Suspense and erotic romance abound in this gripping novel of a woman fighting for her very life.
Ex-Special Forces operative Chase O'Malley is colossally bored with the tedium of civilian life. When wealthy Hank Keswick offers him a generous sum to kidnap his fugitive trophy wife, Larissa Santos, and transport her from Charleston S.C. back to Southern California, Chase welcomes the opportunity to go on yet another "mission", unaware that his new client is really Brian Sparrow, the serial killer Larissa Santos barely survived two years ago.
Larissa quickly perceives that she has nothing to fear from her ski-masked abductor although--instinctively knowing that Sparrow is the engineer behind her kidnapping--she is determined to escape at any cost. Warned by Larissa's "husband" that she's a compulsive liar and an Oscar-worthy actress, Chase refuses to believe he's delivering her into harm's way.
As Chase transports Larissa clear across the continent, neither one anticipates the intense attraction that develops between them despite their mutual antagonism, an attraction so intense that it crackles with sexual electricity.
Will Larissa be able to convince Chase that he's delivering her to a man who wants her dead? If not, will she somehow manage to survive a second encounter with serial-killer Brian Sparrow? Will FBI Special Agent Jarvis succeed in sending Chase to prison for the rest of his life?
The compelling characters, sexual tension, suspense, action, passion, and intrigue combine to create a rousing, edge-of-your-seat romantic thriller with plot twists that will keep readers mesmerized until the very last page.
Martine Marchand's mother began reading to her while Martine was still in diapers, instilling in her a deep and abiding love of books. After graduating high school she joined the Air Force and was subsequently stationed in San Antonio, Texas. After her four-year enlistment was up, she stayed there for another eight, then moved to Milan, Italy and, later, to Mission Viejo, California. She eventually returned to her hometown where she met her husband and soul mate.
Martine reads everything from science fiction and fantasy to westerns and, although she particularly loves romance, many of the stories tend to leave her unsatisfied. The heroines too often play the passive victim, and the heroes, usually due to some simple misunderstanding, treat the heroines with an utter lack of respect or, even worse, downright contempt. And although we are "told" that the protagonists love one another - to Martine at least - their love rarely "feels" genuine or credible.
After the death of her husband, writing became her way of recovering from the crushing grief. She published "The Heart Has Reasons" to rave reviews, and is now hard at work on her second novel.
Martine has no children, unless you count her two highly spoiled pit bulls. When not writing, she's lifting weights, doing yoga, gardening, playing video games, or spending quality time with her Kindle. She loves to hear from both readers and other writers, and can be found on Facebook.
I got this as a “Freebie” way back in October and like a lot of the freebies I get, it was just lying there on my kindle for months and months. Then Beth recommended it to me and I read her review and it sounded good. So finished an excellent book the other day and wanted an equally good book so decided to start this one. I thought it was a fantastic read. Original plot, great characters, good humour, great sex (what little we had of it but don’t let that put you off). Only minor complaint is that I thought the last 20% dragged a bit, it could have finished up a bit earlier but that is MINOR complaint…… Look forward to more from this author and I see a lot of friends have it already so PLEASE read it. I know I got it as a freebie but I would definitely have paid money for it. It was THAT good.
First chapter, we see that he rides a Harley … well, that is a sure fire YES from me!
Good Irish surname…. Chase O’MALLEY…. Another good point for me, being that I am Irish …
”My old man was Black Irish.”
”You look like a Georgia O’Keefe painting.”
The heart has reasons that Reason knows nothing of
The word Ex-Special forces and serial killer make a good romantic suspense. But truth to be told, this isn't much a suspense. The story is about the serial killer, Brian Sparrow who hired, ex-special forces, Chase O'Malley to help kidnap his 'wife', Larissa Santos. Chase believing he is delivering back a trophy wife to the rightful husband didn't know he was actually delivering a victim to a serial killer.
