~ Review: Soul's Desire ~

Review #1 - Melanie Schuster

There is nothing I like more than being surprised by a writer.  And SOUL'S DESIRE, the latest by Simona Taylor, is a delightful surprise—an unconventional hero and heroine, a fresh, exciting plot and just a fabulous story that you won’t be able to put down.

Zhara Thorne is a cat burglar par excellence.  Which is why Detective Cole Wyatt has her at the tope of his agenda, and why she happened to be in a position to take a hard fall.  Cole has been after Zhara for some time and when he corners her after robbing the safe of an executive’s office, he has no choice but to arrest her.  In trying to escape, she takes a hard fall from a building and winds up unable to walk.  This is hardly an auspicious beginning for a relationship.

Cole feels remorse for his part in her injury, even more so when he finds out that she has gone legitimate and owns a security company.  One of the ways she proves herself to her clients is to challenge their existing security by breaking in, which is what the executive had contracted her to do.  Not only was she innocent of the charges, she was badly injured due to Cole.  His guilt was only going to be assuaged if she let him help her recover…at his home.

Despite the heated protests of her friend-roommate-partner Mickey, Zhara reluctantly allows Cole to help her recover.  In the process they find out some surprising things about each other, including the mutual passion they feel.  But Cole’s profession may yet prove to be an insurmountable wall between them…a vicious murder may ultimately stand between them and their SOUL'S DESIRE.

Zhara and Cole are unique individuals.  Neither one is the larger-than-life model of perfection we have grown to expect in romance writing; these are real, warts and all people leading very real lives.  They are not from the champagne and penthouse echelon, these people work, pay bills and have had some very tough experiences which have hardened them and shaped them.  Thus, when they find each other and begin to explore their mutual feelings, we can’t helped but be moved.

The secondary characters are quite skillfully written both the tragic Mickey and Cole’s wonderfully levelheaded son.  They add beautifully to the strong sense of realism in SOUL'S DESIRE.  I have to say this is my favorite of Ms Taylor’s books so far.  I am definitely looking forward to more.

11th November 2000

Review #2 - Nathasha Brooks-Harris

Zhara Thorne is an attractive young woman in an unlikely profession. The strong, independent miss is a leather clad cat burglar and she’s good at her job.

Cole Wyatt is a drop-dead handsome detective.  He’s a single dad who balances his job with raising his child. Probably to his detriment, he has a big heart.

Cole’s path crosses with Zhara’s when a mistaken arrest causes her to have an accident. He realizes that he causes her to have an accident and he cannot rest. Totally guilt-ridden, Cole knows that he must do something to help her.

Please bear in mind that Cole is the bad guy and Zhatra is his prime suspect in a crime. However, legalities don’t stop the determined detective. Rightfully, he should take her to jail; instead, he visits her regularly in the hospital and takes her back to his home to recuperate. No way is he going to leave the wheelchair-bound beauty stranded and homeless.

Cole risks his job to help Zhara because he believes there is more to her story about the theft--and there is. Every fiber of  his being tells him that she was falsely accused. Before they know it, they fall madly in love with each other.

Taylor did an excellent job writing this novel. The characters are rich, well-drawn and interesting--each one moving the plot forward in a nicely-paced fashion. The hero and heroine are perfect together (pure magic), but they also experience some major inner emotional turmoil about being together. Taylor makes us privy to the reasons why they feel that way. In terms of characterization, one particular character, Lizard, is perhaps the most heart-rending of them all. Lizard is Zhara’s young ward. He’s a misfit albino with a fatal disease. However, Zhara devotes her life to his care and that fact is deeply enmeshed in the story. In this reviewer’s opinion, Taylor goes beyond the conventions of crafting a great story and keeping the readers hooked, wanting more. One of the best elements of this novel is her fine use of the English language. The characters speak flawlessly and with eloquence. This makes SOUL'S DESIRE an easy, enjoyable read. In a word, this novel is fantastic. Pick it up today!

January 2001