An Unforgettable Lady [Mass Market Paperback]

 

 

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I read the first chapter and almost tossed the book. Like many readers, I picked this up because I so enjoy the J.R. Ward Black Dagger Brotherhood books and thought I would try her alter ego, Jessica Ward. But the beginning was so cliched....why do writers assume an alpha guy will meet an annoying woman, and, just because he really wants to show her how much he dislikes her, will grab her and kiss her into mindless bliss? In the real world that's sexual assault and the guy is a creep, not the man of anyone's dreams. However, I persevered and I am glad I did.
J.R. Ward shows her emerging strength as a writer in this earlier book. Both characters are compelling and the story is pretty good. You guess the villain fairly early on but, since the love story, is the real reason to read this book, it doesn't matter. I liked Grace. In her preface the author compares her to Marissa in the Black Dagger, Butch and Marissa story but I actually found Grace much more appealing, and I liked John Smith (wish his real name wasn't Ross but that is a quibble.) I also liked the secondary characters and didn't mind that two of them became the stars of her next book.
This is better than the average romance because Jessica Bird has created two characters you can't help caring about and so you go along for the ride and are satisfied at the end. Much better than the average alpha male / drop dead gorgeous female romance.

Originally released in 2004, An Unforgettable Lady was just recently re-issued with a fancy new and improved cover. I've enjoyed all of Jessica Bird aka JR Ward's earlier writing and thankfully this was no exception. No matter the stage in her career Bird/Ward can write the desirable and initially unobtainable dark and tortured heroes like no other. As a result I fell hard for John Smith as the cold, scarred, I am an island, and everybody back the hell off bodyguard. Yup he's all kinds of ways yummy. And if any of you BDB fans need a little more encouragement he reminds me very much of an early Zsadist prototype, here's why on page 147;

His first instinct was to yell. He was infuriated that she had challenged him, exposed him. That she was near enough so he could smell her. That she was offering compassion and understanding and warmth when he was battle scarred, hard and ugly.
I think you're beautiful" she said softly, looking up at him.
"Then your f-ing blind"
She shook her head slowly "I see you, all of you. Clearly."

I should also mention that the sexual tension in this story is off the chart hot. While I had trouble relating (on any level) to our glamorous billionaire heroine, Countess Grace blah biddy blah and all her fancy galas, gowns, gems and uppity social status the palpable sexual tension and opposites attract theme between our couple more than made up for it. And I just have to say again John Smith--well his character is reason alone to read this book.

Forced into the spotlight by her considerable wealth, soon to be divorced heiress Grace Hall has just found herself the target of a serial killer. Following the publication of a Times article showcasing the 6 most prominent women in New York, one by one those women, her friends have started turning up dead. Reluctantly Grace is forced to hire a bodyguard, now however she finds herself subject to the ironclad rules of her captivating protector. Oh and did I mention he's moved into her Penthouse? In spite of their differences and his cold demeanour Grace is drawn to him in ways she can't explain or stop herself from acting on.

John Smith is a ghost. As a military trained assassin, professional bodyguard and all-round bad*ss John hasn't heard his real name spoken in so long now that he's almost forgotten who he used to be. With no fixed address, social insurance number or ties to anyone he moves from one job to the next, content in his solitary life. Meeting Grace changes everything though and with the attraction between them growing stronger and harder to ignore with each passing day, John may be forced to break his own rule. Never get personal with the client. For John she was just meant to be another assignment how is it that she's managed to get so thoroughly embedded in his skin? And how is he going to leave the only women he's ever loved when the jobs over?

Oh I forgot to mention, anyone that's read Bird's Moorehouse Legacy series will be thrilled with a brief cameo from another awesome tortured hero; Alex Moorehouse the sailing champion from `From The First. Isn't it great how Ward ties all her books together this way. Cheers

The past year has been the hardest year of Grace Hall's life. The year began with promise as she married a Count just like her beloved father wanted her to wed, but went down hill since. Her father suddenly passed away and she is divorcing her spouse. She is also being challenged as the CEO of her father's legacy, the Hall Foundation by the board and her dad's right hand man who felt he earned the head position.

To make her year more miserable, someone is killing six women who made a magazine's notable list. Two are dead and Grace is on the murder roll. Desperate, she reluctantly hires John Smith, head of Black Watch, Ltd. as her bodyguard. He is an expert at hiding his feelings, but Grace seems to get inside his skin as occurred when they first met and kissed before the initial homicide. As they fall in love, he rejects the notion of forever because she is glitter and he is mud, yet he will willingly die to keep his beloved safe from a serial killer who has easy access to victims living behind secure walls.

UNFORGETTABLE LADY, the sequel to HEART OF GOLD (which introduced Grace), is an exhilarating romantic suspense novel that sub-genre fans will enjoy. Though the villain seems odd, fans will enjoy the action, not just the serial killer subplot as the tension between the delightful lead duo grips the audience as well. Fans will demand more stories from those alpha Black Watch hunks and hopefully a hunkette too.

Harriet Klausner

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5.0 out of 5 stars My favorite genre!
I am such a ROMANCE NOVEL type-reader, and AN Unforgettable Lady by Jessica Bird was right up my alley. I love getting lost in a GREAT STORY and this book is exactly that! Read more

Published on April 4 2004 by Kathy Whit

5.0 out of 5 stars You MUST read this one!
John Smith is a personal security specialist. His background includes special military, assassin, and intelligence. Now, he is a ghost. Read more

Published on Mar 2 2004 by Detra Fitch

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