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Slow Burn #5
Just One Touch
Number One USA Today and New York Times bestselling author Maya Banks continues her suspenseful and sizzling Slow Burn series with the fifth book featuring the men and women of Devereaux Security Services.
She can heal with a touch…or kill with a look.
Isaac, one of the toughest recruits of Devereaux Security Services, has no problem risking his life to save others. But when Isaac is tasked with taking down a female assassin—one with the power to wipe out life in the blink of an eye—he quickly realizes this job is a complete game changer.
Yet once he catches up to Maggie and captures her, fully intending to bring her in, he makes a startling discovery: She’s not the cold blooded killer he’s been led to believe. He quickly realizes that Maggie is in great danger and vows to protect her at all costs. Even if it means taking on the agency he has absolute loyalty to.
Maggie has the power to choose who lives or dies—and she hates her existence for it. Hunted ruthlessly by a group that will stop at nothing to manipulate her, she can’t afford to trust anyone, not even a man who promises to keep her safe at all costs. She wants to believe in Isaac—but she can’t afford to be wrong. If she is, it’s not just her heart at risk…
Thousands of lives will pay for her mistake.
She can heal with a touch…or kill with a look.
Isaac, one of the toughest recruits of Devereaux Security Services, has no problem risking his life to save others. But when Isaac is tasked with taking down a female assassin—one with the power to wipe out life in the blink of an eye—he quickly realizes this job is a complete game changer.
Yet once he catches up to Maggie and captures her, fully intending to bring her in, he makes a startling discovery: She’s not the cold blooded killer he’s been led to believe. He quickly realizes that Maggie is in great danger and vows to protect her at all costs. Even if it means taking on the agency he has absolute loyalty to.
Maggie has the power to choose who lives or dies—and she hates her existence for it. Hunted ruthlessly by a group that will stop at nothing to manipulate her, she can’t afford to trust anyone, not even a man who promises to keep her safe at all costs. She wants to believe in Isaac—but she can’t afford to be wrong. If she is, it’s not just her heart at risk…
Thousands of lives will pay for her mistake.
256 pages, Paperback
First published May 23, 2017
545 people are currently reading
3789 people want to read
About the author
Maya Banks
242 books21.5k followersMaya Banks is the #1 New York Times, #1 USA Today and international bestselling author of over 50 novels. A wife and mother of three, she lives in Texas.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 405 reviews
November 22, 2017
Too much too much
Okay I like alphas and I like men loving their women and being overly protective. I love that stuff actually but enough is enough. This was so very over the top at one point I just threw my hands in the air and yelled no more please. I love Maya banks and I was loving this story but it just became too much OTT sappiness and just took it too far. I am going to back and read it again later. Maybe I am just not feeling it today.
Okay I like alphas and I like men loving their women and being overly protective. I love that stuff actually but enough is enough. This was so very over the top at one point I just threw my hands in the air and yelled no more please. I love Maya banks and I was loving this story but it just became too much OTT sappiness and just took it too far. I am going to back and read it again later. Maybe I am just not feeling it today.
July 21, 2017
Review posted on Got Fiction?
DNF
I have to stop reading her. I haven't like anything she's written since her Highlanders.
Someone remind me of that next time I pick up one of her Romantic Suspenses.
Full Review:
Why do I keep reading her books? Sigh. I haven't like anything of hers since her Highlanders. And even those were iffy to me.
Look, I love insta-love. I truly don't mind that trope (which I know is a huge problem for some people). But Ms. Banks takes it to the next level. In every single book I've ever read by her, the hero instantly loves her and wants to protect her. Okay, I'm cool with that...but he then steamrolls the heroine and takes over her life. That's his way of loving and protecting her. The women become doormats. That's not love, nor is it romantic.
Read my review of Keep Me Safe to see how I feel about her latest books.
I'm not going to summarize it, but I will say that her heroines have become naive to the point of stupidity. I mean how did they ever dress and brush their teeth and eat food without the hero helping her do it?
Her heroes are not heroes to me. They are bulldozers. They bulldoze into their heroines' lives and take over every single decision and independent thought they could possibly have. It's ridiculous.
I'm breaking up with her. I just can't do this anymore. It's painful to read.
***ARC courtesy of Avon Books
DNF
I have to stop reading her. I haven't like anything she's written since her Highlanders.
Someone remind me of that next time I pick up one of her Romantic Suspenses.
Full Review:
Why do I keep reading her books? Sigh. I haven't like anything of hers since her Highlanders. And even those were iffy to me.
Look, I love insta-love. I truly don't mind that trope (which I know is a huge problem for some people). But Ms. Banks takes it to the next level. In every single book I've ever read by her, the hero instantly loves her and wants to protect her. Okay, I'm cool with that...but he then steamrolls the heroine and takes over her life. That's his way of loving and protecting her. The women become doormats. That's not love, nor is it romantic.
Read my review of Keep Me Safe to see how I feel about her latest books.
I'm not going to summarize it, but I will say that her heroines have become naive to the point of stupidity. I mean how did they ever dress and brush their teeth and eat food without the hero helping her do it?
Her heroes are not heroes to me. They are bulldozers. They bulldoze into their heroines' lives and take over every single decision and independent thought they could possibly have. It's ridiculous.
I'm breaking up with her. I just can't do this anymore. It's painful to read.
***ARC courtesy of Avon Books
August 10, 2020
3,75 sterren - Nederlandse paperback 🌹🦋🌹
June 10, 2017
Ugh.
Requires total suspension of disbelief. I mean, she's been living with a cult since she was four, but knows what a Goodwill store is?? Furthermore, the relationship just develops too quickly. It made me so uncomfortable for her to go from being"owned" by a cult and drug lord to being "owned" by Issac. Yuck. Lots of repetitive writing, as well. I skipped whole pages where the author just said the same thing over and over again.
Requires total suspension of disbelief. I mean, she's been living with a cult since she was four, but knows what a Goodwill store is?? Furthermore, the relationship just develops too quickly. It made me so uncomfortable for her to go from being"owned" by a cult and drug lord to being "owned" by Issac. Yuck. Lots of repetitive writing, as well. I skipped whole pages where the author just said the same thing over and over again.
February 26, 2020
Once upon a blue moon, I do want to read a very cheesy, corny, OTT romance. The story where there is no character development, no push and pull, no twist/ drama. Just a beautiful corny words. A story where I can just listen without thinking.
Based on my research, Just One Touch is that book I am looking for. And this book fulfill my wish. My once in a blue moon wish. There is no character development, a lot of insta lust without understanding why 2 characters fall in love without any background story. But hey, somehow in Miss Banks world, it works nicely. After all she has this gift making a nonsense romance to be addictive.
Again, I am quite satisfied with this story.
3 stars
Based on my research, Just One Touch is that book I am looking for. And this book fulfill my wish. My once in a blue moon wish. There is no character development, a lot of insta lust without understanding why 2 characters fall in love without any background story. But hey, somehow in Miss Banks world, it works nicely. After all she has this gift making a nonsense romance to be addictive.
