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Lodestone #2
Afterglow
Pleasure with a price.
A high-profile celebrity wedding in Monaco is the kind of A-list event security specialist Rand Maguire excels at. Everything goes like clockwork, until guests start inexplicably losing all their inhibitions. . . .
Painful secrets from the past.
Rand is no stranger to the effects of Rapture. His chemist father’s attempt at a cure for depression caused Rand’s mother’s death years ago, and put his father away for her murder. Now, someone is circulating Rapture in a campaign of terror, intending to manufacture and sell it on a global scale. But with no leads, Rand feels the heat.
Passion with no limits.
Sexy Lodestone agent Dakota North is sent to help Rand kickstart his search, armed only with her uncanny sixth-sense. But what they discover in their race across Europe is more far-reaching and lethal than an erotic street drug. From a Barcelona bank heist to a million-dollar arms deal in Paris, Dakota and Rand giving in to an insatiable craving for each other in nights of pure carnal delight, no senses left untouched. No Rapture necessary.
A high-profile celebrity wedding in Monaco is the kind of A-list event security specialist Rand Maguire excels at. Everything goes like clockwork, until guests start inexplicably losing all their inhibitions. . . .
Painful secrets from the past.
Rand is no stranger to the effects of Rapture. His chemist father’s attempt at a cure for depression caused Rand’s mother’s death years ago, and put his father away for her murder. Now, someone is circulating Rapture in a campaign of terror, intending to manufacture and sell it on a global scale. But with no leads, Rand feels the heat.
Passion with no limits.
Sexy Lodestone agent Dakota North is sent to help Rand kickstart his search, armed only with her uncanny sixth-sense. But what they discover in their race across Europe is more far-reaching and lethal than an erotic street drug. From a Barcelona bank heist to a million-dollar arms deal in Paris, Dakota and Rand giving in to an insatiable craving for each other in nights of pure carnal delight, no senses left untouched. No Rapture necessary.
400 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published March 20, 2012
62 people are currently reading
695 people want to read
About the author
Cherry Adair
77 books1,469 followersAlways an adventurer in life as well as writing, New York Times best-selling author Cherry Adair moved halfway across the globe from Cape Town, South Africa to the United States in her early years to become a interior designer. Now a resident of the Pacific Northwest she shares the award- winning adventures of her fictional T-FLAC counter terrorism operatives with her readers.
Cherry settled in beautiful San Francisco, where she started what eventually became a thriving interior design business. "I loved being a designer because it was varied and creative, and I enjoyed working with the public." A voracious reader when she was able to carve out the time, Cherry found her brain crowded with characters and stories of her own. "Eventually," she says, "the stories demanded to be told."
When asked why she chooses to write romantic action adventure, she says, "Who says you can’t have adventure and a great love life? Of course if you’re talking about an adventurous love life, that’s another thing altogether. I write romantic suspense coupled heart-pounding adventure because I like to entertain, and nothing keeps readers happier than a rollercoaster read, followed by a happy ending."
Popular on the workshop circuit, Cherry gives lively classes on writing and the writing life. Pulling no punches when asked how to become a published writer, Cherry insists, "Sit your butt in the chair and write. There's no magic to it. Writing is hard work. It isn't for sissies or whiners."
Cherry loves to spend time at home. A corner desk keeps her focused on writing, but the windows behind her, with a panoramic view of the front gardens, are always calling her to come outside and play. Her office has nine-foot ceilings, a fireplace, a television and built-in bookcases that will house approximately 3,500 paperback books.
"What can I say? My keeper shelf has been breeding in the middle of the night, rather like drycleaners' wire clothes hangers.”
Cherry settled in beautiful San Francisco, where she started what eventually became a thriving interior design business. "I loved being a designer because it was varied and creative, and I enjoyed working with the public." A voracious reader when she was able to carve out the time, Cherry found her brain crowded with characters and stories of her own. "Eventually," she says, "the stories demanded to be told."
When asked why she chooses to write romantic action adventure, she says, "Who says you can’t have adventure and a great love life? Of course if you’re talking about an adventurous love life, that’s another thing altogether. I write romantic suspense coupled heart-pounding adventure because I like to entertain, and nothing keeps readers happier than a rollercoaster read, followed by a happy ending."
Popular on the workshop circuit, Cherry gives lively classes on writing and the writing life. Pulling no punches when asked how to become a published writer, Cherry insists, "Sit your butt in the chair and write. There's no magic to it. Writing is hard work. It isn't for sissies or whiners."
Cherry loves to spend time at home. A corner desk keeps her focused on writing, but the windows behind her, with a panoramic view of the front gardens, are always calling her to come outside and play. Her office has nine-foot ceilings, a fireplace, a television and built-in bookcases that will house approximately 3,500 paperback books.
"What can I say? My keeper shelf has been breeding in the middle of the night, rather like drycleaners' wire clothes hangers.”
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 96 reviews
October 29, 2023
I really like Cherry Adair, but she does have problems that seem to follow her from book to book. I have chosen to ignore them as I love her inventive, sexy plots and the non-stop action. This time we have a second chance romance tied up with the effort to save the world.
Rand Maguire is a former Hollywood stuntman who became a stunt coordinator who opened his own security firm. His current assignment is a top-secret celebrity wedding in Monte Carlo where the guests were dosed with a drug that caused them to lose their inhibitions and become sexually free with each other. Big time PR problem if this gets out for Rand and everyone there. Rand is at a loss as to what caused this behavior and calls a friend, Zak Stark and his company Lodestone, for help.
Dr. Dakota North was a accomplished chemist working on a cutting-edge drug for depression, at least until two years ago when her life blew up, literally. Now she is working for Lodestone and using her sixth sense for finding lost people and objects. When Zak relays what has happened in Monte Carlo, Dakota just knows it's the drug, Rapture, whose research was discontinued and destroyed two years ago. The same drug that killed Rand's mother and ended their engagement. When Dakota shows up in Monte Carlo Zak is not pleased, to say the least.
Not wanting to be near each other but knowing that in order to get to the source of this highly addictive and deadly drug they have to work together. There is so much that each never told the other when they broke up. Secrets that until resolved keep them apart. The clock is ticking, and time is running out, not to mention the rising body count.
Rand Maguire is a former Hollywood stuntman who became a stunt coordinator who opened his own security firm. His current assignment is a top-secret celebrity wedding in Monte Carlo where the guests were dosed with a drug that caused them to lose their inhibitions and become sexually free with each other. Big time PR problem if this gets out for Rand and everyone there. Rand is at a loss as to what caused this behavior and calls a friend, Zak Stark and his company Lodestone, for help.
Dr. Dakota North was a accomplished chemist working on a cutting-edge drug for depression, at least until two years ago when her life blew up, literally. Now she is working for Lodestone and using her sixth sense for finding lost people and objects. When Zak relays what has happened in Monte Carlo, Dakota just knows it's the drug, Rapture, whose research was discontinued and destroyed two years ago. The same drug that killed Rand's mother and ended their engagement. When Dakota shows up in Monte Carlo Zak is not pleased, to say the least.
Not wanting to be near each other but knowing that in order to get to the source of this highly addictive and deadly drug they have to work together. There is so much that each never told the other when they broke up. Secrets that until resolved keep them apart. The clock is ticking, and time is running out, not to mention the rising body count.
March 27, 2012
Rating 3.25
To be honest the entire setup of this book was bat-shit crazy and I shouldn't have enjoyed it but it still kind of worked. The hero is a former Hollywood stunts-man turned security business owner who doesn't know what happened at his event, all the guests were drugged and lost all inhibitions, indulging in an orgy. He asks his friend for help and he sends Lodestone agent and his ex fiancee Dakota.
Rand is not happy to see her and has had no contact with her since he broke it off with her two years ago on the phone, thinking that she was responsible for his mother's death and father's incarceration. They met three years ago at his father's party, since she was a chemist who worked with his father, staying in two different cities their relationship was whirlwind, most of it spent in bed.
Dakota too isn't that happy to see him, she gave him everything, her love and he rejected it and called her a liar, cheat etc without letting her explain anything. He called her the love of his life and didn't even have trust in her. She has spent the past two years re-building her life, first time spent in hospitals when she was injured in the lab explosion and then using her abilities.
The only reason she has come is because she suspects the drug she helped develop is the one being used to cause terror and she wants to stop it. Rand didn't know about her abilities, touching an object and getting things from it and is skeptical about them, but she proves herself.
