Thursday, April 8, 2010

REVIEW: Long, Lean and Lethal by Lorie O'Clare


ISBN 978-0312943431
Genre: Romantic Suspense, Erotic Romance
(c) September 2009, St. Martin's Paperbacks
Lorie O'Clare's website

Rating: 4 stars

Buy Links (paper): Book Depository

"Intrigue and romance and sizzling attraction. What more do you need?"

FBI agent Noah Kayne was called in to help local police detective Rain Huxtable solve a series of murder crimes that have the same MO as crimes in other cities, leading them to believe this could be the work of a serial killer. However, they weren't ecstatic to be paired up as partners, especially when they have to go undercover as a married couple to infiltrate the group of swingers to which the victims belong. But their sizzling attraction to each other couldn't be denied, and it wasn't long before they were starting to fall for each other.

Lorie O'Clare provides the right combination of romance and mystery, intrigue and scorching hot scenes. The mystery of who the killer was and his/her motive kept me turning the pages to satisfy my curiosity. And of course, it was also curiosity that prompted me to pick up this book to know more about that world of which I know nothing about: the swingers world and the whys and wherefores of their activities.

Noah Kayne possessed a forceful personality and this showed in the way he showed Rain who was "boss" right from the beginning. He rubs me a little wrong here, coz I feel like he was manhandling the heroine a little. But perhaps Rain needed to be shown this, else she would've walked all over Noah later on. Also, Rain seemed to need a man who can handle her, who can go toe-to-toe with her when she's in a fighting mood, especially when Noah's dominance turns her on. You know how for some couples disagreements serve as the foreplay? Well, for Noah and Rain, they needed to get physical. A little too physical for me, but hey, whatever pushes your button.

However, Noah could be tender and patient with Rain when she needed it, like the time when certain words triggered her memories of her dad and the way she still grieved for him. On the other hand, Rain also satisfied Noah's needs and expectations, as he'd been burned before by a woman who wanted a little extra on the side.

What I like about this book is that there's a real intrigue and crime that our hero and heroine has to solve, and I like how they never lose sight of their mission, despite their attraction to each other. (I've read a book where the "mission" is but an excuse for the main characters to be put into close contact with one another.) Even in their mission, Noah and Rain complemented each other, each bringing something to the table that the other lacked. Clues are peppered throughout the book to prod the reader into making an educated guess as to who the villain could be (I love this part of romantic suspense, like playing Cluedo), and the suspense and action keeps me turning the pages.

Buy Links (paper): Book Depository

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