"Steamy sex and a serial killer in this romantic suspense."

Wealthy, thirty-year-old Isabella (Bella) Markham is on vacation in Piper's Grove, Colorado. Trying to escape from frightening memories and her father's overprotectiveness, she wants to assert her independence and find new inspiration for her paintings. Luca Angello, a Piper's Grove detective, has rented the condo next door to Bella so that he can keep an eye on the neighborhood while he investigates a case. There's a serial killer on the loose and he's killed three women already. When Luca meets Bella, he realizes that she fits the profile of the murdered women and he has an overwhelming need to protect her.

Bella isn't quite sure why Luca thinks she needs protection, but she can't deny that shadows from her past are keeping her from feeling safe while there's someone out there murdering women. Bella thinks that Luca is the sexiest man she's ever seen and she can't deny the attraction that she feels for him, even when she knows it's crazy to lose all control when he's near her. As much as Luca tries to keep a professional distance between himself and Bella, he can't help but want to see how much control she can lose.

This story was enjoyable and very steamy! I lost count of the love scenes in this book. Luca was an intriguing character, an alpha male who was sexy as heck. The sexual tension between the two was high and I loved their bantering back and forth. The suspense part of the plot didn't come together until late in the story, but instead the story focused more on the growing relationship between the main characters, which I didn't mind at all. I'll be on the lookout for more by this author.

Rated NC-17 by the publisher, this story has monogamous sex, masturbation, sex toys, and some anal play.

Reviewed by Sara Andrade
Courtesy Sensual Romance
Posted January 31, 2003

Summary

Mousy and just plain boring...
Tired of self-denial and being cloistered by her father's over-protectiveness, wealthy painter Isabella takes a vacation alone.

Tough and way too cocky...
Police officer Luca Angello is self-confident, powerfully sexual, and on the trail of a serial killer.

Isabella thinks Luca is shallow and only out for a good time. Luca thinks Isabella needs some loosening up. Fear brings them together...

When danger throws her into his arms, she discovers that he can reach her depths in ways she never could have imagined.

Sexual Content: NC-17. Genre: contemporary romantic suspense.