Review: A fast-paced, engaging and captivating romantic-suspense series
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 05 8, 2014
I'd give this book 4.5 stars.  MINE TO CRAVE captivates and intrigues from the first page.  It's a fast paced story with an intense and immediate attraction between the main characters and great suspense.Drake Archer has been deceived and betrayed by a beautiful woman in the past.  As far as Drake is concerned, women serve a primary purpose:  to meet his sexual needs and that's about it.  He doesn't trust women and he has no desire to have a relationship with one.  As Drake surveys his casino from his private office for a woman to hook up with, an alluring red-head captures his attention.  Although she is unable to see him through the one-sided glass, Drake watches as she seems to stare right at him and crooks her finger in an invitation to join her.Jasmine Bennett has a job to do.  She has to make sure she receives an invitation into Drake Archer's private sanctuary, but the guy at the bar isn't getting the hint when she tells him she's not interested.  The man grabs Jasmine's arm in a death grip and informs her that he's a bounty hunter sent to bring her in. Jasmine knows she's not physically strong enough to escape the bounty hunter, but she has other resources.  When she reaches up to kiss him, she momentarily surprises him, giving herself an opportunity to escape.As Jasmine flees the casino, Drake witnesses the event, and informs his security to follow the girl.  By the time Drake and his security team reach Jasmine, she is struggling to get away from the bounty hunter.  They quickly demand Jasmine be released and the man is escorted off of Drake's property.Once Drake escorts Jasmine back to his office, he waste no time letting Jasmine know he wants to have sex with her.  Their time together is interrupted when Drake is called out of the office for an emergency.  A few smoke bombs near Drake's vault offers enough of a diversion to allow Jasmine time to hack into Drake's computer. Drake quickly figures out Jasmine is trying to scam him and rushes back to his office.  Jasmine has just managed to pick the office lock and is about to make her escape when she barrels into Drake's solid form.As Drake searches Jasmine, he finds her tools to pick locks and numerous flash drives.  When he checks the flash drives, they are all empty.  She was sent to steal from him, but for whatever reason, she didn't go through with it. Jasmine is turning into an enigma and although Drake lets her go, he tells his security team to follow her.By the time Drake finds Jasmine again, the bounty hunter has caught up to her as well and she's struggling to get away from him.  The bounty hunter has stabbed Jasmine, and Drake makes quick work of rescuing Jasmine.  Drake takes Jasmine back to his estate to get her the medical attention she needs.Jasmine has a habit of trying to run, but Drake has quickly learned to anticipate Jasmine's resourcefulness with escape.  He is able to corner her and demand answers.  Jasmine reveals that she's working for someone powerful and he's intent on destroying Drake personally and professionally.  She tells Drake that she was supposed to gather information on his businesses and report back to her boss, but she had a change of heart.  Jasmine informs Drake that their lives are both in danger since she betrayed her boss.When Jasmine tells Drake that she fears his New Orleans casino might have been jeopardized as well, they fly to New Orleans with Drake vowing to protect Jasmine. Once in New Orleans, Drake takes Jasmine to his house and they have wild, passionate sex.  Shortly thereafter, Drake receives a call from his security guy in Vegas telling him that someone was trying to get in the vault.  When Jasmine hears Drake talking on the phone, she tells him to have his building evacuated.  She remembers seeing blueprints on Maxwell Case's computer and she's afraid he might have wired it to explode.  When Drake learns that bombs were placed in his Vegas casino, he assumes Jasmine has played him by acting as a diversion to get him out of town.  He literally walks out on her, wanting nothing more to do with the troublesome liar and thief.With a bounty hunter and a federal agent in search of Jasmine, she knows she needs to get out of town. Jasmine thought Drake would protect her, but he discarded her like forgotten trash. She betrayed her boss, Maxwell Case, and she knows he won't quit until he finds her.  And if he finds her, she's a dead woman.Drake's friend, Trace Weston, has been gathering information on Jasmine at Drake's request. Jasmine is a computer hacker with a troubled past and proves to be a mystery.  Trace suggests that Drake work with Jasmine in order to help bring Maxwell Case down.  Drake decides to take his friend's advice and goes in search of Jasmine.  He manages to find and save her from the bounty hunter once again.Drake and Maxwell are both wealthy, powerful men with deep resources and ex-military backgrounds.  They make worthy adversaries as Drake fights to keep Jasmine out of Maxwell's never-ending grasp.With ambushes, bombs, and fiery explosions, the story is filled with action throughout.  Jasmine proves to be a resourceful, intriguing character, who manages to break the tough, hardened exterior of Drake Archer. Their relationship is explosive as the elements around them.I really enjoyed this book.  My only negative comment about this book would be Drake's uncanny ability to find Jasmine so easily on the crowded streets of New Orleans, as well as Vegas. Also, it seemed like the bad guys had a way of finding their prey as well, regardless of the remote locations.MINE TO CRAVE is a great romantic-suspense read and I would recommend this series. This story does contain strong language and explicit sex scenes with an 18+ audience recommended.This book was graciously provided by publisher from NetGalley in exchange for honest review.