{Review} Full Contact by Tara Taylor Quinn

FULL CONTACT
Tara Taylor Quinn

Published: Harlequin Superromance, August 2011
FIND IT ON: Goodreads | Amazon | B&N


Blurb:
From good to great…to forever

Ellen Moore has a good life. But she wants a great one. One that's full, not just safe. That means stepping outside her comfort zone to take a risk.

And it doesn't get much riskier than Jay Billingsley. He has all the trappings of a rebel—the leather, the motorcycle, the restlessness. Every instinct tells her to run in the opposite direction—fast. Yet when she's with him, she feels something very different. Emotions this intense have to be right. She senses he could hold the key to helping her put that last piece of her great life into place. But first, she has to change his mind about leaving Shelter Valley.




My Thoughts:


DO NOT be fooled by this book's description as I was.  When I chose to read Full Contact, I thought it sounded like a light read with a good girl looking for an adventure with a bad boy.  I was wrong.

Jay Billingsley is a medical massage therapist who moonlights as a private investigator.  He's in Shelter Valley on a personal mission to find the father he believes abandoned him as a baby and to meet the son Jay never knew he had.  While there he takes on clients in need of his therapist skills.  One of those clients is our heroine, Ellen Moore.

Ellen's come a long way since she was brutally raped seven years ago.  She's still suffering from PTSD and she knows she has to move past it or she'll never be able to live the life she wants with her five year-old son.  Ms. Quinn does a remarkable job of guiding you through the physical and emotional effects of rape.  Ellen's triggers, panic attacks, and anxiety made me ache for what she was going through.

Jay is gentle and understanding.  He allows Ellen the time needed to become comfortable with him, to trust him; both professionally and personally.  So many rape/abuse/trauma books represent the women in very unrealistic ways.  You cannot go from fearing touch one day to having hot and steamy sex the next!  I thought Full Contact to be one of the best depictions of overcoming rape, learning to trust, and to love.  Jay never once oversteps the boundaries while treating her.  There isn't a single lusty kiss or heavy petting moment during treatment.  He fears -- as he should -- that going too far would be a setback in her recovery.  The romance is very gradual, but I never once doubted the connection between them.  Once Ellen trust him, begins to get to know him, and feels safe, she opens herself up to love.

Jay's investigation helps the story to flow along.  I really thought it'd be a distraction, but the more I learned about Jay's past, the more I hoped he'd find his father.  I don't know about anyone else, but the end shocked me.  I was so surprised by how the entire storyline plays out into a full circle moment.  In hindsight, I should have caught on.  I think I was more focused on seeing Ellen's recovery than what appeared to be a more minor detail of the book.  It was a very satisfying ending to a very good book.

I found it hard to like the people of Shelter Valley.  The entire town wrapped Ellen up so tightly she couldn't trust her own judgment.  The townspeople, and most especially Ellen's mother and stepfather, were overprotective to the point of stifling her.  It's a very closed-minded small town that tried numerous times to throw Jay and his motorcycle out. I was thrilled to see Ellen stand-up to them.

Give this book a read sometime.  It's worth every bit of the few hours spent reading it.

GRADE: A+
HEAT LEVEL: PG

REVIEW: Yours to Keep by Shannon Stacey

YOURS TO KEEP (Kowalski Family, #3)
Shannon Stacey

Published: June 2011 by Carina Press


Blurb:

Sean Kowalski no sooner leaves the army than he’s recruited by Emma Shaw to be her fake fiancé. Emma needs to produce a husband-to-be for her grandmother’s upcoming visit, and, though Sean doesn’t like the deception, he could use the landscaping job Emma’s offering while he decides what to do with his civilian life. And, despite his attraction to Emma, there’s no chance he’ll fall for a woman with deep roots in a town he’s not planning to call home.

Emma’s not interested in a real relationship either; not with a man whose idea of home is wherever he drops his duffel bag. No matter how amazing his “pretend” kisses are…  

 Review:

"Lady, I've never had a fiancee, fake or otherwise," he said in a low voice that made her knees weaken just a little. "And it's been a while since I've gone on a decent bender, so if I'd asked you to marry me, I'm pretty sure I'd at least remember your face."

That would have been hard to do. "We've never actually met."

Emma Shaw is ballsy, or batshit crazy (if you ask Sean), knocking on a stranger's door and pronouncing him her fake fiance.  Thankfully, he's not a total stranger, and that went far in propelling the book into the realm of believability for me!  Sure, they've never met, but Emma's best friend is married to Sean's cousin.  Ahh, a connection that works. 

Once I realized Emma hadn't just pulled a name out of a hat, or showed up at just any guy's door, I relaxed and began to enjoy the set-up.  The truth is, I love a well-thought-out pretend engagement/marriage plot!  The possibilities when throwing together two people who have to fake being in love are endless; oftentimes humorous, and utterly sexy!  Shannon Stacey artfully navigated such a tricky plot, and I loved every single second of it.

What happens when you love someone so much you can't stand seeing them worry? In Emma's case, she went to great lengths to ensure her grandma, Cat, could enjoy her retirement in sunny Florida. This is where us single gals can learn a good lesson about little white lies.  Don't invent a fake man.  It always backfires. Grandmas are wily creatures who know all the tricks.  They have decades of wisdom on their side!  Mark my words, she'll visit.  And when she does, she'll see right through ya!

Cat was no exception to the rule.  I loved being treated to Cat's POV.  She wasn't duped for a minute.  When she and Sean's Aunt Mary teamed up, I couldn't control the laughter!  But back to those silly kids, Emma and Sean.  It is there story despite the scene-stealing older women in their lives. 

