Review: Wonderful contemporary romance
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 06 16, 2014
This Year’s Black is another great story by an author who continues to write fun contemporary books. This is the second in a series that features the Maltese Security company with a kick ass woman who knows how to handle herself in a fight but seems to be unlucky in love.Allegra “Ryder” Falcon works for her brother at the Maltese Security company and she hones her defense skills as a MMA fighter. She recently had a frightening incident with a man she was dating, her instincts failed with this person and she is a little skittish about trying again so she vows to stay away from more than a one night stand for a year.Devin Harris is the general merchandise manager for a large store, Dylan’s Department store. The owner brings in Maltese Security because he recently found out that someone has been embezzling for several years. When Ryder goes for a meeting about how to proceed with the investigation, she is surprised to see Devin. A few weeks ago, they shared an epic night together and going with her new vow cleared his number from her phone and did not answer his texts or calls. Needless to say, he has some questions for her and they have nothing to do with embezzling.With some digging, Ryder finds the culprit, a woman named Sarah who worked for the company for many years as an Executive Assistant but before they can arrest her, she takes off for her homeland, Andol Republic, a small group of islands off Chile. The two soon follow, but the island is dangerous for those that go against Sarah’s family, and since the attraction between Devin and Ryder has never diminished they have more than their share of trouble.I really enjoyed this story; the characters are engaging and fun, not to mention the two have enough chemistry to light up the night no matter how much she tries to deny it.Ryder is a kick and I liked her right away, she is trying something new as her love life is in shambles. She was scared with her last romance and is taking things slow, however knows that she is very fascinated with Devin. As they work together on the island, the attraction heats up and things start to sizzle but he is definitely miffed that she blew him off earlier. I like her wit and how she deals with things, she does not take no for an answer and much to her brother’s dismay, when she is on an assignment she jumps in feet first and then asks questions.I adore Devin, he is also a fighter, but it is in the past and he rarely mentions it. He is from wealth but a horrible episode when he was young had him on the wrong path for awhile. He enjoys his life now and likes working in the fashion industry for the department store. He seems generally hurt when he meets Ryder again, and truly wants to know why she would not take his calls as he was very attracted to her. They way they bantered back and forth is so much fun, the innuendoes, sexual tension all play a large part in their conversations that make for some entertaining reading. I enjoy these two together very much.The secondary characters all play important roles in the story, and I like how several co-workers from Maltese Security come to help when things get treacherous. The book is fast paced as the danger ramps up when they find Sarah and although her family tries to protect her, Ryder and Devin are more determined to win the fight. I am looking forward to more in this series and wonder who will be featured next.Review also posted at Ramblings from a Chaotic MindCopy received for an honest review