Romance Books Reviews & Treats

24yo heroine is on the run again after years of stability with her fake identity. She leaves New York for Denver based on her tattooed but anonymous handler’s cryptic instructions. It’s at the plane from New York that she meets later-20s billionaire architect Hero who she has a mutual connection. She breaks many of her social-distancing rules with him as they have an instant affair once they get to Denver. Considering that Hero is a demanding lover, he doesn’t push her much about her secrets & seem to understand her reticence. He does worry about her disappearing suddenly & tries to keep her with him as much as possible. Her trust in him grows as her uncertainty about her new situation heightens. But just as she’s about to trust him with her secrets something dangerous happens.

This is my first Jones read & I was loving it. It was thrilling & emotionally encompassing. Heroine’s POV(point of view) made it very personal & we feel her fears & passions. We sense her stumbling through the mysteries of her past & the uncertainties of her present & future. We know that she’s been hiding since she was 18 & some of her past she doesn’t quite remember. Hero is with her during a couple times when she has her physically-debilitating flashbacks. It drives his protective attitude towards her yet he doesn’t pressure her to confess it all. I like how Jones weaves questions of truth regarding all the characters along with the certainty of the strong connection Hero & heroine have with each other. We see their intimacy deepening without them knowing much about each other. Much of it is nonverbal. Their hot sexual chemistry aids much of it. Yet there’s also the tenderness, caring, and inexplicable trust they seem to have for one another. So the cliffhanger was a shocker when it came. Now I’m anxious for the next book.

Excitedly recommended.

*ARC courtesy of the author in exchange for an honest review.