I didn't want to like Rand because in my book he didn't treat Dakota well, but well when the entire evidence that turned him came to light it was a little believable because all of them had been setup in an elaborate game. Should he have demanded an explanation from her, yes but Dakota seemed willing to forgive him too easily, not even letting him complete his apology.
There were a few things I didn't like, like the fact that Rand said something bad to her and the next moment they are getting it on, I didn't like it all, I would have preferred a physical relationship to happen after he had made up for his actions and not just because she desired him and hadn't been with anyone since him. I don't like the heroine to come across as desperate at all and somehow Dakota seemed too willing to take him back.
To be honest the entire setup of this book was bat-shit crazy and I shouldn't have enjoyed it but it still kind of worked. The hero is a former Hollywood stunts-man turned security business owner who doesn't know what happened at his event, all the guests were drugged and lost all inhibitions, indulging in an orgy. He asks his friend for help and he sends Lodestone agent and his ex fiancee Dakota.
Rand is not happy to see her and has had no contact with her since he broke it off with her two years ago on the phone, thinking that she was responsible for his mother's death and father's incarceration. They met three years ago at his father's party, since she was a chemist who worked with his father, staying in two different cities their relationship was whirlwind, most of it spent in bed.
Dakota too isn't that happy to see him, she gave him everything, her love and he rejected it and called her a liar, cheat etc without letting her explain anything. He called her the love of his life and didn't even have trust in her. She has spent the past two years re-building her life, first time spent in hospitals when she was injured in the lab explosion and then using her abilities.
The only reason she has come is because she suspects the drug she helped develop is the one being used to cause terror and she wants to stop it. Rand didn't know about her abilities, touching an object and getting things from it and is skeptical about them, but she proves herself.
I didn't want to like Rand because in my book he didn't treat Dakota well, but well when the entire evidence that turned him came to light it was a little believable because all of them had been setup in an elaborate game. Should he have demanded an explanation from her, yes but Dakota seemed willing to forgive him too easily, not even letting him complete his apology.
There were a few things I didn't like, like the fact that Rand said something bad to her and the next moment they are getting it on, I didn't like it all, I would have preferred a physical relationship to happen after he had made up for his actions and not just because she desired him and hadn't been with anyone since him. I don't like the heroine to come across as desperate at all and somehow Dakota seemed too willing to take him back.
March 28, 2012
Story Rating 4.5 Stars
Character Rating 4.5 Stars
Romance Level 4 Stars
Heat Level 3.5 Stars
Action Level 5 Stars
Overall Rating 4.5 Stars
The only reason it did not get the full 5 Stars was because some of it was kind of hard to believe. Other than that this book WOWED me and I LOVED IT!
I loved the hero Rand, he was so sexy and capable. I also really like the heroine. She had certain quirky things about her that she put aside to be a kick butt type of heroine.
This book had a bit of a paranormal theme which was pulled off wonderfully.
This story also brought some heat which is always' a plus for me.
The action was non stopped and kept me glued to my Kindle.
These two went through a lot of people plotting against them. The ending was very satisfying and gave them the HEA that they deserved.
I can hardly wait to read the next book in this series.
Character Rating 4.5 Stars
Romance Level 4 Stars
Heat Level 3.5 Stars
Action Level 5 Stars
Overall Rating 4.5 Stars
The only reason it did not get the full 5 Stars was because some of it was kind of hard to believe. Other than that this book WOWED me and I LOVED IT!
I loved the hero Rand, he was so sexy and capable. I also really like the heroine. She had certain quirky things about her that she put aside to be a kick butt type of heroine.
This book had a bit of a paranormal theme which was pulled off wonderfully.
This story also brought some heat which is always' a plus for me.
The action was non stopped and kept me glued to my Kindle.
These two went through a lot of people plotting against them. The ending was very satisfying and gave them the HEA that they deserved.
I can hardly wait to read the next book in this series.
March 9, 2012
What I Loved
Characters
Rand: Cherry has created another wonderful sexy male character. This guy was a Hollywood stunt double turned security guard business owner for the Hollywood elite. Not only is he good looking but he has a lot of survival fighting and escape skills that help them out along the way.
Dakota aka Dr. North: At first when Rand sees her he has this intense venomous hatred towards her and I didn't like her. It took getting to know her and hearing her side of the story to like her. Once I read more about her I really did end up liking her a lot. Strong female character who was wrongly accused and stands her ground well when hurtful accusations were flung at her.
Steamy Romance
Typically in romance books you get the first time meeting for the new couple, but for this story we get to meet them when they meet each other after being broken up for 2 year. Their breakup was vicious and hurtful with lots of accusations thrown at Dakota and her not getting the chance to tell her side of the story. Even though they had this horrible ending their feeling never went away for each other. Their is passion and the mental desire to stay away from one another but their bodies don't agree.
Rapture
An addictive, deadly, lower inhibition, powerful sex drug. This thing is nothing to mess with, it can cause sweet grandma to have sex with the 20 year old and with the wrong dose it will kill. Rapture cannot get out into the drug market and be used by terrorist to kill masses of people.
Action
Find the person who has stolen the formula to Rapture which was suppose to have been destroyed years ago in the fire. Figure out who is trying to frame Dakota. Not get killed by the people they are searching for. Destroy the supply and supplier of Rapture. This books was action packed with actual action and bedroom action, never a dull moment.
Sixth Sense
No not the "I see dead people" sense, but she is able to find alive people by holding an object of theirs. A little touch of the unreal to add to the book.
POV
The books switched back and forth between Rand and Dakota. I love this because we get to know both of their stories and feeling.
Didn't Like
What was there not to like about this book. Okay I will nitpick and say I was surprised that the police never interfered with their search. They had one close call but even at that they easily avoided it.
Recommendation
Must read for any romance read. Even though it is book 2 in the series it could be read individually and out of order. Sexy and hot as hell, not for the faint of heart.
Characters
Rand: Cherry has created another wonderful sexy male character. This guy was a Hollywood stunt double turned security guard business owner for the Hollywood elite. Not only is he good looking but he has a lot of survival fighting and escape skills that help them out along the way.
Dakota aka Dr. North: At first when Rand sees her he has this intense venomous hatred towards her and I didn't like her. It took getting to know her and hearing her side of the story to like her. Once I read more about her I really did end up liking her a lot. Strong female character who was wrongly accused and stands her ground well when hurtful accusations were flung at her.
Steamy Romance
Typically in romance books you get the first time meeting for the new couple, but for this story we get to meet them when they meet each other after being broken up for 2 year. Their breakup was vicious and hurtful with lots of accusations thrown at Dakota and her not getting the chance to tell her side of the story. Even though they had this horrible ending their feeling never went away for each other. Their is passion and the mental desire to stay away from one another but their bodies don't agree.
Rapture
An addictive, deadly, lower inhibition, powerful sex drug. This thing is nothing to mess with, it can cause sweet grandma to have sex with the 20 year old and with the wrong dose it will kill. Rapture cannot get out into the drug market and be used by terrorist to kill masses of people.
Action
Find the person who has stolen the formula to Rapture which was suppose to have been destroyed years ago in the fire. Figure out who is trying to frame Dakota. Not get killed by the people they are searching for. Destroy the supply and supplier of Rapture. This books was action packed with actual action and bedroom action, never a dull moment.
Sixth Sense
No not the "I see dead people" sense, but she is able to find alive people by holding an object of theirs. A little touch of the unreal to add to the book.
POV
The books switched back and forth between Rand and Dakota. I love this because we get to know both of their stories and feeling.
Didn't Like
What was there not to like about this book. Okay I will nitpick and say I was surprised that the police never interfered with their search. They had one close call but even at that they easily avoided it.
Recommendation
Must read for any romance read. Even though it is book 2 in the series it could be read individually and out of order. Sexy and hot as hell, not for the faint of heart.
March 5, 2012
In Cherry’s 2nd book in the Lodestone series we start off with a twist on the don’t drink the Kool-Aid. At a wedding reception someone spikes the champagne with an aphrodisiac and all inhibitions are lost.
Rand Maguire used to be a stuntman and is now security specialist to the stars. His current job was to protect the celebrity guests at a wedding. Well that didn’t turn out so great. He calls Zak from the Lodestone group asking to send someone that can help figure out what and who could have done this. Was it a terrorist act or someone’s sick sense of humor?
