Book Review: Against the Odds

Against the Odds by Kat Martin When Sabrina Eckhart's Uncle Walter leaves her his silver mine, the petite redhead's financial worries might just be over—that is, if she can stay alive and keep from losing her heart to P.I. and former Navy pilot Alex Justice. Since the economic downturn, Sabrina's stockmarket brokership has gone south. She needs to learn what she can about the West Texas mine she's inherited, and Alex Justice, a good friend of her best bud Sage Cantrell is just the man to help her. Despite her initial assumption that the man is an aristocratic, womanizing snob, Rina has to admit tall, sculpted Alex is nothing short of gorgeous. He agrees to fly her to the mine, but things go suddenly wrong and they're forced to rely on wits to survive. As if that isn't bad enough, as soon as they are rescued, more accidents begin to happen. It's becoming increasingly obvious that someone doesn't want Sabrina to inherit the mine. Despite the dangers, Rina is tough and one determined lady, but can she stave off the attack on her heart? Against the Odds is Kat Martin at her best, mixing suspense with a megadose of testosterone. Alex Justice has it in spades. He may not know what he wants to do with his life, but he certainly knows what he wants to do with Rina. If you like loads of sexual innuendos, hot and heavy, sweaty sex scenes and nonstop hormonal intensity, then this is the book for you. Alex is one sexy dude and he and Rina click on every level. Trouble is, he's not sure what he wants in life and Rina isn't about to have her heart stomped on. Ms. Martin has action a plenty in this well-paced suspense; it kept me turning pages. The story's weaknesses were more a matter of taste for this reviewer. With regard to the sensuality, I feel less is more. I found the almost constant references to sex a bit tedious. The action and suspense, however, were topnotch, and after a couple of chapters where there was a bit too much repetition, the story really took off. Kudos to Ms. Martin.

Brenda Novak has another winner in When Summer Comes. Callie Vanetta has received the worst news a person could: she needs a liver transplant and without it she will die. She determines to spend her days—her last days if a donor cannot be found—at her late grandparents' farm. When attractive drifter Levi McCloud happens on her front porch in the middle of the night, injured and needing help, she decides to put her fear aside and take him in. Levi needs to repair his motorcycle, but without funds, he strikes a bargain: in exchange for parts and lodging, Levi will help with the barn repairs. What begins as a tenuous friendship, soon becomes much more. Callie grows to care for Levi but realizes she has nothing to offer him since she may not live out the summer. She decides to keep her news from him. Book three in Brenda Novak's Whiskey Creek series s the reader back to California Gold Rush town where she is reacquainted with many of the characters from books one and two. Nothing is overly repetitive and each protagonist is delightful. Novak mixes her astute knowledge of the human condition with expert storytelling to create a wonderful stand-alone book and an important adjunct to the series. Both Callie and Levi are realistic characters with desires and needs that work well with the story. Novak's skillful writing is always a pleasure to read. Two thumbs up for this one.

One of my "tags" for the Tag, You're It blog is Crimson Publishing author Galen Rose. Check out her page and her WIP, a romance set on Maui.

Tag! You're It!

My work-in-progress has been tagged by author Judy Alter. You can visit her at Judy's Stew and read about her work in progress—as yet untitled. It's a cozy mystery and the third book in her series which she says is also enjoyed by many male readers. Now it's my turn to answer ten questions about my WIP, so bear with me:

What is the title of your book?

I'm currently calling it Indecent Proposal, however, that could change.

Where did the idea for the book come from?

The book began as a romance, but there were several suspenseful plot points in it that I felt it would be a better story if written as a romantic suspense, so I'm rewriting early chapters to inject more suspense and drop in a few clues while still adhering to the building romance between the protagonists. The original idea was conceived after I had written a wine country story and enjoyed the research so much that I decided to set another wine country story in my own backyard. (The Santa Cruz mountains host a number of wineries since the micro-climates here are conducive to viticulture.

When genre does your book fall under?

Indecent Proposal is my first venture into the area of romantic suspense. It's a sub-genre I enjoy reading. My goal is to capture both the suspense and danger of a suspense novel while keeping the love interest between my diamond-in-the-rough wine consolidator and a sheltered young French American woman who is thrust into managing her family's small mountain winery.

Which actors would you choose to play your characters in a movie rendition?

That's a difficult question for me since I watch few films. Paul Brandon, the hero, comes from a Midwestern steel town and he's had a hard-scrabble life. He's not used to the finer things, but he very much hungers for them. Julia Marchant, on the other hand is the only daughter of French immigrants. She's had a sheltered life and a convent education. Her world is art—restoring European frescoes—until her father suddenly dies and she's called home to take over the family winery.

