PRIVATE AGENDA Natalie Dunbar
Silhouette/Bombshell
October 2004
SYNOPSIS:
SERIES FICTION: (4) Wayne Jordan
REVIEW: For the opening sequence of PRIVATE AGENDA, the reader will realize that Reece Whittaker is not the average woman. She’s strong and definitely lethal – a kick-ass heroine. But Reece has had a hard time of late. Her husband, Nick, has been imprisoned in a Colombian rebel camp, and she’s lost the baby she carried. Along with that her brother is presumed dead after an embassy bombing in Rwanda. When the opportunity to go undercover to join a group intent on biochemical warfare, she knows that she must play her part. There, she also comes in contact with two men who change her life in a profound way while she battles with her feeling for her husband.
Not a romance in the traditional sense, PRIVATE AGENDA is Natalie Dunbar’s offering to the new Silhouette Bombshell line which debuted in July this year. With its focus on women who save the day, this new line blends elements of action and suspense while stiff satisfying readers of romance.
Reese’s character is well-developed and readers are allowed to see her not only as the skilled agent she is, but a woman who has suffered and is now fighting to regain her life and live again. Despite Reece’s strength of character, Ms. Dunbar does not fail to let us see that Reece has a vulnerable side, as she struggles with feelings for her husband while recognizing that other men find her attractive.
The male characters, thought they are never allowed to overwhelm the heroine, are not stereotypes by individuals whose roles are significant as they contribute to Reece’s journey of self-discovery. Several scenes are written in Nick’s point of view and allow us to see a bit more of the man who loves Reece. It’s only when she discovers him in a terrorist lab infected with a deadly disease that she realizes that she still loves him. He’s a perfect contrast to the other males; the enigmatic Arturo Bodega and powerful Kevin Barkley.
PRIVATE AGENDA introduced readers to another side of author Natalie Dunbar. For those you enjoy good story telling, and are looking for something a bit different, the story will provide a thrilling diversion from the traditional romance.
waj@romanceincolor.com (4th October 2004)