Again, I am quite satisfied with this story.
3 stars
d-n-f
September 6, 2017I started reading this a few days ago and gave up. Tried again while I have a free hour and I'm giving up again.
The basic plot is interesting, but since chapter two it's been nothing but "Oh baby, I know we just met but you're my reason for breathing. I'll do anything to make you happy. I love you so much!" Just nonstop cheese and corn. It's fucking awful.
And Jenna is a mass of contradictions. She's weak, then she's stubbornly strong. She's ignorant and brainwashed, then she's a sassy sarcastic woman. She goes back and forth from "OMG the TV is the Devil!" to being headstrong and wise beyond her years on how relationships work. "Oh please don't be upset with me for daring to look you in the eye after we just fucked for three days!" What in the hell is going on with this girl? I HAVE NO IDEA. But I don't like her.
The hero is legit fantasy porn. They're in love within 24 hours and flowers are blooming out their buttholes when they look into each other's eyes. Maya Banks went way overboard here. Every corny thing ever said about loving a woman so deeply, about wanting to be a better man, about the love of a good woman changing everything about a man... this dude is using all of them. Every. Fucking. Cliche. Did I already say it's fucking awful? Because it's fucking awful.
Totally fucking awful.
I wasted 37 minutes of my single hour of free time on this shit.
The basic plot is interesting, but since chapter two it's been nothing but "Oh baby, I know we just met but you're my reason for breathing. I'll do anything to make you happy. I love you so much!" Just nonstop cheese and corn. It's fucking awful.
And Jenna is a mass of contradictions. She's weak, then she's stubbornly strong. She's ignorant and brainwashed, then she's a sassy sarcastic woman. She goes back and forth from "OMG the TV is the Devil!" to being headstrong and wise beyond her years on how relationships work. "Oh please don't be upset with me for daring to look you in the eye after we just fucked for three days!" What in the hell is going on with this girl? I HAVE NO IDEA. But I don't like her.
The hero is legit fantasy porn. They're in love within 24 hours and flowers are blooming out their buttholes when they look into each other's eyes. Maya Banks went way overboard here. Every corny thing ever said about loving a woman so deeply, about wanting to be a better man, about the love of a good woman changing everything about a man... this dude is using all of them. Every. Fucking. Cliche. Did I already say it's fucking awful? Because it's fucking awful.
Totally fucking awful.
I wasted 37 minutes of my single hour of free time on this shit.
May 17, 2017
This book was...problematic. In the beginning of the book, Jenna gets reintroduced into society after over 20 years of captivity by a cult (since she was four years old). Upon her escape from the cult, she finds herself stealing Isaac's car. Now Isaac is one bad-*ss alpha warrior, but these two almost immediately fall into instalove despite her thievery. The rest of the book revolves around Isaac trying to keep Jenna safe and Jenna trying to find a way to keep Isaac and the rest of the DSS crew out of her troubles.
What bothered me most about this book was Jenna's ability to function. She was locked up for 20 years! Yes, besides a freak out when she first sees a TV, Jenna seems fairly normal in this book. She speaks in full, eloquent sentences and even tackles driving pretty easily. I mean...what!?!
Also, Isaac doesn't know anything about Jenna when they meet and first start to feel out a relationship. He doesn't know her age (he repeatedly wonders if she's even legal), he doesn't know what her damage is...nothing. Even when Isaac and Jenna talk about Jenna's past with the cult and how she's so excited to be free, he still worries a lot about how he can keep her with him (he contemplates tying her up and getting her pregnant).
Beyond Jenna's problematic reintroduction into society and Isaac's selfishness, this book also isn't anything ground-breaking for Maya Banks fans. Isaac's paragraphs and paragraphs of dialogue about his unending love for Jenna could have been spoken by any number of Banks heroes. Jenna's gift of healing others seems to strongly resemble Grace's gift from the KGI series.
I wanted to love this book with the same passion that I have for most other Maya Banks books. This one fell way, way short for me though.
Copy for review provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
What bothered me most about this book was Jenna's ability to function. She was locked up for 20 years! Yes, besides a freak out when she first sees a TV, Jenna seems fairly normal in this book. She speaks in full, eloquent sentences and even tackles driving pretty easily. I mean...what!?!
Also, Isaac doesn't know anything about Jenna when they meet and first start to feel out a relationship. He doesn't know her age (he repeatedly wonders if she's even legal), he doesn't know what her damage is...nothing. Even when Isaac and Jenna talk about Jenna's past with the cult and how she's so excited to be free, he still worries a lot about how he can keep her with him (he contemplates tying her up and getting her pregnant).
Beyond Jenna's problematic reintroduction into society and Isaac's selfishness, this book also isn't anything ground-breaking for Maya Banks fans. Isaac's paragraphs and paragraphs of dialogue about his unending love for Jenna could have been spoken by any number of Banks heroes. Jenna's gift of healing others seems to strongly resemble Grace's gift from the KGI series.
I wanted to love this book with the same passion that I have for most other Maya Banks books. This one fell way, way short for me though.
Copy for review provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
May 31, 2017
I'm sorry, I'm over the "Hello, nice to meet you - I LOVE you!!" trope. In the first couple of pages, this incredibly sheltered woman (who we find out later didn't know what a television was) managed to drive off in a truck with a manual transmission. Between that & the insta-love (occurring IN the 1st 10 PAGES!), I knew I was done with Ms. Banks. I struggled to finish this and am sorry I wasted my time doing so. Blech.
September 17, 2017
Him: I'll protect you. We'll protect you.
Her: You can't protect me. You'll be hurt.
Him: I'll protect you. We'll protect you.
Her: You can't protect me. You'll be hurt.
Him: I love you. I'll protect you. We'll protect you.
Her: I love you. You can't protect me. You'll be hurt.
Some hot intimacy.
Him: I love you. I'll protect you. We'll protect you.
Her: I love you. You can't protect me. You'll be hurt.
Some more implied intimacy and sexy talk.
Him: I love you I'll protect you. We'll protect you. Oh, and I'll keep you pregnant and having love babies.
Her: I love you. I guess you really can protect me.
Ugggh. I should have DNFd it.
Her: You can't protect me. You'll be hurt.
Him: I'll protect you. We'll protect you.
Her: You can't protect me. You'll be hurt.
Him: I love you. I'll protect you. We'll protect you.
Her: I love you. You can't protect me. You'll be hurt.
Some hot intimacy.
Him: I love you. I'll protect you. We'll protect you.
Her: I love you. You can't protect me. You'll be hurt.
Some more implied intimacy and sexy talk.
Him: I love you I'll protect you. We'll protect you. Oh, and I'll keep you pregnant and having love babies.
Her: I love you. I guess you really can protect me.
Ugggh. I should have DNFd it.
