Thursday, February 14, 2013

Dancing With Detective Danger 18+

The following review is for 18+ readers.
 



2.5 Stars
 Uncovering secrets and exposing truth are all in a day’s work for private investigator Sterling Aegar. But when her latest case threatens to reveal her own buried feelings for an old love, Sterling runs for cover.
A body in the bathtub and pleas from a jilted wife to find her wayward husband mean a welcome break from the usual humdrum cases Sterling and her sister, Lacey, are called to investigate. But when Sterling’s old flame, Detective Ben Kirby, walks into the murder scene, she feels her world spin out of control. Danger from thugs and murderers poses no greater threat than the peril she’d suffer if she lets daredevil Ben get too close.
Seeing Sterling for the first time in two years is for Ben like drinking in a healing tonic. He could never forget the way it felt to run his hands over her delicious curves or the way she touched his soul. She remains the one person who can make the emptiness in his gut go away. Finding the murderer is his job, but protecting Sterling from seriously dangerous people is his mission.
As the case unfolds, Sterling and Ben not only solve the murder and locate the missing husband, they confront secrets that set them each free from a painful past.

Review

*****This book is part of a blog tour, I was given a copy in exchange for my honest review.*****
 This was a book of loss, love, hope and self realization.
Sterling, our leading lady, has lost love ones and watched others  she loved dear lose those closest to them, and she will be damned if she will let that happen to her.
So she gives up her job as a cop, breaks up with the love of her life and settles for a "safe" existence, guarding her heart from the chance of more unbearable pain.
Ben, is living an empty life too. He is the man that has been left behind and he has never gotten over Sterling. Unbeknown to Sterling, is that Ben has made some changes to his life aswell and is no longer living the dangerous life he once did. Haunted by jobs gone wrong, the injury of his partner and the his lover leaving him, Ben really is living a shadow of a life.
When these two's paths cross again, all the unresolved feelings come with them, plus a whole lot of bitterness and resentment. Sterling's PI firm find a dead body and suddenly a simple case of a cheating husband becomes a police investigation into murder and intrigue and these two find themselves working the same case, for different reasons.
We are left to watch these two struggle with there obvious love for one another, wondering and hoping that they will get there happily ever after before these lose someone else.
"Maybe there is hope after all," Ben teased, his eyes glinting. " You still know the way. Maybe someday you'll be back----- to stay."
I loved the idea of this book, second chance romance is one of my favorite themes. They are so angsty, passionate and emotional, you are guaranteed a wild ride.
But I couldn't help but be frustrated and angry at Sterling. I found her hypocritical and extremely frustrating. The things that she seemed to blame Ben for and break up with him for  she was guilty of herself. So I spent some of the book fighting with myself as to whether she was a redeemable character in my mind.Also for an ex cop, she sure didn't seem to understand the term "withholding information".  These are of course very personal comments and not everyone is going to feel that way, unfortunately I did.
The plot line seemed to have some gaps in it , I found myself at a loss sometimes as to how certain conclusions had been reached. Also the reality of some of these situations..... it was a stretch for me and then the ending, everything wrapped up a bit to quickly.
But once again, this was my inability to feel a proper connection to the characters. Just like we don't get along with everyone in life, it is the same in a book.
I did complete the whole story and like I have said before the I loved the idea of this storyline. A more fleshed out storyline would have increased my enjoyment and a less snarky leading lady.
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The Darkening

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 4 of 5 stars false
 A tortured warrior and a peace-loving counselor battle to protect Second Earth against a powerful dark force…
He thwarted connection of any kind…
Fearing that his newly emerged grayle power will kill innocent ascenders, Samuel Daman struggles to keep his distance from beautiful Vela Stillwell. But the breh-hedden has struck and her light floral scent tears at his restraint. When the enemy draws them both into the darkening, a place of secret travel for Third ascenders, will Samuel learn to control his power, or will he destroy what he desires most?
She hid from grief…
Vela Stillwell wanted a new life, away from Militia Headquarters, away from the reminder of all she’d lost when her husband died five years earlier. Seeking a more reclusive occupation, she finishes her last day of work only to have Samuel Daman and the infamous breh-hedden sweep through her life. Though trying to disconnect from her new emerging power and from Samuel, the call of the darkening pulls Vela into an adventure that both terrifies her, yet reveals the truth about her deepest desires. Will she succumb to the breh-hedden, or will her fears prevent her from living life to the fullest?

Review


****I was given a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review****

Vela has started having dreams about a warrior and on her last day of work her friends talk her into going to watch the men at the training center. While there she and the warrior Samuel start experiencing the breh-hedden.  The two of them have to deal with their emerging powers, find a lost warrior and fight the growing war. Vela has to decide if she can face her fears and love a warrior again. Vela is a compassionate woman, with a lot of power. Samuel is a loner with a lot of guilt. I liked the storyline and the characters that surrounded the couple were interesting. Endelle was brash, with the mouth of a sailor and Merl was an unrepentant flirt. The action was intense, exciting and wonderfully descriptive. The sex scenes were hot and the connection that the two main characters shared added emotional depth to their lovemaking. I really enjoyed this book; my only complaint was that I was confused in the beginning. I had not read the first book in the series so when I started The Darkening it took me a little while to figure out what was going on
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