Review: Aftershock by Jill Sorenson

4 of 5 scoopers

Aftershock by Jill Sorenson
Harlequin (Dec. 18, 2012)
Mass Market: $7.99; ebook: $7.99
ISBN: 9780373777327

Favorite Lines: “Because we’d both be miserable! I love you Lauren. But I don’t want you to waste a single second of your life on me.” (p. 337, e-galley)

As an emergency paramedic, Lauren Boyer is dedicated and highly capable. Until an earthquake strikes, trapping her beneath the freeway with a group of strangers—including Iraq war veteran Garrett Wright…

Handsome and take-charge Garrett aids Lauren in her rescue efforts, even as the steely look in his eyes seems to hide dark secrets. When a gang of escaped convicts goes on the attack, Garrett’s bravery makes him more than a courageous bystander to Lauren. If they can save the others before time runs out, maybe, just maybe, they can explore the fire igniting between them—if the truth about who he really is doesn’t pull them apart forever….

I thought I was going to pick up Aftershock by Jill Sorenson, read a page and set the book down. I knew I wanted to read it but it was time for bed and I figured I’d read one page to say I started it and finish it later. That didn’t happen. I kept going until the book was finished. Not because of a great romance, but because of the great stories which were being told.

Aftershock tells many stories. From the blurb I thought the main story would be Garrett and Lauren falling in love, but it feels more like a secondary story line to the idea of a group of people trying to survive after a natural disaster. There is also the danger coming from a group of convicts which threatens the survivors. As a story I really liked the book. But I don’t think it’s a good romance.

There is an almost instant attraction between Garrett and Lauren. I totally understand the lust, but I don’t believe in the forever type of love that is supposed to have come from their time together. I want it for them, but there is so much keeping them apart that I don’t believe it’s possible.

Thinking back one of the things I most enjoyed about Aftershock is the characters aren’t perfect by the end of the book. They don’t have this giant epiphany and turn their lives around. They have good moments and they are survivors but they aren’t in perfect situations. A wand is never waved to put a rainbow over their lives so the bad disappears. Sorenson’s characters work with what their given and are very “real” with human failures. I liked knowing that the characters stayed true to that which I was introduced to in the story and at the end were that same individual.

In the end, I’ve got to tell you that as a romance I don’t find Aftershock to be successful. There is a happy ever after, but it is unbelievable. However, as a piece of fiction with tons of action and stories taking place it works. I had to know what was going to happen. I liked it enough to want to continue the series with book two, Freefall which comes out in June 2013. It tells the story of a character we meet in Aftershock but don’t ever really get to know. I’m excited to see where it goes.

Advertisement

Review: A Widow’s Guilty Secret by Marie Ferrarella

2 of 5 scoopers

A Widow’s Guilty Secret by Marie Ferrarella
Harlequin (Dec. 18, 2012)
Mass Market: $5.50; ebook: $4.99
ISBN: 9780373278060
Excerpt

Favorite Lines: “It was almost an out-of-body experience for her. She was in awe of her own actions, of the liberties that she was taking. She’d always been faithful to the man she was with, and as Peter’s wife, she’d been faithful to her vows. But Peter was dead and for the first time in a long time, she was not. Nick brought out a wildness in her, and yet, there was this overpowering need for a connection. To life, to love, to herself.  Every kiss seemed to flower into another one, creating equal partners of them even as she and Nick both tottered back and forth between being master and slave, captor and captive, each taking a turn at assuming all four roles.” (p. 235, e-galley)

“Watch over my baby.”

As the mother of a newborn, Suzy Burris is accustomed to sleepless nights. But tonight, she’s waiting up for her husband, Peter, to tell him she wants a divorce. Instead, she learns he’s been murdered. And the sexy detective who’s just delivered the shocking news is asking questions indicating she’s a suspect.

When Detective Nick Jeffries left Houston for the sleepy town of Vengeance, Texas, he hoped to leave behind the city’s grisly homicides. The latest triple murder to hit his desk nixes that idea. Being attracted to the widow of one of the victims is the last thing he needs. But when Suzy and her baby are threatened, he’ll risk all to keep them from a killer’s crosshairs….

