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Love's Paradise Series #1
Need You Now
Nothing compared to the horror Amaranth Wallace felt upon discovering her babysitter beaten and her autistic son missing. To get him back, she must put all her faith in her ex-lover, the very man she vowed to avoid forever.
One steamy and mind-blowing night with Amaranth and Nicholas was hooked. But when she chose his half-brother over him, Nicholas turned his back on her and love. Now fate has brought them back together, and Nicholas must revisit old wounds that run deep with the woman who broke his heart.
Can Amaranth and Nicholas put their torrid history aside to find her son and get a chance at love?
One steamy and mind-blowing night with Amaranth and Nicholas was hooked. But when she chose his half-brother over him, Nicholas turned his back on her and love. Now fate has brought them back together, and Nicholas must revisit old wounds that run deep with the woman who broke his heart.
Can Amaranth and Nicholas put their torrid history aside to find her son and get a chance at love?
296 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 28, 2017
1 person is currently reading
58 people want to read
About the author
Dei Araujo
3 books123 followersDei Araujo is a multicultural romance author who began writing in the fifth grade. She enjoys reading and writing both historical and contemporary stories of love where color has no boundaries. A retired Air Force officer, Dei
comes from a proud military family. She’s living out her real-life love story in beautiful Miami, Florida, with her soulmate, and their four rambunctious boys. Need You Now, a romantic suspense, is her first novel.
comes from a proud military family. She’s living out her real-life love story in beautiful Miami, Florida, with her soulmate, and their four rambunctious boys. Need You Now, a romantic suspense, is her first novel.
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
August 17, 2017
2.5 Stars
Amara(nth) arrives home to find her baby-sitting friend severely beaten and her autistic son missing. She's able to quickly identify the perpetrator as her ex-boyfriend, Roberto who purposely leaves behind a business card with the name of his (half) brother Nick, now a Private Investigator. Nick is Amara's childhood friend and long ago, one-time one night stand.
Frantic and worried about her son Kenyon, she follows Roberto's breadcrumb directly to Nick. Upon her arrival to see Nick, she immediately slaps him, a person she hasn't seen in 10 years, in the face, without warning or provocation. Which makes her no better than Roberto!
Amara mentions wanting to reconnect with Roberto's old running buddies --particularly, Benny. Nick expressly, and clearly tells her to stay away from him Benny because he's dangerous. Does she listen? You already know the answer to that question! Though she is desperate to find her son, she thwarts Nick at every turn. She sets up a meeting with Benny to meet at his apartment on the seedy side of town. Upon arrival, Amara is thoroughly searched for weapons by one of Benny's goons before she is allowed access to him.
Amaranth hesitated for a moment as she drew in a shaky breath. Nicholas’ warning about Benny waved like a red banner in her mind. Any other time, her meek, mild-mannered personality would’ve complied with someone’s recommendation to stay put, but Kenyon’s life was at stake and she couldn’t afford to sit idly by and wait for something to turn up through Nicholas’ contacts.
No, that would make too much sense to wait for Nick to call in favors and gather intel from people that orbit this type of environment. People who understand the players and the game and what can happen when strangers start nosing around stirring up suspicions and paranoia.
Once she's inside Benny's apartment, she quickly realizes that Nick was right about Benny who shows her his mean side on a dime. She is literally seconds away from being raped and carted off to be sold as a sex slave when Nick comes to her rescue. Good thing he knew she'd do something stupid!
In the guise of trying to get her son back on her own, instead of working with Nick, she put people's lives in danger -- including her own. This happens time and time again, she acts rashly without forethought to consequences.
The many arguments for the justification of Amara's behavior(s) -- past and present -- doesn't pass the litmus test. This heroine was extremely difficult to like because there is a big difference between strong and independent vs. stubborn and obstinate. Most often her behavior and responses to situations and people were counterproductive given what was at stake.
Nick: “What all do you know about him?”
Amara: Amaranth looked at him, an eyebrow rose in question. “Aren’t you inquisitive?”
---->ME: I'm shouting ... he's an investigator!
Nick: Nicholas shrugged. What could he say? As a private investigator, it was his job to be curious and leave no stone unturned.
I didn't like the heroine, but I like the writing style of this author and plan to read her next book as soon as it's written.
