title and the lead characters' names. The acting was sub par, the storyline was ridiculous and the characters were NOWHERE near as great as their book counterparts.

Bottom line, don't rent this flick. Don't buy it. And if you see it on TV change the channel. Don't bother to waste your time.

Instead, get the book and see how the story's really supposed to go. You won't be disappointed.

Okay, I admit it, I approached this from the perspective of a Nick Mancuso fan. I'd never read any book at all by Howard, let alone this one, so I have to take the movie at face value. Beautiful scenery, appealing heroine Rowan, nice moments between her and Nick. I took the movie more as a study of how he changes throughout -- he starts out so stiff and rigid (Ultra Businessman) and ends up relaxed and charming, particularly in their dessert scene. Was it a cinematic masterpiece? No. Was he meant to be a dashing hero? Um, no; he got knocked out cold the first time up to bat with the bad guy, and in the end the police did all the hard work. Bad guy (creepy and menacing up to that point) gave up too easily; Shari Belafonte was oddly stiff -- and there were a lot of things left unclear, like how Cannon's brother figured out what was up in the first place. It was lightweight, yes, but it was hardly hate-worthy. I did get pretty tired of Nick pushing up his glasses, but on the other hand, was highly intrigued by the Mars Bar dessert. Hey. Take what you can get. And Nicky, well, he's still got it. So if you've never read the book (I still haven't) and you like Nick... g'wan. Try it. Hardly hurts at all.

I love all of Linda Howard's books, and was thrilled to accidentally run across this film on WE. I couldn't have been more disappointed. Not only was the plot completely different from Ms. Howard's storyline, the acting was mediocre at best. I was dismayed at the complete lack of chemistry between the two lead actors. I am a big fan of escapist romance, and I can forgive a lot of schmaltz and cheesiness in a low budget film if there is a credible connection between the characters and the plot is even halfway believable. But this movie embarrasses a genre that to begin with does not have much to recommend it in terms of higher artistic value. Don't waste your time watching this movie - especially if you are expecting it to resemble the book in any way whatsoever. But do check out some of Linda Howard's novels. She writes quality romantic escapism without forsaking skillful character development and interesting, suspenseful plots. She is a talented writer. My sympathies to Ms. Howard for having her name attached to such an embarrassingly sub-par movie.

Sorry it wasn't like the book, but by not having read the book, I wasn't restricted by what to expect or compare. It had a little of everything (scenery, plot, dessert scene) to keep a guy sticking around past a zillion commercials on WE to find out what happens in the end. "Why did you move from California to - here?" is a question only found in a typical Canadian TV production like this. But hey, less crying than most Lifetime movies offer. Also, when you consider what is out there in the theaters these days at $10 dollars a head (plus, all the other "necessary" expenses - food, soda, etc.) this is inexpensive fare for the eyes and the brain. The popcorn at home was fine. The author should have sued anyway.