I seem to forget that many of the Harlequin individual series like Intrigue, Super Romance, Nocturne, Blaze, Desire, etc…are continuations of the same story. For example, A Widow’s Guilty Secret is part of Harlequin Romantic Suspense Vengeance in Texas series. This irritated me for the same reason it always irritates me. I think I’m getting a complete story in a book, but major threads are left unsolved to be picked up in another book. In this case the next book which picks up the story is A Rancher’s Deadly Affair by Jennifer Morey which comes out with the other February Harlequin Romantic Suspense releases.

So if you’re expecting a glowing review you won’t find it here. That doesn’t mean I disliked the story. There was much to like such as the actual mystery. I wanted to know who killed Sheriff Burris and his pals and the reasoning behind the murders. I guess my problem is that I didn’t feel like the book was a romance or a suspense. The first chapter introduces us to the story’s heroine Suzy Burris as she waits for her husband to come home. She’s decided to divorce him and wants to tell her hubby before she takes their two-month-old infant and leaves. By the end of an info dumped first chapter we find out why Suzy’s marriage is a sham, that her husband was a douche and watch her as the hero informs her of her husband’s death.

That’s a lot, I know. It is supposed to open me to the idea of a brand spanking new widow falling in love with a man she just met, but it didn’t. I was told the heroine never really loved her husband, but I kept wondering how a woman with an infant and a murdered spouse could find lasting love while a killer is on the loose. Suzy’s reactions and thoughts confused me just as much as Nick, the hero and detective investigating the murders, ability to lust after the widow. I didn’t feel romance, love or lust between them. Friendship? Yes.

I guess I felt like the book was like a road traveling across the plains. There was no high or low parts just a steady continuation from point A to B. There were no interesting landmarks to look out the window at, simply asphalt taking the reader on a trip. It wasn’t boring enough to set aside or not finish. I just didn’t see anything spectacular about it. It certainly didn’t feel very suspenseful.

A Widow’s Guilty Secret didn’t do much for me. I liked it less than the average book because I was unable to lose myself in the story. I didn’t believe in the characters, disliked how much of the story was left unfinished and was disappointed in the lack of high and low points in the story. I expected to read a suspense filled romance, but feel like I read a piece of fiction with a forced romance thread.

Review: Now You See It by Cait Donnelly

3.5 out of 5 scoopers

Now You See It by Cait Donnelly
Carina Press (Nov. 5, 2012)
ebook: $5.99 (85,000 words)
ISBN: 9781426894589
Excerpt

Favorite Lines: “Great. Just great. He finally meets the One, and–God, did he just think that? Even to himself? Brady sat back in the chair and blinked, caught his breath and rethought the last few seconds. Well, damn! It had happened, just the way his aunts had always said it would. Just the way it had hit his dad. With amused and knowing grins, the old women had called it the coup de foudre–the thunderbolt. He’d shrugged it off as just more Indian stories. Served him right.” (p. 20, e-galley)

Former Navy SEAL Brady McGrath has no trouble attracting female attention. But women never stick around long once they learn he can read feelings through touch. When an old Navy buddy hires him to protect his sister, he doesn’t need extra-sensory abilities to know someone wants something from Gemma Cavanagh —something worth killing for.

Gemma’s finally getting a handle on her own unique ability to make things disappear—even making them reappear on occasion. When someone breaks into her house and hacks into her computer, she’s certain her soon-to-be-ex husband is to blame—until the police show up on her doorstep with the news he’s been murdered. And she’s their number one suspect.

After barely escaping a firebombing, Gemma and Brady are forced into hiding—and forced to confront the chemistry between them. As they desperately search for the killer, can Brady help Gemma harness her abilities—and keep her from finding out about his own dark past?

Now You See It is book one in Cait Donnelly’s Inner Edge series which introduces characters who have “abilities” into a contemporary world. Gemma, the heroine, can file things. This means she knowingly–or unknowingly–makes items disappear. As a youth she could make those items reappear at will, but after a traumatic event she lost the ability to control her filing ability. The hero Brady can read emotions transferred to objects, as well as from people. He is a tough guy. He has mad computer skills and federal law enforcement training.

But Now You See It is not so much a paranormal romance as much as a contemporary romantic suspense with paranormal aspects. The drama surrounds a woman in the midst of a divorce whose husband is brutally murdered. Soon after, her home is invaded and her brother sends his buddy over to investigate. That woman becomes prime suspect and happens to have an unusual ability. Not many people in the book have odd abilities and the action isn’t driven by the abilities which is why I consider this more of a suspense. Everyone wants to know “who did it?”.  And the answer has nothing to do with the special abilities of any of its characters.

