Synopsis

What happens when curiosity becomes obsession? And when that obsession leads to an unstoppable journey you could never have imagined?

Luck is Jack Roman's middle name— and Chicago is his Empire. He lives to work, loves to play, and makes no commitments. But when the mysterious S. Wyatt moves into the adjoining penthouse, he's immediately drawn to her, a striking, elusive woman who transitions seamlessly from wood-paneled board rooms to high-stakes, high-risk rescue operations in the most dangerous parts of the world. 

Intrigued by her self-possession, aroused by her incredible passion, and disarmed by a vulnerability she cannot hide, Jack pursues her into the nexus of her dangerous present and her enigmatic past. An entire world is revealed to Jack, where living for pleasure becomes fighting for survival. And the only woman he wants may be the one he cannot have...

COMPLICATED CREATURES is a mesmerizing, labyrinthine romantic suspense that will leave you wondering: Do you really want to know everything about the one you love?

Review

What a pleasant surprise this was. When I was sent a copy of the this book for review I was hesitant to pick it up since I am not a big fan of billionaire, SEO type of stories. Now, after finishing it, I can only say that I'm very happy I chose to give it a try because I ended up loving it. 

For a debut novel it's very a very well developed story written in a sophisticated, engaging style. The author has a style of her own - complex, rich and sensual descriptions mixed with a lot of action.

I was surprised how in-depth she went in the discussion of military operations, real estate business practices, martial arts, Italian cuisine and so much more. I did like the careful attention to detail we see all across this book, but the information became overwhelming at times. It made things look too good to be true, taking away from the otherwise realistic nature of the story and the characters. 

That said, I really liked Sam and Jack and all the rest of the supporting cast. It's a densely populated world and it took me some time to figure out who is who and to keep track of all characters. Sam definitely stands out among most contemporary romance heroines - she is strong, independent, and at the same time loyal and caring. She is perfect at presenting a particular image of herself - self-possessed, composed, in control. but deep in her heart things are not exactly like this. 

Jack was just the perfect hero - smart, sexy, successful. He fell for Sam and he fell hard. It was a surprise for him but he was open and honest, willing to risk his heart and take a chance. The relationship was not easy with Sam keeping Jack at a safe distance, never truly revealing herself to him. 

The thriller element was very engaging and kept me involved throughout the story. There was a particular plot twist  in the end that I didn't see coming and it makes me very anxious about the next book in the series. 

While it's true that both characters can be described as complicated creatures, I'm not a fan of title, it makes me think of a paranormal story and there is nothing like this here. 

My biggest disappointment, in fact my only one, is that it's not a completed story of Jack and Sam. I knew this is the first book in a series but I expected the next ones to be about other characters/couples. My consolation is that the next installment is to come out some time this summer according to the author's website. 

I'm glad a took a chance on this book, it's a well written, complex and intriguing contemporary romance with some military/suspense elements and I'd recommend it to anyone who enjoys such stories. Alexi Lawless is an author I'll be watching for in the future.

Title: Hostage to Pleasure Psy-Changeling # 4)

Author: Nalini Singh

Date of publication: 2 Sept 2008

Genre: Paranormal Romance, Shapeshifters

Author's links: Website / Facebook / Twitter / Goodreads

My rating: 5 Stars

Review

Synopsis

Veterinary intern Emily can’t believe she wound up in the small town of Sunshine, Idaho, instead of the Los Angeles clinic she had always imagined. Now she has to put her plans to move to L.A. on hold for a whole year while she fulfills the obligation of her vet school scholarship.

Then Wyatt, her gorgeous one-night stand from a Reno vet conference, introduces himself as her new boss. And Emily is just as drawn to his seductive looks and quiet strength as she was on that very steamy night. She soon learns that Wyatt isn’t just a laid-back doctor, but a delicious alpha male tempting her away from her carefully laid-out plans...

Review

It's another sweet and sexy romance by Jill shalvis in her Animal Magnetism series about the sexy vets in Bell Haven. This time we have two vets trying to stay away from each other and failing.

I liked the story a lot. Emily was easy to relate to. She is city girl with a plan and her plan doesn't include 1-year internship in Idaho, further more under the supervision of her one and only one-night stand, Dr. Wyatt Stone.

She is a well developed, believable character and all her preoccupations and fears of staring a relationship with someone seem very real. She carried the burden of her background and coming from a family who struggled financially all the time, she wants more for herself and works hard to get it. 

Wyatt was her opposite in many respect. His comes from riches but his parents care more about saving the world than about the well-being of their children. He wanted to settle down, to take roots in Sunshine, Idaho and he wanted to do it with Emily. Yet having grown up deprived of any choice as to his, as an adult he believes in giving the other person freedom to do as they please. He never insists, demands, to the point of coming off as disinterested. It took some good-natured nudging from his sisters and friends for him to actually fight for his love.

The affair between Emily and Wyatt as passionate and steamy from the start, yet they both guarded their hearts. Initially, Emily tried to keep things casual and didn't want to deepen them. Then she wanted him to fight for her, to aks her to stay. She felt insecure because he was too closed off about his feelings, trying to respect her wishes.

I loved the scene in the bar at the end with Wyatt writing Emily a message on a napkin. It was just hilarious.

We have the usual colourful secondary characters complementing the main couple - his 2 sisters and her 1 sister and I enjoyed the interactions between them. We also see some of couples from the previous books but I expected a closer connection between Wyatt and rest of the guys in Belle Haven. He felt a bit on the outside. 

Overall, it's a good addition to the series, though my most favourite. I can recommend this book to all fans of Ms Shalvis' writing and to anyone in the mood for a quick  the light sexy romance. 

Purchase links: 

Amazon / B&N / iBooks / BAM

My reviews of other books by Jill Shalvis: 

Animal Magnetism (Books 1-3) 

Rumor Has It (Animal Magnetism #4)

Once in a Lifetime (Lucky Harbor #9)

Teasing Trent (The Alexanders 0.5) - M. Malone - romance, prequel novella - Amazon