June 2, 2017
Disappointed
I love Maya Banks but this novel was terrible. I ignored all the other negative reviews and bought it anyways, i wish i didn't spend the money. It felt soo rushed and ridiculous i ended up just skimming the pages just to make it to the end.
I love Maya Banks but this novel was terrible. I ignored all the other negative reviews and bought it anyways, i wish i didn't spend the money. It felt soo rushed and ridiculous i ended up just skimming the pages just to make it to the end.
June 18, 2017
This was my first Banks novel and my last Banks novel. I haphazardly purchased this at an airport prior to vacation. This was one of the worst books I have ever read. Plot was weak, no character development. Cursing on every other page. I finished it but I lost brain cells in the process.
June 21, 2017
This book was terrible - I can't begin to enumerate the ways. The main characters managed to make me hate them pretty quickly -- Jenna was a crybaby and Isaac was stupid. I did not read any of Banks previous books and have no plans to. This one was MORE than enough. Really, one star is too much.
August 6, 2021
So I'm a victim. A victim of a horrible book.
Let's discuss what this book did terribly:
- she was part of a religious cult (and runs away obvi) and somehow trusts a man 8 hours after finding him
- she eventually falls in love with him in 4 days (gives a whole new meaning to insta-love)
- he claims her as "his" thirty minutes after meeting her
- he growls way too fucking much for a human
- he's also always fucking yelling at her and everybody
- they repeated so many plots and dialogue in this story. Like I swear when the dude was getting his friends to help the convo about no pay happened like seven times
- if she had been isolated for her how is tv the first thing that spooks her
- I SWEAR TO JESUS everyone refers to the other girls in the story as "the wives" and so I will go nuts.
There was a literal convo that was like "you've been talking to the other wives" THEIR IDENTITIES AREN"T SOMEBODIES WIVES BITCH
- flat as fuck characters
- the men all treated the woman like porcelain dolls. Like they weren't "allowed" to come to mission because "seEinG tHeiR tRauMa aGaIN wOuld hArm thEM". Like did they tell you that? Maybe shut up
- mansplaining men
- it's always the woman with the trauma
- why men are just assholes
- he called her angel wayy too many fucking times
- it is clear to everybody this is a story about a codependent girl getting away from an abusive place to become codependent to another human being that wants to fuck her. Oops sorry, make love.
- they had sex on day three
- why is she only naive about sex, food, and tv's
- since when were drug cartels all that powerful
- I totally loved how she became some badass femme fatale for like three scenes. Love the personality flip
- the entire fucking epilogue
- I love children, I'm genuinely a sucker for when they have kids in the epilogue but their child three months on their first anniversary. Bitch wait
- then somehow he knows she is pregnant again before she does. "I'm a man and I love your body so ik more about it than you, you silly girl"
- and then she is pregnant again while taking care of a three-month-old and a man baby.
This literally cost me brain cells. If I fail school it's because of this book.
I feel numb. Is this what stupidity feels like?
Let's discuss what this book did terribly:
- she was part of a religious cult (and runs away obvi) and somehow trusts a man 8 hours after finding him
- she eventually falls in love with him in 4 days (gives a whole new meaning to insta-love)
- he claims her as "his" thirty minutes after meeting her
- he growls way too fucking much for a human
- he's also always fucking yelling at her and everybody
- they repeated so many plots and dialogue in this story. Like I swear when the dude was getting his friends to help the convo about no pay happened like seven times
- if she had been isolated for her how is tv the first thing that spooks her
- I SWEAR TO JESUS everyone refers to the other girls in the story as "the wives" and so I will go nuts.
There was a literal convo that was like "you've been talking to the other wives" THEIR IDENTITIES AREN"T SOMEBODIES WIVES BITCH
- flat as fuck characters
- the men all treated the woman like porcelain dolls. Like they weren't "allowed" to come to mission because "seEinG tHeiR tRauMa aGaIN wOuld hArm thEM". Like did they tell you that? Maybe shut up
- mansplaining men
- it's always the woman with the trauma
- why men are just assholes
- he called her angel wayy too many fucking times
- it is clear to everybody this is a story about a codependent girl getting away from an abusive place to become codependent to another human being that wants to fuck her. Oops sorry, make love.
- they had sex on day three
- why is she only naive about sex, food, and tv's
- since when were drug cartels all that powerful
- I totally loved how she became some badass femme fatale for like three scenes. Love the personality flip
- the entire fucking epilogue
- I love children, I'm genuinely a sucker for when they have kids in the epilogue but their child three months on their first anniversary. Bitch wait
- then somehow he knows she is pregnant again before she does. "I'm a man and I love your body so ik more about it than you, you silly girl"
- and then she is pregnant again while taking care of a three-month-old and a man baby.
This literally cost me brain cells. If I fail school it's because of this book.
I feel numb. Is this what stupidity feels like?
June 23, 2017
Oh my, what did I actually think? This book started off with a bang and I was immediately pulled into this world Maya Banks created. But then it kind of died off. With little character development and a lot of repetitive phrases, I began page skimming to simply finish the book. I was slightly creeped out by the epilogue as well.
August 1, 2017
As is (unfortunately) becoming a long-established habit of Ms. Banks, Just One Touch had the hero falling deeply, madly, irrevocably in love with the heroine within a quarter of a second of being in her presence.
I'm not going to say that I flat-out hated this book, because I actually didn't -- if anything, I'm just getting used to this kind of writing style from Maya Banks. I don't understand it, I don't particularly like it, but I've been reading her books for so long at this point that stopping now seems like something I wouldn't do.
But ye've been warned: This book is insta-love on steroids.
I'm not going to say that I flat-out hated this book, because I actually didn't -- if anything, I'm just getting used to this kind of writing style from Maya Banks. I don't understand it, I don't particularly like it, but I've been reading her books for so long at this point that stopping now seems like something I wouldn't do.
But ye've been warned: This book is insta-love on steroids.
May 24, 2017
What happened? Did Maya Banks really write this? I was shocked at how fluffy this novel was, and not in a warm and fuzzy way but in a redundant this story could be told in 40 pages had it been edited way. Not to mention the number of time God was mentioned in the story (I counted 125... not counting the goddam which was used excessively as well). Just a dissapointment because I've loved Maya Banks early works and her latest works have not been the same quality.
May 29, 2017
I can't believe all the people who rated it high. This book is so bad and so far over the top. Jenna adjust to the real world far too easily. Isaac falls too fast for Jenna, and he doesn't even know her age, she could be a minor. Maya Banks has definitely written. Don't waste your time or money.
January 5, 2018
3.5 stars
July 4, 2017
I've typically loved Maya Banks's books and I hate that I'm rating this one so poorly but I really did not like this book. At all.
Summary:
DSS agent Isaac Washington is shocked to find someone trying to steal his SUV and he's even more surprised when he confronts the person and finds its a scared, battered woman. Before he can adjust his thinking, all hell breaks loose and next thing he knows he's shot and dying. Then, to his shock, the mysterious woman places her hands on him and heals the mortal wound in his chest. From that moment on, Isaac vows to protect her with his life.
