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Dangerous #3
Dangerous Passion
A standalone novel, with no overlapping plot or characters from Dangerous Lover and Dangerous Secrets . Arms dealer Victor ''Drake'' Drakovich is living an existence of ruthless invulnerability and isolation till he makes himself vulnerable to a sensitive artist. They find themselves battling Drake's rivals from New York to Europe.
310 pages, Trade Paperback
First published August 1, 2009
82 people are currently reading
1921 people want to read
About the author
Lisa Marie Rice
57 books1,610 followersLisa Marie Rice is eternally 30 years old and will never age. She is tall and willowy and beautiful. Men drop at her feet like ripe pears. She has won every major book prize in the world. She is a black belt with advanced degrees in archaeology, nuclear physics, and Tibetan literature. She is a concert pianist. Did I mention her Nobel Prize? Of course, Lisa Marie Rice is a virtual woman and exists only at the keyboard when writing erotic romance. She disappears when the monitor winks off.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 223 reviews
February 3, 2012
OMG, I loved this book! The hero, the heroine, the story, the epilogue - yes, there's a very good and sigh-worthy epilogue in this book, yay! -, everything was just perfect, IMHO. I'm a devoted LMR fan but, as much as I enjoyed all her books, only the Midnight series earned 5 stars from me. Well, not anymore! Dangerous Passion has just made it too. :)
Victor "Drake" Drakovich is a dangerous arms dealer who lives a very secluded life. Due to his "profession", he has a lot of enemies who would be more than happy to end his life in the most violent and painful way, so he's very careful about not having any weaknesses that could be explored by them. Caring for someone would be a major weakness because his enemies wouldn't think twice before striking someone he cared for to get to him, so he doesn't have friends, he has extremely well-paid employees. And he doesn’t have lovers, he has sex partners. "Luckily" for him, he also doesn't have a family, since he doesn't even know where he was born and had never gotten himself emotionally attached to anyone all his life. But this solitary life of his changes when he meets Grace...
Grace Larsen is a struggling artist who's almost (but not quite) as solitary as Drake. She'd like to live to paint rather than paint to live, and the closest "friend" she has is the owner of the art gallery owner where she exposes her artwork. She doesn't have real friends, she has acquaintances. And, like Drake, she doesn't have a family either: her father left when she was nine years old, her mother let herself go after that, and there were no aunts or uncles or cousins to love her when her mother died. Grace has always felt like a misfit, and the only thing that she cares about is her art.
And it's her art that brings Drake and Grace together when, one day, he sees her paintings exposed through the window of the art gallery while stuck in traffic. He's fascinated by the paintings and, in a completely out of character behavior, goes into the art gallery to appreciate them more closely. While he's there, Grace walks in and, bam, in a true LMR fashion, he falls hard and fast for her. Only, he knows he can never be with her because that would make her a target in his enemies' eyes. So he leaves the art gallery unnoticed, and contents himself with buying (anonymously, of course) everything she paints. He also ditches his bodyguards and "escapes" from his tightly secure world to watch - okay, stalk - her from the alleyway outside the art gallery twice a month. This routine goes well for about a year, but a man full of enemies like Drake is bound to be betrayed by one of his employees sooner or later. And when one of his enemies discovers how obsessed he is with Grace and threatens her life in order to get to him, Drake knows it's time he pulled out all the stops and changed his life forever, for there's no way he'll ever let anything bad happen to her. So he takes her to his private "fortress" and pretty much stakes his claim, vowing to protect her with his life.
Grace is a bit shocked at first - seeing people die in front of you, being shot at and almost dying in the process will do that to anyone - but she senses a connection with, not to mention a strong atraction to, Drake and knows she can trust him, even though there's no doubt there's something dangerous about him. But, hey, he's a LMR hero so we all know that he's dangerous to everyone but the heroine. :)
I have to say, I didn't think Drake was hero material when I met him in Dangerous Lover, where he played a secondary role. I mean, he wasn't one of the good guys so I just dismissed him and forgot about him. That shows how clueless I am, LOL, because Drake has become one of my favorite heroes now that I read Dangerous Passion. He was strong, protective, caring, and he loved Grace so much that I was almost envious of her. ;)
Grace started out as the typical LMR heroine: beautiful, delicate, trusting, sweet and kind. But she got stronger as the story progressed, and I was pleasantly surprised to see her saving the day in the end. Very impressive! Kudos to LMR for changing her "formula" and giving us a more (sort of) kick-ass heroine.
