Kim Louise

BET/Arabesque

1-58314-283-5

April 2002

(4) Alicia Thomas

Contemporary Romance

PLOT SYNOPSIS: 

REVIEW: 

Kim Louise crafts a wonderfully layered suspense love story. FALLING FOR YOU chronicles the mysterious accidents that occur to Montgomery Claiborne. With every accident, Sabin Strong appears when he needs her the most to save the day and his life.

Montgomery Claiborne is every woman’s fantasy come true. He fits two frequently used clichés. The first is that he is tall, dark, and handsome. The second is that he is a lover not a fighter.  Along with this he is involved with inner city youth as a mentor.  And he owns his own business. What more could a woman want?  Well, Sabin wants Montgomery but she has an obligation to keep first.  Oddly enough that obligation is to him although he doesn’t know it. Sabin Strong is a bodyguard, a motorcycle fanatic and a martial arts specialist. She is hired to protect Montgomery but without him finding out. Interesting circumstances keep throwing them together which makes her job easier. Yet at the same time, it is torture because Montgomery is the only man who is able to make her lose control. Sabin’s success as a bodyguard is because of her ability to control herself and any situation that arises.

FALLING FOR YOU weaves a tale of two people who have vowed not to become emotionally involved with anyone. The attraction between the two becomes stronger when Montgomery decides to find out who is after him. Sabin is a great character because she is physically capable of doing her job and speaks directly. It is nice that Ms. Louise does an excellent job of creating a bodyguard who happens to be a woman instead of a woman bodyguard. It makes the story more real.

This story has interesting secondary players. Montgomery’s relationship with his father has impacted the man he is. Like his father, he is guilty, of letting the past dictate his future behavior.  His on again-off again relationship with Arroya brings both tension and humor. The twist with the detective and his sister, Cherlyn, is an amusing side story. The strategic quotes at the beginning of each chapter give a glimpse at what is coming, and make it difficult to put the book down.

The story begins with an enticing flow, while the suspense in the relationship and the accidents pulls the reader into the story.  Unfortunately, Ms. Louise breaks the steady rhythm and eventually seems to be in a hurry to reveal everything.  That disappointed me as a reader.

Despite this minor weakness, I recommend this book. It has intelligent characters and enticing suspense.

alicia@romanceincolor.net (31st March 2002)