IN ROBIN PERINI'S THE CRADLE CONSPIRACY, TWO THINGS HAVE BEEN STOLEN FROM HER MEMORIES…AND HER BABY
CIA agent Daniel Adams, once a prisoner of war, is a loner out of necessity. But rescuing an amnesiac woman left buried alive bonds them in ways neither can resist. All "Raven" knows is that her baby is in danger. All Daniel can focus on is finding the missing child—and protecting Raven every step of the way.
Her memories are lost and his are scarred from the damages of war. But as they depend on each other for survival in the rugged west Texas mountains, the pieces of their broken pasts start to come together. Now all they have is the risky hope of a future together as they confront the threat that can destroy them both.
************** Dear Author: (and all romantic suspense authors)
I love your action scenes and the camaraderie you create among the guys (their rude banter, rough insults, and tight bond). I love your heroine -- her intuitive trust in Daniel and the absence of dripping wet panties. I like reading without getting bombarded with F-bombs and other vulgarities, so thanks for keeping it smexy but in good taste.
However, I do wish authors would limit repetitive soul-searching and morbid memories of past pain. Use the freed space to write a crisp, credible sequence of events.
In this book, if I had to hear about how Daniel was whipped to near death once I had to hear it a million times. The word "whip" appeared about 25 times in his memories of the past, by Kindle count. I felt annoyed and bored at Daniel's repetitive thought life and redundant conversations about prison or dungeon or torture (20+ times) Bellevaux (13 times) and severe claustrophia. These repeated references slowed the pace, interrupted the story, and did nothing to foster my sympathy for the hero. He already had all my sympathy at word one, and I doubt he wanted you to spill his guts all over his girl Raven -- or all over me. Plus, I certainly didn't need to be reminded of his torture. Would I forget?
Plus, this may seem harsh, but the character who dwells on past abuse -- even POW torture -- begins to appear self-focused. We all know Daniel is not glorifying his pain. It just starts to seem that way. Almost.
Sometimes you broke into a sweet kiss or yes -- even a love scene -- with thoughts about past torture, or thoughts about Daniel's dad, who committed suicide.
It's a common problem, IMO, all this soul-searching, seen in numerous RS novels, but I want my action heroes to live in the NOW. Certainly they should be HERE and VIVID in the midst of a battle scene or a love scene. Not interrupting the flow with references to the past and muffling the moment with the chloroform of memory.
If the maudlin memories were diminished, you could develop a more credible plot. For example,
I liked the trampoline scene. Improbable? Probably. But cool. And possible.
This book drew me right in. The story starts out with Raven waking up, in a very dark place. She realized she was buried alive. She can’t remember anything including her own name.
Daniel was tortured when he was serving the military on active duty. He has PTSD that includes night mares, and flashbacks. It was Daniel and his stray dog trouble that happen to find Raven, and save her. The trouble does not end there. This book was packed with action. The villain’s in this story were really sick people. Daniel was able to fight back his PTSD while he was protecting Raven, and working to find out who wanted her dead. In a way you can say they saved each other. I loved this book, and will be adding it to my favorite’s list.
Sample from chapter 3 – Raven struggled to take in air through her damaged throat. She heard frantic cries to call the sheriff, and the thud and crash of more bodies and equipment hitting the floor. The doctor staggered to her side, blood streaming down the side of his face. “Are you all right? What happened?”
Another sample from chapter 3 – “Whether you believe me or not, Raven is in serious danger. Somebody left her to die. She couldn’t have escaped on her own.” If it hadn’t been for Trouble, she night never have been found. She wouldn’t have survived. The thought made him shudder. “I hope you’re better than good at your job, because when the killer discovers she’s alive, he’ll track her down.”
Sample from chapter 6 – She just wanted to feel. This crazy heat that was going through her was something she wanted to know more about. She couldn’t believe she’d ever felt anything like what Daniel made her feel. Surely I’d remember something like this. Ignoring his intended retreat, she held his face in her hands and kissed him again, reveling in the lightning that sparked from her core
Sample from chapter 7 – Daniel returned to the neighboring room and stood in the doorway as the doctor finished his check on Raven. “She okay?” he asked. The gray haired man scowled. “For someone who’s been in a cave-in, and explosion, and a drive-by, sure, she’s great.”
Sample from chapter 8 – The ground behind her gave way. She dove towards a mesquite tree frowning out of the rock and grabbed hold of one of the branches. The bark cut into her hands but she held tight, panting. Frantic, she looked down at the swirling water. If she fell, she wouldn’t survive.
When Daniel Adams finds a woman tied up and buried in an abandoned mine he is forced to face his past in ways that he has been trying to avoid. The woman in question has lost her memory, all she knows is that she has a baby and it's missing. When the doctor confirms that she has in fact given birth, the race is on to find out who she is an what has happened to her baby. It soon becomes apparent that someone is out to stop them from getting the answers they desperately want and their journey is action packed and fraught with tension.