Dakota North is sent to the hotel by Zak because of her previous history as a pharmaceutical chemist. Dakota and Rand’s father were the creators of DL6-94 which she thinks the guest were given. Its highly addictive and lethal in large doses. Which Rand knows all too well, since his mother died from it and his father is in jail for her murder. All of which he blames Dakota for.
Dakota has the same type of ability Zak does. She can touch an object and see coordinates to track the owner of the item. This leads Rand and Dakota on a chase from Monte Carlo to Barcelona to a bank. But when they get there they find the aphrodisiac has been released airborne and everyone is dead. Both Rand and Dakota inhale the toxin and whew for the next couple of pages you need a fan and a cigarette after.
From here we are taken on a wild ride. It is nonstop action from Spain to France where they scour the catacombs under the Paris streets to jumping out of a moving vehicle. You start to get the impression that both the bad guys and the good guys are not who they say they are.
During all of this both Rand and Dakota are still dealing with the pain of their broken engagement 2 years before. She is still in love with him but due to many misunderstandings he thinks he hates her even though he is still very attracted to her.
From the opening scene to the shocking ending this book was one thrill ride. I look forward to the next book in this series.
Rand Maguire used to be a stuntman and is now security specialist to the stars. His current job was to protect the celebrity guests at a wedding. Well that didn’t turn out so great. He calls Zak from the Lodestone group asking to send someone that can help figure out what and who could have done this. Was it a terrorist act or someone’s sick sense of humor?
Dakota North is sent to the hotel by Zak because of her previous history as a pharmaceutical chemist. Dakota and Rand’s father were the creators of DL6-94 which she thinks the guest were given. Its highly addictive and lethal in large doses. Which Rand knows all too well, since his mother died from it and his father is in jail for her murder. All of which he blames Dakota for.
Dakota has the same type of ability Zak does. She can touch an object and see coordinates to track the owner of the item. This leads Rand and Dakota on a chase from Monte Carlo to Barcelona to a bank. But when they get there they find the aphrodisiac has been released airborne and everyone is dead. Both Rand and Dakota inhale the toxin and whew for the next couple of pages you need a fan and a cigarette after.
From here we are taken on a wild ride. It is nonstop action from Spain to France where they scour the catacombs under the Paris streets to jumping out of a moving vehicle. You start to get the impression that both the bad guys and the good guys are not who they say they are.
During all of this both Rand and Dakota are still dealing with the pain of their broken engagement 2 years before. She is still in love with him but due to many misunderstandings he thinks he hates her even though he is still very attracted to her.
From the opening scene to the shocking ending this book was one thrill ride. I look forward to the next book in this series.
April 9, 2012
I was a little disappointed with this follow up to Hush. I was expecting to have my socks blown off but it just didn't happen. If it wasn't for the suspense of a set up, I would not have finished the book. The hero was OK but I didn't really care for the heroine at all. She needed to stand up for herself long before she finally did. The romance and the sex weren't all that good either. Cherry Adiar is capable of so much more, but not this time. :(
January 25, 2018
A great read in an entirely different series than the TFLAC series and I was not disappointed! I loved the chemistry in this book.
May 4, 2012
Review posted: Happily Ever After - Reads
Blog Rating: 3.5/5
“I’m not going to turn feral,” he snapped. “I am feral.”
~Rand
I love when a book starts out with the hero and heroine having a past that didn’t end well at all. Now they’re thrown together in order to stop a drug from being used as a weapon of mass destruction, a drug that Dakota, our heroine, had a hand in creating two years ago. The couple had been engaged and their relationship ended on a horrible note with a lot of hurtful accusations, name calling and truths that weren’t told and wouldn’t have been believed at the time. Rand said some horrible things to Dakota during their huge fight. Little did both of them know that they were being played by a man who is sick in the head and wants this drug mass produced which will end up netting him billions of dollars.
We get a quick introduction, right at the start, to the drug that’s central to the entire story. The drug when given in very small doses, makes people lose all their inhibitions and amps up their sexual need to the highest level. Orgies break out, it’s all about sex and unfortunately for the people high on this drug, they’ll remember every single thing that they did. When the drug is given in a slightly higher dose, it causes death, within mere minutes of being either ingested or inhaled. The drug itself and reading about the first scene where it’s used made me think “ewwwwwww!” quite a few times. Since Dakota had a hand in developing the drug, she’s called in to help Rand, who was running security on the wedding party that was the first group of victims the drug was unknowing tested on. Rand wants nothing to do with Dakota but when she comes clean about why she’s working for Zak Stark (Hush) her sixth sense (touching an object and being able to find it's owner) helps them track the men who are in possession of the vials of drugs.
The first part of the story really left a bad taste. Rand can’t stand to even look at Dakota for the majority of the time. He never gave her the chance to explain her side of what happened and it kills her to see his hate for her as plain as day in his eyes. Then they get a hit of the drug in airborne form and end up having sex, high on the drug and unable to stop themselves. This just didn’t sit well with me. They have sex for the first time since breaking up two years ago and it’s sex when they’re high – I really wanted them to reconnect when they were both, um, NOT HIGH. I get that it was probably supposed to come off as kind of angry, hurting, hot sex and it didn’t work for me. The middle of the story, when the plot picked up and the leads actually started talking about their past and things that were assumed but never discussed, the action really got good and I was pulled into the suspense of who the mastermind behind wanting to produce this drug was.
He kissed the side of her throat, stroking his tongue around the shell of her ear. He remembered her body so well.
“God, yes.” The fact that she couldn’t spread her legs because of her tight jeans, and because he was leaning against the wall, his body bracketed around hers, made the sensation of his fingers inside her even more erotic. His arms surrounded her, his breath blew hot against her throat. His heartbeat syncopated with hers. Hard, rapid, loud.
This was familiar. The heat. The intensity. The want. This, she thought, choking back a sob, was the Rand she knew. And still loved.
Ah, communication – it’s everyone’s friend. Nothing frustrates me more than when a hero and heroine will not talk about the things that need talking about. I’m all for angst, but the conversation that needed to happen between Rand and Dakota was a long time coming. Once they finally cleared the air, their relationship took on a sweet note, protective in the case of Rand to Dakota, and it was nice to see these two reconnect after outside forces were the reason they were torn apart.
I’m giving the book 3 ½ stars. The first part of the book didn’t really set well with the whole ‘high on drugs/sex scene’, but the middle and the end related to the suspense picked up the pace and had me fully interested in the outcome. My one other small issue – this book needed an epilogue…I needed an epilogue! With all that Rand went through with his security company employees and how they were all divided and dragged into the whole drug mess, I needed to know what happened to him and his business at the end. I like to think that he and Dakota head to Seattle, but the book ended abruptly and I needed a few extra pages to wind their story down.
*Sort of a series spoiler*
PS: I’m not, I repeat, NOT giving up hope that Zak’s brother Gideon is alive. There’s no real mention of him in this book, but I would love to get back to him and bring Zak back to the forefront of the series.
Blog Rating: 3.5/5
“I’m not going to turn feral,” he snapped. “I am feral.”
~Rand
I love when a book starts out with the hero and heroine having a past that didn’t end well at all. Now they’re thrown together in order to stop a drug from being used as a weapon of mass destruction, a drug that Dakota, our heroine, had a hand in creating two years ago. The couple had been engaged and their relationship ended on a horrible note with a lot of hurtful accusations, name calling and truths that weren’t told and wouldn’t have been believed at the time. Rand said some horrible things to Dakota during their huge fight. Little did both of them know that they were being played by a man who is sick in the head and wants this drug mass produced which will end up netting him billions of dollars.
We get a quick introduction, right at the start, to the drug that’s central to the entire story. The drug when given in very small doses, makes people lose all their inhibitions and amps up their sexual need to the highest level. Orgies break out, it’s all about sex and unfortunately for the people high on this drug, they’ll remember every single thing that they did. When the drug is given in a slightly higher dose, it causes death, within mere minutes of being either ingested or inhaled. The drug itself and reading about the first scene where it’s used made me think “ewwwwwww!” quite a few times. Since Dakota had a hand in developing the drug, she’s called in to help Rand, who was running security on the wedding party that was the first group of victims the drug was unknowing tested on. Rand wants nothing to do with Dakota but when she comes clean about why she’s working for Zak Stark (Hush) her sixth sense (touching an object and being able to find it's owner) helps them track the men who are in possession of the vials of drugs.
