Review: DNF material
Rating: 2 out of 5
Date: 09 20, 2013
I have to say, the premise of this book didn't exactly capture me from the get-go. In a market saturated with all kinds of variations on this exact plot, I was counting on the romance to pull me across the line into fandom. Alas, it was not to be.Brooke Bennet used to live the glamorous life of a famous musician - her success was as big as her personality. Then a madman stole her away, leaving her broken and afraid.Five years after her ordeal, Brooke has carved out a new existence in the French countryside. Her life now may be a far cry from what it once was, but provincial life boasts something London never could - anonymity. Safe and alone, Brooke's life now is all about healing... if only she could stave off those damn panic attacks.Enter Cameron Dexter - former subject of Brooke's romantic pursuit and head of her security when she was taken. She thought she'd left him behind for good when she'd fled the country, and is blindsided when he shows up on her doorstep unannounced and heralding her worst nightmare: Spinks has been released from prison for good behavior after serving only half of his original sentence.From Cam's perspective, readers learn of his incredible guilt at what happened to Brooke. It was both his job to protect her and his harsh words that caused her to ditch her security. He'd hurt her even before Spinks got to her, and all because he didn't want to compromise his professional relationship with his client over feelings he himself didn't fully understand. Now, Cam's determined to make up for his mistakes in the past by keeping Brooke safe, because even though she thought she was well hidden, the jig is up.At first Cam urges Brooke deeper into hiding, but he soon learns that Spinks didn't completely break the woman he used to know. Brooke opts to confront her tormentor, returning to England and the life she left behind. It's risky but Cam agrees on one condition - this time, he's calling the shots. The story really begins at this point when the duo concocts a plan to draw Spinks out of hiding and get him thrown back in Jail, all the while growing closer together.One aspect of this book that I did quite enjoy was the sections written from Spinks' perspective. They allowed me to delve into some of the horror that was Brooke's ordeal. Devon does a good job at revealing the sinister machinations of his mind. His thoughts were truly creepy, elevating this book from reminiscent of a very average episode of Law and Order to something a little more engaging.With that little bit of praise for Spinks' character comes a huge BUT. I find it a little too convenient that he could so easily trick the penal system into letting him go. I get that he's intelligent, but is he really capable of tricking trained professionals who've been around the block a few times? Also, aren't there all kinds of measures in place to make sure criminals don't re-offend? I'm talking parole officers, counselling and GPS monitoring. Maybe it's a little bit nave of me to think that people don't slip through the cracks, but by all accounts Brooke Bennet's was a high profile case - so I imagine that Spinks' release would receive some publicity as well. It would be hard for the system to ignore that much attention...One thing in particular bothered me about my reaction to The Waiting Game. I just finished writing an article about how I love a bit of love-hate between two people. Brooke and Cam weren't exactly love/hate but they were definitely hot/cold and yet I still didn't love this book. I think the difference between me enjoying this kind of relationship or not is in the dialogue between the pair - something that fell flat in this story. While Devon described the sexual tension between the two, I didn't feel it in their interaction with one and other.Brooke as a character had me rolling my eyes. She's just so generic!! She's the typical traumatized, vulnerable heroine who still has a spark of strength which will lead her charging towards empowerment. Cam is no better. He's a purportedly hot dude with a macho, save-the-heroine complex which is of course fueled by a good heart. Sigh. These kinds of characters would be easier to digest with a side of humor, but there was none to be had.