Dangerous Secrets

You know what. I knew I would like this story even while I read the prologue. I actually considered calling in sick to work for the day. And sitting in a Starbucks all day to read it from cover to cover. I was so tempted. In the end though, like Nick and Charity, I did my duty and fulfilled my obligations to my employer. There is no way any words from me can do justice to this stonkingly enjoyable novel. I like this author's voice so much. I don't care that many less fawning readers might say that the hero and heroine from each book are completely interchangeable. It's the nuances of difference that matter to me. Like. I just loved the driving-ability thread. And happily. The suspense in each novel is so completely unique. If I was a son or daughter of that proud nation of Russia I'd be just a tad annoyed that a man with the sheer determination, guts, willpower, talent and class of Vassily Worontzoff is aired out by an alpha male dimbo and his dumb blonde bunny girlfriend. Sheesh. I'm not Russian though. And I liked the message the author gave out. That there is no excuse for soft or hard terrorism where innocent people die. Not even if you have suffered gut-wrenching heartache and awful physical deprivation as did Vassily. I personally. Would have liked to witness Vassily do something baaad. He is built up as this evil evil guy. But doesn't really display any behaviour that justifies this rep. He is very menacing though. And is killed far too quickly. This time the hero and heroine are Nick and Charity. And yes. She's as dumb as her name suggests. However. Being dumb is not a crime. So I'm not ashamed to say I liked Charity. Even though she gets married to a guy she's known for a week only. And then totally forgives him for lying his head off to her. There is a great chapter in the story that illustrates exactly why Charity falls for Nick. It totally worked for me too. What didn't work in the novel was why Nick let Charity go to Vassily's house for the meet. It's not exactly unknown for terrorists to have the same scanning technology as black ops guys. So really. Nick should have expected the mike to be detected. A big weakness is that Nick does not save Charity. Vassily does. Nick just blusters. That's the tragedy of Vassily. Hope he and Katya are reunited in the afterlife. Also I completely felt Arkady's love for his Vor. There's a lot of reader teasing in the romance scenes. Sometimes the reader is shut out of the bedroom. Other times the reader is allowed to see the hot visualisations in Nick's head. Hmm. There are no hot scenes after the marriage. The plot took over. But overall the story certainly did qualify as erotica. It is streets ahead of 99% of the e-book romantica rubbish I have recently read. A very very special mention needs to be made about Chapter 22. It contains some of the campest scenes, images and dialogue that I have ever read in all my life. My eyes practically bugged out as it's outrageousness unfolded before me. L

There are a number of criticisms I could make about Lisa Marie Rice's latest offering if I really wanted to be picky. Here are a few things: the book is a little formulaic; the hero is not as strong as some of her previous action men; the secondary characters were largely undeveloped; the heroine is a little too naïve; the ending is a little rushed and therefore weak. However, none of this adds up to enough detraction in my reading pleasure of this book to give it less than 5 stars. As ever, the author creates a great story with well-orchestrated action and a coterie of contemporaneous villains and all in very polished prose (despite the usual masculine vernacular!!). And, compliments to the author for a really gut-wrenching depiction of grief beyond imagination. At times Dangerous Secrets is more of a straight thriller than erotic romance and Nick wasn't quite as sexy for me as the three Midnight Men but, boy, oh boy, he'll do nicely, thank you very much! Lucky Charity! I do hope her next book isn't as long in coming. I waited for this with much anticipation and read it in one sitting. Now the wait begins....

I love all of Rice's books and was eagerly awaiting this one. Other people have already summarized the plot, so I just want to say one thing. (I couldn't find Rice's home page or I would have written this directly to her) Rice is the only author I know who, when she uses a foreign language - Italian in this instance - uses it correctly. It should be taken for granted that when you write something, be it English or whatnot, you check the grammar and the spelling. Well, unfortunately, that is not the case. I live in Italy and HATE authors who use a few Italian words here and there, every one of them with errors. So Ms Rice, thank you and I hope other authors will follow your example.

Thanks Lisa. Once again this author has created a great story that focuses on all that is important in erotic romance, love, sex, and great writing. I will admit that the story is very similar to her previouse novel, but who cares! If writing about secret CIA agents who show up in a bookstore owners life and rocks her world for all of seven days before the bad guys come after them both, is what works for this spicy romance author, then I say stick with what you know and keep heating up my pages!

"Dangerous Secrets," another great book by Rice, is a tight, erotic, and suspenseful romance with the usual strong, honorable, loner hero, coupled with a feminine woman in a dangerous world. Rice loves to use conventionally feminine careers for her heroines--librarians, decorators, etc.--who match the hero in honor and duty. Charity thinks Vassily is just her friend, the world-famous writer who had endured years in a Russian gulag, not the terrorist he is. She also doesn't know that her startling resemblance to his dead lover has made her the focus of his dangerous obsession. Rice is excellent in conveying villains' menace and evil without giving the gory details--an choice I appreciate. Nick, a Homeland Security agent passing as a retired stockbroker, plans to use Charity to plant bugs in the Russian's mansion. He does not plan, however, to fall in love and is both bewildered and dismayed as that happens. Like Rice's other heroes, Nick is hugely protective, tender, and sexy. If you love a romance novel for its hero, you will love this one! Rice captures the intense excitement of sex between two people in the beginning of their relationship in her explicit scenes between Nick and Charity. Charity is not a vapid heroine as she, also, falls in love, and when faced with the truth that a man she has admired and trusted is a deadly enemy to the US and to the world, she does not engage in typical heroine stubborn denials. Instead, she acts courageously, attempting to save her country and innocent lives. If you love intense, suspenseful, and erotic romances, you'll love this one!