MORE THAN GOLD

Shirley Hailstock

BET/Arabesque

1-58314-120-0

October 2000

(4) Wayne Jordan

Contemporary Romance

PLOT SYNOPSIS: 

REVIEW: 

From her debut release, WHISPERS OF LOVE (5), Shirley Hailstock has always been a favorite of mine.   And her latest MORE THAN GOLD, which goes on sale as the 2000 Olympic Games conclude, is a fitting tribute to the Games.

The opening sequence of MORE THAN GOLD is like the opening ceremony of the Summer Olympics.  From the start, Ms. Hailstock maintains a swift pace, a definite tingle of excitement and the tenseness of suspense - elements which are maintained until the book’s final pages.

Twelve years after she takes part in the Seoul Olympic and takes part in a daring mission to free an important American from a Korean prison, Morgan Kirkwood finds herself in danger.  She’s surprised when Jack Temple, a man she’s always felt a strong attraction to, comes to her rescue.  Soon, Morgan and Jack find themselves the targets in a cat-and-mouse chase across the country.  For some unknown reason someone wants Morgan dead.  Morgan and Jack, however, in close contact, cannot deny their attraction.  The sexual tension that exists between these two is powerful, and when they do become lovers the love scenes smother with sensuality.

What struck me about this book was the unusual strength of the heroine.  Morgan Kirkwood is not your typical romance heroine.  From the beginning, she’s different – a heroine who is independent and totally capable of taking care of herself.  It is a strength that we know comes from her past on the streets.  Morgan is in every sense of the word ‘a survivor’.  She’s tough, and one hell of a woman.  Our first image of Morgan is of her standing on an Olympic podium after having won the gold medal in gymnastics.  Little does the audience know that she’s just assisted in an important rescue mission.  Even at that age, Morgan is truly a woman of courage.

Our hero, Jack, too, is a strong individual - a perfect mate for Morgan.  A lesser man would have paled in Morgan’s shadow.  Instead the tough government agent compliments her, and when they come together for the first time, the joining is the perfect union of two individual meant for each other.

MORE THAN GOLD is a fast-paced thriller that keeps the reader hooked for beginning to end.  Ms. Hailstock combines all the elements that have made her books successful: a tense plot, great characters and a wonderful adventure.

What I would have love to do, however, is get deeper into Morgan’s mind – to see more of her past in order to get a greater understanding of who she is, and what makes her so strong.  But this is a minor grouse.  MORE THAN GOLD is another solid read for one of Arabesque’s best.

Now, I’m going to sit back and try to wait patiently for Ms. Hailstock’s next release.  HIS 1-800-WIFE, has already caught my interest.  Definitely an intriguing title!

wayne@romanceincolor.net (1st October 2000)