For Jenna, all she wants is her freedom and she's horrified that her choices may lead to the suffering of others. But she can't escape the protective reach of Isaac and DSS. They are bound and determined to save her from the evil man who wants her for his own.
Series Note:
Fifth book in the Slow Burn series. There are a lot of running characters and references to past books, but I wouldn't say it would be impossible to read this one first or on it's own. There's no continuing storyline.
Review:
Well....I don't like writing a critical review, especially when it's for an author that I generally love and who is an auto-buy for me. But yeah, I did not like anything about this book. I could have easily rated it 1-star but I gave it a bonus star simply because this is not typical for this author.
My biggest problem with this book was the discrepancy in details. Jenna was kidnapped around 4 years old and held captive by a cult for at least 20 years. She was basically kept in seclusion and treated like a leper. She has little knowledge of the outside world and modern conveniences or anything that is just normal to the rest of us. So I expected a good portion of the story to be the learning process Jenna faces as she tries to assimilate into the real world and that just doesn't happy. Here and there it's addressed but overall it's largely ignored. Honestly, given the background that is built for Jenna I would have expected her character to be much stunted developmentally. I mean, I hardly think the cult people would have educated her and I would have expected the lack of positive emotional support and social interactions to have had a much greater effect on her. But other than a reaction to the TV and learning about food, her characterization doesn't fit at all with what we're told about her. It adds (another) level of unbelievably to the story.
I also had characterization issues with Isaac - on several levels. First, the character is horribly undeveloped. By the time you finish you know almost nothing about him. There are a few very vague references a couple times in the book to some past suffering, possibly being an alcoholic but the reader never gets a clear picture of who Isaac is. Where is he from? Are his parents alive? What happened to him in the past? There's nothing concrete about him prior to the start of this story. Now, I will add the caveat that it's possible past books gave more background on him but I read those ages ago. I don't remember at all what may or may not have been revealed about him. And if the author did develop the character more in past books, it still should have been part of this one. If you are reading them as they are released, the average reader isn't going to remember details about a secondary character a year or two later. This lack of development for Isaac, though, really kept me from getting into the character.
Aside from that, he's a total over-the-top alpha ass throughout the story. Jenna has just escaped 20 years of hell being controlled and abused by a cult and Isaac takes one look at her and goes all controlling he-man. He is all 'she's mine,' 'you belong to me,' and when he starts talking about keeping her pregnant all the time so she can't get away from him...I almost threw the book across the room. I get that he wanted to protect her and love her, but his thoughts, actions and words were just too much given the things that Jenna had been through. It was completely unromantic for me.
And the romance itself? There's the insta-devotion for Isaac which I could have dealt with if the story hadn't devolved into super sappy, mushy, sugary-sweet ramblings and professions of love that just made me roll my eyes. I'm not the biggest fan of super sappy anyway and I didn't like it at all here. It didn't fit the tone of the story either. When I'm reading romantic suspense I don't want to read devotional soliloquys between the characters.
From a storyline standpoint the book was okay. I could nit-pick over the fact that the premise of the storyline is basically a repeat of other storylines in this series - female character has special power and an evil person wants her to exploit the power. I would have preferred some variation in the storylines but it wasn't a book-killer for me. I did find it to be a rather slow moving story with just a lot of sitting around and repetition, not enough development and action. And then end? Ugh. What happens toward the end was so obviously a set up and that you had a group of badass agents fall for it was TSTL. Seriously. It was like there was a big flashing neon sign screaming set up and they all fell for it. Given the danger Jenna was in, why was she put in that situation anyway, even if it wasn't a set up? Again, TSTL on all characters parts. And why were all the women there? That made no sense at all to me. None. Then the finale seemed overly simplified. I just expected more from the plot of this book. It wasn't horrible but by far not the best I've read.
I also think there could have been a little more time spent on the set up of DSS - what it is, who founded it, why, what they do, etc. There was a little bit too much of a reliance on the readers have read - and remembered - everything from past books.
Lastly, one of the things that bugged me most about this book was that there were these insanely long chunks of internal monologue - like pages long. Primarily with Isaac thinking obsessively about Jenna - what an angel she is, how he plans to keep her forever and ever, how he'll do anything to protect her, how he'd never survive if anything happened to her. Etc, etc, etc. There was also Jenna thinking endlessly about her situation, how she doesn't want anyone hurt because of her, yadda yadda. Between the two of them, there's so much repetitive dead space in this book spent on their internal thoughts that it bored me to death. I can't count how many times I put the book down during these chunks because I was so bored from reading the same thoughts over and over and over again. It also signified the overall lack of action in the story. I admit that I did start to skim read some of these chunks as the book went on.
I wish I could give a few good points to the story but there really wasn't anything that jumps out as me as something I enjoyed. I honestly was just glad to finish it. I expected so much more from a Maya Banks book. I will continue to read the series as I'm greatly hoping this book was an aberration. I know the author has multiple series going and also that she's been going through some very serious health problems (which makes me feel like a jerk for writing such a negative review)...so I have very high hopes that this was just the rare book that didn't hit the mark.
((I apologize to the author for the critical (but honest) review! Best wishes for a speedy recovery and I hope your health is on the upswing!))
Summary:
DSS agent Isaac Washington is shocked to find someone trying to steal his SUV and he's even more surprised when he confronts the person and finds its a scared, battered woman. Before he can adjust his thinking, all hell breaks loose and next thing he knows he's shot and dying. Then, to his shock, the mysterious woman places her hands on him and heals the mortal wound in his chest. From that moment on, Isaac vows to protect her with his life.
For Jenna, all she wants is her freedom and she's horrified that her choices may lead to the suffering of others. But she can't escape the protective reach of Isaac and DSS. They are bound and determined to save her from the evil man who wants her for his own.
Series Note:
Fifth book in the Slow Burn series. There are a lot of running characters and references to past books, but I wouldn't say it would be impossible to read this one first or on it's own. There's no continuing storyline.
Review:
Well....I don't like writing a critical review, especially when it's for an author that I generally love and who is an auto-buy for me. But yeah, I did not like anything about this book. I could have easily rated it 1-star but I gave it a bonus star simply because this is not typical for this author.
My biggest problem with this book was the discrepancy in details. Jenna was kidnapped around 4 years old and held captive by a cult for at least 20 years. She was basically kept in seclusion and treated like a leper. She has little knowledge of the outside world and modern conveniences or anything that is just normal to the rest of us. So I expected a good portion of the story to be the learning process Jenna faces as she tries to assimilate into the real world and that just doesn't happy. Here and there it's addressed but overall it's largely ignored. Honestly, given the background that is built for Jenna I would have expected her character to be much stunted developmentally. I mean, I hardly think the cult people would have educated her and I would have expected the lack of positive emotional support and social interactions to have had a much greater effect on her. But other than a reaction to the TV and learning about food, her characterization doesn't fit at all with what we're told about her. It adds (another) level of unbelievably to the story.
