Review: Perfect heroine!  Flawed and all!
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 05 8, 2014
Okay before we dive into the review I’m going to mix it up a bit.  I’m going to talk about the following in my review:  cover, heroine, hero, plot, setting, secondary characters and overall impression to the series.  A couple of other things, too.  I love Ms. Wolfe.  I was introduced to Ms. Wolfe’s Black Creek series when it first came out.  Black Creek Burning is Brie and Nathan’s book.  Flying in Shadows is Andy’s and Rose’s book.  Savage Vengeance is the start of Duncan and Nickie’s story.  To be honest, you don’t need to read the first two books in the series to understand Vengeance but I strongly suggest that you do just because they are awesome.  I will link my reviews to them at the bottom of the post.1.  Cover:  Normally I don’t mention the cover but in this case I need to.  The cover girl is Nickie.  I couldn’t have pick out a more perfect picture of our heroine.  Oh and Duncan…yes, she nailed it.  Suit and all.2.  Setting:  The setting is a character all of its own.  The book is mainly set in upstate New York and Ms. Wolfe takes you to a place that you wish you could live or at least visit.  The “compound” where they all live is beautiful.  At least in my mind it is.3.  Plot:  Nitty gritty time. Where to start?  As stated in the blurb, this case is personal, very personal.  Again, I suggest that you read Savage Vengeance to get a better feel for this book.  Ms. Wolfe does a great job of showing Nickie’s back story here but as a reader I feel like you need more of her back story.  Plus, there are little things about Duncan’s and Nickie’s romance that might not ring true with the casual reader.  There is no instalove but a continuation of their romance that started in the earlier book.  Keep in mind that Savage Deception sets up a story thread that doesn’t conclude until much later in the series.  I love that in this series.  You might also think that since the series is about the same couple that there may be a comparison to Eve and Roarke.  There is but this is different.  While Eve doesn’t have a the family dynamic, Duncan and Nickie do and its a great addition to the book.  Ms. Wolfe has nailed police procedures too.  From the squad room to the penitary you get inside Nickie’s head and what she is doing.  Again, this is romantic suspense and the subject matter of child prostitution and kidnapping isn’t a subject that most authors would tackle but Ms. Wolfe handles it well and I can’t wait to see what she has in store for the series.  Plus what’s up with Nickie’s biological parents?  Oh yes, they make an appearance.  Ivanna needs to be slapped upside her head.4. Secondary Characters: Again, Ms. Wolfe uses her secondary characters well.  We get to see Andy helping his older brother, Duncan.  Dave is back as Nickie’s captain and the two FBI agents are great, too.  While there are secondary characters in this book, there aren’t alot that you have to keep up with.  Oh and did I mention Nickie’s old captain that is now in jail?  Nope?  Again, he is explained during the jail visits.  Ooooo, I was glad for those scenes.  I wanted to shot him myself if I had the chance.5.  Duncan:  What do you do when you are a billionaire, artist in love with a quirky, flawed and not so trusting cop?  Well, you love her like there is no tomorrow, give her space, try not to keep things from her and stop hounding her about closet space.  The sweetest thing that Duncan did for her was the swimming pool.  Who knew that a way to girl’s heart is an indoor swimming pool?  Oh and putting up with her nightmares and just soothing them away. Duncan has his own secrets and issues to deal with and he is dealing with them.  But he deals with hunches and Nickie deals in facts.  These two on paper couldn’t be more opposite and wrong for each other but that’s what makes them a couple.  They have to work at it and even during gun fire, Nickie’s work and Duncan wanting to just make “his Nickie” happy…its perfection.6.  Nickie:  OMG!  In my book, Nickie is the PERFECT heroine.  She’s quirky, smart, compassionate, sexy, confused, in love, damaged by her childhood, flawed and I want to be her friend.  Hang out with her, talk to her, drink Diet Coke with her (well, I’d drink Diet Dr. Pepper or Coke Zero) and generally just be there for her.  She has baggage.  She has violent nightmares that lead to her hitting Duncan in bed.  Yes, she suffers from PTSD from her 18 months of being kidnapped.  She has alot to learn about being in a relationship with Duncan.  Yes, she and Duncan have some bumps in the road but they truly do love each other and work on them together.  She does have some trust issues but who wouldn’t with everything that she’s been through.  But that’s what makes her GREAT!  There is no angst, just a real woman with problems that most of us can identify with.  Well, maybe not the kidnapping but the job stress, relationship issues and dealing with family.  Feeling alone when you are surrounded by people.7.  Smexy Times:  Yes, they are there.  Some are intense, emotional but no worries about them being graphic.  Ms. Wolfe knows her stuff and trust me…*wiggles eyebrows*  Duncan lets Nickie know how long its been since he has seen her naked.  *giggles*8.  Overall impression:  PERFECTION.  Yes, this book is my favorite book so far this year.  I re-read Dark Vengeance, Savage Echoes and Savage Deception in a marathon one day.  I had the book hangover but it was so worth it.  Ms. Wolfe has a fan for life and Nickie Savage is my girl crush now.  I adored her, loved Duncan and can’t wait for the next book in the series to come out.