Review: Don't miss this one...
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 06 10, 2013
Rating: 4/5 StarsI received an Advanced Review Copy (ARC) of Giordano's OPPOSING FORCES. First things first, I can't believe I didn't know about this author/series until now! I haven't read much romantic suspense that didn't involve supernaturals as yet, and I'm so glad I had the chance to read this book. It was a great introduction to this genre.Jillian Murdoch happily works in pharmaceutical distribution. She works hard, and she's careful - a go-getter.Jackson Lynx is VP of Taylor Security, and he's a recovering addict. Ever the 'Boy Scout', he always has a plan. His current plan is to stay out of trouble and away from temptation, including women. He has been eyeing Jillian for months, and there's only a few weeks left until his one year of sobriety anniversary... no problem, right?Wrong. One evening, Jillian returns to her office to pick up her forgotten camera and witnesses a strange, late-night delivery. Shortly afterwards, someone breaks into her place and steals very specific items. That weekend, after their shared yoga class, Jillian approaches Jackson for help with a home security system. This one seemingly simple request starts an avalanche of events and emotions. These two try to ignore the chemistry between them at first, but as they start to uncover something big beneath the day-to-day operations at Jillian's office, they find comfort in being near one another.Lynx can't get himself together. He can't figure out if this is the one time that it's okay not to stick to the plan, or if he needs to walk away. But as Jillian gets herself in deeper with what's going on at work, things get more dangerous. He needs to keep her close, keep her safe.Jillian knows that Lynx is a recovering addict, and she has some addiction-related baggage. She's incredibly drawn to him, superhero complex and all, but she just can't get involved with an addict. She can't face that disappointment. But that smile...At one point I had to put the book down to get some sleep and I left it in an awkward place. I thought I was going to be going back to the introduction of a second story line at a pretty high point in the first, and I was worried about it. I was loving the story and the character development and I was nervous that this second story was going to be too much and take away from the real "meat and potatoes" of Jackson and Jillian. Luckily, the worry was all for naught. It simply picked up with Jackson's new crisis having been averted, and dove right back in to the original plot line. The only problem I had with the book was that this particular thing left me hanging. I don't feel like this 'flash in the pan' crisis added to the story, and not knowing what happened kind of felt like a loose thread. Maybe if it hadn't felt like such a huge deal at the time, the lack of details wouldn't have bothered me.I am kicking myself for not having read the other books in this series. The story is fast paced, and the action and suspense aren't the only elements that will leave you on the edge of your seat. The relationship development between Jackson and Jillian is not only intense and heated, but it's believable. They both have their hang-ups and learn quickly how to push each others buttons. They go back and forth between being cautious and being passionate.