I also had characterization issues with Isaac - on several levels. First, the character is horribly undeveloped. By the time you finish you know almost nothing about him. There are a few very vague references a couple times in the book to some past suffering, possibly being an alcoholic but the reader never gets a clear picture of who Isaac is. Where is he from? Are his parents alive? What happened to him in the past? There's nothing concrete about him prior to the start of this story. Now, I will add the caveat that it's possible past books gave more background on him but I read those ages ago. I don't remember at all what may or may not have been revealed about him. And if the author did develop the character more in past books, it still should have been part of this one. If you are reading them as they are released, the average reader isn't going to remember details about a secondary character a year or two later. This lack of development for Isaac, though, really kept me from getting into the character.
Aside from that, he's a total over-the-top alpha ass throughout the story. Jenna has just escaped 20 years of hell being controlled and abused by a cult and Isaac takes one look at her and goes all controlling he-man. He is all 'she's mine,' 'you belong to me,' and when he starts talking about keeping her pregnant all the time so she can't get away from him...I almost threw the book across the room. I get that he wanted to protect her and love her, but his thoughts, actions and words were just too much given the things that Jenna had been through. It was completely unromantic for me.
And the romance itself? There's the insta-devotion for Isaac which I could have dealt with if the story hadn't devolved into super sappy, mushy, sugary-sweet ramblings and professions of love that just made me roll my eyes. I'm not the biggest fan of super sappy anyway and I didn't like it at all here. It didn't fit the tone of the story either. When I'm reading romantic suspense I don't want to read devotional soliloquys between the characters.
From a storyline standpoint the book was okay. I could nit-pick over the fact that the premise of the storyline is basically a repeat of other storylines in this series - female character has special power and an evil person wants her to exploit the power. I would have preferred some variation in the storylines but it wasn't a book-killer for me. I did find it to be a rather slow moving story with just a lot of sitting around and repetition, not enough development and action. And then end? Ugh. What happens toward the end was so obviously a set up and that you had a group of badass agents fall for it was TSTL. Seriously. It was like there was a big flashing neon sign screaming set up and they all fell for it. Given the danger Jenna was in, why was she put in that situation anyway, even if it wasn't a set up? Again, TSTL on all characters parts. And why were all the women there? That made no sense at all to me. None. Then the finale seemed overly simplified. I just expected more from the plot of this book. It wasn't horrible but by far not the best I've read.
I also think there could have been a little more time spent on the set up of DSS - what it is, who founded it, why, what they do, etc. There was a little bit too much of a reliance on the readers have read - and remembered - everything from past books.
Lastly, one of the things that bugged me most about this book was that there were these insanely long chunks of internal monologue - like pages long. Primarily with Isaac thinking obsessively about Jenna - what an angel she is, how he plans to keep her forever and ever, how he'll do anything to protect her, how he'd never survive if anything happened to her. Etc, etc, etc. There was also Jenna thinking endlessly about her situation, how she doesn't want anyone hurt because of her, yadda yadda. Between the two of them, there's so much repetitive dead space in this book spent on their internal thoughts that it bored me to death. I can't count how many times I put the book down during these chunks because I was so bored from reading the same thoughts over and over and over again. It also signified the overall lack of action in the story. I admit that I did start to skim read some of these chunks as the book went on.
I wish I could give a few good points to the story but there really wasn't anything that jumps out as me as something I enjoyed. I honestly was just glad to finish it. I expected so much more from a Maya Banks book. I will continue to read the series as I'm greatly hoping this book was an aberration. I know the author has multiple series going and also that she's been going through some very serious health problems (which makes me feel like a jerk for writing such a negative review)...so I have very high hopes that this was just the rare book that didn't hit the mark.
((I apologize to the author for the critical (but honest) review! Best wishes for a speedy recovery and I hope your health is on the upswing!))
May 22, 2017
This series by Maya Banks is one of my favorites. It's just the right amount of suspense and paranormal to keep you riveted. And I devour the books as soon as they hit my eReader.
Jenna is on the run. She was raised in a cult, sheltered from the world around her. So when she makes a run to leave, you doesn't quite know what to expect from the outside world. She hold a special power, that she's been abused because of. She is quite naive, which plays up to her charm through the book and hooks our hero, Isaac.
Isaac in the past books has been a mystery. He's a solitary person and so we really get to see the real Isaac in this book.
The two instantly make a connection. The book is full of surprises, suspense and a steamy love story. All the things you come to expect from a Maya Banks book. I would recommend reading the rest of the series first, just so you get a better understanding of the security firm, all of the secondary characters... it will make the book a more enjoyable read, even though the book can be read as a standalone.
Jenna is on the run. She was raised in a cult, sheltered from the world around her. So when she makes a run to leave, you doesn't quite know what to expect from the outside world. She hold a special power, that she's been abused because of. She is quite naive, which plays up to her charm through the book and hooks our hero, Isaac.
Isaac in the past books has been a mystery. He's a solitary person and so we really get to see the real Isaac in this book.
The two instantly make a connection. The book is full of surprises, suspense and a steamy love story. All the things you come to expect from a Maya Banks book. I would recommend reading the rest of the series first, just so you get a better understanding of the security firm, all of the secondary characters... it will make the book a more enjoyable read, even though the book can be read as a standalone.
May 15, 2017
So, several weeks ago I read Brighter than the Sun by Maya Banks and was blown away. See, years ago, I had tried an Maya Banks book and it did not work for me. As it turns out, it was in the Slow Burn series. Given my new admiration for Banks, I decided to give Just One Touch a shot. My reading tastes have evolved since my first attempt at this series and I felt pretty good about giving this a shot.
My first step whenever I start a book is to head to good reads and mark the book as "Currently Reading". So I head over and happen to glance at a few of the reviews because people were PANNING the book. I was a bit nervous to be honest. I had already had one bad experience with this series. But, I pushed onward and here is why I think I was able to enjoy the aspects of the book that others panned.
First, I approached this book as more of a paranormal romance instead of contemporary romance or romantic suspense. All of the heroines in the series prior all have 'powers'. Jenna, our heroine, can heal people with her touch. So, right away, my brain classified this as more of a paranormal romance and in doing so, I was not as rigid in my expectations. See, if I think its PNR, I am more likely to believe ALL the things. So, I accept that she can heal people; why then can't I also accept the love at first sight thing? To me, if you have supernatural elements in a story and I as a reader accept them, then I can't complain when something else seems too unrealistic. So many people on goodreads complained about the super fast insta-love. Um, so you don't have any problem with the girl healing people with her hands, but you totally cannot understand love at first sight?!? If there were no paranormal elements in the story, I would agree that the insta love in this book is SUPER fast. But the story is filled with out of the norm things, so why is insta-love so frustrating to people?
