Review: Give in or get out
Rating: 3 out of 5
Date: 11 2, 2012
One Halloween night, Megan Jackson stays late at work. As she closes down the realtor office, she sees what she believes is a murder of a young girl by a man whose face she can't see. For a split-second, the alleged murderer turns toward her office and Megan believes she's been seen. Moments later, she hears someone arriving and she runs - possibly for her life. When she calls the police, they brush off her concerns; after all, there's no body and no other witnesses.Fearful, she then calls her ex-boyfriend, Will McCoy, a man she still loves despite the break-up six years prior. What unfolds throughout the story is a mix of thrilling suspense - packed with chases and underhanded dealings, controversial memories - Megan is the child of a black mother and a white father who left and Will is from a prominent white family, and connections between two people who are more confused about the situation than anything.Wynter Daniels writes eloquently and descriptively, which is always a welcome read, especially in those catered to the sexier adult moments of life. The plot is decent and its execution is simple. There are no real mysteries regarding the characters after a few chapters, only niggling thoughts regarding them, some of which include whether or not Megan will ever make up her mind about Will when it's obvious she wants him more than anything.I don't have many problems with this book though I wasn't entirely blown away by the story itself. What did bother me, however, were what I felt were unnecessary glimpses into the lives of the secondary characters. While I think some scenes were important to understand the psyches of the characters, it sometimes felt overdone and extraneous within the books. At times, I wasn't sure why I needed to read particular scenes; it almost felt like the author felt the need to throw in another sexual scene to reach a quota.However, other than that, I would recommend PROTECTIVE CUSTODY to anyone who enjoys erotica with a touch of thrilling chase. There are certain scenes and conversations that lend themselves to the idea of racism but it shouldn't deter people from the book. Everything is written with care and in a way that the ideas are the result of times past. I don't think it's one of the best pieces of erotica out there (mostly due to the excess scenes) but I do enjoy that the plot includes something other than the building romance and manages to stay important throughout the length of the book. Many erotic works fall short with their focus only on sex but Daniels manages to give readers steamy scenes with a story that is both interesting and gripping.PROTECTIVE CUSTODY has a do it or die feel - things are always seemingly precarious with the result wobbling between two choices. Just like the main characters, readers should jump in with both feet.-- originally reviewed for Ordinary People, Extraordinary Works --