Hostage to Love
Author: Maya Blake
Genre: Romantic Suspense
Release Date: July 2013
Imprint: Suspense
Available at: Amazon | B&N | Kobo
About Hostage to Love:
On an idyllic Greek island, danger surfaces…and passion re-ignites.
During a charity mission to a war-torn African country, Belle Jones is kidnapped by the vicious rebel leader determined to make her his. Belle’s estranged husband, Greek billionaire Nick Andreakos, stages a daring rescue, saving her from the horror.
To hide her from the obsessed kidnapper—-and to repair their broken relationship—-Nick whisks Belle away to his private island paradise. But she still won’t put up with his controlling ways…even if she’s still defenseless against their scorching-hot chemistry. With the brutal killer hot on their heels, Nick knows he must earn Belle’s trust again—-and *fast*. Even if it means risking everything. And losing his heart forever.
Excerpt
She didn’t believe him.
Nick whirled away, fists clenched so hard his knuckles protested.
“Where are you going?” Her voice, shaky but defiant, stopped him.
“Do you care?” He looked toward the beach, contemplating a hard run on the packed sand. Or maybe inside, in his gym. Right now he’d give anything to go a few rounds with his punching bag.
“Of course I care! You stopped me from walking away just now, and now you’re doing the same?”
“I think our conversation has reached its natural conclusion. If it hasn’t, it needs to, or we can throw any hope of this truce continuing out the window.”
“You’re upset with me, because I told you my feelings? That I didn’t immediately take your word as gospel?”
“I’m frustrated in more ways than one, but yes, I’m man enough to admit it’s more sexual frustration than anything else right now. And as much as you claim not to, I know you want me just as much. So unless you want this to end with us both horizontal on this terrace, I think it’s a good idea you stay away from me.”
He walked to the terrace steps, away from the need to snatch her back into his arms and make her believe him. He shucked off his shoes at the bottom of the steps and strode barefoot onto the grass. Half a minute later, he’d gained the beach.
The cool crunch of the fine grains of sand momentarily slowed him down. At the water’s edge, he stopped, breathed in deep, his restless gaze taking in the wide, calm expanse of the sea and the large sphere of the moon suspended over it.
She didn’t believe him.
He didn’t know why the knowledge devastated him. Was it because at the back of his mind, he’d expected once he’d told her she’d never strayed from his mind for more than a second, she’d fall into his arms and everything would be fine between them again? He hadn’t let himself think she’d dismiss his words so summarily. Well, more fool him.
He raked both hands through his hair, frustration and arousal biting through him in equal measures. The very fact that the blow Belle had dealt him just now hadn’t cooled his raging hard-on told him he had it bad.
But they couldn’t carry on like this forever. And he sure as hell wasn’t prepared to let her go. She could forget her ridiculous talk of divorce. She hadn’t sought one in the six months since she’d walked out, and he was damned if he’d let her start divorce proceedings now.
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My Thoughts:
I have discovered that I love a good action- and suspense-filled romance almost as much as a good cowboy romance. In fact, the two often coincide. So, when I read the blurb on Hostage to Love, I knew I had to read it. While Maya Blake’s books are new to me, she is far from new to the genre. She tends to write about hot, arrogant, wealthy heros, damsels in distress, place them in an extravagant setting and watch the sparks fly. That, in a nutshell, is the premise of this book.
Meet Nick Andreakos, dashing Greek billionaire and estranged husband to Belle. Nick had it all…except the love of his wife. Meet Belle Jones, gorgeous, noble and caring, abruptly kidnapped by a sadistic freak. Well, what was Nick to do? Stand by while his woman was carted off to be forced to submit to another male? I don’t think so! So, of course, he risks all to rescue her. The story could end there and they could live happily ever after except for one large thing…Nick is an ass. In fact, he was my largest complaint about the entire book, aside from a few little things which I could have easily overlooked, were it not for him. For a long time, it made it difficult for me to enjoy the book (thus the four and a half Harlies rather than five).
So did Nick snap out of it? Did Belle get past the anger and hurt? Was their passion able to rise to the top and did the action ever stop? *snicker* Like I am going to tell you! You have to read the book , silly! I will tell you that it is a serious page-turner, one you just can’t put down so don’t even try. I read it non-stop, cover to cover, feeling more than a little dizzy at times, there was so much suspense, passion and intrigue. There was love, lust and intimacy but it was not over the top and not graphic. True, you must suspend your disbelief on a some matters but I can do that without difficulty. I cannot wait to read more of Ms. Blake’s work and would strongly recommend Hostage to Love to all lovers of hot, action-filled Romance!
About Author Maya Blake:
Maya Blake’s dreams of becoming a romance author began when she picked up her first romance novel at age thirteen. She eventually realized this dream in 2007 when her first romantic suspense was published. Maya lives in Kent, Southeastern England, with her husband and two kids and an endless supply of romance novels.