The first part of the story really left a bad taste. Rand can’t stand to even look at Dakota for the majority of the time. He never gave her the chance to explain her side of what happened and it kills her to see his hate for her as plain as day in his eyes. Then they get a hit of the drug in airborne form and end up having sex, high on the drug and unable to stop themselves. This just didn’t sit well with me. They have sex for the first time since breaking up two years ago and it’s sex when they’re high – I really wanted them to reconnect when they were both, um, NOT HIGH. I get that it was probably supposed to come off as kind of angry, hurting, hot sex and it didn’t work for me. The middle of the story, when the plot picked up and the leads actually started talking about their past and things that were assumed but never discussed, the action really got good and I was pulled into the suspense of who the mastermind behind wanting to produce this drug was.
He kissed the side of her throat, stroking his tongue around the shell of her ear. He remembered her body so well.
“God, yes.” The fact that she couldn’t spread her legs because of her tight jeans, and because he was leaning against the wall, his body bracketed around hers, made the sensation of his fingers inside her even more erotic. His arms surrounded her, his breath blew hot against her throat. His heartbeat syncopated with hers. Hard, rapid, loud.
This was familiar. The heat. The intensity. The want. This, she thought, choking back a sob, was the Rand she knew. And still loved.
Ah, communication – it’s everyone’s friend. Nothing frustrates me more than when a hero and heroine will not talk about the things that need talking about. I’m all for angst, but the conversation that needed to happen between Rand and Dakota was a long time coming. Once they finally cleared the air, their relationship took on a sweet note, protective in the case of Rand to Dakota, and it was nice to see these two reconnect after outside forces were the reason they were torn apart.
I’m giving the book 3 ½ stars. The first part of the book didn’t really set well with the whole ‘high on drugs/sex scene’, but the middle and the end related to the suspense picked up the pace and had me fully interested in the outcome. My one other small issue – this book needed an epilogue…I needed an epilogue! With all that Rand went through with his security company employees and how they were all divided and dragged into the whole drug mess, I needed to know what happened to him and his business at the end. I like to think that he and Dakota head to Seattle, but the book ended abruptly and I needed a few extra pages to wind their story down.
*Sort of a series spoiler*
PS: I’m not, I repeat, NOT giving up hope that Zak’s brother Gideon is alive. There’s no real mention of him in this book, but I would love to get back to him and bring Zak back to the forefront of the series.
March 20, 2012
Coming back to the one man that broke her heart was something Dakota never thought she’d have to do. When Rand broke up with her over misinterpretations and lies she never could get him to see the light and she long ago gave up trying. Now the drug she helped to engineer has resurfaced with horrible complications. Only Dakota can track it down, whether Rand wants to admit it or not.
All Rand knows is his sexy ex fiance is a liar. One ultimately responsible for his mothers death and the imprisonment of his father. Now the drug she helped make makes a appearance at a wedding his security firm is heading up? That’s to many coincidences for him and he’s out to prove that his ex lover knows exactly what’s going on and is possibly behind the entire leak.
With the clock ticking, a sadistic underground community afoot and a vicious drug set to take over anyone who dares try it, Dakota and Rand will have to put their differences aside in order to stop the production and maybe along the way realize that past mistakes can be made right.
Afterglow is the second book in Cherry Adair’s Lodestone series and a book that I have been highly anticipating. After reading the first book, Hush, and loving it I was eagerly awaiting this one. Ms Adair is a author that can transport me to another place. Make me live along side the characters and breathe with them. Afterglow starts with a bang…and by bang I mean multiple orgasms…from everyone. Even grandma. Rapture, a highly experimental and subsequently banned and destroyed drug has popped back up and at a Hollywood starlets wedding no less. What was engineered as a anti depressant has some dangerous side effects. Zero inhibitions, ravenous sex drives and highly addictive to the point of death. People basically hump till they die. Now…I don’t know about you…but I think the story line is simply awesome. Highly creative and something I hadn’t read up till this point. Aside from the humping grandmas and death part, I’m totally down with a multiple orgasm, have sex till you pass out drug. Where can I get me some of that?
Rand is the head of security firm that had been hired to work the wedding and reception. Having the drug smuggled in under his nose made this very personal to him and he seemed determined to figure it out and place the blame on ex-flame Dakota who had been sent to investigate. Dakota worked for the drug company before she was fired when they shut down. Unbeknownst to him Dakota was involved in the explosion that rocked the lab and she had ended up in the hospital just weeks after he accused her of being a liar and a whore who provided his scientist father with the drugs that killed his mother. I can’t tell you how many times I yelled at Dakota..good lord woman tell him you were in the hospital! Call him a ASS! Tell him he’s a awful human being for not believing in you!
While I found Rand to be a stubborn jerk I also found him hot. Explain that one Freud. I loved how even though he was ticked at Dakota (for reasons that were WRONG but I digress) he was still protective and looked out for her. He knew he needed her ability to track. When they get dosed with Rapture themselves I liked how he seemed to be able to control himself but he let his inner desires finally take over and treat Dakota with the intensity which she deserved. Plus, halfway mad sex is always hotter. *wink wink*.
I loved Dakota’s ability to work with a man who showed so much contempt for her. She felt responsible for the drugs creation and so she needed to see this through no matter how much Rand may have hated her. I envied her ability to let go and forgive him for the way she was treated.
Afterglow again deals with a slightly paranormal aspect. This seems to be popping up more and more in romantic suspense books lately. In Hush the main character could track someone using a string of coordinates that ran through his mind. Dakota can do that and track someone using just a personal item of theirs. Is it typical romantic suspense? Well, no. I enjoy all types of books within the genre though so I don’t have an issue with it. Undoubtedly someone will though.
Cherry Adair will take you on a thrill ride every time. Always original. Always heartfelt. Always gaurenteed to keep me coming back for more!
I give Afterglow by Cherry Adair 4 stars!
All Rand knows is his sexy ex fiance is a liar. One ultimately responsible for his mothers death and the imprisonment of his father. Now the drug she helped make makes a appearance at a wedding his security firm is heading up? That’s to many coincidences for him and he’s out to prove that his ex lover knows exactly what’s going on and is possibly behind the entire leak.
With the clock ticking, a sadistic underground community afoot and a vicious drug set to take over anyone who dares try it, Dakota and Rand will have to put their differences aside in order to stop the production and maybe along the way realize that past mistakes can be made right.
Afterglow is the second book in Cherry Adair’s Lodestone series and a book that I have been highly anticipating. After reading the first book, Hush, and loving it I was eagerly awaiting this one. Ms Adair is a author that can transport me to another place. Make me live along side the characters and breathe with them. Afterglow starts with a bang…and by bang I mean multiple orgasms…from everyone. Even grandma. Rapture, a highly experimental and subsequently banned and destroyed drug has popped back up and at a Hollywood starlets wedding no less. What was engineered as a anti depressant has some dangerous side effects. Zero inhibitions, ravenous sex drives and highly addictive to the point of death. People basically hump till they die. Now…I don’t know about you…but I think the story line is simply awesome. Highly creative and something I hadn’t read up till this point. Aside from the humping grandmas and death part, I’m totally down with a multiple orgasm, have sex till you pass out drug. Where can I get me some of that?
Rand is the head of security firm that had been hired to work the wedding and reception. Having the drug smuggled in under his nose made this very personal to him and he seemed determined to figure it out and place the blame on ex-flame Dakota who had been sent to investigate. Dakota worked for the drug company before she was fired when they shut down. Unbeknownst to him Dakota was involved in the explosion that rocked the lab and she had ended up in the hospital just weeks after he accused her of being a liar and a whore who provided his scientist father with the drugs that killed his mother. I can’t tell you how many times I yelled at Dakota..good lord woman tell him you were in the hospital! Call him a ASS! Tell him he’s a awful human being for not believing in you!
While I found Rand to be a stubborn jerk I also found him hot. Explain that one Freud. I loved how even though he was ticked at Dakota (for reasons that were WRONG but I digress) he was still protective and looked out for her. He knew he needed her ability to track. When they get dosed with Rapture themselves I liked how he seemed to be able to control himself but he let his inner desires finally take over and treat Dakota with the intensity which she deserved. Plus, halfway mad sex is always hotter. *wink wink*.