Larissa Santos had a run in with a sadistic serial killer, Brian Sparrow three years ago. Her attacker fled and never capture. From then on, she had been extremely wary, worrying about her own safety. When she was kidnap by a masked man, she knew he must be working for Sparrow. She make it her mission to escape, no matter what it takes.
Chase is one of the sweetest kidnapper that I couldn't help but find him totally funny. When he decided to fed the tank of fish in her house while kidnapping Larissa, I practically snorted thinking what a total boy scout he is. He had a bad experience of being cheated on by his wife. Thus, instinctively, he had label Larissa as an unfaithful runaway wife. But the way, this feisty woman was so skilled in martial arts and runaway attempt, he couldn't help but admire her. If their circumstances were different and if she isn't a world class liar, he might find himself wanting to keep her.
Larissa knew Chase was a good man and will never hurt her, despite he had all the opportunity to take advantage of her. She tried to reason with him and convince him to let her go, but he was having non of it. During their four days together while travelling across the country, they grew closer despite tons of bickering going on and Chase was feeling tormented on whether he should believe her or not. Well, on Larissa part, she was wondering should she bash him or shoot him while he is asleep.
Will Chase deliver Larissa to Sparrow? I'm pretty excited at this point wanting to see their encounter with the serial killer to witness how all things will pan out for them.
The second half detailing on how Larissa and Chase tried to avoid being sent to prison was a bit draggy. I was patiently waiting for the whole investigation to be done with. Agent Jarvis is one persistent mofo. He was adamant to find out the truth about Larissa kidnapping and to put Chase behind bars. I was so worried for them and wondering how will Larissa and Chase escape the law.
Meanwhile, we also got a healthy dose of romance between Larissa and Chase. Despite everything that happened that should have broke them, they decided to give each other a chance. We get to see how they make a functional couple when they were not driven by adrenaline. Considering the length of the book, I was disappointed that I didn't get an epilogue though.
"...the more we spoke, the more I realized things are not always black or white. There are many shades of gray in between. "
I used to thought that all criminals should get punished for whatever crime they commit and should serve their sentence no matter what, but I know that every story is different and `the heart has reasons` is one of those stories, which is not only black or white, but somewhere in the middle. I loved the story, it was nothing like I expected, it was full of surprises, thrills and chills. Martine Marchand in this book explores themes of fear, strength and power. The story was great and it illustrated not only the passionate side where crime is committed, but also the legal side, what happens after the crime is committed, and it was really interesting for me to see the legal side, how authorities worked, trying to catch the kidnapper.
.My Chase and Larissa
2 years ago, Larissa got attacked by a serial killer in her apartment, she shoot him, but he escaped. From that day Larissa is living with a fear that he is coming back to finish what he wanted to start. Yes, Brian Sparrow, the serial killer, definitely wants his revenge, but now he knows what to expect from Larissa, so he hires ex-Special Forces operative Chase, who is bored from his civil life and is looking for some adrenaline. Sparrow knows that Chase would not do the job if he knew what Sparrow wants to do to Larissa when he gets her, so under another name he makes a story that Larissa is his wife, and he just wants her back, so their children have a mother again. Chase believes Sparrows story and agrees to do the job. So he kidnaps Larissa with a aim to transports her from her home in the east coast to the warm California.
The worst aspect of fear lies in the anticipation, and bravery is simply being the only one who knows you’re afraid. There’s no shame in being afraid. What matters is how we face our fear.
Larissa wakes up in a van gagged and blindfolded, but she doesn't really feel fear from her kidnaper. However she knows that Sparrow is behind the kidnapping, so she will do anything to escape, and I mean anything... Chase was warned by Sparrow that Larissa is a big liar, so Chase refuses to believe that he is delivering Larissa to her death sentence, no matter what she says. Despite the circumstances Larissa starts to feel very attracted to her kidnapper, although she knows that he is not a bad guy, she needs to escape. Larissa knows that Chase is attracted to her too, so she plans to use that to her advantage, is it going to work? Will Larisa escape from her kidnapper?
