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TAMING THE WOLF - Maureen Smith Parker Publishing/Passion January 2007 |
SYNOPSIS: Samara Layton needs a pot of gold. Her community outreach organization in Washington, DC is in dire financial straits. In exchange for her mother’s financial assistance, Samara agrees to model in a spring fashion show in New York City. She gets more than she bargained for when she steps onto the runway and into the smoldering gaze of the sexiest man she’s ever seen - Marcus Wolf - a man who will take her body to heights of ecstasy, and ultimately claim her heart and soul….
CONTEMPORARY ROMANCE |4| La-Tessa Montgomery
REVIEW: As Executive Director of the Fannie Yorkin Institute,
Samara Layton will do anything to save the outreach organization. This
includes selling her soul the devil, aka her mother, for a one night
return to modeling. The night does not end according to plans and in her
haste the leave, Samara collides with Marcus Wolf. Marcus, handsome and
debonair in his own right, is completely blown away by her stunning
beauty. They both feel the attraction pull them, but as Marcus attempts
to act on it, Samara unceremoniously blows him off. Now faced with a
major crisis, Samara must secure a sizable donation in order to keep the
doors of her beloved institute open. She decides to seduce a donation
out of the one and only Marcus Wolf, who happens to be a very successful
and wealthy attorney. Samara sets out to tame the Wolf, but in the end
she’ll be the one begging for mercy.
TAMING THE WOLF is a hot and engaging read. I was immediately drawn in
by the opening scenes and remained on the hook with a well written plot,
good characters, and captivating dialog. Ms. Smith wrote a great story
and I liked that she devotes the majority of the attention to the leads
and their relationship. Samara and Marcus are a wonderful couple, their
chemistry is tangible and their love is definitely sizzling. Both Samara
and Marcus are strong characters, but their weaknesses make them human.
While Samara has her flaws, she doesn’t allow her past to shape her
present and future. I love the fact that she is not ashamed, nor does
she make excuses, about her past lifestyle choices. The secondary
characters add depth and move things along by filling in the back story.
And like all great supporting casts, they leave their imprint without
distracting from the main story.
The main weakness with this story is the conclusion of the subplot.
Initially, the storyline involving the leads and their tempestuous
relationship with their mothers is handled well. It adds another layer
of tension to the story that exposes Samara and Marcus’ vulnerabilities,
without taking away from their development. Samara’s story is wrapped up
a little too quickly and neatly for me, making it almost unbelievable.
Samara has really strong feelings about her mother that dominates her
rationality and life choices throughout the book. The fact that she just
forgives and forgets once the explanation is given is rather convenient.
Another minor weakness of the book is the author’s occasional word
choice. The use of certain blunt and crass words interrupted the smooth
flow of the story. I found it a bit jarring to come across these words
while reading a nice romantic or steamy scene.
Overall, TAMING THE WOLF is definitely a story I would recommend and
pass along to others, but be warned, have a nice cool drink handy!!
reviewer@romanceincolor.com |10th February 2007