I loved Dakota’s ability to work with a man who showed so much contempt for her. She felt responsible for the drugs creation and so she needed to see this through no matter how much Rand may have hated her. I envied her ability to let go and forgive him for the way she was treated.
Afterglow again deals with a slightly paranormal aspect. This seems to be popping up more and more in romantic suspense books lately. In Hush the main character could track someone using a string of coordinates that ran through his mind. Dakota can do that and track someone using just a personal item of theirs. Is it typical romantic suspense? Well, no. I enjoy all types of books within the genre though so I don’t have an issue with it. Undoubtedly someone will though.
Cherry Adair will take you on a thrill ride every time. Always original. Always heartfelt. Always gaurenteed to keep me coming back for more!
I give Afterglow by Cherry Adair 4 stars!
May 17, 2012
Kimber's review posted on Guilty Pleasures
The premise of this book had me laughing and intrigued at the same time, and because I enjoyed the first Lodestone story, I jumped at the chance to read this one too. Ms. Adair’s brand of sarcastic humor and edge-of-your-seat adventures will pull you in and keep you there until the very end. I finished the book in a day because I literally could not put it down.
Rand McGuire is in charge of security detail for a Hollywood couple’s wedding and someone has slipped an aphrodisiac drug into the champagne at the reception. Though not so good for Rand, there were several laugh out loud moments for me while everyone is trying to figure out why they were ripping their clothes off and humping the person closest to them. Call me cruel, but the fact that these high society people were mortified once the effects of the drugs wore off only added to the humor. Rand is trying to keep everyone calm and has his men searching for answers when in steps a blast from his past that he is NOT happy about and wonders why his “friend” Zak (Hero in Book 1, Hush), creator and owner of the Logestone Agency, would send THIS girl of all his agents to assist with such a high profile case that’s already in the FUBAR category.
Dakota North is a Lodgstone agent with her own sixth-sense sent to help Rand. To say they have a rocky past is an understatement. Since Rand never wanted to lay eyes on her again for what she did to him two years ago, sparks fly and not of the good variety. However, Dakota is determined and knows she’s capable of helping him because the drug in question is one she worked to develop. Dakota realizes immediately her feelings for Rand never went away and even though Rand ended their engagement, he never truly got over her either. Not to mention, the whole lot of misunderstandings that ended their relationship, the man has serious trust issues and for half the book she’s not even granted the chance to defend herself. He toggles back and forth and wonders whether or not she is actually the person trying to sabotage him.
Don’t you just love a tortured hero?
In their quest to discover who is responsible for stealing the formula to manufacturing the unapproved drug developed for depression and turning it into a street drug with plans to sell it world-wide, their race across Europe can only be described as action packed with twists and surprises to keep you turning the pages or the “next” button on your e-readers.
Again, the writing is superb, the hero is a yummy alpha, the heroine strong and likable, lots of steamy sex, and non-stop action. What’s not to like?
Enjoy everyone!
The premise of this book had me laughing and intrigued at the same time, and because I enjoyed the first Lodestone story, I jumped at the chance to read this one too. Ms. Adair’s brand of sarcastic humor and edge-of-your-seat adventures will pull you in and keep you there until the very end. I finished the book in a day because I literally could not put it down.
Rand McGuire is in charge of security detail for a Hollywood couple’s wedding and someone has slipped an aphrodisiac drug into the champagne at the reception. Though not so good for Rand, there were several laugh out loud moments for me while everyone is trying to figure out why they were ripping their clothes off and humping the person closest to them. Call me cruel, but the fact that these high society people were mortified once the effects of the drugs wore off only added to the humor. Rand is trying to keep everyone calm and has his men searching for answers when in steps a blast from his past that he is NOT happy about and wonders why his “friend” Zak (Hero in Book 1, Hush), creator and owner of the Logestone Agency, would send THIS girl of all his agents to assist with such a high profile case that’s already in the FUBAR category.
Dakota North is a Lodgstone agent with her own sixth-sense sent to help Rand. To say they have a rocky past is an understatement. Since Rand never wanted to lay eyes on her again for what she did to him two years ago, sparks fly and not of the good variety. However, Dakota is determined and knows she’s capable of helping him because the drug in question is one she worked to develop. Dakota realizes immediately her feelings for Rand never went away and even though Rand ended their engagement, he never truly got over her either. Not to mention, the whole lot of misunderstandings that ended their relationship, the man has serious trust issues and for half the book she’s not even granted the chance to defend herself. He toggles back and forth and wonders whether or not she is actually the person trying to sabotage him.
Don’t you just love a tortured hero?
In their quest to discover who is responsible for stealing the formula to manufacturing the unapproved drug developed for depression and turning it into a street drug with plans to sell it world-wide, their race across Europe can only be described as action packed with twists and surprises to keep you turning the pages or the “next” button on your e-readers.
Again, the writing is superb, the hero is a yummy alpha, the heroine strong and likable, lots of steamy sex, and non-stop action. What’s not to like?
Enjoy everyone!
October 31, 2014
Somebody gave me a bunch of Adair books and I've been plowing through them. I must say this is better than the earlier books, but suffers from what I think are the same problems.
Adair is a bestseller, and I understand why: hot sex scenes and nonstop action. But I also didn't fall in love with a lot of these books because:
1> It's supposed to be romantic suspense. I don't feel a lot of romance, but there is a truckload and more of lust. Chemistry does not equal romance in my book; every chemical reaction fizzles at some point.
2.>It's supposed to be romantic suspense. Like I said, a lot of nonstop action, but not a lot suspense. Plus the bad guys are kinda of caricatures.
3.> Adair needs a continuity editor. This book was a lot better than some of the earlier ones, but there were a few glitches, and I keep getting stuck on them.
The plot: Former lovers Rand and Dakota, whose relationship ended very badly, mostly because of a lack of trust, must reunite to stop the street marketing of Rapture — a drug that causes imbibers to f--k like bunnies anywhere they are. Rand is a total black-white kind of guy, a bit of a hothead. Dakota is a chemist, who's addicted to Rand. Needless to say she doesn't have much of backbone when it comes to him, and Adair quickly gets awkward makeup sex out the way by accidentally exposing them to Rapture. Having uninhibited sex while high is not romance (I don't think it even qualifies as lust). The whole beginning was just yucky and left me feeling dirty.
The plot and action (mostly highly improbable) starts speeding along after, but it isn't till the last third, that these two start communicating and connecting.
Adair is a bestseller, and I understand why: hot sex scenes and nonstop action. But I also didn't fall in love with a lot of these books because:
1> It's supposed to be romantic suspense. I don't feel a lot of romance, but there is a truckload and more of lust. Chemistry does not equal romance in my book; every chemical reaction fizzles at some point.
2.>It's supposed to be romantic suspense. Like I said, a lot of nonstop action, but not a lot suspense. Plus the bad guys are kinda of caricatures.
3.> Adair needs a continuity editor. This book was a lot better than some of the earlier ones, but there were a few glitches, and I keep getting stuck on them.
The plot: Former lovers Rand and Dakota, whose relationship ended very badly, mostly because of a lack of trust, must reunite to stop the street marketing of Rapture — a drug that causes imbibers to f--k like bunnies anywhere they are. Rand is a total black-white kind of guy, a bit of a hothead. Dakota is a chemist, who's addicted to Rand. Needless to say she doesn't have much of backbone when it comes to him, and Adair quickly gets awkward makeup sex out the way by accidentally exposing them to Rapture. Having uninhibited sex while high is not romance (I don't think it even qualifies as lust). The whole beginning was just yucky and left me feeling dirty.
The plot and action (mostly highly improbable) starts speeding along after, but it isn't till the last third, that these two start communicating and connecting.
March 22, 2012
I fell asleep.
I wasn't particularly tired, and generally if I'm really into whatever I'm reading it wouldnt matter if I was exhausted I'd still keep going...so...I fell asleep...then had to push myself to continue.
the first lodestone book was so so good, I liked the characters, the story kept me riveted, and the bad guys were well planned out....and it was the reason i became a Cherry Adair fan...so Afterglow, as a follow up, was a pretty crushing disappointment.
The story wasn't bad, just irritating...it felt like one of those stories that if the main characters got over themselves ( which admittedly, in this situation would've been understandably difficult) and had a freaking conversation things would've come to a head a whole hell of a lot sooner. ...and not knowing who the bad guy was, instead of catching my interest, this frustrated the bejesus outta me....
