Special Agent's Perfect Cover

Perfect, Wyoming #1

by Marie Ferrarella

"What have they done to you?"

Cold Plains, Wyoming, should be a ghost town. Then why are its once-decaying streets gleaming? And why are there only beautiful, smiling Stepford-like wives in those streets? Hawk Bledsoe wants to know…because the woman who broke his heart seems to be one of them.

Carly Finn is stunned to see Hawk return to town as an FBI agent tracking a serial killer. Hawk doesn't know why she once ended their romance so cruelly - or how much Carly sacrificed for him. But now the two must risk their lives to expose the town's monstrous secret. And danger only revives the desire both try their hardest to resist…

Genres: Romantic Suspense, Romance, Harlequin Romantic Suspense, Harlequin, Suspense

224 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published December 20, 2011

About the author

Marie Rydzynski-Ferrarella
aka Marie Charles, Marie Michael, Marie Nicole, Marie Ferrarella

Marie Rydzynski was born on March 28 in West Germany to Polish parents. She moved to America at the age of four. For an entire year, Marie and her family explored the eastern half of the country before finally settling in New York.

Marie swears she was born writing, "which must have made the delivery especially hard for my mother." From an early age, Marie's parents would find her watching television or tucked away in some private place, writing at a furious pace. "Initially, I began writing myself into my favourite shows. I was a detective on '77 Sunset Strip,' the missing Cartwright sibling they never talked about on 'Bonanza' and the 'Girl from U.N.C.L.E.' before there was a 'Girl from U.N.C.L.E.,' not to mention an active participant in the serialized stories of 'The Mickey Mouse Club.'" Marie began to write her first romance novel when she was 11 years old, although she claims that, at the time, she didn't even realize it was a romance! She scribbled off and on, while dreaming of a career as an actress.

Marie was only 14 when she first laid eyes on the man she would marry, truly her first love, Charles Ferrarella. During her days at Queens College, New York, acting started to lose its glamour as Marie spent more and more time writing. After receiving her English degree, specialising in Shakespearean comedy, Marie and her family moved to Southern California, where she still resides today.

After an interminable seven weeks apart, Charles decided he couldn't live without her and came out to California to marry his childhood sweetheart. Ever practical, Marie was married in a wash-and-wear wedding dress that she sewed herself, appliqués and all. "'Be prepared' has always been my motto,"the author jokes. This motto has been stretched considerably by her two children, Nikky and Jessi, "but basically, it still applies," she says.

In November of 1981, she sold her first novel for Harlequin. Marie, who now has written over 150 novels, has one goal: to entertain, to make people laugh and feel good. "That's what makes me happy," she confesses. "That, and a really good romantic evening with my husband." She's keeping her fingers crossed that her reader's enjoy reading her books as much as she enjoyed writing them.

Reviews

[Rebecca · Rating 3 out of 5]

The hero Hawk is assigned to investigate the murders of five women who all have the small Wyoming town of Cold Plains in common. Unfortunately for Hawk he is also originally from there, and hasn't been back since he left ten years ago. When he arrives, he is shocked to see the town completely changed, with it's inhabitants seemingly brainwashed. Even more surprising for Hawk is that Carly, the heroine, is still living there and seems to be one of the brainwashed. Carly is just as shocked to see Hawk back in town, she has never forgotten him and the love they used to share, or her heartbreak when she had to end their relationship. Carly is desperate to get out of town, she knows that is has been taken over by a cult-like group, but she can't leave her sister, whom has become totally involved. As Hawk investigates, not that he gets anywhere, he also keeps an eye on Carly and pretty soon he has worked out that she is pretending to be involved and they are acting on the passion and love that still between them, despite the fact that this puts both of them in even more danger.

This is the first book in the mini-series 'Perfect, Wyoming' about a town taken over by a cult called the 'Devotees' (think 'The Movementarians' from the Simpsons episode Joy of Sect!). I love cult story lines, so when I found these books I immediately bought them!
Uh, overall this isn't a bad story, and it is a nice introduction to the series. The hero and heroine work well together, and the UST between them plus the issues from their past relationship are both portrayed well and adds to the overall tense moments. The scene where the heroine removes a bullet from the hero is just really stupid, and annoyed me somewhat to be honest! What bothered me most about this book is that the hero didn't seem to actually do much investigating, or it wasn't 'shown' anyway, and this left the story feeling a little hollow.

But, I enjoyed this book. There is some good suspense parts, and the relationship is well written and believable.

Originally posted at http://everyday-is-the-same.blogspot....

[Leslie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed this storyline. She was trying to rescue her sister, but she had to pretend to be a follower of Samuels. She finally made into the inner circle, only to reunite with the one she let go so many years ago so she could protect her sister. . .oh how she loved him but she couldn't let him know what she was up to. And why was he here exactly?

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good book and opening to the series. I liked Hawk. He returned to town, even though he had had his heart broken by Carly. When he saw her, though, he realized he had never stopped loving her. Meanwhile, Carly was living in a town where there was something really strange going on. She was going along with it, in hopes of being able to rescue her sister from a marriage that would be a really dangerous thing. Hawk and Carly immediately reconnected emotionally and physically. Hawk was there to investigate the deaths of five women, all of whom had a connection to the town. There were several storylines set up, and I am looking forward to reading them all.

[Janet · Rating 3 out of 5]

HRS #1688 = 3.5 stars

[Mombo · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Stepford Wives with that Harlequin twist. Kinda bizarre really in this day and age but cults do exist. To the extent that an entire community is under control, I don't know but it makes for good fiction.

The romance wasn't working for me in this title but it may have been because there was a whole lot of telling, explaining, and mind-reading and not too much dialogue or heartwarming gestures that makes a good love story.

The action was also rushed and the tension you would expect from any and all suspense was lacking. Hopefully, Hawk's co-workers will get more to do in Perfect, Wyoming, and really earn their danger pay.

[Harlequin Books]

Miniseries: Perfect, Wyoming

[Kim · Rating 5 out of 5]

it was a good book