Robin Perini writes romantic Suspense and she does it well! I've yet to read any of her books and not enjoy them. This one was one of my favourites, so far anyway. Another one for the keeper shelf!
Very good book that kept me riveted from the first page. Both Daniel and Raven have issues stemming from their pasts. Daniel is trying to get his life back on track after recovering from two months of captivity and torture. He still can't stand enclosed spaces so he has been hiking from the east coast to Carder, Texas, where his job is. Along the way he was adopted by a dog who travels with him. While near the town of Trouble the dog discovers a woman buried alive in a mine. When Daniel rescues her he discovers she has no memory except for visions of a baby in danger. After attempts are made on her life Daniel is determined to protect her and find the missing child.
Raven is terrified when she regains consciousness trapped in a rolled up carpet in a mine. Her relief at being rescued by Daniel is tempered by the fact that she can't remember her name or anything else about herself. When someone attempts to kill her while she's in the local clinic Daniel makes it his mission to keep her safe. Raven can't remember anything of her past but she's wearing a locket with a picture that she feels is that of her baby, who she feels is in terrible danger. She feels safe with Daniel, even after they are attacked again. She is also attracted to him even after he tries to tell her that she can't depend on being safe with him. She can see the pain he is in and wants to help him through it. I loved the way that she could see what a good man he really was. She was also very attracted to him, an attraction that grew deeper the more she learned about him. I loved the way that she had the inner strength to do whatever had to be done to find her daughter even though it was dangerous. He feelings for Daniel gave her the ability to trust that he would be able to keep her safe.
Daniel is suffering badly from PTSD because of his captivity and torture. He doesn't trust himself to be around people, especially his mom and sisters. His father had also had the same issues and was abusive because of it until he killed himself. Daniel fears being the same way. He still has terrible nightmares and flashbacks. When his dog discovers Raven back in the mine Daniel has to fight those flashbacks to go in and get her. As messed up as he feels he is, he is determined to keep her safe and help her find her child. He tries to keep his distance physically and emotionally, but discovers that Raven's presence soothes some of his fears. I loved his tenderness with her and how much she came to mean to him. I also liked the way that he was able to call on his friends for their help to protect her and solve the mystery. They were also determined to help him conquer his own demons. I loved the ending with the way their lives worked out.
The mystery itself was pretty intense. The person who had Raven's daughter was pretty creepy in her whole attitude. She got to be downright scary with the craziness she was showing by the end. The man who was trying to kill Raven was a real sociopath. His actions and his connection to the woman made the danger even more intense.
A fast paced story. A good intrigue. very interesting characters. I loved Daniel and Raven. I really lived this story. A little bémol, I sometimes found the story a bit too much; but I loved reading it. I loved hosw they helped each other with supressing and reemerging memories for Daniel and Raven. A very good read.
This is the type of book where you'll want to clear some time and just sit and read it. You won't want to put it down.
Ex-CIA agent, Daniel Adams, is suffering severely from PTSD because he was held as a captive and tortured for a couple of months. He knew he had to face his demons in order to get over them. In the meantime, he feels that nobody is safe around him since he never knows when he may lose control. He has been adopted by a dog who travels with him. While near the small town of Trouble, TX. the dog smells a woman who has been buried alive in a mine. When Daniel rescues her he sees that she can't remember anything about herself. She does eventually have visions of a baby that she believes to be hers. When someone attempts to kill her while she's in the local clinic Daniel decides it is his responsibility to keep her safe. He is also helping her find out who she is and to find her baby. That turns out to be easier said than done in The Cradle Conspiracy.
Perini is a very illustrative writer who creates an entire world for her audience to get lost in. Every aspect of this novel is fully developed in a manner that you can’t help but picture. She presents her readers with a novel that is simultaneously exciting, suspenseful, and emotional. The action scenes are remarkable and I liked the detailed descriptions of the surroundings and the scenes.
A great suspenseful book full of action, intrigue and great characters. Daniel is a good man, even with all his PTSD issues. Perini obviously researched this illness in depth and was able to provide the reader with enough information that we could understand his distress in dealing with it. I was drawn to Raven, even when she and the reader didn't know who she was. I liked that the author brought out that she was a loving, compassionate woman. She understands Daniel's stress and wants to help him overcome his fears. Daniel fights his attraction to Raven, for her own safety - he thinks, but Raven falls in love with Daniel.