As a whole, I enjoyed the book. I understand the hero’s quick addiction to the heroine, but her feelings were more of a mystery to me. I guess Gemma burned out on her hubby a long time before the hero made an appearance so I’m okay with her quick interest in the hero. Her emotional flip-flops between irritation, attraction, and anger all of which are directed toward the hero about drove me crazy. I didn’t like Gemma and feeding my dislike were her perplexing reactions to other things. For example, there was a moment when Gemma knew she was a suspect in her husband’s murder when she returned home, I’m talking the day after finding out about her hubby’s death, that she reacted in a way which made no sense to me. She pulls up to a yard full of reporters and “opening the garage door at the last possible minute, she flipped the crowd a happy little wave as she pulled inside.” (p.56) It cemented my early opinion of her character as one with little depth.

Gemma’s brother and would-be lover are another matter. I thoroughly enjoyed all aspects of both men. They were dependable and predictable–great romance heroes. Someone else was predictable…the villain. I knew upon introduction to the villain exactly who he was. I didn’t know why he did the things he did, but it was clear to me that he was a participant.

So my end thought on Now You See It are that it was pretty much what I expected to find in a romantic suspense with the exception of a heroine who I disliked. I never set the book aside which makes it a solid read for me, but it isn’t one I’ll read again. I did like it enough that I’ll be looking for book two which is entitled Helix.

Review: Rev It Up by Julie Ann Walker

3 out of 5 scoopers

Rev It Up by Julie Ann Walker
Sourcebooks (Oct. 2, 2012)
Mass market: $6.99; ebook: $6.99 (Pre-order for the best price)
ISBN: 9781402267185

Favorite Lines: “And she desperately missed her husband, her friend, during times like this when she needed a strong shoulder to lean. Steven had been her rock, her savior, and he’d deserved so much more than she’d been able to give him. Oh, she’d loved him, there was no doubt about that. But it was the kind of love she’d felt for many of the boys in Bravo Platoon. And then he’d died before she got the chance to give him her whole heart…” (p. 230-31, e-galley)

Jake “The Snake” Sommers has spent most of his black-ops military career fulfilling a promise he made more than a decade ago. Now he’s finally free to pursue the woman he sacrificed…but hates the very ground he walks on. Michelle Carter has never forgiven Jake for being so cliché as to “love her and leave her.” But when unknown enemies threaten everything she loves, she must do the unimaginable: place her life — and that of her son’s — into Jake’s seductive hands.

Keeping her and her son safe is his final mission. Keeping her heart to herself just might prove futile…

Rev It Up is book three in Julie Ann Walker‘s romantic suspense Black Knights Inc. series. It follows the sister of the Black Knights Inc. head honcho as she finds a happily ever after with a man from her past. This is a hard review for me to write because I didn’t love or hate the book.

Characters: Michelle is a single mother dealing with childhood scars. She married her best friend, but became a widow after a mission in which her former lover lived and her husband died. Like most mothers, she feels guilty about everything whether it’s her fault or not. She’s attracted to Jake, but will always put her child first as every action she takes has an effect on her son. Jake knows he made a mistake by pushing Michelle away in the past. After years of suffering from survivor’s guilt he can’t resist the one woman he’s never forgotten.

Action: Rev It Up doesn’t have as much action as its predecessor In Rides Trouble, but that’s okay because the book is solidly focused on the relationship between Michelle and Jake. People die. Guns are fired. However those things are secondary to Michelle and Jake overcoming the obstacles which have kept them separated and prevent them from being happy. I will say the end of the book is like the grand finale of an action movie. Yes, that much takes place.

Final Thoughts: I expected more from Rev It Up than I got. I had hoped to be taken on a ride with great characters. What I got was wagon ride with characters I felt nothing for. I didn’t feel the attraction or want anything for either character. When the zinger secret came out I cringed. It’s a romance pet-peeve of mine. I hate that storyline. No, I’m not going to ruin it for you by telling spoilers. I’m not saying Rev It Up was a bad book. I’m saying it didn’t hook me or leave an impression on me like In Rides Trouble.