Not til we find out who the big bad is, did I really get into the story, but even that bit was too short and quickly resolved...and the ending ending, the resolving of issues between the H and h, was half assed at best...I had to double and triple check that where it ended was actually the ending, after all the crap they go through, that's what we get? Seriously?
A generous 3 stars.
I wasn't particularly tired, and generally if I'm really into whatever I'm reading it wouldnt matter if I was exhausted I'd still keep going...so...I fell asleep...then had to push myself to continue.
the first lodestone book was so so good, I liked the characters, the story kept me riveted, and the bad guys were well planned out....and it was the reason i became a Cherry Adair fan...so Afterglow, as a follow up, was a pretty crushing disappointment.
The story wasn't bad, just irritating...it felt like one of those stories that if the main characters got over themselves ( which admittedly, in this situation would've been understandably difficult) and had a freaking conversation things would've come to a head a whole hell of a lot sooner. ...and not knowing who the bad guy was, instead of catching my interest, this frustrated the bejesus outta me....
Not til we find out who the big bad is, did I really get into the story, but even that bit was too short and quickly resolved...and the ending ending, the resolving of issues between the H and h, was half assed at best...I had to double and triple check that where it ended was actually the ending, after all the crap they go through, that's what we get? Seriously?
A generous 3 stars.
April 30, 2017
Afterglow
3 Stars
A disappointing sequel that does not live up to the potential established in the first book. Aside from the fact that the heroine, Dakota North, works for Zak Stark, there is no connection between the books, which is unfortunate as it would have established a continuity that is sorely lacking.
The hero, Rand Maguire, is a complete jerk and almost ruins the book. Dakota, however is intelligent and engaging although the fact that she still wants to be with a man who called her a "money grubbing whore" kind of puts a damper on her character.
The plot, while fast-paced and action packed, it exceedingly far-fetched. In fact, the elaborate conspiracy and ridiculous progression of events makes the identity of the villain completely obvious. Moreover, the paranormal element adds nothing to the plot or characterization.
Hopefully the next installment will be better.
3 Stars
A disappointing sequel that does not live up to the potential established in the first book. Aside from the fact that the heroine, Dakota North, works for Zak Stark, there is no connection between the books, which is unfortunate as it would have established a continuity that is sorely lacking.
The hero, Rand Maguire, is a complete jerk and almost ruins the book. Dakota, however is intelligent and engaging although the fact that she still wants to be with a man who called her a "money grubbing whore" kind of puts a damper on her character.
The plot, while fast-paced and action packed, it exceedingly far-fetched. In fact, the elaborate conspiracy and ridiculous progression of events makes the identity of the villain completely obvious. Moreover, the paranormal element adds nothing to the plot or characterization.
Hopefully the next installment will be better.
September 30, 2012
I think I would have liked this one better had the main characters not had a past together. Each one was still mired down in how the other wronged them that they had a hard time working together facing this new threat. By the end of the book I was tired of each of them bringing up the past, even when they realized how the other was mislead. I didn't care that they managed to get past it all. Then the big reveal of who was the big bad...well at this point I didn't really care. I wish there had been more of Zak and the creation of Lodestone instead of it being a done deal and it being years later.
August 1, 2012
Another great suspenseful read in the Lodestone series from Cherry Adair. Afterglow had the right amount of nail biting, gut clenching action that I love to read with a small bit of paranormal thrown in. I loved both characters, Rand and Dakota, and felt so much emotion when Ms. Adair was breaking down the relationship between the two. There were a few tears but only the good kind. Again, there were some deaths that I was pretty bummed about but a Happily Ever After makes it worthwhile. I can’t wait until the final book in the trilogy!
April 8, 2012
When I began this book, it felt like there should have been a prequel since there was so much history being hinted at between the protagonists. Fortunately, their history was gradually revealed in the book.
At the start though, I thought it was a romantic comedy rather than a romantic suspense - who would think of an aphrodisiac being a weapon of terrorism? But it does get serious very quickly and the finale is suitably climatic and surprising. A good read overall.
At the start though, I thought it was a romantic comedy rather than a romantic suspense - who would think of an aphrodisiac being a weapon of terrorism? But it does get serious very quickly and the finale is suitably climatic and surprising. A good read overall.
April 6, 2012
I'm giving this a 2.5. It started off slow and I was annoyed at the idiocy of both Rand and Dakota. Later you do actually see that both of them had reasons to mistrust and not explain themselves, but people who don't commit to finishing all their books the way I do would dnf it.
September 12, 2013
If you can suspend your disbelief this was a pretty fun read! Completely ridiculous plot, didn't always make sense.... But I still enjoyed reading it! I think it was the great chemistry between the H/h. They were also both very like able! I totally enjoyed it!
April 24, 2012
Not one of my fave Cherry books but I enjoyed.
July 17, 2023
Why do I keep doing this to myself? Why? I know getting another Cherry Adair book is almost always going to end up being disappointing, but then I read it anyhow. *smacks head* I guess I wanted to continue the series? I don't know. Sigh. I think this might be my last one. I just need to move on. I have too many other authors to read who won't disappoint me on a majority of their books.
So, the problem with this book is that it had an exceptionally interesting premise. The beginning was awesome, and then it just fizzled out from there. Sure, there was all sorts of action and adventure, but it felt like it was nothing BUT action and adventure with no substance. It got boring. I honestly wanted to stop, but I was like at 80%. I just got through it at that point. If you like nonstop action, you may enjoy this one, but there is absolutely no balance to the story whatsoever.
Lodestone Series
-Review of Hush (Lodestone #1; Stark Brothers #1)
-Review of Afterglow (Lodestone #2; Stark Brothers #2)
So, the problem with this book is that it had an exceptionally interesting premise. The beginning was awesome, and then it just fizzled out from there. Sure, there was all sorts of action and adventure, but it felt like it was nothing BUT action and adventure with no substance. It got boring. I honestly wanted to stop, but I was like at 80%. I just got through it at that point. If you like nonstop action, you may enjoy this one, but there is absolutely no balance to the story whatsoever.
Lodestone Series
-Review of Hush (Lodestone #1; Stark Brothers #1)
-Review of Afterglow (Lodestone #2; Stark Brothers #2)
November 26, 2018
Too long
Excellent plot points but the zigzag over Europe was a bit too long.Also minor things like place name spellings, magically coming up with the needed tool/skill create non sequitors that interrupt the story flow. Minor things but annoying.
Excellent plot points but the zigzag over Europe was a bit too long.Also minor things like place name spellings, magically coming up with the needed tool/skill create non sequitors that interrupt the story flow. Minor things but annoying.
December 30, 2021
A bit slower to take off than the first book, and a bit disappointing to find that the main character from the first book wasn't the main character in this one. But.... a really good suspense novel none the less. I'll be launching into the third book soon!
May 6, 2017
Wie kann man nach so einem tollen Vorgänger nur so stark nachlassen? Ich bin maßlos schockiert.
July 29, 2017
Oh yes
April 3, 2019
The first part was too much.
January 4, 2025
A very intense story and well written. Enjoy the intensity of the story. Thanks
March 21, 2012
Review originally posted here: http://thebookpushers.com/2012/03/19/...
I’ve long been a fan of Adair and I know when I pick up one of her books, I’m in for a good read. While I still haven’t gotten the chance to read the first book in this series, Hush, it’s waiting for me on my nook, and I can’t wait to see how this series started off.
Dakota lost everything she had going for her in a short amount of time, her fiance left her, she lost her job and was caught in an explosion that put her int he hospital for months. Now that she is being called in on a case to look into the appearance of a very deadly drug she worked to develop, she will be thrust back into the world that she lost all those years ago.
Rand’s security firm is beyond successful, until a drug is released at a high-profile wedding that causes Hollywood’s elite to turn into sex fiends. When he calls in for help, the last person he expects to see is his ex Dakota. The two of them soon find themselves on a wild goose chase across Europe, hunting the men who released the drug and are now trying to kill them. But when the truth begins to unfold, will these two be able to get past their history together and face the uncertain future?
First let me begin by saying that usually I am not a huge fan of paranormal aspects in my contemporary settings. However, I’ve found that whenever Adair adds a flair of paranormal, it ends up working for me. I liked that she didn’t go to any kind of extreme with it, and didn’t describe it in detail. Instead, it was sort of like an unexplained phenomena that came across to me as believable and real within the world.
