Sunday, March 8, 2015

Review: Flirting With Disaster

Flirting With Disaster (Girls' Night Out - Book 2) by Victoria Dahl

Publication Date: 01/27/2015
Publisher: Harlequin
Imprint: HQN Books
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Pages: 384
ISBN-100373779119
ISBN-13978-0373779116

(Received for an honest review from HQN Books)

Purchase: Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Indiebound, itunes

Victoria Dahl on the WEB: website, twitter, facebook, goodreads

Books in the series

Girls' Night Out

1. Looking for Trouble
2. Flirting With Disaster

Coverart: Click the Image for a larger, clearer view of the covers in this series.




Excerpt from, Flirting With Disaster, courtesy of the author's website

Synopsis:

There's no hiding from sizzling chemistry… 

Artist Isabelle West has good reasons for preferring a solitary life. Tucked away in a cabin in the woods, she has everything she needs…except a red-hot love life. That is, until a hard-bodied US marshal threatens to unearth secrets she's spent years protecting. But giving in to the sparks flying between them can only lead to one thing…disaster. 

Tom Duncan lives by the letter of the law. But no one has tempted him—or confused him—more than free-spirited Isabelle, who arouses his suspicion and his desire. As their connection grows, and their nights get hotter, they find their wild attraction might shake everything he stands for—and expose everything she has to hide.

Bonus Girls' Night Out novella, Fanning the Flames, included!


Thoughts:

Victoria Dahl gives readers a sassy, sexy heroine who knows exactly what she wants in the second, Girls' Night Out book, Flirting with Disaster. Readers who loved the Jackson Hole series, will love this spin off series featuring a group of middle aged women who have no problem understanding who they are and what they want. This one has great storytelling, a well thought out plot line and plenty of romance. Dahl has a way of inspiring her readers to accept themselves and their desires. A good addition to an exciting new series.

Victoria Dahl is a writer that is always close to my heart. Her heroine's always seem to strike a cord with me in one way or another. In Flirting with Disater, readers are introduced to Isabelle. She is a free spirited artist who prefers a life of quiet and solitude. But that doesn't mean she's dull by any means. She is sassy and fierce, she is comfortable with herself and with her choices in life. She has a dark past and readers will love how Dahl lets them discover every layer of Isabelle's past. Just an amazing female character. 

Dahl has a knack for writing about the friendships of women and that is apparent in this book as well. Isabelle might keep to herself but she has made some friends and I loved the way they all interacted with each other. There is nothing like a true friendship between women. Once you've had one, you will never forget it and if for some reason it's gone, you'll always miss it. Dahl does a really great job of showing her readers what it means to be a true friend.

You can't have a good romance without a hero, and Dahl doesn't disappoint with U.S. Marshal, Tom Duncan. He epitomizes what women like to see in a real hero. He is kind, generous and honest to the core. He has that protective nature, yet he still gets tongue tied around a beautiful woman. He has a shy demeanor, but he loves Isabelle's in your face attitude. He liked her confidence and female readers are just going to swoon over him. A well written hero is sometimes hard to come by, but not with Victoria Dahl.

The plot is of course based on the secrets of Isabelle's past. It deals with her trust issues and certainly makes the reader believe that this story is plausible. I think Dahl did a good job of making her secrets realistic and believable. Who wants a good mystery that just doesn't seem possible? I think the romance by far outweighed this aspect of the book, but it was solid and kept my attention even when the sex was on the down low. Dahl always creates both sexual tension and suspense. 

Bottom Line:

I liked this one. I loved the main couple and the way Dahl developed their relationship. This was an alpha hero, with a big heart and a female lead that could definitely hold her own. The friendships that Isabelle develops are fun and full of surprises and one of my favorite aspects of the book. I felt like the deep dark secret storyline was a little bit overshadowed by the raw and gritty connection between Tom and Isabelle, but it was still a very good read.

Flirting With Disaster is available NOW from your favorite bookseller from Harlequin MIRA.

I'm giving this one 4 out of 5 apples from my book bag!





About the Author:


Victoria Dahl lives with her family in a small town high in the mountains. Her first novel debuted in 2007, and she’s gone on to write seventeen books and novellas in historical, contemporary, and paranormal romance. Victoria's contemporary romance, Talk Me Down, was nominated for both a RWA Rita Award and the National Readers' Choice Award. Since then, her books have been nominated for two more Rita Awards, and she hit the USA Today Bestseller list with the anthology Midnight Kiss.

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