“I don’t want you touching me.” “Really? I find that hard to believe in view of the fact that you slept practically on top of me all night long.” “I did not!” The warm pleasant sound of his laugh startled her.“You were wrapped around me so tight I thought I was sleeping with an octopus.”
Since I don't want to spoil the story, I cant say anything else about the story line, because it surprised me completely. You have to read it and find out yourself if Larissa is going to escape or is she going to be delivered to Sparrow? And will Chase get punished for the crime he committed?
And if you are interested in getting the answers then you should definitely start reading it...
The story is told from third person POV, even if I am not a fan of that, it was still really easy to connect to the characters, and it didn't bother me at all. The story was not as dark as I expected it to be, because Chase actually never wanted to hurt Larissa, he was just really misguided. However it was still a great read. And don't worry you are definitely going to be shocked, because Sparrow is one awful son of a bitch.
“Why do you always have to be such an alpha male?” “Admit it — that’s what you like about me.” “It is indeed.”
It was really easy for me to love Chase, maybe because it was so easy to excuse his actions, but I think it was because he was so awesome - reading Larissa's mind, with superhero body and even if he believed in Sparrow, he was still so fucking smart. Besides Chase in the story there were many other loveable and interesting characters. I cried, I laughed, I was angry and shocked, but in the end I just couldn't wait for Chase to get together with Larissa ...
“The heart has reasons that Reason knows nothing of.”
~“The Heart Has Reasons That Reason Knows Nothing Of.”~
SHUT THE FRONT DOOR….
So yes he kidnaps her, but do I care.. No I just want to see them get it on!!
What the hell did I just read…
Chase is retired Special Forces. Missing the rush of a mission, Chase is bored with his civil life and is looking for something to pump up his adrenaline. He decides to take on a job recovering the runaway wife of a wealthy businessman.
2 years ago, Larissa got attacked by a serial killer in her apartment, managing to shoot him as he escaped. Larissa has been living with fear that Brian Sparrow is coming back to finish what he started.
Brian Sparrow wants his revenge, hiring ex-Special Forces operative Chase, Sparrow knows that to get the job done he must spin a story that is believable. Under a fake name he tells Chase that Larissa is his wife, and he just wants her back, so their children can have a mother again. Chase believes Sparrows story and agrees to do the job. He must transport Larissa from her home in the east coast to the warm California.
Taking her from her home in the middle of the night is easy. The 4 day trip together not so much.
Larissa can't believe that she is about to be handed over to the devil. She will try anything to escape. Even if her sexy Kidnapper sets her on fire.
~“I don’t want you touching me.” “Really? I find that hard to believe in view of the fact that you slept practically on top of me all night long.” “I did not!” The warm pleasant sound of his laugh startled her.“You were wrapped around me so tight I thought I was sleeping with an octopus.” ~
Chase refuses to believe that he is delivering Larissa to her death sentence, no matter what she says. Larissa is not what he was expecting. Being warned that she was a skilful liar, Chase finds it hard to tell if anything she says at all is the truth.
Chase and Larissa have crazy chemistry. They were so funny at times
~"Are you alway this bitchy in the morning?" "Only after I've been drugged and kidnapped."~
Despite the circumstances Larissa starts to feel very attracted to her kidnapper. They both feel the connection, and after the second night things start to heat up.
~"I just wanted to apologise for kissing you earlier. Under the circumstances, it was inappropriate and unprofessional." ~
"Unprofessional? You're telling me kidnappers have a code of ethics?"~
Hhhahahahaha….
Things start to go further between the two and lines will be crossed. Larissa will do anything to save herself from her fate of death. Even if she has to seduce her kidnapper. But is that the only reason why she has to do it?