As for the ending, I confess my eyes were a little misty (in a good way) when I closed the book. Hormones, I say! ;) This was the second LMR book in a row with a very good epilogue, so I guess she paid attention to her readers' "complaints" about the abrupt endings in her earlier books. Very well done, Ms. Rice!
All in all, this was an excellent read that only made me love LMR's writing more than I already did.
Victor "Drake" Drakovich is a dangerous arms dealer who lives a very secluded life. Due to his "profession", he has a lot of enemies who would be more than happy to end his life in the most violent and painful way, so he's very careful about not having any weaknesses that could be explored by them. Caring for someone would be a major weakness because his enemies wouldn't think twice before striking someone he cared for to get to him, so he doesn't have friends, he has extremely well-paid employees. And he doesn’t have lovers, he has sex partners. "Luckily" for him, he also doesn't have a family, since he doesn't even know where he was born and had never gotten himself emotionally attached to anyone all his life. But this solitary life of his changes when he meets Grace...
Grace Larsen is a struggling artist who's almost (but not quite) as solitary as Drake. She'd like to live to paint rather than paint to live, and the closest "friend" she has is the owner of the art gallery owner where she exposes her artwork. She doesn't have real friends, she has acquaintances. And, like Drake, she doesn't have a family either: her father left when she was nine years old, her mother let herself go after that, and there were no aunts or uncles or cousins to love her when her mother died. Grace has always felt like a misfit, and the only thing that she cares about is her art.
And it's her art that brings Drake and Grace together when, one day, he sees her paintings exposed through the window of the art gallery while stuck in traffic. He's fascinated by the paintings and, in a completely out of character behavior, goes into the art gallery to appreciate them more closely. While he's there, Grace walks in and, bam, in a true LMR fashion, he falls hard and fast for her. Only, he knows he can never be with her because that would make her a target in his enemies' eyes. So he leaves the art gallery unnoticed, and contents himself with buying (anonymously, of course) everything she paints. He also ditches his bodyguards and "escapes" from his tightly secure world to watch - okay, stalk - her from the alleyway outside the art gallery twice a month. This routine goes well for about a year, but a man full of enemies like Drake is bound to be betrayed by one of his employees sooner or later. And when one of his enemies discovers how obsessed he is with Grace and threatens her life in order to get to him, Drake knows it's time he pulled out all the stops and changed his life forever, for there's no way he'll ever let anything bad happen to her. So he takes her to his private "fortress" and pretty much stakes his claim, vowing to protect her with his life.
Grace is a bit shocked at first - seeing people die in front of you, being shot at and almost dying in the process will do that to anyone - but she senses a connection with, not to mention a strong atraction to, Drake and knows she can trust him, even though there's no doubt there's something dangerous about him. But, hey, he's a LMR hero so we all know that he's dangerous to everyone but the heroine. :)
I have to say, I didn't think Drake was hero material when I met him in Dangerous Lover, where he played a secondary role. I mean, he wasn't one of the good guys so I just dismissed him and forgot about him. That shows how clueless I am, LOL, because Drake has become one of my favorite heroes now that I read Dangerous Passion. He was strong, protective, caring, and he loved Grace so much that I was almost envious of her. ;)
Grace started out as the typical LMR heroine: beautiful, delicate, trusting, sweet and kind. But she got stronger as the story progressed, and I was pleasantly surprised to see her saving the day in the end. Very impressive! Kudos to LMR for changing her "formula" and giving us a more (sort of) kick-ass heroine.
As for the ending, I confess my eyes were a little misty (in a good way) when I closed the book. Hormones, I say! ;) This was the second LMR book in a row with a very good epilogue, so I guess she paid attention to her readers' "complaints" about the abrupt endings in her earlier books. Very well done, Ms. Rice!
All in all, this was an excellent read that only made me love LMR's writing more than I already did.