Review: In His Sights by Tina Beckett

2.5 out of 5 scoopers

In His Sights by Tina Beckett
Carina Press (August 27, 2012)
ebook: $5.99 (79,000 words)
ISBN: 9781426894275

Favorite Lines: “This couldn’t be happening. Cole couldn’t be standing in her living room, asking to lay his hands on her stomach. When he touched her, it was almost a religious experience. His fingers explored inch by inch, and before long, their mouths followed suit. When she pulled him toward the bedroom, there were no more words at all for a long time.” (p. 216, e-galley)

During a hostile situation at the American embassy in Angola, Special Forces officer Cole Scalini is ordered to take out a suicide bomber and rescue a hostage. Simple enough for a sniper with his training, until he realizes that the woman in danger is neither a random nor a typical victim. She’s pregnant.

Callie Nascimento is carrying her sister’s baby as a surrogate when she discovers her sister was killed under suspicious circumstances. Now Callie’s become a target. Her only hope for survival is a rebel of another kind, a handsome loner of a military man who’s risking his life to save her.

As Cole strives to keep Callie safe, fighting the terrain and terrorist attacks, his respect for her grows. She’s strong, capable and sexy as hell. But before he can explore if their attraction is something deeper, he has to get her safely back on U.S. soil. Because the enemy is much closer to home than they realize.

In His Sights is Tina Beckett’s action packed romantic suspense which follows a woman’s struggle for survival in Angola. She has a lot of help from a Special Forces officer and gradually falls in love. There are political shenanigans, torture sessions and love making, but something was missing. I didn’t feel the chemistry between the hero and heroine which developed over an eight or nine day period. I wanted to like In His Sights but when you don’t like the characters it makes it awfully hard.

The heroine (Callie) is a psychologist, a profession the hero disdains. The hero (Cole) is a military man and the heroine has daddy issues which cause her to prejudge all military men. All of those childhood issues fill both of the main characters and while it doesn’t prevent them from being sexually attracted to one another it stifles the growth of any possible relationship. It’s hard to believe in chemistry and a future together when both characters totally dislike such a major aspect of the other. In addition, I didn’t like either character.

Cole is a big baby. He is an alpha kick ass warrior who is still obsessed with a childhood diagnosis of ADHD. Yep, you heard me. An ADHD diagnosis ruined his life and still affects his thinking. As an adult Cole still has issues remaining immobile, but he manages them. It feels like Cole whines all the time. All thoughts leed back to his childhood diagnosis and his dislike of psychologists.

Callie deserved to die. I hate to say that about a pregnant woman, but she makes stupid mistakes. Let’s leave money for the super poor people cause that’s not a dead giveaway to an American presence. No don’t kill the bad guy, let’s talk to him cause words are better than a bullet. I don’t know how such an intelligent woman could keep making deadly mistakes. She–like Cole– flips to childhood memories. For her it was a super strict ex-military stepfather who ruled with an iron fist. Callie compares Cole to him often.

There were characters that I liked though. I liked the villains. There’s an obvious known villain we meet early in the story and the man behind the scenes.The man on the scene leaving tortured bodies behind him is Jose Coelho. He is bad and I love the scary villains. You know the type that if he catches up with you you’re going to wish you were dead? That’s Jose. The other guy? Well, Beckett does an excellent job muddying the waters to prevent me from knowing who the mystery villain is just when I think I know. I ended up being right, but I didn’t know that until the big reveal.

While I didn’t love In His Sights, if the next book in the series is about an American victim of Jose’s introduced in this book, I’ll read it.

If I had liked the main characters even a little bit I would have been happy with In His Sights. It moved forward at a steady pace, the suspense kept the characters looking over their shoulders and the secondary characters were intriguing. However, if I’m reading a romance I need to be able to root for them and their love, something I couldn’t do with Callie and Cole. My hope is that the next book, if this is a series, will have characters I find appealing which will make me invest in the story.

Review: Kansas City Cowboy by Julie Miller

Kansas City Cowboy by Julie Miller
Harlequin/Intrigue (Aug. 7, 2012)
Mass Market: $5.25; ebook: $4.99 (I saw it listed at B&N for $3.82 on 8/5/12)
ISBN: 9780373696345

Favorite Lines: “He knew he’d surprised her, knew he was taking liberties with a woman he barely knew. But he needed human contact right now. He needed the reassurance of a beating heart. he needed something strong to hold on to, something soft to absorb the pain and the rage and the grief rolling inside him that threatened to drag him down to his knees and bring him to tears.” (p. 31, e-galley)

For small-town sheriff Boone Harrison, the investigation into a serial rapist turned killer is painfully personal. Boone’s priority is to find the coward who murdered his sister. But to accomplish that, he’ll have to work with Dr. Kate Kilpatrick, a secretive woman whose striking beauty and kind heart just may be the lawman’s undoing….