Ok, so rant over. Jenna escapes from a cult who was keeping her prisoner to use her talent. She meets Issac when she tried to steal his car. And then people are shooting them. Literally, the action is non stop from page one. You get Jenna's story in the snippets she shares as she and Issac grow closer so there is always an air of mystery as to who the bad guys really are. You also get all the DDS guys and their wives in the story so if you read and enjoyed the previous books, you get to see past characters take a roll in Issac and Jenna's story. Jenna's naiveté, why understandable given her life, got a bit tiresome at times. That was my biggest struggle with the story overall. Just One Touch is actually a pretty quick read! Honestly, that worked out well for me because I could never find a good stopping point in the plot.
If you like a suspenseful romance with paranormal elements, Just One Touch by Maya Banks is a perfect pick for a weekend binge read! Danger, supernatural powers, and fierce love burn on every page!
POV: 3rd
Tears: no
Trope: insta-love, supernatural
Triggers:
Series/Standalone: series (while its not necessary to read the previous books, I do think you might enjoy it more if you understood the whole series since the characters are fairly unique!)
Cliffhanger:
HEA:
...then you will probably like TITLE OF BOOK!
Just One Touch
August 20, 2018
Issac's story and a very good one. Now I have to wait for Tori and Dane's story until next year :(
June 5, 2017
Despite my love of Maya Banks’ books, Just One Touch did not do it for me at all. I hated Isaac a whole lot pretty much from start to finish. I enjoyed Jenna and felt bad for her and the life she fell into. I felt like after all that control in her life she deserved happiness. Instead she got Isaac who was the world’s most dickish lead man yet. He was controlling, he yelled at Jenna a lot, he got upset and just raged most of the time, and he didn’t believe in the company he worked for after he found Jenna. This whole story sucked for me because Isaac sucked.
Jenna escaped her cult compound after she was about to be sold off to a crazy man who wanted to use Jenna’s gift to keep him alive forever. Now Jenna’s on the run and she runs into Isaac while trying to steal his car. Isaac gets shot and is going to die when Jenna saves him. Suddenly BAM he’s in love and he doesn’t care about anyone or anything. I just hated it. There was no build up, no trust building. It was all “You saved my life and now you’re mine and too bad so sad if you want to leave because I can’t let you go,” and the his “friends” he basically told them he doesn’t trust them. I hated it hated it hated it. Isaac was a great big douche bag of douchedom.
If you couldn’t tell this story was a disappointment of the highest order which is saddening because I generally love Maya Banks’ work.
Jenna escaped her cult compound after she was about to be sold off to a crazy man who wanted to use Jenna’s gift to keep him alive forever. Now Jenna’s on the run and she runs into Isaac while trying to steal his car. Isaac gets shot and is going to die when Jenna saves him. Suddenly BAM he’s in love and he doesn’t care about anyone or anything. I just hated it. There was no build up, no trust building. It was all “You saved my life and now you’re mine and too bad so sad if you want to leave because I can’t let you go,” and the his “friends” he basically told them he doesn’t trust them. I hated it hated it hated it. Isaac was a great big douche bag of douchedom.
If you couldn’t tell this story was a disappointment of the highest order which is saddening because I generally love Maya Banks’ work.
May 15, 2017
***ARC Provided via Edelweiss and Tasty Book Tours***
3.5 Stars
Jenna and Isaac have one heck of a first meeting. And, I think in a way this makes the insta-love work. I admit, I am not the biggest fan of the whole insta-love thing, and Jenna's history and complete lack of exposure to the world made me at times wonder if she would be able to function in an adult relationship. I am not 100% positive this was ever fully addressed, but at the same time, I am not sure I would want it to be, as that becomes a very different story.
I have read a few titles by Maya Banks and this book delivers what I expect when I start one of her books. Interesting and exciting action, characters you are engaged with and interested in, and romance that works. This had all 3, even if there was a bit of a suspension of disbelief required in order to totally get into the story with Isaac and Jenna, I did find myself interested and enjoying the story. And, really, that is what matters.
I liked the scenes with the other members of Deveraux Security Services and their wives and girlfriends, and I appreciated the depth that was given to Isaac's character and the story with the inclusion of them.
Too much of the plot is spoilery, so I am going to avoid that and mention that I liked the story and the characters, and that I believed them overall. There was, as I mentioned, some instalove, which is not my favorite, but also worked for the story.
I recommend this book.
3.5 Stars
Jenna and Isaac have one heck of a first meeting. And, I think in a way this makes the insta-love work. I admit, I am not the biggest fan of the whole insta-love thing, and Jenna's history and complete lack of exposure to the world made me at times wonder if she would be able to function in an adult relationship. I am not 100% positive this was ever fully addressed, but at the same time, I am not sure I would want it to be, as that becomes a very different story.
I have read a few titles by Maya Banks and this book delivers what I expect when I start one of her books. Interesting and exciting action, characters you are engaged with and interested in, and romance that works. This had all 3, even if there was a bit of a suspension of disbelief required in order to totally get into the story with Isaac and Jenna, I did find myself interested and enjoying the story. And, really, that is what matters.
I liked the scenes with the other members of Deveraux Security Services and their wives and girlfriends, and I appreciated the depth that was given to Isaac's character and the story with the inclusion of them.
Too much of the plot is spoilery, so I am going to avoid that and mention that I liked the story and the characters, and that I believed them overall. There was, as I mentioned, some instalove, which is not my favorite, but also worked for the story.
I recommend this book.
July 23, 2017
Although at first h's ability reminds me of Grace in Echoes at Dawn (KGI, #5) , these two stories had little in common.
I always love romance with action, esp H was able to protect h from danger, but this story was just ok for me.
Although this story was supposed to make me feel bad for h… I didn't feel anything for h. Her past was sad, but she annoyed me more with she constantly told H and others how she didn't want to get them killed esp her foolish behavior to get herself into trouble. So H had to tell her again and again how important she was to him…sorry, when these kinds of conversations repeated too many times, instead of romantic, I only got annoyed.
And the last plot made little sense to me when those who were suppoed to be in safe house all came out at once after they decided to wait for the villian to attack?
All in all, just an ok read for me. Maybe if I didn't constantly compare it with KGI series, I would enjoy it more.
I always love romance with action, esp H was able to protect h from danger, but this story was just ok for me.
Although this story was supposed to make me feel bad for h… I didn't feel anything for h. Her past was sad, but she annoyed me more with she constantly told H and others how she didn't want to get them killed esp her foolish behavior to get herself into trouble. So H had to tell her again and again how important she was to him…sorry, when these kinds of conversations repeated too many times, instead of romantic, I only got annoyed.
And the last plot made little sense to me when those who were suppoed to be in safe house all came out at once after they decided to wait for the villian to attack?
All in all, just an ok read for me. Maybe if I didn't constantly compare it with KGI series, I would enjoy it more.
November 5, 2017
Me ha sorprendido.
Lo único que me chirría un pelín es el instalove, pero si trago con lo de los dones especiales, pues también trago con el instalove.
