TLC Review Tour - - A Risk Worth Taking

A Risk Worth Taking
By Brynn Kelly
Publisher: HQN
Release Date: May 29, 2018
Reviewed by PJ

When computer expert Samira Desta's fiancé was murdered after turning whistleblower against his employer it threw Samira into the middle of a conspiracy with world-changing ramifications and put her in the crosshairs of a very powerful, and dangerous, man. She's been in hiding in a cottage in Tuscany for the past year, separated from family and friends, with paranoia increasing each month she's on her own until a postcard from her college roommate arrives with a coded message that hints at new evidence against the man who wants her dead. A narrow escape in Tuscany sends Samira straight for her friend in London, desperately hoping she finds her before the bad guys, but events take a turn for the worse upon arrival and help comes from the last person she expects to see.

French Foreign Legionnaire Jamie Armstrong spent an unforgettable night with Samira before she went into hiding a year ago. The connection between them was strong but it was clear she was still deeply grieving her fiancé and not yet ready to move forward. Not that Jamie was either. There's a good reason he holds people at a distance, discouraging all close relationships, even with his family. The last place he wants to be is back in England, or even worse, Scotland but when the call goes out that Samira is in trouble, he's the first to answer. The attraction between them is as strong as ever but Samira hasn't yet put her past relationship to rest and Jamie has secrets he's sure will bring any possibility of a future with Samira to a screeching halt. Not to mention, they're now in the fight of their lives against a high-profile villain with unlimited resources at hand. Will they find their way to each other? Will Samira be able to move forward and claim happiness a second time? Will Jamie put his demons to rest? And, most importantly, will they uncover the evidence they need to put a stop to the man who wants Samira dead before it's too late? 

Brynn Kelly has penned another intense, breath-stealing, romantic suspense thriller that kept me reading far into the night. Filled with intrigue and suspense, this is a story high on action with no shortage of "boom." Kelly excels at creating atmosphere and a sense of time and place. I didn't so much read this story as live it along with the characters. And speaking of characters, Kelly gives us a complex, multi-faceted hero and heroine with strength, vulnerability, and plenty of emotional baggage to sort through. I enjoyed them and their journey. The story flows well, with vividly drawn characters on both sides. It was fun to catch up with characters from the previous two books who play key roles in this one, working with Jamie and Samira to bring down the villain. And speaking of the villain, Kelly does an admirable job of keeping readers guessing what will happen until the very end when she throws in a twist that I didn't see coming at all. I love when that happens!

Jamie and Samira's story plays out completely in this book and so, from a romance perspective, the book stands well on its own. The villain, however, is introduced in book one with the suspense plot evolving over the course of all three books. Because of that, for a deeper appreciation and better understanding of all aspects of the story, I encourage readers to read the three books in order: Deception Island (read my review), Edge of Truth, and A Risk Worth Taking. Kelly's 2017 novella, Forbidden River (a 2018 RITA® finalist) is loosely connected to the Legionnaire's series but not part of the conspiracy that plays out in the trilogy. 

Deception Island Winner

Random.org has chosen the lucky winner of a copy of

DECEPTION ISLAND by Brynn Kelly and that person is:

Manda Collins

Congratulations!

Please send your full name and mailing address to:

theromancedish (at) gmail (dot) com

Today's Special - - Deception Island Review Tour

Deception Island
By Brynn Kelly
Publisher: HQN Books
Release Date: May 31, 2016

Rafe Angelito thought he was done with the demons from his past—until his son is kidnapped. Blackmailed into abducting an American heiress, the legionnaire soon finds himself trapped in paradise with a fiery, daring beauty who's nothing he expects…and everything he desires. But when he uncovers her own dark secret, Rafe realizes he's made a critical mistake—one that could cost him everything.

Playing body double for a spoiled socialite was supposed to be Holly Ryan's ticket to freedom. But when she's snatched off her yacht by a tall, dark and dangerous stranger, the not-quite-reformed con artist will make a desperate play to turn her captor from enemy to ally, by any means necessary.