Forensic psychologist Kate Kilpatrick was wrong about Sheriff Harrison. He’s smarter and more resourceful than she’d given him credit for—and entirely too attractive. In their combined grief, Kate finds something she didn’t even know she needed: protection. Because when the Rose Red Rapist sets his sights on Kate, she’ll need more than the power of the badge to save her. She’ll need her very own cowboy.

Does it get much sexier than a smart cowboy? Well, I figured I find out by reading Julie Miller’s Kansas City Cowboy.

If you’re unfamiliar with Harlequin’s Intrigue line all you need to know is that it is the line that promotes romantic suspense stories. One of the good things about it is at the beginning of each novel the reader is given a list of characters. The cast list includes the hero, heroine, important secondary characters and the villain. It’s a great way to know exactly what is going on before turning the first page of the book. So, let’s get back to Kansas City Cowboy.

Heroine: Dr. Kate Kilpatrick is intelligent woman who was betrayed by her husband and best friend. She copes with it by not allowing people to get close to her. Until Sheriff Boone Harrison appears and pulls her into a bear hug. She doesn’t have time to strictly focus on him though. An escalating rapist has her in his sights and with all the risks she takes, she just might end up dead.

Hero: Sheriff Boone Harrison’s sister was raped and murdered. As her oldest sibling, Boone plans to find his sister’s killer and leaves his jurisdiction for that of Kansas City. Once there he meets Dr. Kate and feels a spark of attraction. He isn’t ready to follow-up on it though. He needs to bury his sister and see her killer brought to justice.

Villain: The Rose Red Rapist has been taking what he wants and leaving women behind. The reader is given glimpses of him, but never gets to really see him. Eventually it becomes clear that there may be more than one bad guy making the rounds in Kansas City Cowboy. Unfortunately, we find out many things SPOILER but never the identity of the rapist. END SPOILER

Suspense, Romance and Sex: The suspense builds as Dr. Kate is stalked. Classic stalker techniques are used: text messages, break ins and the sound of footsteps. At the same time Boone and Kate are spending more time together with a slow burning attraction. There is sex, but not only does it relieve the tension, but it also leads the heroine to feelings of self-empowerment.

End Thoughts: I was bored with Kansas City Cowboy. The conflict didn’t feel like it was between the rapist and the main characters. I felt more internal battles fought inside Kate’s mind with herself and her former best friend, than I felt between the rapist/stalker and the police. The mystery aspect of the story was alright, but it never sucked me in. I felt semi-cheated when I finished reading the book. (Read the spoiler.) There were moments when I wanted to shake the heroine for being TSTL. I guess it just wasn’t the book for me. Maybe you’ll feel different. Did you read it? What are your thoughts?

New TV Shows: The Mob Doctor

I’m sitting on the fence about this new one. What do you thing?

New TV Shows: The Following

I think this one is going to scare the crap out of me, but I’ll probably still watch it.

Review: Tattooed by Pamela Callow

Tattooed by Pamela Callow
Harlequin/MIRA (May 29, 2012)
Mass Market: $7.99; ebook: $7.99
ISBN: 9780778313021
Excerpt

Favorite Lines: “The love and the hate had never stopped, never changed, never gone away. For over half his life he had loved Kenzie Sloane. And for over half his life he had hated her for what she had done to him. But he had a plan. A plan that would bring them full circle.” (p. 10, e-galley)

She is obsessed with tattoos.

He is obsessed with her.

When a body is found on the outskirts of Halifax, rumors run wild about the victim’s identity. But tattoo artist Kenzie Sloane knows exactly who she is. They share a tattoo… and a decade-old secret.

Lawyer Kate Lange remembers Kenzie Sloane. The former wild child was part of the same crowd that attracted her little sister, Imogen, before her death. Now Kenzie needs her help. And Kate needs answers.

But there are others who know about the tattoo and its history. And one of them is watching Kenzie’s every move, waiting for the perfect moment to fulfill a dark promise that had been inked in her skin.

C over art: I like the cover, but not for this book. The tattooist (Kenzie) is covered in tattoos, but there is one tattoo that is mentioned on the neck. It is not tribal art. It is a raven. (Even if it were tribal art, it would need to cover the bird.) So now I want to know: who is on the cover of this book?