Pairing: BW/LM
Advanced Reader Copy Courtesy of The Wild Rose Press via Netgalley.
Amara(nth) arrives home to find her baby-sitting friend severely beaten and her autistic son missing. She's able to quickly identify the perpetrator as her ex-boyfriend, Roberto who purposely leaves behind a business card with the name of his (half) brother Nick, now a Private Investigator. Nick is Amara's childhood friend and long ago, one-time one night stand.
Frantic and worried about her son Kenyon, she follows Roberto's breadcrumb directly to Nick. Upon her arrival to see Nick, she immediately slaps him, a person she hasn't seen in 10 years, in the face, without warning or provocation. Which makes her no better than Roberto!
Amara mentions wanting to reconnect with Roberto's old running buddies --particularly, Benny. Nick expressly, and clearly tells her to stay away from him Benny because he's dangerous. Does she listen? You already know the answer to that question! Though she is desperate to find her son, she thwarts Nick at every turn. She sets up a meeting with Benny to meet at his apartment on the seedy side of town. Upon arrival, Amara is thoroughly searched for weapons by one of Benny's goons before she is allowed access to him.
Amaranth hesitated for a moment as she drew in a shaky breath. Nicholas’ warning about Benny waved like a red banner in her mind. Any other time, her meek, mild-mannered personality would’ve complied with someone’s recommendation to stay put, but Kenyon’s life was at stake and she couldn’t afford to sit idly by and wait for something to turn up through Nicholas’ contacts.
No, that would make too much sense to wait for Nick to call in favors and gather intel from people that orbit this type of environment. People who understand the players and the game and what can happen when strangers start nosing around stirring up suspicions and paranoia.
Once she's inside Benny's apartment, she quickly realizes that Nick was right about Benny who shows her his mean side on a dime. She is literally seconds away from being raped and carted off to be sold as a sex slave when Nick comes to her rescue. Good thing he knew she'd do something stupid!
In the guise of trying to get her son back on her own, instead of working with Nick, she put people's lives in danger -- including her own. This happens time and time again, she acts rashly without forethought to consequences.
The many arguments for the justification of Amara's behavior(s) -- past and present -- doesn't pass the litmus test. This heroine was extremely difficult to like because there is a big difference between strong and independent vs. stubborn and obstinate. Most often her behavior and responses to situations and people were counterproductive given what was at stake.
Nick: “What all do you know about him?”
Amara: Amaranth looked at him, an eyebrow rose in question. “Aren’t you inquisitive?”
---->ME: I'm shouting ... he's an investigator!
Nick: Nicholas shrugged. What could he say? As a private investigator, it was his job to be curious and leave no stone unturned.
I didn't like the heroine, but I like the writing style of this author and plan to read her next book as soon as it's written.
Pairing: BW/LM
Advanced Reader Copy Courtesy of The Wild Rose Press via Netgalley.
August 12, 2017
This exciting novel delivered suspense and romance in an entertaining way! Well developed characters drew the reader into this harrowing abduction of an Autistic child with refreshing depth.
July 1, 2017
A little bit of everything=an exciting, satisfying story. What a wild ride! Amaranth and Nicholas's road to love isn't easy, in fact, there's lot of difficulty and danger. I loved how heartfelt this love story was and all of the suspense elements kept me guessing until the end. Horrible villians, an adorable child, and lots of steam. I highly recommend this story to anyone looking for an excellent escape!
June 28, 2017
A page-turner, especially for a first-time author - I couldn't wait to see how it ended. Character development, story movement, and thoughtful, honest realities of raising a child with special needs combined for a gripping read. And what romance reader doesn't love a dreamy, island setting with a gorgeous man? I can't wait to see what's next from this author!
August 6, 2017
This romance and suspense novel is captivating, sexy and emotionally intense. The plot has interesting twists and turns mixed with well-developed characters, including the challenges of having an autistic child. A captivating page-turner that is filled with anticipation, heartache, steaminess, and satisfaction. A great first novel that has me wanting to read more from this author!
April 4, 2021
Excellent read, start to finish!
Lost loves, second chances, danger, intrigue, a mother's love... This book has it all. Even comic book heroes you can pretend are your very own. :)
I highly recommend this book.
