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SWEET SACRIFICES Crystal Rhodes Crystal Ink Publishing September 2002 (3) Nathasha Brooks-Harris |
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PLOT SYNOPSIS: |
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| Bold and brassy, Sash Adams is an unemployed recent law school graduate struggling to raise her young brother alone. When her brother Sweet, is kidnapped, she is forced to form a dangerous alliance with arrogant, media mogul Brandon Plaine, in order to get her brother back. | |
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REVIEW: |
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Sash Adams is a beautiful and Afrocentric law school graduate. All she wants is a job working for the needy. She’s as humble as they come, but she’s nobody’s fool.
Brandon Plaine is a 39-year-old hunk. He’s the owner of Plaine Media Incorporated, the largest multi-media conglomerate in the United States.
Two of the most unlikely people to ever meet, their paths cross when Sash stalks Brandon with a series of phone calls. He has no idea who she is, so he thinks little of her calls or her. Recently having made a change in his lifestyle, he’s now more relaxed, less stressed and in complete control of his world.
However, one day that changes. He is having a heaping helping of enchiladas when he is interrupted by an unkempt, but very attractive young woman. It is Sash and she tells him that she has to speak to him about a matter of life and death. From that point on, their lives are never the same.
It turns out that Sash needs Brandon’s financial help in order to rescue her
little brother, Sweet, from an elaborate kidnapping scheme. Brandon thinks that she has lost her mind, but the more she reveals, he softens and offers
to help. They become embroiled in a plot to rescue Sweet and that draws them closely together. As time unfolds, they begin to fall in love with each other, but continue to fight their growing feelings. The main thing on Sash’s mind is getting her brother back, not romance.
This novel is a perfect follow-up to Rhodes’ debut novel, Sin. Rest assured that there’s no sophomore jinx here. Rhodes gives readers a juicy story that will keep them riveted to their seats from beginning to end. The unraveling of the suspense part of the novel is done so well and so tightly that it will set the readers’ teeth on edge with anticipation. Rhodes doesn’t make it easy for her hero and heroine and that adds a little something something to the book.
In terms of style, Rhodes is on top of her game. Her characters are three-dimensional, but accessible. They seem like real, living and breathing people who could possibly live next door. Their dialogue is hip and crisp and sounds realistic. They don’t use typical cardboard stiff kinds of speech. Because the story is set in California, they do use Cali regionalisms. That doesn’t detract from the story, but peppers it with flavor.
The plot is rife with realism and action. Reading this book is like sitting back and watching an action-packed movie. She infuses humor into the story and lots of emotionalism.
The romance is woven throughout the story and is perfectly balanced with the suspense elements. They are written hand-in-hand and clearly, they support each other.
In a word, SWEET SACRIFICE is a wonderful novel that any reader of romantic suspense will enjoy. So grab the book, go to a quiet place and read it today! Guaranteed, you won’t be able to stop until you’ve devoured every last word. |
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nathasha@romanceincolor.net (14th November 2002) |
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