~ "Put your hand down my pants." "Why?" "So I can prove that I really do want to." Knowing he was making a mistake but unable to stop himself, he slipped a hand under the elastic waistband and slid it down the sold of her lower belly to the smooth and hairless juncture of her thighs. "Ah Jesus, you're wet." ~
They definitely share some sizzling chemistry. I was hoping he wouldn't go through with delivering her. Surely he believes her.
~"Larissa?" "Yes?" "I wish we could could of met under different circumstances."~
But NO he delivers her to Sparrow.
But after leaving her with her Ex, with a clear head he starts to realize something is off. So he heads back. What he sees when he walks back in, leads to the death of Sparrow and Larissa covering for him.
But Larissa's story has some major gaps. The police believe she is suffering from Stockholm syndrome, and protecting her kidnapper. When Chase is arrested, Larissa is adamant that Chase was NOT the man that Kidnapped her.
Larissa has feelings for Chase. But is what everyone saying true? Are her feelings a product of Stockholm Syndrome or do Chase and her share something more?
I was on the edge of my seat until the very end. It had it all, romance, suspense, action, and passion. I had no idea where this book was going to go before I started. I loved the after math of piecing together if Chase was the Kidnapper. It's tough because YES, Chase did kidnap her, but you really want these two to have a happy ending.
I really wish there was an epilogue. I think they needed it.
I hope one of Chase's special forces mates get their story told.
Oh Happy Day!!! I love finding a new author who hits all the right buttons. Martine Marchand has written a sexy, heart-pounding, romantic, kick ass book. This book deserves to be discovered. It makes me want to twirl and sing! Love twirling and singing.
Larissa shot a intruder 2 years ago. She is self sufficent and confident of her ability to take care of herself when she needs to. She just hopes she doesn't need to again. But she knows that the intruder, Brian Sparrow has not given up. She lives in a state of awareness ready for him to try again.
Chase is a retired Special Forces super stud. He misses the rush of a mission and takes a job recovering the runaway wife of a wealthy businessman. Yeah, that sounds about right except the wealthy businessman is not on the up and up. He is downright SHADY.
When Chase takes Larissa the results are a heart pounding, panty dropping, cross country kidnapping. Yes, he kidnaps her! She can't see his face (ski mask) but she can appreciate his body and his voice. (snooth baby) Love a good voice. With the kidnapper and the kidnapee getting closer, you would think that he is going to not turn her over the stalker serial killer. But NOOOOO. He does and that is only 50% into the book. You know I don't do spoilers....but hold on to your twirling skirt 'cause baby it is getting good up in here!
There are gold toothed thugs, mean FBI ladies, Larissa's smart mouth, and Chase's total emotional shut down. Throw in some more bad ass Special Forces guys, a gay hair dresser, oh, and a porn mogal and oh my... have you got a story!
Chase and Larissa are great characters. They aren't wimpy but they have moments of self doubt as all of us do. The story moves at a quick pace but is long enough that you connect to the characters. I hope, hope, hope that we get more of the Special Forces friends.
Have to admit at first this bk was a WTF?!? A ex-special forces dude(Chase/H) now working security/investigations is hired/conned by a murderer to kidnap and haul his victim half way across the country so he can kill her?!? Ok, the villain claims she’s his wayward wife, but still….Chase, buddy, do your homework. Was this guy naïve/dumb or what?!? Then there’s Larissa/h...She’s been a victim of attempted rape/assault by our villain but it’s been 2 yrs and she’s amped up her arsenal of self-defense, a victim no more. But Larisa, puh-leeze…she sorta/kinda gets attracted to her kidnapper who wears a ski mask the 4 days he’s hauling her across the US. Really?!? Nah, not buying it. My nose was turned up pretty much during the entire first half of this bk.
