Review: Car Chases, Shootouts, and Hot Romance!
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 08 16, 2013
My rating: 4 of 5 starsFranco's Fortune by Cara Marsi is a Palmarella Press publication released in 2013. Franco is a wealthy man that inherited his family business. Once a lazy wild child, Franco has stepped up and become a hard working businessman. He still hides behind his playboy image when it come to the ladies, however. When Franco has a attempt made on his life, his sister hires a bodyguard for him. Jo Fortune. Jo has had a crush on Franco for a long time, but Jo is a bit unconventional. She wears army fatigues and doesn't do a lot of girly girl type stuff with high heels, clothes , hairstyles and makeup.So, when she suggest that she and Franco pretend to be dating each other to explain her presence, he scoffs openly. No one would believe Jo was his "type". Jo was hurt, and Franco realizes it too late to take it back. However, for appearances sake, Jo agrees to get a makeover. As Jo and her partner, Harris, try to figure out who may want Franco dead, Jo becomes increasingly frustrated with Franco's evasiveness. He hands out keys to his home nilly willy, and isn't being as upfront with Jo as he should be. Jo also has her secrets. It's obvious that someone has really hurt Jo in the past. Franco wants her trust him and stay with him, but Jo is worried that when her assignment is over, the relationship might be as well. However, there may not be a relationship at all if they don't find out who is trying to kill Franco, because whoever it is, they are very determined to see him dead. This book is part contemporary romance, and part romantic suspense. Franco is very likeable. He grew up and accepted responsibility in his professional life, but he is still insecure in his private life. Women that typically surround him are boring. They only see him through the big dollar signs in their eyes. Jo, on the other hand has had a far worse set of cards dealt to her. Jo deserves someone that is stable and true and can help her move forward from her incredibly painful past. There is also a great deal of action as Jo fights off mob thugs and other unsavory characters. Car chases and shootouts  as well as hot romance combined makes this a really unique take on the romantic suspense novel. I loved that the bodyguard was a woman and we were treated to something a little different from the usual damsel in distress story line. This book would appeal to romance fans and mystery fans alike. Over all this one gets an A-