Review: Second chances and new beginnings.
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 08 6, 2013
3.75 starsHOSTAGE TO LOVE is the June 2013 re-lease of a contemporary romance/suspense novel written by Maya Blake. The storyline focuses on Belle -a woman whose passion for life and love have been tempered by the man who has stolen her heart. Six months into their marriage, Belle realizes they have made a big mistake and she really never knew the man to whom she was married. So, one day, she up and ran away; took off to England, set up an apartment and eventually volunteered to work with orphans in Africa. Another six months will pass and Belle suddenly finds herself the victim of a rebel abduction by a man who claims to want Belle for his own.The storyline focuses on Belle's rescue by her husband - a man who is as confused about the reasons his wife left, as are the assuredness of Belle's reasons why she couldn't stay-and their subsequent challenges to reconcile. The couple will reach an impasse when Nick offers seven days to reconcile and if at the end of the seven days, they cannot agree, they will walk away from their marriage and each other. But Belle's abductor will discover her whereabouts and once again, her life and her marriage will be threatened from another source.The relationship between Nick and Belle is both hot and cold. Belle refuses to acknowledge her feelings for Nick, which are still mired in love and lust. And Nick is slow to realize that his wife blames him for many of the couple's faults. I am not too sure if I would agree, as Belle appears to be a bit of a spoiled child-when she doesn't get her way-she runs. In this, I wasn't sympathetic to her choices especially when she places many people's lives in danger with her adventure in a war-torn African country run by militant guerillas and scheming political officials. Although her reasons seemed altruistic on the surface, they always screamed - `look at me, I can do what I want'. And she was completely aware that her husband's family have been the target of kidnappings and death threats and, yet she still persisted in ignoring the warnings from her husband.The storyline is predictable. There is the angst of perceived betrayal; the fear of losing someone you love; and the inevitable forgiveness and happily ever after. Nick has issues from his childhood that must be addressed and in doing so Belle will discover more about her husband's behavior then she had ever known. But there is also a story of suspense when a despot with a grandiose personality and need for power wants a woman who belongs to and is married to someone else.Hostage to Love is a fast paced and interesting storyline. Maya takes the reader on an adventure from Africa to Greece to London and back. We watch as one couple learns to love each other for who and what they are and, learn to listen with both your mind and your heart. Yes, typical problems for any couple, but problems that should have been addressed months before.