What is the one-sentence synopsis of the book:

Swiss-educated heiress inherits California winery and clashes with handsome, business-savvy partner bent on making his fortune, that is, if he can keep them both alive.

Will your book be self-published or represented by an agent?

I am currently writing for an amazing small press—Turquoise Morning Press. They have published the last eight of my books plus a Christmas novella. I have been represented by an agent, however for these books I am unagented.

How long did it take you to write the first draft of the manuscript?

I'm still working on the first draft. This story has undergone quite a change since its initial concept, so more study into what makes a romantic suspense work is required. Generally, a rough draft takes me about five months.

What other books would you compare this to within your genre?

I'm not sure I have a book in mind that Indecent Proposal could be compared to, however, I very much admire the writing of Sharon Sala and Brenda Novak, and I hope my story will be reminiscent of stories by those two talented ladies.

Who or What inspired you to write this book?

I've always been attracted to the courageous heroine who also has humility. A heroine who must overcome huge obstacles to reach her HEA. Julia is such a person. I felt I wanted to tell her story and show the push pull of her traditional ideas against Paul's drive to modernize the winery for bulk, blended wine. Both have much to gain and lose, and they also need to gain the cooperation and respect of one another to succeed. They have to learn to work together both for the winery to succeed and to outwit a villain who wants the winery at whatever cost.

What else about your book might pique the reader's interest?

I think the setting—my own backyard—is fascinating, almost a character in itself. I hope the reader will relish the blue-collar Paul as he struggles to cope in a world with which he is unfamiliar. The Old World culture of the cadre of vintners on the mountain are as foreign to Paul as a trip through the Louvre.

That's a taste of my work in progress. Please check back to see how it's going. I will update from time to time. Meanwhile I'll be tagging five other authors to take part. I'll let you know later who they are, and I'll tell you each time one posts.

PR executive Gail DeMarco unleashes a world of hurt to her company when she decides to no longer represent Simon O’Neal. The superstar’s off screen antics are troublesome and Gail’s tired of putting out the publicity fires caused by his drinking and loose morals. What she doesn’t count on is having Simon’s manager direct the bulk of her clients to a rival PR firm. With Gail’s business about to go under, she must swallow her pride, apologize to Simon and hope he’ll be decent enough to stop the hemorrhaging. Just when she thinks she’s got the problem neutralized, her enterprising associate takes matters into his own hands and causes yet another firestorm...in the means of a leaked false rape charge against Simon. The only cure seems to be new publicity about a reformed Simon–a sober, moral man enjoying the bliss of a new marriage...to Gail. But can she keep up the pretense of a business arrangement that will terminate in two years without losing her own heart to the man she’s secretly lusted after for years? Simon desperately want to regain the custody of his son and will do whatever it takes to make that happen. But a marriage in name only? Can he control his self-destructive urges long enough to create a new image? When Lightning Strikes is the first in a new series by acclaimed writer Brenda Novak. Set in California’s Gold Country (not far from Novak’s home), Whiskey Creek is the embodiment of all that’s good about small town life, and it’s as far from Los Angeles and as foreign to Simon as a town can be. Never mind that Gail’s father and older brother and a host of friends have heard the stories about Simon and are determined to protect her from heartbreak and disappointment as best they can. However, something magical happens in the small community and Simon discovers a life that is refreshingly wholesome. He also discovers a few things about his new wife that surprise him. I loved both the story and setting. Simon is a delicious hero and Gail a worthy heroine. The protagonists’ reservations about going through with the marriage seemed just a bit tedious, but they were well justified as the story picked up steam. I read WHEN LIGHTNING STRIKES in two sittings and was sad to see it end. Just a beautifully written, well-paced, delightful story as only the multi-talented Ms. Novak can create.

Book Giveaway

I'm blogging today at Krista Ames's site and will be giving away a digital copy of my latest, LOVING LUKE, to one commenter. http://www.apassionforromance.blogspot.com/2012/07/author-author-giveaway.html

Loving Luke, my newest contemporary romance is available at Amazon, Smashwords and elsewhere (paperback coming soon). Set in Northern California it's about a compassionate hospital worker, a reclusive photographer who's a burn victim and one night with explosive consequences. Here's the blurb: Jo McGuigan’s job is on the line. She needs a photographer to teach her rehab class, but the only one available is an angry recluse who wants nothing to do with the hospital or its outreach program. Luke Falconer’s photo career ends in a fiery auto crash that leaves him badly burned and crippled. Hating the world, he retreats to his cabin. But when an encounter with the intriguing social worker ends in a night of passion, their lives are changed forever. Jo is a spark to Luke’s flame, and where there’s smoke, there is often a raging inferno. And here's the cover.