Review: Erotic Read With Intriguing Secondary Characters
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 10 10, 2012
Claiming Magique should come with a label marked Caution, Flammable for its numerous combustible sexual encounters that are nicely paced throughout the story and allow the hero to win his heroine since sex is the language she speaks best.  Now although these sexual encounters are extremely satisfying there were times I felt they almost overwhelmed the story and, like some of the secondary characters stated, communicating through words would've allowed Hunt to convey his real feelings much clearer so Magique/Alexa would've had no doubts as to his intentions.Magique/Alexa is a woman with daddy issues.  She grew up wealthy but lonely with parents who never gave her attention no matter if she was good or bad, so she eventually gave up trying to earn love and decides the momentary adoration of sex is more worthwhile.  I felt sympathetic towards her but am surprised by her career choice and her belief that it fulfills all of her needs.  She's simply deluding herself through most of the story and I'm happy when her eyes are finally opened by Hunter and his emotional promises for the future.Hunter is a truly likable and admirable character who has a lot in common with Magique/Alexa as far as their less than ideal upbringing.  He had to grow up fast and be the adult protecting his mother just as Magique/Alexa lost her childhood and her dreams of a HEA.  Whereas she gave up, he still has faith and went to elaborately emotional lengths to win her over.  He's charming and I enjoyed his interactions with Ronnie who's a mother figure for Magique/Alexa.  He made her feel young again at a time when she needed it most.I absolutely adored Ronnie and admired her fight against cancer.  She showed strength and a realistic bit of fear and I enjoyed the subtle love story between her and her chauffeur Wallace and the juxtaposition of their mature relationship to that of the bloom of a first real love shown between Hunter and Alexa (as she's called in her real life) once Alexa finally opens her heart.  The ending of the story felt a bit rushed and there's no real sense of closure but there is hope which is more than the characters had at the beginning of the story.  Once again Tina Donahue has written an off the charts hot story with memorable characters carrying some heavy emotional baggage.  It's a satisfying story although not completely tied up with a pretty bow but definitely another worthy addition to her backlist.