Sean is the guy your mama dreams you'll grow up to marry!  He's sexy, charming in a good ole' boy kind of way, and loves his family.  His Aunt Mary and Uncle Leo were a big part of he and his siblings lives after their mother died.  I wanted to hug the entire Kowalski clan!  They all thought Sean had lost it playing house with a woman he didn't know, but they supported him.  They had a lot of fun at Emma and Sean's expense!  The Newlywed Game had me laughing so hard I was crying!  Aunt Mary, with her wooden spoon, made me smile in every scene she was in.

Emma is not a damsel in distress!  She's a strong woman with a big heart who loves completely.  Did she expect she'd fall in love with a man like Sean?  No way.  But when she realizes she loves him, she doesn't question it.  I loved how "real" Emma was.  She couldn't cook, but she cleaned like an Energizer Bunny!  She's a landscape designer; not afraid of dirt, sweat, and hard work!  Sean and I both thought she was a breath of fresh air.

There was an unexpected secondary love story between Cat and a man from her past.  Cat and Emma's emotions were mirrored as they each fell for their guy. 

I can't possibly wrap-up this review without mentioning Sean's sticky notes!  I swear those sticky notes were a supporting character!  I kept waiting for another to appear on the mirror in the bathroom he and Emma shared.  It was such a cute touch.  I can see him still leaving her sticky notes 50 years down the road!

The path to Sean and Emma's happily-ever-after was paved with lots of laughs, co-conspiring mother figures, fun family get-togethers, and yes, enough tears that my eyes were puffy when I finished the last page.

YOURS TO KEEP is a keeper, and a pick for one of my top reads of 2011!

GRADE: A+

(PS. I'm heading over to Amazon for the first two books in this series!)

Line of Scrimmage by Marie Force

Coming off his 3^rd Superbowl win with the Denver Mavericks, you would think Ryan Sanderson was riding high on life.  Instead, he finds himself desperate to reconnect with his estranged wife, Susannah, before their marriage ends in divorce in 10 days.  There were so many good things about Ryan.  He knows how badly he messed up in the marriage.  He doesn’t come to her expecting that she’ll take the blame and fall at his feet.  He’s cocky in a confident way that will make you smile.  Oh, and the way he says “darlin’” I can almost hear his honeyed Texas drawl.  Mmm!  Sexy, assertive, and so in love with Susannah that it was almost painful to watch him trying to right his wrongs.  I would’ve fallen at his feet – happily!

Susannah has moved on with her life and is preparing to marry another man in less than a month.  When I first picked up this novel, I was skeptical that there would be anything about the heroine that I liked.  Call me old-fashioned, but cheating is cheating.  Moving past those first assumptions, the more I read about Susannah, the more I liked and the more I understood.   One, she still loves Ryan.  That was pretty obvious from the get-go.  Two, Susannah was a young bride and allowed her identity to become so enmeshed in Ryan’s that she lost who she was.  Three, she’s not in love with her fiancé, Henry Merrill.  He is possessive and weak.   He’s spent years pining for Susannah; standing on the sidelines waiting for Ryan to mess up.  There are no redeemable qualities about the guy.

 

Luckily, Ryan swoops in demanding that she spend the last days of their marriage with him!  He’s determined to show her he’s changed and wants to make her and their relationship top priority in his life.  Their history is filled with love and tears.  I’m talking problems that were real, honest, and heart-wrenching.  I felt completely invested in their relationship!  They have a lot to overcome during the final chapters.  It’s a true test that will tug at both of their insecurities.

 

This was the first book I’ve read by Marie Force.  Can’t wait to read more!

GRADE: A+

 

Trace of Fever by Lori Foster

From the second I opened Trace of Fever I was drawn in. Trace Rivers is the kind of dangerous man a girl dreams about. He’s oh-so-sexy, confident, and will do whatever it takes to take down a bad guy! And let me tell you, the bad guy in this book is E-V-I-L. After Trace’s sister, Alani, was kidnapped by human traffickers in When You Dare (book #1 of this series), he’s made it his mission to take down other traffickers. In particular, Murray Coburn. I give Ms. Foster kudos for delving into such an intensely uncomfortable subject. She has obviously done her homework on it and the affects survivors endure afterwards.

Priscilla Patterson knows all too well what being kidnapped, raped, and completely disregarded as a human being can do to someone. Priscilla’s mother spent years in fear after fleeing from captivity. As a result, Priss grew up in a very sheltered life. After her mother’s death, Priss becomes focused on ridding the world of Coburn, the man responsible for taking her mother years ago and who could very well be her father. Priss is gutsy! I love that about her. She is out of her element many times in the book, but she doesn’t let it stop her. Instead, it fuels her desire to keep moving with her plan.

It isn’t coincidence that Priss and Trace are thrown together on the same path. Never before have I read characters so completely RIGHT for each other! Each of their strengths complements the other in ways I’ve not seen done in other books. The chemistry between them is immediate and very hot!

There are so many good scenes in this book that I couldn’t put it down. I had to know what would happen next! Helene, Murray’s lover, is one psychotic woman! My stomach dipped, my teeth clenched, and I thought I’d snap my Kindle in half every time Hell (boy does that nickname fit her) showed up on the page! One of my favorites, though, was when Priss meets Jackson for the first time. I couldn’t stop laughing at their predicament!

My only complaint is the teaser epilogue featuring Jackson and Alani. I already know Alani will be the character I relate to most in the series. I’ve looked forward to her scenes in both books, and simply cannot wait for Savor the Danger to be released! Jackson will need to be one special guy to make it work with her. Reading the epilogue was torture for this very reason! He makes his interest for Alani quite clear. Talk about a cliffhanger!

Thanks for another keeper, Ms. Foster! 

GRADE: A+