Yet as scorching days melt into sultry nights, Holly is drawn to the mysterious capitaine, with his unexpected sense of honor and his searing touch. When they're double-crossed, they'll have to risk trusting each other in ways they never imagined…because in this deadly game of deception, it's their lives—and hearts—on the line.

Holly and Rafe are not your typical romance hero and heroine. Stolen from his village as a small child, Rafe was forced into the life of a child soldier and did things in his early years that haunt him still. Escaping several years later, he was fortunate to be educated by those who took him in and finally ended up in the French Foreign Legion where he learned to be a soldier of honor, leaving his years as a Lost Boy in the past. Or so he thinks. Holly is an American con artist who has a chance at freedom after a Senator gets her released from prison so she can impersonate his daughter. He's killed more than his share of people. She's conned more than hers. Both have regrets. Both are determined to have their way. Neither has a reason to trust the other. Yet that is exactly what they must do if they have any hope of surviving the perils in their path.

Wow! Wow! Wow! What an incredible debut novel! Deception Island is a dark, unrelenting journey of non-stop action, passion, and suspense from the first page to the final one. Once I began reading, everything else fell by the wayside. All I could focus on was what was happening in the moment and what twist Ms. Kelly was going to throw at her characters next. And, wow, what twists she threw! 

The bad guys in this novel are really bad; wealthy, soulless, and bent on revenge. Not the type you'd want to run into in a dark alley...or a deserted island. Murder, extortion, kidnapping, and human trafficking are only a few of their enterprises. Their world is not a pretty one and Kelly cuts no corners in bringing the reader into that world. My heart raced with fear for those in their sights and broke for those in their grasp. 

Kelly did an outstanding job of creating atmosphere and a sense of place with her words. I could feel the sultry heat of the island on which Rafe and Holly are stranded, the breathless fear and desperation when staring death in the face, the love and caring that slowly, almost reluctantly develops between two unlikely people, and the fragile hope of a seemingly impossible future between a man and a woman who thought they never wanted what they ultimately discover they need most. 

Deception Island is different from anything I've read in a while. I couldn't put it down. I was in this unlikely couple's corner the whole way; gasping at the seemingly insurmountable obstacles they were forced to overcome, sighing at the unexpected, tender moments, delighting in the verbal swordplay, and clueless as to how the author was going to pull off the impossible, happy ending they deserved. It's one heck of a ride from an exceptionally talented writer. I can't wait to see where Brynn Kelly takes us next!

~PJ

Are you a fan of romantic suspense novels?

Do you enjoy books that take you out of your comfort zone?

Who are your romantic suspense favorites?

Leave a comment for a chance to win a copy of Deception Island in our Memorial Day giveaway. The winner will be chosen at 3:00 PM (EST) this afternoon.  (U.S./Canada only)

It took award-winning journalist Brynn Kelly only two decades to realize that all those stranger-than-fiction news reports (pirates, mercenaries, murders, conspiracies…) provided the perfect training for a new career: as a writer of larger-than-life novels.

She’s delighted that HQN Books, a Harlequin/HarperCollins imprint, is publishing her Golden Heart-nominated debut novel because it gives her an excuse to spend her days in a bubble of delicious words and fiendish plots. Secretly, though, after all those years writing about the real world, she’s terrified someone will realize she’s making it all up.

Brynn has a degree in communications with a journalism major, and has won several prestigious writing awards, including the Valerie Parv Award and the Pacific Hearts Award. She’s the bestselling author of four non-fiction books in her native New Zealand, and the mother of two young boys. In her (guffaw) spare time, she murders Italian arias studies classical singing.

She is working on a follow-up novel to Deception Island, which will also be published by HQN.

Goodreads:  https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/27190173-deception-island?from_search=true&search_version=service

Author's website:  http://brynnkelly.com

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/brynnkellyauthor/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/brynnwrites