Lost loves, second chances, danger, intrigue, a mother's love... This book has it all. Even comic book heroes you can pretend are your very own. :)
I highly recommend this book.
August 31, 2017
DNF
Just couldn't get into the book which was disappointing because it was a decent plot.
Just couldn't get into the book which was disappointing because it was a decent plot.
November 10, 2017
Need You Now is a romantic suspense story that involves the kidnapping of a child. The story moves along smoothly enough, and I really enjoyed the moments with Keyon. I have to say that the male characters in this book had a better depth and believability (yes, I know that's not a real word!) than the females one did. Amaranth had her moments, but she would insist on ignoring the advice/warnings of the professional, and rush headlong into danger. And Cassia was a one-dimensional character who didn't do much to the story and quickly disappeared from working with Nick to being with Roberto.
The story was a good one, and like I said, Keyon stole every scene he was in. The pacing was smooth, and there were no editing or grammatical errors that disrupted my reading flow. With an easy-going writing style, this is a book to read if you don't want anything too deep, but will keep you turning the pages. I did enjoy it, and would read more by this author.
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
The story was a good one, and like I said, Keyon stole every scene he was in. The pacing was smooth, and there were no editing or grammatical errors that disrupted my reading flow. With an easy-going writing style, this is a book to read if you don't want anything too deep, but will keep you turning the pages. I did enjoy it, and would read more by this author.
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
March 31, 2025
I started writing reviews around 2020/2021, I am revisiting some books and writing reviews on books I missed. This book was first published in 2017 and is currently unavailable on Kindle.
Need You Now by Dei Araujo is a second chance at love and secret child romantic suspense story. I first encountered this author when I read The Chaebol's Wife (good story). That story was released in 2021, and I can’t see any other books after that.
In Need You Now, Amaranth Wallace has carved out a new life that did not include her abusive ex, Roberto, or her former best friend and Roberto’s younger brother, Nicholas. Her past comes back to haunt her when she returns home to discover that her child is missing and her best friend and babysitter in dire straits. Nicholas is appalled when the only woman he ever loved seeks him out asking his assistance in finding his estranged brother and her missing son. Nicholas is more than willing to assist her, but will he be happy once he finds out about the years long secret Amaranth has held close to her heart? I enjoyed this story, the tension was high, Amaranth and Nicholas made a cute couple and Roberto was a heartless, vile villain! In addition, her superhero loving son was an interesting character in how he viewed the world. There is a spinoff or sequel involving the babysitter, Loelle, and her road to recovery and romance but both books can be read as standalones.
https://theretiredreader.com/f/need-y...
Need You Now by Dei Araujo is a second chance at love and secret child romantic suspense story. I first encountered this author when I read The Chaebol's Wife (good story). That story was released in 2021, and I can’t see any other books after that.
In Need You Now, Amaranth Wallace has carved out a new life that did not include her abusive ex, Roberto, or her former best friend and Roberto’s younger brother, Nicholas. Her past comes back to haunt her when she returns home to discover that her child is missing and her best friend and babysitter in dire straits. Nicholas is appalled when the only woman he ever loved seeks him out asking his assistance in finding his estranged brother and her missing son. Nicholas is more than willing to assist her, but will he be happy once he finds out about the years long secret Amaranth has held close to her heart? I enjoyed this story, the tension was high, Amaranth and Nicholas made a cute couple and Roberto was a heartless, vile villain! In addition, her superhero loving son was an interesting character in how he viewed the world. There is a spinoff or sequel involving the babysitter, Loelle, and her road to recovery and romance but both books can be read as standalones.
https://theretiredreader.com/f/need-y...
August 1, 2022
This book highlights characters with heart. It's filled with Romance, action, and lots of emotion.
Although it's a spin-off of a prior story, you can read this as a stand-alone without missing a beat. But I warn you, after reading this one, you'll want to go back and read the first story too.
I hope the author has plans for a third book with these characters because there are definitely a few I want to see have their own story.
Although it's a spin-off of a prior story, you can read this as a stand-alone without missing a beat. But I warn you, after reading this one, you'll want to go back and read the first story too.
I hope the author has plans for a third book with these characters because there are definitely a few I want to see have their own story.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews