Review: Emotional, HOT and Romantic Suspense!
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 11 27, 2011
What a WONDERFUL lost love found story!Downstroke is a story of two people who were deeply in love as 20 & 23 yr olds, but were too career driven and self centered to stay together. Their devastating break-up sent them each on to achieve their own individual dreams.  But the road to success  was hard and lonely for each of them. Charly threw herself into her career, not allowing anyone to get close, not even friends and all relationships were casual.  Dallas sky-rocketed to the top of Country Rock Music, he not only lost the love of his life but also the relationship with his brother, Morgan.  To numb the loss he dove into sex, drugs and country rock & roll.  Seventeen years of living that "rock-star" life caught up to him in an accident that would eventually, inadvertently bring Charly and his brother back into his life, as his protectors.Morgan has forced Charly and Dallas into close quarters, because someone is trying to kill Dallas and Charly is the best Security firm in the industry.  Even after twenty years neither one of them are emotionally ready to face each other, but when the do the chemistry is explosive.I really, really enjoyed Downstroke.  The story shows how a decision made when we are younger can impact our whole lives.  Charly and Dallas were meant to be together, the way Ms. Holt added in flashbacks from when they were younger, the break up scene and described their feelings past and present made my heart bleed for both of them.  Usually when reading a lost love found romance I am on one or the other's side, and most of the time it is the heroine, in Downstroke I couldn't pick sides, I wanted them back together no matter who did what.  Dallas is a hero I totally connected with, I loved his sense of shame he had over his "rock-star" life-style, as well as his dedication to winning Charly back.  Charly is a strong independent woman with a hard shell but a soft heart, the inner struggles she had finally admitting her feelings were believable and it was great that she didn't just give in to her heart without thinking.I enjoyed the secondary cast, including Morgan, would love to see him get a HEA.  The suspense part of Downstroke kept me guessing, I honestly had a hard time figuring out who was behind the murder attempts.One more BIG plus for Downstroke....the H/h were 43 & 40, it's great to read a story with "older" characters, gives some of us who hit the big 40 without having found the ONE, a glimpse of hope that there is still time for a HEA.I admit I CRIED LIKE A BABY at the end of Downstroke.