The story begins with Rand and starts with the wedding (which let me just tell you, had me cracking smiles left and right with all the “stories” from those under the influence of the drug Rapture). Just as I was getting a feel for Rand and really enjoying his character, Dakota is introduced and Rand does not paint her in the best light. It was painfully obvious they split on horrific terms, and Rand describes her as this horrible person. But once the POV switches to Dakota and more of the story unfolds, I found myself quickly siding with Dakota, and hoping she would knock Rand down a few notches. Their history, as it unfolds, is almost on the level of soap-opera dramaish, and creates for a lot of tension between them.
Despite all that tension though, the two are quick to fall into bed together. I didn’t always understand their readiness to get naked together, and honestly, a few times I wanted to smack Dakota for giving it up while Rand was still acting like a jerk. These two lacked any kind of real communication between them, and once it did all come out, it was painfully obvious that a simple conversation would have done leaps and bounds for their relationship.
I really did enjoy the aspect of these two coming back together and re-kindling their romance. One thing that occasionally irritates me in romantic suspense books is that the hero and heroine only get a few short days to meet, allude the bad guys and fall in love. In most books, it doesn’t always feel as if that is enough to sustain a long-standing relationship. But with Rand and Dakota, it was obvious the two still had intense feelings for one another from the start. While they were constantly on the run, I felt as if they really did have the time to get over their past and move forward with the life they both wanted. I just wish that Dakota would have made Rand apologize a bit more for their past. So much happened between them, and I wanted her to get a little more of a “big gesture” from him before forgiving and forgetting.
One thing that I think Adair does so incredibly well is weave in such intricate plot lines and subplot lines. I was never really sure who the bad guy was, or how all the players wove together. When the big reveal happened at the end, I had my suspicion on who the bad guy was, but was absolutely floored by how it all came together. It was crazy and insane and something that came from so far in left field that my head literally spun around a few times. It was such a great ending to a fast paced and high-octane read.
All in all I was floored by Afterglow. Everything I’ve come to love in my romantic suspense books was done beautifully. The suspense was off the charts, the plot twisted and turned all over the place and the romance was sweet and sexy and fulfilling. The second chance at love was done so well, and I absolutely LOVED Dakota’s character. I could have used a little more groveling from Rand, but was pleased with how this story wrapped up.
I give Afterglow a B+
I’ve long been a fan of Adair and I know when I pick up one of her books, I’m in for a good read. While I still haven’t gotten the chance to read the first book in this series, Hush, it’s waiting for me on my nook, and I can’t wait to see how this series started off.
Dakota lost everything she had going for her in a short amount of time, her fiance left her, she lost her job and was caught in an explosion that put her int he hospital for months. Now that she is being called in on a case to look into the appearance of a very deadly drug she worked to develop, she will be thrust back into the world that she lost all those years ago.
Rand’s security firm is beyond successful, until a drug is released at a high-profile wedding that causes Hollywood’s elite to turn into sex fiends. When he calls in for help, the last person he expects to see is his ex Dakota. The two of them soon find themselves on a wild goose chase across Europe, hunting the men who released the drug and are now trying to kill them. But when the truth begins to unfold, will these two be able to get past their history together and face the uncertain future?
First let me begin by saying that usually I am not a huge fan of paranormal aspects in my contemporary settings. However, I’ve found that whenever Adair adds a flair of paranormal, it ends up working for me. I liked that she didn’t go to any kind of extreme with it, and didn’t describe it in detail. Instead, it was sort of like an unexplained phenomena that came across to me as believable and real within the world.
The story begins with Rand and starts with the wedding (which let me just tell you, had me cracking smiles left and right with all the “stories” from those under the influence of the drug Rapture). Just as I was getting a feel for Rand and really enjoying his character, Dakota is introduced and Rand does not paint her in the best light. It was painfully obvious they split on horrific terms, and Rand describes her as this horrible person. But once the POV switches to Dakota and more of the story unfolds, I found myself quickly siding with Dakota, and hoping she would knock Rand down a few notches. Their history, as it unfolds, is almost on the level of soap-opera dramaish, and creates for a lot of tension between them.
Despite all that tension though, the two are quick to fall into bed together. I didn’t always understand their readiness to get naked together, and honestly, a few times I wanted to smack Dakota for giving it up while Rand was still acting like a jerk. These two lacked any kind of real communication between them, and once it did all come out, it was painfully obvious that a simple conversation would have done leaps and bounds for their relationship.
I really did enjoy the aspect of these two coming back together and re-kindling their romance. One thing that occasionally irritates me in romantic suspense books is that the hero and heroine only get a few short days to meet, allude the bad guys and fall in love. In most books, it doesn’t always feel as if that is enough to sustain a long-standing relationship. But with Rand and Dakota, it was obvious the two still had intense feelings for one another from the start. While they were constantly on the run, I felt as if they really did have the time to get over their past and move forward with the life they both wanted. I just wish that Dakota would have made Rand apologize a bit more for their past. So much happened between them, and I wanted her to get a little more of a “big gesture” from him before forgiving and forgetting.
One thing that I think Adair does so incredibly well is weave in such intricate plot lines and subplot lines. I was never really sure who the bad guy was, or how all the players wove together. When the big reveal happened at the end, I had my suspicion on who the bad guy was, but was absolutely floored by how it all came together. It was crazy and insane and something that came from so far in left field that my head literally spun around a few times. It was such a great ending to a fast paced and high-octane read.
All in all I was floored by Afterglow. Everything I’ve come to love in my romantic suspense books was done beautifully. The suspense was off the charts, the plot twisted and turned all over the place and the romance was sweet and sexy and fulfilling. The second chance at love was done so well, and I absolutely LOVED Dakota’s character. I could have used a little more groveling from Rand, but was pleased with how this story wrapped up.
I give Afterglow a B+
October 13, 2012
Yet again, I had to read a book just to be caught up in a series & It wasn't very good.
So the guy in this book broke up with (totally DUMPED) the girl in this story 2 years prior based on his mother & fathers words without asking her about any of it. All I can say is "WHAT AN ASS!"
She is a chemist who can track people based pn a paranormal gift she has & is sent to Moraco tho help him with a drug slipped in the champaign causing an orgy at a famous couples wedding problem.
Now my slight problem... Names!!
Rand Maguire - this one was ok
Dakota North - Uhhhh. Just stupid. Too much of a play on words
Monk - Duh... We know this will lead to some religious thing
Father - Above dude named Monk is also called Father
Son - Ummm he bows down & services Father
Cole - EVERY DAMN BLACK OPS book has a Cole!! Geez!
Figg - Uhhh. Are these like all indian names? Named after stuff/places?
Ham - Well. Uh. He was a former policeman. Retired. Overweight. Play on the "Pig" term...
Another problem... This was a little bigger.
If my man/guy dumped me over something my bitch mother said & didn't ask me about it... His ass would be grass! All the way. He would be grovelling & if he called me a money hungry whore when he did it. OH! We are talking butt kissing buy me the moon if he wanted to seperate me from my panties anytime soon. BUT NO! Not this couple. They share a past. Their lustiness was played out before there was any resolve EVEN THOUGH he was still a total and completely hateful ass when they started working on this case.
OH! an her? WTF are you like begging him to just have his way with you and work out the drug problem & pointing out the fact you offered to do that for him even after it wore off? Uhh. He's an ass! Why would you tell him he missed out because you offered? MAN! You need a 2x4 to work it out over his head! I mean COME ON!!!
One last slight problem I have is the cover. Hot guy yes, but I THINK he's the same guy on the last book... Some features are covered on the first so I can't say for sure, but... I seriously think so. I am a cover Nazi! I admit it!
OH!! MAJOR MAJOR BOO BOO! I had to read over a few times...
At one point it said Paul was in prison for Dakota's murder, but Dakota was standing there. It was Catherine's murder... Oh well, just an editing glitch I read twice to figure out if I missed something & read it wrong.
AND YES There is a secret twist in this one!
It was kind of stupid & I'm finding that in these books everything is resolved in the last 25 pages & we are just supposed to accept the outcome. To me it just comes across as an author not really knowing how to explain things away or rationalize what's going on. UNLESS it all pans out in the last book not even listed as coming out anytime soon. Nothing from the last book was resolved or carried over except the 2 main people & the new business they are in.