Why did I keep reading? The best part of this story starts around the 50% mark when Chase, who’s having doubts about this assignment, is just about to deliver Larissa to her supposed husband. Could she be telling the truth and is he really delivering her to her death? This is when the story gets really interesting…a cluster of things begins to happen. There’s murder, action, mayhem, suspense, cat and mouse FBI interrogations…just a roller coaster of a ride. Seriously bumped my enthusiasm for this story in a big way.
This is a rom-suspense story with the 1st half being real lite on the romance. By the 2nd half I have to offer Chase a round of applause. The guy’s thorough, slow and REALLY knows how to use his thumbs. WHEW –HOT! Plus, the guy is just so darn sweet….and adorably cute with a stray kitten. Overall very entertaining with a few laughs along the way.
Hang in there for the good part and you’ll enjoy this one. Like to see what’s next from this author.
The Heart Has Reasons by Martine Marchand is the book that almost wasn't for me & thank goodness that didn't happen. I was just being a cranky bitch, it was late & I decided that now is a good time to start a new book…umm no bad idea! So, the next morning I woke up and with a good cup of coffee, I decided to give it another shot. I am so glad I did. I am really not just a romance reader, what I really LOVE is romantic suspense / romantic thrillers. This book fits the bill! It was sexy and had suspense, action, romance; I fully enjoyed all the twist & turns in this book. I guess some people might think this book was a little long but for me I did not mind at all. I would much rather have it done in one book rather than have it broken into two for no reason. I don’t enjoy being tortured & having to wait forever to see what happens in the end, so kudos to the author for not playing that game with her readers. This book was more like two books in one for me first half with Larissa being in captivity & next half out of captivity. Once a victim, I loved how she never gave up through everything she went through. Chase O'Malley is just my kind of bad ass; however an endearing side of Chase is shown when he grows an attachment to a stray kitten. Ohhh & I just melted ! Interesting read with no cliffhanger bullshit, yep totally worth the read! 4 stars for me
Here is the rundown: The first part of the book pulled me in. Approximately 150 pages in I guessed what was going to happen, but I didn’t know how it would play out so that wasn’t really an issue. Then from the “big event” it went downhill for about 100 pages. 100 pages! It was the same thing over and over. Honestly, it could have been summed up in a couple of paragraphs and I wouldn’t have missed a thing. About 83% in it started to pick back up again and I finally got some steam. Thank goodness.
I am such a fickle woman. I loathe a weak, crying, whiney, insecure h but you know, I don’t really like those that have it all either. Laurissa bordered on the "I can do everything hear me roar" line but she didn’t annoy me and it is nice to read a strong h for a change.
I know I’m supposed to hate Chase. I mean, he’s a kidnapper and all but I already know that my moral compass is hosed when it comes to books so I’m okay with liking him. Though, I can’t imagine how doing yoga while wearing a ski mask is attractive and I kept wondering how his face wasn't itchy. Lucky for him, he finally pulled his head out. But man, he’s lucky Laurissa didn’t shoot him.
So, to the point, I did enjoy this book but it was just too long. There was absolutely no need to this to be a 400+ page book. Had some editing been done to cut down those rinse-and-repeat pages, I’d have easily given this 4 stars, but since I was almost bored for ¼ of the book, THHR only gets 3. I’m glad I read it but would be hesitant to recommend it to anyone, especially those who don’t like books of that length.
This book was nothing short of AWESOME!!! Its going directly up on my favorite list! It kept me on the edge of my seat from beginning to end. I literally couldn't put it down. Not predictable at all. I loved that the author really takes her time with the pacing. You must add this book to your list of must-reads. You won't be disappointed.
GREAT GREAT BOOK! -THE CHARACTERS IN THIS BOOK ARE AMAZING! - Larissa She's fierce, she's a fighter, she's beautiful, karate kicking female. All of these things together make an AMAZING heroine. I agreed with EVERYTHING she did in this book! Larissa wasn't the typical 'I'm going to cry the whole time and then fall in love after he gives me an orgasm' heroine that is true with most female characters in these types of books. it's very rare a heroine in a book doesn't do something that makes me scream "WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?!" But nope, this woman was amazing! LOVED reading about her.
