Review: 4.5 stars for this gem of a novella
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 01 15, 2014
Romancing the Thief is the story of two people each on the same mission, but in the pursuit of different outcomes.  It's a short story - a novella - but the author does a very good job of fleshing out the hero and heroine.  The hero is very much the alpha and very strong, but he has a softer, tender, and almost vulnerable side, too.  The heroine is feisty and resilient in the face of the adversity she has experienced, and never gives in to the despair that sometimes seems insurmountable.The story focuses on three days the hero and heroine spend on the run in each others sole company, save the occasional brief appearances by a few secondary characters.  We really get to know them both - what drives their parts in the story, and how they came to be the people they are.  Their chemistry is pretty palpable from the start, whether they are getting to know each other or trading barbs.  Secondary characters remain just that, and this novella isn't cluttered by too many names and personalities.  We are meant to learn about Rachel Downing and Stephen Fletcher, and we do.Some may find the prose a bit modern in places, while at other times the period phrases seem forced, but overall the story flows very smoothly, and these minor hiccups don't detract.  Although it is a novella, I do wish the fate of the villain had been fleshed out more, and that the ending had not come on quite so abruptly.  After three days of running, the hero and heroine spend a fortnight together; the happenings here are summed up in one paragraph, followed by the story's end.  And one warning for those that prefer to know up front: there are some explicit sex scenes, but they are very loving and tender.I heartily recommend Romancing the Thief for the afternoon treat of a read it is.  It kept my attention to the end, was a story that was interesting, and had and hero and heroine to root for.