CHARACTERS:
Olivia MacKenzie
Grayson Kincaid
SUMMARY:
Olivia MacKenzie is an survivor. As a child, she participated in an experimental study to help stop the ravages of her cancer. There she makes lifelong friends, Jane, Collin, and Samantha, whom she considers her family. (It is a perfect set up for a series). Her own family is MIA during her illness not wanting to be associated with weakness.
Olivia is now grown up and an attorney who works for the IRS. In a twist of fate, she ends up at a lunchtime interview with a CEO of a financial services company who is under scrutiny by the FBI. The whole encounter goes haywire with Olivia being pursued by a bodyguard with a gun at which time she yells. "Do you have a permit to carry that gun?" Oh yes, just the kind of snarkiness that I like in a heroine. The encounter may have gone wrong but she does meet handsome, FBI Agent Grayson Kincaid (hubba, hubba). Under the guise of following up on the incident, Grayson gets close to Olivia and discovers that she in more danger than at first blush. Turns out Olivia is going after her father, a supreme conman who is swindling people out of millions of dollars in a grand ponzi scheme (ala Bernie Madoff). This sets off Grayson's protective instincts and gives him the opening to pursue her as well.
REVIEW:
I chose this book because something about the cover appealed to me - a well built man in a suit with a holster. Yup, my kinda guy. Ok, go ahead, call me superficial. And although I have long learned not to dismiss books because of the cover, I assert that an attractive cover will always get a second look.
This is the first book I have read from Julie Garwood. I will probably read more from this author, but not if I have to pay what I paid for this ebook. This is an indulgence because I really liked the cover (did I mention that before?).
This book starts off really strong. Olivia is witty, funny, and smart and I looked forward to the more of it. Unfortunately, there isn't that much more. There is some clever banter between Olivia and Grayson, but most of her dialogue is internal and she worries a lot - worries about getting involved with Grayson, worries about the kids she rescues and represents, worries about what her family thinks about her... She talks a lot in her head. She is obviously witty and clever (as is set up in the Prologue), I wish we could see more of Olivia's sense of humor.
Grayson and Olivia make a hot couple. Grayson is just enough alpha to make Olivia push back. Their desire for one another is uncontrollable and I can feel the energy vibrate off the page, but this book lacks the graphic sizzle of other romance novels. Admittedly, that is not always necessary, but I think this book does a great job of setting up the action and could've benefitted from a little extra detail.
IN A NUTSHELL:
This is a nice contemporary romance novel worth a read, but you might want to wait for it to go down in price before you pick it up.
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