Las protagonistas femeninas son lo mejor. Son mujeres con dones especiales, que han tenido un pasado muy complicado. Jenna en muchas partes del libro me daba una pena infinita. Sólo quería achucharla.
Adoro a los protagonistas masculinos. En cuanto uno necesita ayuda, los demás no se lo piensan y no dudan en ir a su lado, aunque sea una misión suicida.
Tod@s los que seguimos estos libros, estamos deseando leer el siguiente. Torie se merece ser feliz y el protagonista, en cuanto se decida a ir a por ella, no va a dejarla ni a sol, ni a sombra.
Lo único que me chirría un pelín es el instalove, pero si trago con lo de los dones especiales, pues también trago con el instalove.
Las protagonistas femeninas son lo mejor. Son mujeres con dones especiales, que han tenido un pasado muy complicado. Jenna en muchas partes del libro me daba una pena infinita. Sólo quería achucharla.
Adoro a los protagonistas masculinos. En cuanto uno necesita ayuda, los demás no se lo piensan y no dudan en ir a su lado, aunque sea una misión suicida.
Tod@s los que seguimos estos libros, estamos deseando leer el siguiente. Torie se merece ser feliz y el protagonista, en cuanto se decida a ir a por ella, no va a dejarla ni a sol, ni a sombra.
October 31, 2017
Received a review copy from a 3rd party source (not goodreads).
DNF @ 30%.
And its a miracle I made it that far. The errors, plot holes, and inconsistencies just in the first 30% brought me to a point where there was no way I could finish it. It helped when I tried to think of it as a parody to a paranormal suspense romance book - like Scary Movie to the Scream series - but that could only get me so far. There are plenty of other DNF reviews that give details, so I'll just say don't. Just don't.
DNF @ 30%.
And its a miracle I made it that far. The errors, plot holes, and inconsistencies just in the first 30% brought me to a point where there was no way I could finish it. It helped when I tried to think of it as a parody to a paranormal suspense romance book - like Scary Movie to the Scream series - but that could only get me so far. There are plenty of other DNF reviews that give details, so I'll just say don't. Just don't.
January 19, 2023
Omg.... It's basically two chapters of content repeated for 30+ chapters. It's ridiculous. Skip it.
June 17, 2019
Buonasera, lettrici!
Oggi vi parlo di “Sfiorami”, quinto e ultimo romanzo della serie “Slow Burn” di Maya Banks, in uscita il prossimo 13 Giugno grazie a HarperCollins Italia.
Doveva essere una mattinata tranquilla per Isaac, ma il suo destino sta per intrecciarsi con quello di una ragazza in fuga. Ed è così che incontra una spaventata Jenna, una donna che sta fuggendo da un incubo che l’ha tenuta prigioniera per vent’anni. Chi le sta dando la caccia però farà di tutto per riaverla, perché Jenna possiede un dono speciale ed unico, un dono che le permette di salvare le persone in fin di vita.
Jenna salverà Isaac e lui farà di tutto per aiutarla, anche quando le cose si complicheranno.
Non importa chi siano coloro che cercano di riprendersi Jenna, Isaac e la DSS faranno di tutto per proteggerla e mettere la parola fine alle sue sofferenze.
Poiché quel loro primo incontro ha unito i loro destini.
Isaac è uno dei componenti più promettenti della DSS, un uomo coraggioso e altruista che non si è mai tirato indietro quando la moglie di un suo collega o i suoi colleghi avevano bisogno di aiuto. E quando una perfetta sconosciuta si troverà in pericolo, lui sarà pronto.
Una sconosciuta che pur avendo la possibilità di fuggire dai suoi inseguitori, si fermerà ad aiutarlo quando Isaac verrà colpito da questi. Il dono della ragazza non risanerà solo la ferita fisica, ma anche quelle vecchie cicatrici che Isaac si portava dietro da molto tempo.
Al suo risveglio una cosa è certa: Jenna è sua e farà di tutto per tenerla al sicuro. La ragazza, però, ha ferite molto profonde e Isaac dovrà mettere tutto se stesso per aiutarla a guarire e farle trovare fiducia in se stessa e nelle sue capacità.
“Quella donna era sua e il loro futuro era intrecciato. Non sarebbe stato facile. Non si aspettava che lo fosse, ma le cose belle non erano mai facili e lui non l’avrebbe lasciata andare senza lottare come un disperato. E non perdeva mai le battaglie in cui si lanciava.”
Quando era piccola Jenna è stata rapita da una setta per le sue capacità e crescendo si è accorta di ciò che le accadeva attorno, in più i suoi rapitori l’hanno resa una reietta, torturandola e ferendola.
Ma un giorno, dopo aver scoperto di essere stata venduta, Jenna scappa. Userà tutta la sua forza di volontà e le sue energie, andando dritta verso Isaac.
Lei cercava solo di scappare il più lontano possibile senza che altri si ferissero, ma quando quell’uomo dallo sguardo gentile rimane ferito per colpa dei suoi inseguitori, Jenna non lo abbandonerà.
E questa sua scelta legherà per sempre i loro destini.
Accanto a lui vedrà tutto ciò che si era persa quando era prigioniera e conoscerà la realtà delle relazioni. Conoscerà persone nuove che farebbero di tutto per lei, che le staranno accanto durante il cammino di ritorno verso la normalità, ma i bei momenti sono minacciati.
Coloro che le danno la caccia sono uomini senza scrupoli pronti a tutto per riaverla, anche uccidere persone innocenti.
Come può lasciare che ogni singolo componente della DSS si sacrifichi per lei? Soprattutto Isaac, che le fa provare emozioni e sensazioni a lei sconosciute. Ha paura per gli altri e per sé, ma Isaac è forte e non ha intenzione di lasciarla andare.
Jenna è una protagonista fragile, a cui è stata strappata l’infanzia e che si ritrova sola in un mondo sconosciuto, alla mercé di potenti. Ma per quanto abbiano cercato di distruggerla e calpestarla, la fiamma della sua volontà non si è mai spenta.
Sarà proprio Isaac che la aiuterà a rialzarsi e a rafforzarsi, donandole coraggio e facendole credere nelle persone che le vogliono bene.
Questo è un romanzo in cui è impossibile non riconoscere lo stile scorrevole e romantico dell’autrice. È una storia d’amore e di rinascita che fa vivere emozioni, dove l’azione e il sentimento si respirano in ogni pagina, in ogni capitolo. Tra i due protagonisti scatta la scintilla dell’amore pur non conoscendosi da tanto tempo; l’insta-love è un elemento che può e non può piacere, ma devo dire che per questi due protagonisti era azzeccato.
Ha reso la storia dolce e profonda, dopotutto questi due amanti meritano di trovare finalmente la felicità, non importa quanto tempo debba passare per averla.
È una lettura che si divora velocemente, soprattutto se siete amanti di questo genere e della Banks!
Negli ultimi capitoli, quando l’agitazione dell’imminente scontro si fa sentire, ci viene mostrata una possibile futura coppia, quindi spero che l’autrice ci regali una altro romanzo, o anche due!