August 7, 2009
I really loved this one, maybe more so than other reviewers, since I'm a big fan of LMR. However, I was a little concerned if I would 100% fall for the hero, Viktor "Drake" Drakovich, since he was a just this side of legal arms dealer--not exactly a hero-worthy occupation! Not to mention that he was probably one of the most feared, most powerful men in the world, so well versed in the martial arts that his body was a lethal weapon, and didn't 'do' love. Not sounding too promising there. But lo and behold, when it came to the heroine, artist Grace Larsen, the man was a huge softie! In typical LMR fashion, once he got a look at the lovely Grace, it was 'game on' and he had to have her! But here's the twist--he couldn't have her, for to do so would put her life in serious danger. Drake had numerous enemies wanting to bring him down, and to show any chink in his armor, to show anything he was vulnerable to, would make it easy for those enemies to use it to destroy (as in kill) him. So Drake had to love from afar (which I found so pitiful), stealing glances at Grace while hiding in a dirty alleyway, spying through the art gallery window...this from the most powerful man in the world! What kind of a life is that, if you can't openly be with the one you (think) you love? What good is all that power and money if you constantly have to watch your back to see who might have a gun trained on you?
Ms. Rice gives a pretty detailed backstory for Drake, and it's a sad yet remarkable tale. At first I had a little trouble figuring out just how old Drake was, for to accomplish so much in his life (especially considering his miserable 'street rat' beginnings) and just from the way she described his looks, I figured he was a man in his forties. Color me surprised when she mentioned he was 34...which seemed to fit better with Grace's 28. But for all that he lived through, and all he worked for, I kept thinking to myself "God, does he need someone to love him." And that's where Grace came in.
Beautiful, kind Grace...talented yet a bit naive, a person who has trouble "fitting" in today's world, kind of a loner with not many friends...she was just perfect for the equally lonely Drake. I loved the instant connection to one another that they each felt. I loved the gentle way that Drake seduced her...I loved how they each gave in to the passion that they both felt...can LMR write a scorching sex scene or what? Oh, the scene in front of the skyscraper windows...H-O-T!
I loved the action in this one too. Once Drake's enemies knew about his love for Grace, they were bound and determined to use that against him and bring him down. The reader gets inside of the head of the ruthless, ambitious man who is plotting to have all that Drake has, and I was anxiously biting my nails, saying "Don't go in the living room, don't go in the living room..."! The scene where Drake and Grace's lives are in danger seems right out of a movie (I'm thinking of a scene in "The Godfather"...Michael and Kay in the bedroom), and Grace gets to prove just how strong of a woman she is--go Grace!
Loved the ending too, where Drake proves just how smart and cunning he is.:) Loved a glimpse into their happy future too, and I think we may have seen an interesting character who could have his own book one day.
So, there may have been a few unanswered questions, a few plot holes and some scenes that test your believability--aren't there any police in NYC and why don't they ever question Drake or Grace? If a building blows up and is on fire, where are the cops and firemen? But this didn't bother me too much, since I try not to overly think about those things that can ruin an entertaining read!
If you're looking for a romantic escape, this is it. I loved the tender relationship between Grace and Drake, loved their fiery, passionate moments, and I loved the transformation of Drake into a man who could appreciate the world around him. I loved how Grace was able to get him to appreciate the little things in life (snow!) and to show him that's there's hope and beauty in this world we live in. And I loved how Drake was able to show his duschka that he loved her just the way she was, and that Grace had the confidence to be herself. I hope that somehow LMR revists these characters, and that we can see just how well they are coping in their new world. This may not be my favorite book by LMR--hard to top Midnight Angel--but it ranks right up there. 4 1/2 stars.
Ms. Rice gives a pretty detailed backstory for Drake, and it's a sad yet remarkable tale. At first I had a little trouble figuring out just how old Drake was, for to accomplish so much in his life (especially considering his miserable 'street rat' beginnings) and just from the way she described his looks, I figured he was a man in his forties. Color me surprised when she mentioned he was 34...which seemed to fit better with Grace's 28. But for all that he lived through, and all he worked for, I kept thinking to myself "God, does he need someone to love him." And that's where Grace came in.
Beautiful, kind Grace...talented yet a bit naive, a person who has trouble "fitting" in today's world, kind of a loner with not many friends...she was just perfect for the equally lonely Drake. I loved the instant connection to one another that they each felt. I loved the gentle way that Drake seduced her...I loved how they each gave in to the passion that they both felt...can LMR write a scorching sex scene or what? Oh, the scene in front of the skyscraper windows...H-O-T!