Chase A sexy ex-special forces man. He is rugged and damn sexy. Not much is mentioned about his appearance, just rugged and piercing blue eyes. There is nothing to not love about him. An alpha male with ACTUAL emotions...who would have thought that would be possible in a book about kidnapping? BOOK BOYFRIEND 100%!
what I loved -the back and forth between Larissa and Chase. Made for a very interesting read! Not to mention the many fight scenes between them...WOW! Who knew fighting could be such a turn on? -the sex scenes were good...not the best in terms of descriptiveness, but the bond between them made it a very sexy read! -the antagonist (Hank Keswick) in this book is EVIL. Wow. You find out very early on in the book just how manipulating and psychotic he is! -I found myself waiting on baited breath wondering WHAT THE HELL was going to happen next! I ripped through this book in one sitting.
what I didn't love -some of the scenes (especially one in particular) were VERY drawn out. I found myself skipping to the dialogue just to hurry the book along and get to the good parts! Hence my reason for not giving it the full 5 stars...
Other than that, I really did enjoy reading this! Highly recommended for those who love kidnapping romance books!
I've been so lucky lately reading these truly amazing stories and this one is right up there with them. This is going to sound so cliche but I actually got goosebumps when I read the title of the book within the story. I think it may have been the timing of when it was said and I guess i never paid attention to the titles being in the book but I will never forget this one.
So kidnapper Chase was alpha male and of course I love my men bossy and hot! He's ex Special Forces so you know he has a take charge attitude and under all that rough exterior he is a guy that has his walls built up and it unfortunately interferes with his " mission" and him seeing what the truth is. He makes a huge mistake because his feelings got involved and pays for it. I love him and his friends and I love all the violence, sex and romance he offered,
The wildcat Larissa is one bad ass bitch and I wanna be just like her! She was vulnerable once before and learned from that event in her life and made sure not to be weak again. Seriously, she is one of my favorite chicks of all time. She takes no shit from anyone and never gives up. She's smart,independent and emotionally fierce but still has some doubts about things most females do. She's also loyal to a fault and knows how to bring out Chase's playful nature.
All you could want out of a book is within these pages. I look forward to reading more from this author.
To my surprise this one was really really good. It had romance, suspense, main characters that you fall in love with, scorching sex scenes, and a plot that kept me on the edge of my seat.
I loved the "I fell in love with my kidnapper" thing. I know, it's weird, but it really worked in this book. Even though Chase (who is an ex-Special Forces soldier) kidnaps Larissa for her "supposed" husband he never once hurt her or forced himself on her. He was actually kind, attentive, and compassionate. He knew that what he was doing was wrong but he thought he was bringing a run away wife home to her husband and kids. Little did he know that the "husband" that hired him is actually a serial killer that had attacked Larissa two years before.
I absolutely loved Larissa. She was so strong and spunky and even though she was in a horrible situation she never stopped fighting or stopped and broke down. Even though she told Chase over and over that she is in fact not married and the guy he is taking her to is going to kill her, he ignores her and thinks she is just lying because her "husband" told him that she was a pathological liar and an Oscar worthy actress.
Larissa comes across all sweet and innocent, but that's merely a carefully cultivated illusion. She's a devious and skillful liar, as well as an Oscar-worthy actress, so don't believe anything she tells you, and don't trust her for a minute.
The plot was paced really well and the connection, attraction, and romance between Chase and Larissa was a build-up not an instant love thing. When Chase finally delivers her to her "husband" I thought my heart was gonna break apart. When she begged at his feet not to leave her there and he just walked away... I shed a tear. I could feel Larissa's pain, frustration, and fear. After this point in the book shit hits the fan and I couldn't pull my eyes away from my kindle if there was a fire in my house. As the book progressed it just kept getting better and better... I just couldn't put it down.
