In the Midst of Passion

Altonya Washington is a good writer. This is the 4th book I've read by Altonya. She is the best !! If you like Brenda Jackson, Rochelle Alers, then you'll like Altonya...

I really enjoyed this book. I got happy, sad, mad, and PO'd. But all in all it kept my interest. The character Alex, is indeed a character. One minute you think him and Topaz got it together, and the next his past begins to haunt him. Therefore, shutting poor Topaz out. Truly Topaz is a strong woman to still want to be with Alex after what he has put her through. In the end, they are getting themselves together. Keep up the good work Ms. AlTonya. I hope a sequel will come with this one;-)

AlTonya Washington's latest book, IN THE MIDST OF PASSION sizzles from beginning to end. The stories wraps around the beauty, essence, and intrigue between successful Alexander Rice and business-savvy Topaz Emerson. Each have reasons to allow the pace to be temperate in lieu of headlong haste, but the past has ways of catching up to you when you least expect it. Setting the stage for this drama is the fact that Alexander faces problematic issues in shaking a sordid and unsavory life in a world of crime. He works hard to maintain an aura amid success in the publishing field. Enter Topaz, eponymous of the gem she's named is the sparkle that catches Alex's eye. Strong-willed and fearlessly independent, her aura is unmistaken among peers and foes alike. Choosing to defy stereotypical notions she opts to open a business atypical of what is expected of her, and earns respect in the process. The story starts slow but builds to fever pitch as the two parry and thrust hoping to gain advantages that would allow love to manifest itself with the passion that this author intended. The two meet in a rather auspicious way on a lonely deserted road in Charlotte, North Carolina. It's encounters like this that authors use all the wile and imagery to create a story worth following...and Ms Washington scores as she uses call and response to greater awareness. Alex's character is written as a dark persona who emerges with enough light to give romance a rough veneer but with enough polish to make good contrast. I allude to the inglorious past of Alex being a contract killer. What better way to give him a shinning resolve with overtones of redemptive value by finding him a love interest? Who would deny a character with drop-dead looks and a demeanor suggesting change after meeting a vixen with an agenda of her own? What a story this is! The plot thickens as Alex tries to protect Topaz from a scrupulous real estate scion that uses imminent domain and other malicious tactics to buy up all the businesses on Topaz's neighborhood. It's only after an inevitable confrontation with the antagonist that Alex's past rears its ugly head to reveal truths that threaten to thwart all that he'd built up with Topaz. What fatal consequences are at stake if Topaz refuses to sell her business? How far should he go to protect Topaz at the expense of not revealing secrets he cannot afford to divulge? Would betrayal force him to kill again? Dangerous liaisons and deceptive intent are common bonds for dramatic interlude to suffice in this story. I liked this book for all the reasons why one should not allow perceived prominence to hold sway without going deeper for better understanding. Reading this book the past is a precursor to allowing a slow burn to build to passion out of control. And it works as AlTonya Washington's characters are consumed in it for a page-turning delight. There's something good to say about a hero who risks all to protect his lady. This story of love, ambition and

Ok here is another hand clap for another great book! I like Topaz and how AlTonya brought the whole issue of a woman having male friends and how people "perceive" it. Topaz was funny too and some times too sweet for her own good. And the hero Alex...phew! LOL! The way he was described and those eyes. Yea he really had a lot going on with him and when he got mad...goodness! But still once you understood the war that he had going on within himself it really made my heart go out to him. There is a whole lot of emotion running through this story. I really liked the dialog between the characters (I could relate/that's how I talk with my freinds and such) and the mentioning of music through out the story. Once again BRAVA!!!