Romance: An instant connection

Suzanne Brockmann fuels romance with adventure in her latest Troubleshooters novel, Some Kind of Hero. When Navy SEAL Peter Greene jumps into a random car to follow his runaway 15-year-old daughter Maddie, he discovers that the driver is his neighbor, romance author and single mom Shayla Whitman. Shayla’s sympathy for his situation makes her an immediate ally, and using her writer smarts and his SEAL experience, they embark on a journey to save the girl from the unknown danger threatening her. Both are surprised by their swift and undeniable connection, and in just a few days they are considering commitment. Maddie’s alarming disappearance will touch the heart, and rooting for her safety is part of the fast-paced fun. It’s a pleasure to rejoin Brockmann’s SEAL team for another rollicking ride.

DARK AND DANGEROUS
The mutual attraction between a cop and a Mafia capo lead the pair into jeopardy in Luca, the second book in Sarah Castille’s Ruin & Revenge series. Detective Gabrielle Fawkes and restaurateur/crime boss Luca Rizzoli experience an instant bond when they meet in the hospital, both recovering from bullet wounds. After recovery, Gabrielle visits Luca’s restaurant on a whim. Though she’s heartbroken following her cop-husband’s violent death at the hands of an at-large drug dealer, she finds herself responding to the brash and sexy Luca. Before he has learned of her profession, they’re involved—against Mafia rules—and have discovered they share an enemy in the dangerous man who killed Gabrielle’s husband. Both cop and capo have a thirst for revenge, and while Luca’s been given permission by his crime family’s boss to team up with Gabrielle to catch the bad guy, he’s told the relationship must end afterward. Luca agrees—for all his macho confidence, he isn’t sure that he’s worthy of Gabrielle’s love. But they grow closer as danger circles and their chances of survival grow ever smaller. This is a gritty love story filled with breath-stealing action and peppered with scorching scenes.

TOP PICK IN ROMANCE
Deep emotions arise in The Day of the Duchess, the latest addition to Sarah MacLean’s Scandal & Scoundrel series. After two years abroad, Seraphina, Duchess of Haven, returns to London to demand a divorce from her estranged husband. A scandalous request for certain, but Sera is used to being the talk of the town after she was accused of entrapping her husband in marriage. Now she wants the ties between them broken—or does she? Malcolm Bevingstoke, Duke of Haven, is shocked by his wife’s request and bowled over once again by her beauty. He’s been searching for her ever since she disappeared, desperate to right the wrongs of the past. Is it too late for them to learn to trust each other? Witty banter, entertaining secondary characters and a poignant use of Greek myth are the delicious icing on this lovely, romantic story.

This article was originally published in the July 2017 issue of BookPage. Download the entire issue for the Kindle or Nook.