Thank God I am done with this book. I won't continue the series. UNLESS someone is brought back to life which I am guessing they will be since this is a trilogy...
So the guy in this book broke up with (totally DUMPED) the girl in this story 2 years prior based on his mother & fathers words without asking her about any of it. All I can say is "WHAT AN ASS!"
She is a chemist who can track people based pn a paranormal gift she has & is sent to Moraco tho help him with a drug slipped in the champaign causing an orgy at a famous couples wedding problem.
Now my slight problem... Names!!
Rand Maguire - this one was ok
Dakota North - Uhhhh. Just stupid. Too much of a play on words
Monk - Duh... We know this will lead to some religious thing
Father - Above dude named Monk is also called Father
Son - Ummm he bows down & services Father
Cole - EVERY DAMN BLACK OPS book has a Cole!! Geez!
Figg - Uhhh. Are these like all indian names? Named after stuff/places?
Ham - Well. Uh. He was a former policeman. Retired. Overweight. Play on the "Pig" term...
Another problem... This was a little bigger.
If my man/guy dumped me over something my bitch mother said & didn't ask me about it... His ass would be grass! All the way. He would be grovelling & if he called me a money hungry whore when he did it. OH! We are talking butt kissing buy me the moon if he wanted to seperate me from my panties anytime soon. BUT NO! Not this couple. They share a past. Their lustiness was played out before there was any resolve EVEN THOUGH he was still a total and completely hateful ass when they started working on this case.
OH! an her? WTF are you like begging him to just have his way with you and work out the drug problem & pointing out the fact you offered to do that for him even after it wore off? Uhh. He's an ass! Why would you tell him he missed out because you offered? MAN! You need a 2x4 to work it out over his head! I mean COME ON!!!
One last slight problem I have is the cover. Hot guy yes, but I THINK he's the same guy on the last book... Some features are covered on the first so I can't say for sure, but... I seriously think so. I am a cover Nazi! I admit it!
OH!! MAJOR MAJOR BOO BOO! I had to read over a few times...
At one point it said Paul was in prison for Dakota's murder, but Dakota was standing there. It was Catherine's murder... Oh well, just an editing glitch I read twice to figure out if I missed something & read it wrong.
AND YES There is a secret twist in this one!
It was kind of stupid & I'm finding that in these books everything is resolved in the last 25 pages & we are just supposed to accept the outcome. To me it just comes across as an author not really knowing how to explain things away or rationalize what's going on. UNLESS it all pans out in the last book not even listed as coming out anytime soon. Nothing from the last book was resolved or carried over except the 2 main people & the new business they are in.
Thank God I am done with this book. I won't continue the series. UNLESS someone is brought back to life which I am guessing they will be since this is a trilogy...
April 4, 2012
Afterglow by Cherry Adair
Paranormal Romance –March 20th, 2012
4 stars
Afterglow is a hot contemporary romance with lots of excitement and betrayal and a touch of magic! It is the second in her Lodestone adventure series.
Afterglow features strong characters and sizzling hot chemistry! The tension between the main characters is off the charts as the hero begins the book feeling the heroine has betrayed him. When Rand Maguire’s security at a high profile wedding is infiltrated and the guests are drugged by an extreme sexual aphrodisiac, he sends for help only to find his ex lover and betrayer Dr. Dakota North sent to help him. Rand believes that Dakota is responsible for the death of his mother. Distrustful but still half in love with her, he fights his attraction and reminds himself of her duplicitous nature.
When Dakota is assigned to aid a call from help by her former boyfriend Rand, she is hesitant but knows she is the only one with knowledge to help him. She feels responsible, for she was crucial in the making of the drug which was used to poison the guests at the wedding. But working with Rand is difficult. Not only did he not believe in her innocence but he broke her heart. And worse of all, she isn’t over him. Can they find out the truth and reconcile their differences?
This was a tension filled romance as Rand is very antagonistic toward Dakota in the beginning of the story. Though he has strong reason not to trust her, I kept thinking that that Rand’s hostility towards Dakota dragged on longer than necessary. I feel he should have trusted Dakota sooner because I really enjoyed them working together more as a team. Dakota is a courageous character. She still harbors deep feelings for Rand and is very hurt at his lack of trust, but still works to help him and not take his anger too much to heart. As they try to pool their resources and track down the mastermind behind the drugging, they survive many adventures. I was particularly fascinated by Dakota’s secret abilities to act as a human GPS and track the villain. I kept hoping the author had explored/used more or her paranormal abilities in the story. The ending was shocking and readers will not be disappointed.
Fast-paced and exciting, this high octane romance is what readers of Cherry Adair have come to know.
Reviewed by Steph from the Bookaholics Romance Book Club
Paranormal Romance –March 20th, 2012
4 stars
Afterglow is a hot contemporary romance with lots of excitement and betrayal and a touch of magic! It is the second in her Lodestone adventure series.
Afterglow features strong characters and sizzling hot chemistry! The tension between the main characters is off the charts as the hero begins the book feeling the heroine has betrayed him. When Rand Maguire’s security at a high profile wedding is infiltrated and the guests are drugged by an extreme sexual aphrodisiac, he sends for help only to find his ex lover and betrayer Dr. Dakota North sent to help him. Rand believes that Dakota is responsible for the death of his mother. Distrustful but still half in love with her, he fights his attraction and reminds himself of her duplicitous nature.
When Dakota is assigned to aid a call from help by her former boyfriend Rand, she is hesitant but knows she is the only one with knowledge to help him. She feels responsible, for she was crucial in the making of the drug which was used to poison the guests at the wedding. But working with Rand is difficult. Not only did he not believe in her innocence but he broke her heart. And worse of all, she isn’t over him. Can they find out the truth and reconcile their differences?
This was a tension filled romance as Rand is very antagonistic toward Dakota in the beginning of the story. Though he has strong reason not to trust her, I kept thinking that that Rand’s hostility towards Dakota dragged on longer than necessary. I feel he should have trusted Dakota sooner because I really enjoyed them working together more as a team. Dakota is a courageous character. She still harbors deep feelings for Rand and is very hurt at his lack of trust, but still works to help him and not take his anger too much to heart. As they try to pool their resources and track down the mastermind behind the drugging, they survive many adventures. I was particularly fascinated by Dakota’s secret abilities to act as a human GPS and track the villain. I kept hoping the author had explored/used more or her paranormal abilities in the story. The ending was shocking and readers will not be disappointed.
Fast-paced and exciting, this high octane romance is what readers of Cherry Adair have come to know.
Reviewed by Steph from the Bookaholics Romance Book Club
December 4, 2014
I think this was the wildest paranormal romantic suspense I’d ever read. The opening scene was shockingly funny and titilating, and it set the tone for the rest of the story. The plot itself was quite bizarre and implausible. However, I did enjoy the chemistry between the hero and heroine, as well as the adrenaline fueled craziness spanning across several European countries.
Dakota and Rand had sizzling chemistry, but the relationship was strained for the majority of this book due to omissions, lies and deep hurt. Dakota seemed like a nicely balanced character. She was smart, witty, tough, but also vulnerable. Rand, on the other hand, was pretty much a jerk throughout. But I did like him when he was in full on business mode.
The fact that they’d once been in love and engaged to be married seemed to be easily forgotten in the wake of his mother’s death, the incarceration of his father, and the implication that Dakota had had something to do with it. Instead of hearing her side of the story, he broke up with her and love had turned to bitterness and hatred. When Dakota became his only hope of tracking down the person or persons responsible for unleashing a devastating drug that could be used as a weapon of mass destruction, hatred and lust began to blur the lines.
Although Rand was stubborn, rude, and believed the worst about her, I liked the tension that created between them. Dakota didn’t take everything he dished out, but she was just as lost in their pasts as he was, and she didn’t throw the truth in his face at the earliest convenience. When they kept their focus on their mission, they worked well together. She wasn’t a trained agent by any means, but she held her own. The sex was steamy, even if they got it on at some pretty inopportune times.
The twisted plot really was bizarre, and the gloating from the villain at the end really didn’t make it seem sane at all. I didn’t see the revelation coming, so that surprise was nice. I did enjoy all the different European countries and the details. It was suspenseful, but be warned, you’re in for a lot of cray cray, including a smidgen of paranormal with her special ability. This was my first book by Cherry Adair, and I have two others on my shelf, so I will give this author another go.
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