I loved the action in this one too. Once Drake's enemies knew about his love for Grace, they were bound and determined to use that against him and bring him down. The reader gets inside of the head of the ruthless, ambitious man who is plotting to have all that Drake has, and I was anxiously biting my nails, saying "Don't go in the living room, don't go in the living room..."! The scene where Drake and Grace's lives are in danger seems right out of a movie (I'm thinking of a scene in "The Godfather"...Michael and Kay in the bedroom), and Grace gets to prove just how strong of a woman she is--go Grace!
Loved the ending too, where Drake proves just how smart and cunning he is.:) Loved a glimpse into their happy future too, and I think we may have seen an interesting character who could have his own book one day.
So, there may have been a few unanswered questions, a few plot holes and some scenes that test your believability--aren't there any police in NYC and why don't they ever question Drake or Grace? If a building blows up and is on fire, where are the cops and firemen? But this didn't bother me too much, since I try not to overly think about those things that can ruin an entertaining read!
If you're looking for a romantic escape, this is it. I loved the tender relationship between Grace and Drake, loved their fiery, passionate moments, and I loved the transformation of Drake into a man who could appreciate the world around him. I loved how Grace was able to get him to appreciate the little things in life (snow!) and to show him that's there's hope and beauty in this world we live in. And I loved how Drake was able to show his duschka that he loved her just the way she was, and that Grace had the confidence to be herself. I hope that somehow LMR revists these characters, and that we can see just how well they are coping in their new world. This may not be my favorite book by LMR--hard to top Midnight Angel--but it ranks right up there. 4 1/2 stars.
May 18, 2018
2.5 stars
Standing in the shadows in the cold of a Manhattan winter or the steamy furnace of a Manhattan summer for an hour or two a month, without his bodyguards, without any security whatsoever, for a glimpse of a woman…it was madness.
The beginning of this was crazy good. The suspense, danger, and action was gripping. Then the story started to become the hero constantly talking about how the heroine is not like any other woman and his fantasy of banging her. We don't get a sex scene until the second half, which shocked me because this is categorized as erotica but the constant fantasizing by the hero and then the second half focus on sex more than earn that category.
I wanted more action because the author wrote it so well. The villain was good, the hero's dark background was good, and I could even handle the very good girl but,
It had also been clear that she wasn’t wearing a bra, because she didn’t need it. Her breasts were perfect as they were.
No. She's sweet, amazing, no make-up, perfect no-dyed shade hair, amazing artistic talent, etc, etc, but no to the perfect breasts not needing a bra to look "perfect". I can sustain my disbelief only so far. Really though, I just couldn't with the perfect all other women are scum heroine, as viewed by the hero.
The sex didn't grip me because I didn't "know" the characters enough. Great first two chapters, though.
Standing in the shadows in the cold of a Manhattan winter or the steamy furnace of a Manhattan summer for an hour or two a month, without his bodyguards, without any security whatsoever, for a glimpse of a woman…it was madness.
The beginning of this was crazy good. The suspense, danger, and action was gripping. Then the story started to become the hero constantly talking about how the heroine is not like any other woman and his fantasy of banging her. We don't get a sex scene until the second half, which shocked me because this is categorized as erotica but the constant fantasizing by the hero and then the second half focus on sex more than earn that category.
I wanted more action because the author wrote it so well. The villain was good, the hero's dark background was good, and I could even handle the very good girl but,
It had also been clear that she wasn’t wearing a bra, because she didn’t need it. Her breasts were perfect as they were.
No. She's sweet, amazing, no make-up, perfect no-dyed shade hair, amazing artistic talent, etc, etc, but no to the perfect breasts not needing a bra to look "perfect". I can sustain my disbelief only so far. Really though, I just couldn't with the perfect all other women are scum heroine, as viewed by the hero.
The sex didn't grip me because I didn't "know" the characters enough. Great first two chapters, though.
August 20, 2011
This was a classy, emotional romance. I really liked Drake and Grace as a couple. The idea of lonely people who drift through life, and find each other, two pieces of a heart coming together always makes me feel mushy and sentimental in the best way. That's the ultimate kind of romance to me. Add on top of that, a hard, lethal man who melts only for one person, the woman he loves... Yup, I go into instant sighing mode. Despite the fact that this could have been rather cheesy in theory, this book is not cheesy in the slightest. At least, not to me. I love the dangerous hero who will do anything for his woman. And Drake definitely embodies that.
