Anny P. (wolfnme) reviewed on 5/24/2006 + 3389 more book reviews

Helpful Score: 2

The book sparkles with gems like the above quote. John Taggert Steele's assignment is to track down and retrieve a missing witness, Genevieve Bowen. When he finally captures her in a remote cabin, he ends up her prisoner, thanks to a deer, some chain and a snowstorm.
Caroline Cross's writing reminds me a little of Shannon McKenna's dialogue (Standing in the Shadows). Here's a sample scene that captures some of the best qualities of the book--Genevieve is trying to provoke a snowball fight:

"While he sounded mightily aggravated, he couldn't entirely suppress the slight twitch at the corner of his mouth.
She took it as a hopeful sign. 'The way you're getting all pissy? I think that makes you what my friend Arnold calls a girlie man.'
Her gleeful insult did it."

John Taggert's appropriately alpha. Genevieve is considerably more capable than most heroines without losing her feminity. It's tough to show these qualities rather than just telling the reader to take them as articles of faith.
Given the constraint of 179 pages, the author does a remarkable job in creating strong characters and an absorbing situation. If the format had been longer, the plot might have been more complex. And if Miss Cross isn't a one trick pony, she could be--soon--on the best seller list next to Linda Howard or Susan Elizabeth Phillips. At a minimum, this book is a great value for your romance book dollar.

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