"Mr.. O'Malley, may I assume you have feelings for Ms. Santos?" "I love her more than life itself."
Overall this one was a 5 star read for me. I loved everything about it and I couldn't put it down. The writing was really good and I will be looking out for more books by this author. If you love a romance with some suspense or a captive/kidnapper romance then this is for you.
"The Heart Has Reasons" by Martine Marchand blew me away! This debut novel provided me with a little bit of everything: mystery/suspense, murder, love, steamy passion, laughter, tears and of course, intense, edge-of-your-seat drama! The characters included a kick-a** h/h, a serial killer, a funny gay best friend, good cop/bad cop, and even an adorable kitten and puppy. And, Chase O'Mally, an Alpha male, Special Ops warrior, is now my new book boyfriend. What more can I ask for???
I have to say it's the BEST book that I've read in the year of 2013! In fact, it's now has the elite honor of being one of my ALL-time favorites! My only complaints, grammatical errors and no epilogue, but I'm not penalizing for those small infractions. If you don't read this book, you have no idea what you are missing! Definite 5 stars all the way!!!
Started this book April 2nd/13 and although I was only a short way into this book (about 13%) it was one of those books that grabbed me right from page one. It's very interesting, held my interest throughout and is a definite keeper.
This was a full length novel with just the right amount of action, mystery, suspense and heat. This was a very sensitive topic, but it was so well written by the author, Martine Marchand, that you could feel the connection between Larissa and her captor, Chase.
I highly recommend this book and will definitely be looking for more by the author.
I loved this book and can't believe I got it free on amazon! This book ticked every box in my opinion, action, suspense, steam and emotion.I'm glad that the author did not drag things out. This was such a sensitive topic, but it was so well written that you could feel the connection between Larissa and her captor. The only thing I would have loved more was an epilogue but its still great as it is.
I really enjoyed this book. I wondered how the story would last the length of the book without dragging but it never dragged at all. It kept me on edge until the end. I really like the author's style and will definitely read more from her.
For a first time writer, I have to say this story was extremely well written. Except for a few editing issues, including some misspelled words which did not distract too much from the story, I was totally mesmerized throughout the entire book. Both the H/h are strong, likeable characters and the chemistry between them was believable and hot!
Martine Marchand has created a truly interesting plot with a number of amazing twists and turns. The hero, Chase O’Malley, a Special Forces veteran is hired to kidnap Larissa Santos, the runaway wife of a wealthy LA porn king. Unbeknownst to Chase, the husband is actually a serial killer who tried unsuccessfully to kidnap Larissa two years earlier. After Chase manages to kidnap Larissa, the two embark on a wild cross-country trip in which they both experience a gamut of emotions. I laughed out loud at some of the crazy confrontations between the two of them on this trip.
This book truly has it all, romance, suspense, action, and passion. I truly was on the edge of my seat until the very end of this book. I think the only thing that could have made this story better would have been if the author had added an epilogue. I really liked these two people and would have liked to see their HEA a little further down the road. I am very much looking forward to more books from Ms. Marchand; hopefully she will write about Chase’s kick-ass buddies, Travis, Roach and Mad Dog.
4.5 stars! What a cracking story! I knew I would love this book as soon as i read the blurb....it just called out to me! The story itself is essentially what is written in the description. Ex-marine Chase takes on the job of hunting down Larissa for a the crazy-stalker dude Sparrow. Chase of course doesnt know he is a creep and unwhittingly believes all the rubbish Sparrow throws at him - namely that Larissa is his wife and mother to his children, and that she ran away. In actual fact Sparrow is out for revenge against Larissa when she shot his crazy-ass two years ago when he broke into her home. Chase then accepts the job of bringing (kidnapping) her back to Sparrow for a 'happy' reunion.
