Review: Join Sara and Trenton On The Frontline!
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 08 13, 2013
Alexandra Richland is one to watch in the genre of romantic suspense. Frontline was exquisitely plotted and kept the reader guessing in the vein of a veteran suspense writer. The hero, billionaire Trenton Merrick, is an alpha male and quite the enigma to the heroine, Nurse Sara Peters. After a passionate altercation in the ER while treating Merrick for a mysterious cut on his forehead, Sara is drawn to this man like a moth to a flame.Flummoxed by how quickly they become embroiled in what promises to be a steamy affair, Sara is torn between trusting Merrick and letting herself fall for him, and running as far away from him as she possibly can. This conflict keeps the plot fresh and believable. Indeed, were a rich man to meet you, at once become quickly enamored, then not demonstrate the actions that match up with his words I'm sure you'd be just as discombobulated as Sara.The more she gets to know about Trenton Merrick, the more she questions his intentions, his business dealings, his feelings for her, and whether he is an honest, law-abiding citizen. This is attraction to the bad boy in the extreme, if what her friend uncovers about Merrick is true. While his philanthropic ventures don't mesh with his persona on the illegally acquired papers she has been given to peruse, Sara repeatedly makes attempts to dispel the notion that Trenton is not a good guy. However, she is disappointed at every turn, and deliberately kept in the dark by Merrick and his security men, whom she affectionately calls "Tin Men."As she and her two best friends become enthralled with Trenton and his two best friends and co-managers of his security team, the UST heats up while the stakes go higher on the Frontline. Readers discover along with Sara Peters just who Trenton Merrick is.If there is one thing I would change about Frontline, it would be Sara's insistence on calling him Mr. Merrick in her thoughts so much in the first one third of the book. I would postulate that any man whose tongue finds itself down your throat within the first half hour of meeting you should be someone you can address on a first name basis, especially in your thoughts. She repeated Mr. Merrick so many times it took on an almost comical effect, and I don't think that was what Ms. Richland was going for. I understood that she was distancing herself from him by using his formal name, but it would have been sexier if used in moderation.Frontline is a mature, romantic suspense story that is well-researched, well-written, and engaging from page one until the end. As a reader becomes more engaged in the plot, in the second third of the mystery, the formal name faux pas is all but forgotten. Join Sara and Trenton on the Frontline. You'll be very glad you did.I give Frontline four out of five stars!