Review: Interesting read and anxious for more!
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 07 19, 2014
Heat: Hot momentsRating: **** 4 out of 5 StarsProvided by: NetGalley***Note***"An estimated two million children are lured, sold, or kidnapped for the purpose of sexual exploitation in hotels, night clubs, brothels, massage parlors...Sex trafficking has devastating consequences...including long-lasting physical and psychological trauma, disease, drug addiction, unwanted pregnancy, and more." If you would like to learn more about what you can do to help in the war against Human trafficking visit Human Trafficking Search.Where to begin...the first few lines of this story caught my attention and I couldn't put the book down afterwards.'I'll be honest with you–I'm no hero. Sure, the media tries to brand every Navy SEAL as some kind of Batman dressed in cammies. There's even a line in one of our cadences: "Superman is the man of steel, he ain't no match for Navy SEAL,"'Patrick Walsh lives to serve his country. He doesn't complain about the hours, being under paid–he doesn't even take credit for the lives he's saved. He thrives on going into dangerous situations and eliminating the threat. Unfortunately, losing a few buddies, and seeing the faces of so many children who'd been lost in the scuffle of battle was causing an emotional battle within him.One night while he and his buddies are on shore at Curaao he decides to let off a little steam with an easy 'paid for' lay. [Steering clear of any emotional attachment because of his past and current career goals, Patrick ignores his gut and turns to an easy trick.] What he doesn't count on is picking up America's soccer sweetheart that's been missing for the past five years.Annie Hamilton grew up privileged. She went to the best schools, had the best boy friend, and was banking on having the time of her life until she was snatched from a cruise ship and thrown into the sex trade. After five years of despair she finally comes face-to-face with an American who she believes can help her and puts everything she is into this last attempt at freedom."My name is Annie Hamilton. I'm an American citizen. I was kidnapped from a cruise ship five years ago. You're my last hope. Please save me."With the dangerous S and R done, Patrick and Annie had to return the 'real' life, a 'normal' world where he wasn't suppose to want her, and she wasn't suppose to look at him as anything other than her rescuer. But these two couldn't have stopped what was happening between them even if their lives were on the line. (pun) So begins life after being a sex slave.The Best Thing:Well I have to first say WELL DONE! This was a serious story and I thought it was well written. I immediately latched onto the characters, the places they traveled, the mission, and the love the blossomed, and couldn't let go!I refuse to write really detailed information about what happened in the book because it'll ruin it for other readers, but I will say you won't be disappointed.Patrick and his buddies lead an honorable, but scary life by risking theirs to protect the country. But when he found Annie it was like a lightbulb went off in his head and he couldn't turn away from her, even after he'd rescued her. It was interesting to see how he fell for her despite the circumstances in which they met and everything she'd been through. He's a GREAT man!Annie is a very strong character, (go Alana Albertson) I love to read about strong woman. She's a fighter through and through and never gave up...she maintained hope that she'd be free some day, she even tried to motivate Nicole–her friend, she never gave up hope on she and Patrick, she quit drugs, and more. She's a BAD*SS!Lastly, I know that in most cases stories like Annie's do not have a HEA, so I have to appreciate the author taking us through some pretty horrible situations with Annie and then delivering a better ending.The Worst Thing:Where to start?Well, let's start with how her father is a cold-hearted bas**rd. There were parts in the book that made me sad, and even angry, but when I realized the hand that her father had in making sure she stayed in the brothel ... well let's just say I agreed with Patrick.While the overall story was good I can't say that there were some things that just didn't add up for me. One, it seemed odd to me that they were able to travel by sea back into the US and still not have to go through customs...hmmm(yes, I know this is fiction.) Two, since the book wasn't that long and we already explained everything else why not just put more information in the story about Patrick adopting Gabriel? And three, and most important, please please tell me why we didn't get to read more about Annie's rehabilitation?I would think that she would absolutely have an issue with sex and being intimate with Patrick after everything, but no and I quote..."I wanted to be loved. I wanted to reclaim my sexuality. Enjoy sex, feel what it's like to experience pleasure from a man who loved me and wasn't using me. Didn't I deserve to be happy?" yes she did deserve to be happy, but come on...no hesitation? No flashbacks at all with his touches and more? (just not realistic enough for me) She also seemed to have left her nightmares behind her along with her cravings for drugs. (One to two months of a Hollywood uppity clinic does not cure an addict.)Lastly, I can't freaking believe how it ended. After such and intense story and all the buildup the last few paragraphs just fizzled...literally. There better be a part two...Nicole's story.