I did not realize Pamela Callow’s Tattooed was book three in the Kate Lange series. I should have researched the author before picking up the book. It would have saved me some confusion and irritation when I felt like everyone but me knew what had happened in the past. I was late to the story which picked up several months after the events of book two, Indefensible.

The story is told from the third person and follows many different people including: a prison inmate, tattooist, lawyer and detective. The merry-go-round of characters kept the story rolling and it kept me guessing about one character’s true personality. I had certain expectations of Kenzie. Those opinions changed as I read her thoughts and what others thought about her. At the end of the book I wondered about people in general. Like do people change? What lengths would one go to keep her status? Can a good person do bad things and remain a decent individual?

I didn’t have answers at the end of the book, but I did have a firm grasp on who I was dealing with. I understood the characters and feel like this book is one that changes the series. Why? Well, there is a matter of Kate’s romantic interests being divided between two men. That is firmly dealt with in Tattooed. An event which molded Kate is delved into and while it wasn’t completely put to rest, it was addressed.

Tattooed is a thriller with bits that remind me of a police procedural. It has twists and made me wonder about events that happened in previous books. It was also a nice diversion and immersed me in a small town recovering after suffering the attention of a serial killer. However, it didn’t pique my interest enough to follow Kate in the next book.

Review: Edge of Light by Cynthia Justlin

Edge of Light by Cynthia Justlin
Carina Press (May 14, 2012)
ebook: $5.99
ISBN: 9781426893766
Excerpt

Favorite Lines: “He braced himself for her touch, and when her fingers met his skin he clenched his eyes shut. He couldn’t get used to it. Didn’t remember what to do. Would he eventually remember how to react, or was he forever doomed to straddle the line between pleasure and agony?” (p. 135-136, e-galley)

Taken prisoner by a ruthless group of anarchists deep in the Cambodian jungle, anthropologist Jocelyn Hewitt is isolated in a dark prison cell. Without chance of rescue. Or hope. Until the man in the next cell reaches out to let her know she’s not as alone as she thinks.

CIA agent Oliver Shaw has been held prisoner for over two years. Forced to witness the brutal torture and slow murder of his entire team, his spirit is not just broken, it’s crushed. He no longer believes in hope. Until he hears Jocelyn through the wall, and suddenly feels like a glimpse of light is trying to reach in…

Jocelyn’s heart aches for the tortured man whose presence and voice give her the courage to risk their escape. But first she’ll have to remind Oliver who he once was, what he once loved, and bring him back to life. Only then will they have a chance for freedom–and the kind of love neither ever thought possible.

Edge of Light is a romantic suspense and my first introduction to Cynthia Justlin’s writing. The story started with a bang. The reader is introduced to one man’s psychological battle with the mad man holding him captive. Oliver has been in captivity for over two years and he has given up. Until a new inhabitant in the cell next to his slowly begins to change things.

Jocelyn’s friends and co-workers were murdered and she was taken captive. The reason behind the horrific even was unbelievable. As she sits in a cell day after day she begins to reach out to the man in the cell next to hers, determined to understand why he refuses to speak to her or fight the people holding them.

Edge of Light is heavy on the suspense and light on the romance.I say this because the romance takes the back burner to the characters surviving. Basically it’s a book about a man rebuilding himself with the support of a good woman. Their coming together as a couple never becomes a priority. Both are trying to come to terms with the past and their present situation. It’s an “in the moment” type of relationship that never made me believe they could find happily ever after together. If I take this book as a thriller or suspense, I’m satisfied. Tag it with romance, and my satisfaction begins to dwindle.

Justlin does an excellent job portraying evil. She types a story that unfolds at a steady (but quick) pace. She also managed to build the unfurl two major story aspects by simply putting the hero and the heroine in cells bordering each other. One, it forces the characters to get to know each other without privilege of appearance being involved. It also stretches the suspense because neither knows exactly what is happening in the other’s cell. They can hear, but that increases the psychological terror as neither can see the damage imparted on the other.

I was immediately sucked into the story, but there were a few things that bothered me in addition to the light romance. I felt like the Justlin disposed of two major players a bit too easily. You’ll have to read the book to know who I’m talking about. I expected more of a battle or a more violent end to come and it was a disappointment. But the absolute crappiest thing was the heroine’s comments to the hero after they are out of danger. I couldn’t believe Jocelyn and felt like she was insensitive and unworthy of Oliver.

I’d like to know what you think of the book if you’ve read it. What did you like or dislike about the story? Would you recommend it to others?