When I first started reading this, I was intrigued. A man finds a chick with serious memory loss in a cave, he hates life...sounds great. Then he gets attached to her not even five pages in. Why cruel world, why? Romance is never that neat. Love at first sight? I don't believe it. Regardless, the plot seemed interesting enough. Although I never read the book in its entirety (I couldn't do it; some things are too painful), so I skipped around a bunch and got the gist of the book. All I can say...you don't jump from randomly knowing each other to indecent relations in the rain, if you catch my drift. In the end, I was just thinking "what the heck is wrong with people. You want to off someone for not helping you/ not knowing all the facts. That's grand. They're just one happy family...time to make a scrapbook." Yes I know, it's weird, but come on the book is just as weird, if not predictable.
Conclusion
I'm not going to give this a bad rating. There were words on paper, so one start down. It didn't bore me five pages in...two stars. That's about it. If it's for some people, great. Sadly it reminds me of so many books with love triangles and love at first sight. Just not my slice of pie all the time, unless it's done with....lots of creativity. Anyway, if you like it...you endured a short, but probably boring rant. If you didn't, maybe you agree with my opinion. In the end, I'm not recommending this book.
What a powerful story this is. It touched me with all the emotions; made me smile, sigh, tear up, and heart raise from the intense fear and anxiety. Daniel is so scared inside. The PTSD symptoms are well described, with such a vivid images. But he is truly a good man, with a loving, caring heart. His connection with Raven was so delicate and tender. Their trust to each other is strong, the way they calm each others mind is just beautiful. The hunt for Raven's memories, for the people trying to kill her, for the baby -- it is fierce and frightful. Such an original plot, with intense suspense, evil villains, deep emotions, lovable main characters ~ Five spoons!
This was a fast paced, action packed story of two wounded souls. Daniel is fighting his demons after his capture and torture. While wandering in Texas, he ends up with a companion. Trouble won't come within 10 feet of him but the dog continues to follow him.
Raven awakens in a dark cramped space not being able to remember how or why she is there.
Trouble ends up running into the old mine shaft and finds Raven. Daniel has to help her escape but his fear of the dark enclosed space is almost too much for him to handle.
I truly love everything I have read by Robin Perini and this book did not disappoint. I was kept guessing throughout on who did it and how they are all connected.
Very fast-paced - the action was more-or-less non-stop. I did keep wondering why on earth somebody wanted this poor woman dead so badly. Perini has a real talent for creating seriously mentally deranged characters.
Badly damaged male protag, and female protag who has amnesia from a murder attempt, and who spends the book narrowly dodging further murder attempts (and being rescued). Interesting way to throw two people together - who is going to help who first?
Satisfying ending. Nice epilogue. This is part of the related series about the special ops guys who open their own protection agency.
In Perini’s romantic intrigue novel, former prisoner of war, CIA agent Daniel Adams, is a loner as he struggles to overcome PTSD. During his travels, he rescues an amnesiac left buried alive only to bond with the woman he calls “Raven.” As danger follows the couple, Daniel is determined to conquer his demons and save the woman and the child she knows is out there somewhere. Brought together by fate, they work together to overcome their broken past and build a future together.
A fast-paced, action-packed story with a surprise ending.
I read this in one go! Another fast-paced Intrigue romantic thriller.
Daniel Adams has PTSD from his time as a prisoner of war. Despite his claustrophobia, he heads into an unstable mine to rescue a woman who has been buried alive. On top of that, he befriends a homeless dog. My hero!
Unfortunately, Daniel's continued insistence that he's a danger to all who love him wore on my nerves. It made him border on being a martyr! A strong person takes help where they can find it, Daniel. Get over yourself!
Other than that, I really enjoyed this well-plotted romantic suspense.
Another story about a characters, one of who is an amnesiac, who don't place enough emphasis to finding out about any relationships they might have to someone before having an intimate relationship to a person they have just met. It seems very dishonorable. That always gets to me in these types of books.
It had the bases of a good story line. But after the first 20 pages it was hard to stay interested. Though you want to know what the heck is going on, there was just way to much going on for, to many characters point of view's. To much attention was put on all the bad guys, then the actual characters, and I didn't feel the main characters had a great connection, then the end was too rushed.
I liked that it took me a while to get all the bad guys and their motivations. Lots and lots of action, including a nice raging river rescue. Lots of secondary characters with interesting quirks. Nice chemistry between hero and heroine
"Perini's tale is a twisted trip into the lives of two scarred souls who are digging into the mind of a psychopath to survive. She deftly weaves what could have been a formulaic plot into a suspenseful adventure that will keep readers guessing until the end." RT Book Reviews, rated 4 1/2 stars
Another amazing story by Robin Perini. Couldn't put it down. Great mystery/romance without being X-rated. You really connect with Raven and want so badly for her to find her baby.
Suspenseful. Great characters. Lots of action. I enjoyed The Cradle Conspiracy by Robin Perini. I look forward to reading more from this author. This is a complete book, not a cliff-hanger.