I’m perched on the fence, casually swinging one leg on the side of “love it” and the other on the side of “it was ok” about Sandra Brown’s latest book. The plot and action sequences will certainly delight fans that revel in the authentic police procedural crime drama type of suspense, salivating over the clues and trying to figure out all the pieces to the puzzle. Even if that type of suspense doesn’t excite you, Brown incorporates enough surprises, twists, turns and gotcha moments to keep you interested in the story and wanting to know what will happen next.

The part of the story that has me on the fence is the romance element. Brown manages to entangle a Beauty and the Beast fairy tale with elements of Stockholm syndrome in this romantic connection between the beautiful Jordie and the scarred Shaw. The combination is at times tense and erotic and at other times cringe worthy as I was turned off by Jordie’s attraction to a man who had for all intents and purposes taken her through a series of unnecessary mental abusive ordeals.

Despite my reluctance to truly buy in to the blossoming lust … or I guess its supposed to be love … between the two main characters, the storyline overall didn’t disappoint and was an enjoyable read.