Coming Undone (Marine, Book 4)

I absolutely adore this book. The characters are well thought out and delightfully human. The hero, Jared, is the sort of man that I would expect to actually see doing security at a concert (large, handsome, and stoic) and P.J. is the very epitome of a down to earth country music star. (Or at least what I would imagine a country music star to be...if I actually knew any.) I don't believe in giving spoilers, because I don't want to ruin the experience for anyone else, but I can say that this is a delightful no-brainer read.

I am so happy that Susan let us know what happened to Jared and P.J. This is a great story, but I think P.J.'s mom could have been given her just desserts a little better.

Susan Andersen's Coming Undone will touch your heart. Jared Hamilton of Semper Fi Investigations has received a blast from his past. His next assignment is to find and then make sure country star Priscilla Morgan fulfills her current tour. PJ played an important part of his life fifteen years ago and then they lost touch. Jared is convinced that he can handle this job without old feelings getting in the way. PJ Morgan has finally wised up and fired her no good momma as her manager. She needed some R & R before the tour started up so she took off on a little road trip. Imagine her two-fold shock that her label hired a baby sitter for her and that the sitter is her old friend Jared. PJ leads Jared in the dust and he is not happy to be ditched. After seeing that she doesn't need a watchdog he is prepared to leave. But when it looks like she has gotten a stalker he knows he can't leave her. PJ and Jared rekindle their old friendship but now as adults its gone onto a whole new level of awareness. Can these two-scarred souls let go of their pasts? I can't begin to describe how much I loved this book. The wait for PJ and Jared's story had haunted me since they were first mentioned as teenagers in Hot & Bothered. Coming Undone is an absolute treasure. PJ and Jared's past plays a deep part of who they are today. Their chemistry sizzles on every page. I really enjoyed seeing old friends and family from previous books make their appearance. This is one book you must read this year.

Priscilla Jayne Morgan is a rising star in country music and is about to embark on her first major tour. P.J. has recently fired her overbearing manager, "Mama" (her mother), and is getting a lot of bad publicity for it. The media doesn't know the real reason why she fired her mother (she embezzled from her), and she doesn't want to air all her dirty laundry to the public. Her mother (never mother-of the-year material) is telling tales about P.J. to get back at her (saying how she likes to run away) and even her record company is starting to get nervous. So they hire a "watch-dog" to make sure she shows up for her concerts. The watch-dog is former Marine Jared Hamilton, a personal security specialist from Semper Fi Investigations and a man who shares a past with P.J. Fifteen years ago, they were homeless kids on the streets of Denver. P.J., who was just 13, was kicked out of the house by her mother. Jared, then 17, was running from the law, wrongly believing that he had killed his father. Both Jared and P.J. came from very different backgrounds financially: P.J. lived in trailer parks with her mother and lived a hand-to-mouth existence; Jared's father was very wealthy, he lived in a mansion, and had the best education. But they had one thing in common: emotionally abusive parents. So when they met on the streets of Denver, they had an instant connection and looked out for each other; they formed an emotional bond. Now it's 15 years later, and while P.J. insists she doesn't need a watchdog and tries to fight it,she is secretly glad to have Jared back in her life again. He had always been a hero to her, and she is wildly attracted to him. Jared is happy to see PJ too. Although he hasn't seen her in 15 years, he still remembers what a good friend she was to him, and since she's grown up now he is very attracted to her also. But Jared has a very difficult time letting people in. Because of his difficulties with his father while growing up, he never likes to lose control of his emotions. P.J. gets under his skin, and he doesn't like it. His mantra is "I am a glacier, impregnable and remote." His instinct is to back off when he feels he's getting too emotionally involved. Jared soon realizes that P.J. is nothing if not professional, and that she would never wreck the career that she worked so hard for , so he convinces her record company that she doesn't need a babysitter. This will also give him an opportunity to back away, because things start to heat up with P.J. Jared is too afraid to trust his heart to anyone, and closes up emotionally before he can get hurt. But when packages start to arrive from a religious fanatic stalker, and it looks like P.J.'s life could be in danger, Jared can't bring himself to leave. And he must come to face the feelings that he has for PJ, and confront the fears he's had all his life. This is a sequel of sorts from a previous book (Hot & Bothered) from 3 years ago although the timeline is 15

I've been hankering for this book ever since Susan Andersen intro'd PJ and Jared in HOT & BOTHERED. I was lucky enough to get an advance copy, and let me tell you, I devoured this story! Susan never disappoints - she's one of my absolute favorite authors - but this book was just TOO good! I loved every word. PJ is all grown up and independent, but she still has that vulnerable side, and Jared is just...:::Sigh::: that book grew up right! What a man. I won't spoil the story, but I will say that this reader was thrilled with the book, and I'm betting you will be too. ___ Lori Foster