The first 50% of this book is Chase and Larissa's adventure across the continent. I loved this part of the book as Larissa really was feisty and did not give up! She tried to out-smart Chase and escape at every opportunity. The sexual tension between the two was high as well. What made this book original was that at 50%, when most books would end, this one continued, making you wonder what was going to happen. That said, nearly 35% of the book, between 50-85%, consisted on tedious FBI interviews. That is the only reason is didnt get the full 5 stars.
The writing was great, love scens howt! Brilliant!!!!
I really enjoyed this book. I had to keep reading to see where things would go. I really liked that the author kept going with the story line, where other authors may have just ended it after the first part and that would be it. I don't want to give anything away, so excuse the vagueness. But when you read it, you'll know what I mean. I liked both characters, both were very well developed, and done nicely throughout the book, not just all at once. And it was very nice not to read another cliffhanger book.
That said, I think the writing for the most part was excellent. However, there were a few things that got me. There was some repetitive parts, inner thoughts that had already been stated quite clearly and did not need repeating (how Chase felt about the woman he was seeing). The author also went a little nuts with the thesaurus. There were various words used throughout the book that until I looked them up, I thought they were made up. And after looking them up, they didnt seem to make sense in the sentences. It did not detract from the story, just threw me off a little.
Over all, definitely a really good book and so worth reading. The author was able to make Chase totally redeemable and Larissa was a for e to reckon with.
I really enjoyed this book, good story line which kept you guessing on the outcome until the end. Larissa is a good strong level headed character, who is kdnapped by Ex Special forces, Chase O'Malley. Chase, completely blind-sided by wealthy Hank Keswick, hires Chase to kidnap Larissa and bring her back to him (Chase beleives Hank to be her ex-husband)and their children. Once Chase has kidnapped Larissa, he has to drive her cross country to deliver her to Hank, and this is where the story really picks up with the sexual tension, suspense, thriller, action and twisted plots. Well written and looking forward to more work by this author.
I LOVED IT. REALLY DIFFERENT STORYLINE, I MEAN REAL DIFFERENT. THE CHARACTERS WERE BELIEVEABLE EVEN THOUGH THEIR BEGINNINGS WERE NOT WHAT MOST LOVE STORIES ARE ABOUT. PLENTY OF FIERY HOT SEX, TENSION, SUSPENSE THRILLS AND ACTION ALL THE WAY TO THE END. EXCITIINNG! BIGTIME! I LIKED THAT BOTH LEAD CHARACTERS WERE ALPHA KICK-ASS DIDN'T TAKE NO SH*T FROM NOBODY, NOT EVEN EACH OTHER. CHASE & LARISSA MIGHT HAVE STARTED OUT ON A ROCKY ROAD BUT LIKE THE TITLE SAYS "THE HEART HAS REASONS". IT SURE DOES. SIGH!! SUPER DUPER SEXY COVER. GROWL!
I had serious trouble accepting the initial premise of this book. I couldn't get past the fact that a former Special Forces Officer would kidnap a woman without checking out the backstory MUCH more thoroughly, and ignore her assertion that he was taking her to her death. But, if you can suspend your disbelief of that portion of The Heart Has Reasons, it is a good story, interesting, very different in the romance genre. Gritty, dark and passionate. The twist at the end was also super cool.
4.5 Stars. Wow what a great read. Larissa is such a fighter, a survivor who will do anything to live through anything put in her way of living. I envy this character. Chase conned to make the biggest mistake, the biggest regret possible, kind hearted with a loveable soul. I loved this story the restraint Chase had, the fiestiness Larissa had, they were a great pair. I am so happy for their HEA!
unexpected deliciousness. that's what that was. we've got serial killers. special forces. fbi. kidnappings. the gay best friend. guns. thugs. you name it. it was there. action packed. suspense. oh the angst. chase and larissa. what a fun team. def recommend. no cliffhangers or babies. nice change. the writing is superb. sucks you in all the way. non stop reading.