Dangerous Lover [Paperback]

It's terrible to wish time and your life away, but ever since I've found out that Lisa Marie Rice was releasing a new book in August, I've been doing just that. Hoping that it might arrive a few days before its official date, I hounded book stores around me daily, and FINALLY, today, it was in! I started reading about 10 PM and just finished about 2. I don't care that I will pay all day tomorrow; it was worth it!

"Dangerous Lover" starts out with so many similarities to "Midnight Man,"I feared it would be a clone. Big, bad military man comes directly from "the field" (this time in Africa) where he's been forced to shoot the bad guys. Disheveled and unshaven, full of adrenaline, Jack, wanting to rent a room from Caroline, must control himself to calm her, knowing how he looks, sounds and smells. Sound familiar? Fortunately, although the plot does have some similarities with Rice's other Midnight books, it doesn't matter; you don't want to put it down.

Jack has loved Caroline since he met her when she handed out clothes and books to him in a homeless shelter when he was a kid. Twelve years later and free of the military, he is elated to find out that she is still as desirable and as unattached as before, although her wealthy, insulated world has collapsed. She has been devoted, but helpless, caring for her brother as he, paralyzed from the accident that killed their parents, declined and eventually died. Faced with huge medical bills, Caroline is barely holding on financially, and most of her friends have deserted her, not knowing how to cope with her grief. Because Caroline is the only woman he has ever loved and because her life is so barren of any pleasure or security, Jack and Caroline's almost immediate sexual intimacy is believable. Lisa Marie Rice said in an interview, that her heroes know sexuality, but are bewildered by their emotional attachment, in contrast to her heroines who are aware of their emotions but discover their sexuality. We, as readers, know the depth of Jack's love for Caroline, even though he thinks it is just sexual attraction, and his amazed and uncomfortable recognition of his love for this woman is a big part of the pull of "Dangerous Lover." As usual, Lisa Marie Rice has created just about the perfect man: one who is dangerous to others who threaten his beloved, but is gentle and protective toward her, one who is "hard all over," a tireless and extremely talented lover who always puts the woman's needs above his own AND one who willingly shovels the walk from a blizzard of snow, repairs the ancient furnace, and fixes the broken stairs. And, I need not mention: wealthy and honorable too. (But you knew that, didn't you?).

There were just a couple of niggling irritants (to me). We see Jack, destitute, hungry, and homeless, who has spent his life in homeless shelters as he trudges, in the snow, to stand outside Caroline's house at Christmas time, watching her and her family. His fixation on Caroline as a beautiful ideal is believable, but his being 18 at the time that he has broken into her house repeatedly to soak up its beauty and warmth transforms him from Oliver Twist into being just this side of a psychopathic stalker from one of Anne Rule's books.

Jack has returned from Africa, and Rice drops truly horrifying (and unfortunately, true) details from that brutal place. I skipped over them, but think the book would have been better without the graphic portrayals of torture. Fortunately, they last only a sentence here and there, and she does not go into detail, after detail.

The last (and biggest) disappointment to me was the ending. If you don't need or want epilogues, this ending is for you. Me, I want them. After reading for over 200 pages of Caroline and Jack's grave danger, I want more than to see Jack triumph as he saves Caroline. I wanted to see them, finally happily married. Instead, we see what Jack has done with the money from blood diamonds (and incidentally, I wanted him to spend the money on Africa--maybe with Doctors Without Borders--not on inner-city kids in Chicago).

But all my criticisms mean that Lisa Marie Rice is not a TOTALLY perfect writer. Yet. And I hereby offer my critical services to her in her future endeavors. (I'm selfless like that. Uh Huh). I'd give the very "Dangerous Lover" an A; if you are looking for a very erotic romance, this one's for you. You can't do much better.

I can always count on a great read from Lisa Marie Rice.

Jack and Caroline have a rich history, and their story is well written with a deep emotional connecton between them. Very sensual and sexy!

What happened to the end?? I was not happy with it at all. After all the drama and suspense, it just ended. It was so abrupt, that I felt like I was left hanging.

Caroline Lake has gone from riches to rags in 6 yrs. Her parents died in a car wreck and her younger brother was damaged so badly he had to live in a wheelchair, his face and body so torn nobody wanted to visit or help Caroline. But she has spent every penny and all her time caring for Toby and now that he is gone she is totally alone.

Jack Prescott is alone too, his adopted father has died and now Jack is free to seek out the woman he has loved for 12 yrs. Twelve yrs ago Jack was known as Ben and he and his abusive drunken father were living in a shelter. Caroline and her family brought books and warmth to the people in the shelter and love to a lonely boy. The night his real father died he went to the Lake's house to tell them and saw Caroline playing the piano with a golden boy by her side. Even knowing she is probably married he has returned to see her one more time.

To his surprise she is unmarried and runs a bookshop to support herself and lets rooms in the mansion which is all that is left of her inheritance. Everything else has been sold. Now Jack is wealthy but all he wants is a chance to be with this woman. Unknown to him his past as a RAnger and Security expert is about to catch up to him and the woman he has worshipped for all these yrs.

I absolutely adored this book. A warm wonderful sexy read that I give 5 stars and a smile too. Do not miss it and if you haven't read any other books by this author be sure to get WOMAN ON THE RUN another great read.

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