Published April 30, 2013 by Harlequin
Genre: romantic suspense, contemporary romance, romance
Rating: 4.5 stars
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BARE IT ALL (Love Undercover #2) by Lori Foster
Somebody out there is luring vulnerable women in ruse relationships. Targeted for their meek look and insecure temperament, these young women have fallen victims of a human smuggling ring and, after being abused and branded with encrypted tattoos, they are used as drug-mules. Alice Appleton, young 'virtual administrative assistant', is in the thick of it. Victim of a human trafficker herself, kidnapped and held in captivity for a year, Alice was rescued by a mysterious 'wraith' who posed as a bodyguard for her kidnapper. She is now seeking a life of isolation and anonymity, hidden in a self-imposed exile in the sanctuary of her home, armed to her teeth and emotionally guarded.
"Hide emotion. Hide fear. Hide everything, so that she didn't really exist. That made it easier to get through."
She survives off her gut instincts, and although armored with a heavy dose of introversion, a heavy Glock in the closet and a taser on her nightstand, Alice knows that, once a victim, she will never be able to feel entirely safe...until she meets her neighbor, Detective Reese Bareden. There is more to Alice than meets the eye of the heart-stoppingly handsome cop: the prim and reticent young woman living next door will capture Reese's curiosity and imagination, becoming the focus of his red-hot romantic fantasies and the key to his unresolved crime investigations.
Lori Foster has been on my radar for the longest time and I sorely regret not having read her previous titles before sinking my teeth in this explosive blend of high-interest plot, scorching sensuality, and dynamic characters. Bare It All is, in fact, the second book in the Love Undercover series, spin-off of the highly acclaimed Men Walking On The Edge Of Honor saga. Reese and Alice's book is quite enjoyable as a stand-alone novel, but I would recommend Run The Risk (Love Undercover #1) as an introductory read: it's in that book that part of our lead characters' emotional arc and backstories originate and unfold.
When you have the combination of a gorgeous, protective, alpha-male character and a vulnerable-but-strong-to-the-core heroine leading the readers through the twists-and-turns of a suspenseful plot, you know that you're in for an intense ride and an emotional love story. What I expected to be an high-octane thriller, though, turned out to be predominantly an over-the-top, read-hot, week-in-the-knees romance: emotional connection and powerful sexual chemistry of our lead couple stole the scene for most part of the book. At times I had to wrestle with the complexity of Alice's personality, unique blend of innocence and sensuality, vulnerability and reckless bravery, but all in all the narration was well garnished with gritty and enjoyable dialogues, lively and well-drawn secondary characters, and a pulse-pounding finale that added zest and flavor to Reese and Alice's steamy love story.
Somebody out there is luring vulnerable women in ruse relationships. Targeted for their meek look and insecure temperament, these young women have fallen victims of a human smuggling ring and, after being abused and branded with encrypted tattoos, they are used as drug-mules. Alice Appleton, young 'virtual administrative assistant', is in the thick of it. Victim of a human trafficker herself, kidnapped and held in captivity for a year, Alice was rescued by a mysterious 'wraith' who posed as a bodyguard for her kidnapper. She is now seeking a life of isolation and anonymity, hidden in a self-imposed exile in the sanctuary of her home, armed to her teeth and emotionally guarded.
"Hide emotion. Hide fear. Hide everything, so that she didn't really exist. That made it easier to get through."
She survives off her gut instincts, and although armored with a heavy dose of introversion, a heavy Glock in the closet and a taser on her nightstand, Alice knows that, once a victim, she will never be able to feel entirely safe...until she meets her neighbor, Detective Reese Bareden. There is more to Alice than meets the eye of the heart-stoppingly handsome cop: the prim and reticent young woman living next door will capture Reese's curiosity and imagination, becoming the focus of his red-hot romantic fantasies and the key to his unresolved crime investigations.
Lori Foster has been on my radar for the longest time and I sorely regret not having read her previous titles before sinking my teeth in this explosive blend of high-interest plot, scorching sensuality, and dynamic characters. Bare It All is, in fact, the second book in the Love Undercover series, spin-off of the highly acclaimed Men Walking On The Edge Of Honor saga. Reese and Alice's book is quite enjoyable as a stand-alone novel, but I would recommend Run The Risk (Love Undercover #1) as an introductory read: it's in that book that part of our lead characters' emotional arc and backstories originate and unfold.
When you have the combination of a gorgeous, protective, alpha-male character and a vulnerable-but-strong-to-the-core heroine leading the readers through the twists-and-turns of a suspenseful plot, you know that you're in for an intense ride and an emotional love story. What I expected to be an high-octane thriller, though, turned out to be predominantly an over-the-top, read-hot, week-in-the-knees romance: emotional connection and powerful sexual chemistry of our lead couple stole the scene for most part of the book. At times I had to wrestle with the complexity of Alice's personality, unique blend of innocence and sensuality, vulnerability and reckless bravery, but all in all the narration was well garnished with gritty and enjoyable dialogues, lively and well-drawn secondary characters, and a pulse-pounding finale that added zest and flavor to Reese and Alice's steamy love story.
Bare It All, currently #7 on the New York Times bestsellers list, is available at Amazon and all major book retailers.
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| (Photo Credit: Grover Photography) |
Lori believes it’s important to give back to the community as much as
possible, and for that reason she ran special contests in conjunction
with a publisher, facilitating many first sales for new authors. She
routinely organizes events among authors and readers to gather donations
for various organizations.
Along with her good friend, Duffy Brown, Lori hosts a very special annual “Reader & Author”
event in West Chester, Ohio. Proceeds from the event have benefited
many worthy causes, including the Hamilton County YWCA Battered Women’s Shelter, the Animal Adoption Foundation, The Conductive Learning Center
for children with spina bifida and cerebral palsy, and The One Way Farm, Children’s Home. From June 6 to June 9, 2013 Lori will be hosting her 9th Annual Reader & Author Get Together in West Chester Ohio. For more details about this charitable event, please visit Lori's website, her Facebook and Twitter pages.
***Review copy graciously offered by the publicist in exchange fo an unbiased opinion.
***Review copy graciously offered by the publicist in exchange fo an unbiased opinion.
Such an enticing review Mina!
ReplyDeleteOh thank you, Maryellen! This book should come with a warning: heat level - combustion :))
ReplyDelete