Review: Love this story; love the author~!
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 09 5, 2011
I didn't realize that the sequel to "Surviving Passion" was available or I would have been ON IT! All the little loose details that had gnawed at me during the first book were neatly wrapped up with a bow on top. We were finally able to get a pulse on the male lead, Dan. His POV was really needing to be expounded and deepened in the storytelling and Underwood delivered.Selena has begun a romance with her once-captor, Dan. Having been nomadic in the post-"crash" dystopian Midwest for years since the death of her parents, Selena feels an almost claustrophobic suffocation in transitioning to her new "settled" world with Dan. His overwhelming need to protect and possess her ( wow, did I dig this Alpha-male angle), heightens her sense of unease. When a wandering family invades their lives and a large traveling group of Grazers come near to their dwellings, motivations of all parties becomes suspect. Dan has a goal of civilization, unity and security with Selena's protection the prime motivator. Dan is reticent and has difficulty expressing his feelings and Selena doesn't want to appear like she lacks faith or is weak. Their challenge of effective communication causes [good] tension throughout the book.What stands out with this author are the love scenes don't have that "formula" or "contrived" feeling. Her romance/sex/erotica sections are generous and read fairly real. She avoided almost all the "cliche" phrasing and descriptions that I am bored-to-tears with.People that enjoy survivalist undertones/dystopian/adventure/western themes should really be pleased. This is billed more as an erotic romance but for me, it was a mixed-genre blend of the above. I love something that holds my attention. As an aside, it is obvious that Underwood has either spent or researched outdoor/naturalist/survivalist living. That especially rang true.I feel like the characters are alive and not just in a book. I love when a book can make me feel realism to that degree.Can't wait for book 3!