Sono davvero curiosa di leggere la storia di questi due nuovi e possibili amanti e le storie degli altri componenti della DSS.
Infine vorrei ringraziare la casa editrice che mi ha permesso di leggere questo nuovo ed attesissimo romanzo, grazie infinite!
Fate in fretta e leggete questo ultimo e dolce romanzo firmato Maya Banks.
Buona lettura e ci vediamo alla prossima avventura.
A presto.
Voto: 4
Oggi vi parlo di “Sfiorami”, quinto e ultimo romanzo della serie “Slow Burn” di Maya Banks, in uscita il prossimo 13 Giugno grazie a HarperCollins Italia.
Doveva essere una mattinata tranquilla per Isaac, ma il suo destino sta per intrecciarsi con quello di una ragazza in fuga. Ed è così che incontra una spaventata Jenna, una donna che sta fuggendo da un incubo che l’ha tenuta prigioniera per vent’anni. Chi le sta dando la caccia però farà di tutto per riaverla, perché Jenna possiede un dono speciale ed unico, un dono che le permette di salvare le persone in fin di vita.
Jenna salverà Isaac e lui farà di tutto per aiutarla, anche quando le cose si complicheranno.
Non importa chi siano coloro che cercano di riprendersi Jenna, Isaac e la DSS faranno di tutto per proteggerla e mettere la parola fine alle sue sofferenze.
Poiché quel loro primo incontro ha unito i loro destini.
Isaac è uno dei componenti più promettenti della DSS, un uomo coraggioso e altruista che non si è mai tirato indietro quando la moglie di un suo collega o i suoi colleghi avevano bisogno di aiuto. E quando una perfetta sconosciuta si troverà in pericolo, lui sarà pronto.
Una sconosciuta che pur avendo la possibilità di fuggire dai suoi inseguitori, si fermerà ad aiutarlo quando Isaac verrà colpito da questi. Il dono della ragazza non risanerà solo la ferita fisica, ma anche quelle vecchie cicatrici che Isaac si portava dietro da molto tempo.
Al suo risveglio una cosa è certa: Jenna è sua e farà di tutto per tenerla al sicuro. La ragazza, però, ha ferite molto profonde e Isaac dovrà mettere tutto se stesso per aiutarla a guarire e farle trovare fiducia in se stessa e nelle sue capacità.
“Quella donna era sua e il loro futuro era intrecciato. Non sarebbe stato facile. Non si aspettava che lo fosse, ma le cose belle non erano mai facili e lui non l’avrebbe lasciata andare senza lottare come un disperato. E non perdeva mai le battaglie in cui si lanciava.”
Quando era piccola Jenna è stata rapita da una setta per le sue capacità e crescendo si è accorta di ciò che le accadeva attorno, in più i suoi rapitori l’hanno resa una reietta, torturandola e ferendola.
Ma un giorno, dopo aver scoperto di essere stata venduta, Jenna scappa. Userà tutta la sua forza di volontà e le sue energie, andando dritta verso Isaac.
Lei cercava solo di scappare il più lontano possibile senza che altri si ferissero, ma quando quell’uomo dallo sguardo gentile rimane ferito per colpa dei suoi inseguitori, Jenna non lo abbandonerà.
E questa sua scelta legherà per sempre i loro destini.
Accanto a lui vedrà tutto ciò che si era persa quando era prigioniera e conoscerà la realtà delle relazioni. Conoscerà persone nuove che farebbero di tutto per lei, che le staranno accanto durante il cammino di ritorno verso la normalità, ma i bei momenti sono minacciati.
Coloro che le danno la caccia sono uomini senza scrupoli pronti a tutto per riaverla, anche uccidere persone innocenti.
Come può lasciare che ogni singolo componente della DSS si sacrifichi per lei? Soprattutto Isaac, che le fa provare emozioni e sensazioni a lei sconosciute. Ha paura per gli altri e per sé, ma Isaac è forte e non ha intenzione di lasciarla andare.
Jenna è una protagonista fragile, a cui è stata strappata l’infanzia e che si ritrova sola in un mondo sconosciuto, alla mercé di potenti. Ma per quanto abbiano cercato di distruggerla e calpestarla, la fiamma della sua volontà non si è mai spenta.
Sarà proprio Isaac che la aiuterà a rialzarsi e a rafforzarsi, donandole coraggio e facendole credere nelle persone che le vogliono bene.
Questo è un romanzo in cui è impossibile non riconoscere lo stile scorrevole e romantico dell’autrice. È una storia d’amore e di rinascita che fa vivere emozioni, dove l’azione e il sentimento si respirano in ogni pagina, in ogni capitolo. Tra i due protagonisti scatta la scintilla dell’amore pur non conoscendosi da tanto tempo; l’insta-love è un elemento che può e non può piacere, ma devo dire che per questi due protagonisti era azzeccato.
Ha reso la storia dolce e profonda, dopotutto questi due amanti meritano di trovare finalmente la felicità, non importa quanto tempo debba passare per averla.
È una lettura che si divora velocemente, soprattutto se siete amanti di questo genere e della Banks!
Negli ultimi capitoli, quando l’agitazione dell’imminente scontro si fa sentire, ci viene mostrata una possibile futura coppia, quindi spero che l’autrice ci regali una altro romanzo, o anche due!
Sono davvero curiosa di leggere la storia di questi due nuovi e possibili amanti e le storie degli altri componenti della DSS.
Infine vorrei ringraziare la casa editrice che mi ha permesso di leggere questo nuovo ed attesissimo romanzo, grazie infinite!
Fate in fretta e leggete questo ultimo e dolce romanzo firmato Maya Banks.
Buona lettura e ci vediamo alla prossima avventura.
A presto.
Voto: 4
June 14, 2017
I really, really want to add this book to my favorite list. I really do.
But as much as I adore the plot and Maya Banks herself, I can't. Mostly because this book is a bit too much for me. I was hoping for a classic Maya Banks heartwrenching romance with vulnerable yet strong heroine and Alpha Hero. In this book, I didn't exactly get them; sure the Hero is Alpha but the heroine.. I just can't stand her. She's way too weak, clingy and needy even to my taste. Sure I love thick and over-exaggerated drama, but in this book the portion isn't balance with the plot and that's kind of disappointing.
But overall I enjoyed it! I also look forward to read more from this series.
But as much as I adore the plot and Maya Banks herself, I can't. Mostly because this book is a bit too much for me. I was hoping for a classic Maya Banks heartwrenching romance with vulnerable yet strong heroine and Alpha Hero. In this book, I didn't exactly get them; sure the Hero is Alpha but the heroine.. I just can't stand her. She's way too weak, clingy and needy even to my taste. Sure I love thick and over-exaggerated drama, but in this book the portion isn't balance with the plot and that's kind of disappointing.
But overall I enjoyed it! I also look forward to read more from this series.
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