Lisa Marie Rice has an elegant, smooth writing style that makes for a quick, involving read. The love scenes are just right, although I could have done without the 'c' word for the woman's anatomy. I can understand that from the perspective of a rough man like Drake that he would use terms like that and the 'f' word for the sex act, so I was able to deal with it. I could see that his feelings for Grace were so deep, multi-layered and real. He never viewed her as a disposable sex object, which is a huge turnoff for me in a hero. He was just a rough guy who grew up in the worse circumstances, and to whom gentleness and love were foreign, until she came into his life, and everything changed. I'm not an erotic romance person, but I felt right in my comfort zone with the love scenes in this book ('c' word aside). The scenes show a sensuality teamed with an emotional connection that progressed the story nicely. Nothing too crude, kinky, or off-putting for me.
The action and suspense elements won over this exacting action/adventure fan. I knew I was going to like Drake from early on. This man knows how to handle himself. He might have bodyguards, and he is wise to do so, but he is lethal all by himself. Anyone who comes after him and his woman has a serious death wish, and there was no question about that. The strong, silent, lethal hero is my favorite type, and I will add Drake to my list. I also liked the way that sweet, gentle Grace handled herself in some dangerous circumstances, keeping her cool and showing a lot of resourcefulness. She proves that she can handle being in Drake's world.
I really enjoyed this book. The scenes of emotional and physical intimacy were perfectly rendered. Drake is the larger than life kind of hero that you do have to suspend disbelief to read (because he just makes normal men just fade in comparison), but that's the fun of it. Grace is a woman that you know is more than worthy of his love, who gives back even more than she takes, even from a man who would hand her the world on a platter. I can see them living happily ever after, more deeply in love each year of their long lives together. I love reading romance books that are like action movies with very good and extensive romance elements. That's the perfect combination for me. The adrenaline rush from both the danger and the swoonworthy romance. And this book definitely delivers that. I can see why this is such a well-liked book. I'd recommend it, even if you aren't into erotic romance. It gets the Danielle seal of approval, if that means anything to you.
Lisa Marie Rice has an elegant, smooth writing style that makes for a quick, involving read. The love scenes are just right, although I could have done without the 'c' word for the woman's anatomy. I can understand that from the perspective of a rough man like Drake that he would use terms like that and the 'f' word for the sex act, so I was able to deal with it. I could see that his feelings for Grace were so deep, multi-layered and real. He never viewed her as a disposable sex object, which is a huge turnoff for me in a hero. He was just a rough guy who grew up in the worse circumstances, and to whom gentleness and love were foreign, until she came into his life, and everything changed. I'm not an erotic romance person, but I felt right in my comfort zone with the love scenes in this book ('c' word aside). The scenes show a sensuality teamed with an emotional connection that progressed the story nicely. Nothing too crude, kinky, or off-putting for me.
The action and suspense elements won over this exacting action/adventure fan. I knew I was going to like Drake from early on. This man knows how to handle himself. He might have bodyguards, and he is wise to do so, but he is lethal all by himself. Anyone who comes after him and his woman has a serious death wish, and there was no question about that. The strong, silent, lethal hero is my favorite type, and I will add Drake to my list. I also liked the way that sweet, gentle Grace handled herself in some dangerous circumstances, keeping her cool and showing a lot of resourcefulness. She proves that she can handle being in Drake's world.
I really enjoyed this book. The scenes of emotional and physical intimacy were perfectly rendered. Drake is the larger than life kind of hero that you do have to suspend disbelief to read (because he just makes normal men just fade in comparison), but that's the fun of it. Grace is a woman that you know is more than worthy of his love, who gives back even more than she takes, even from a man who would hand her the world on a platter. I can see them living happily ever after, more deeply in love each year of their long lives together. I love reading romance books that are like action movies with very good and extensive romance elements. That's the perfect combination for me. The adrenaline rush from both the danger and the swoonworthy romance. And this book definitely delivers that. I can see why this is such a well-liked book. I'd recommend it, even if you aren't into erotic romance. It gets the Danielle seal of approval, if that means anything to you.
August 4, 2009
"Dangerous Passion" has everything readers expect from Lisa Marie Rice--a hot Alpha male, a woman in trouble, tense action, and enough sizzling sex to set your fingers on fire. Although I enjoyed this story a lot, I did notice more than a passing resemblance to a previously released story, "Secluded" in Secrets, Vol. 9.
She's a mostly naive artist, struggling to make her living in the big city but content with her distance from others. One day Grace's artworks catch the eye of an anonymous collector who buys up everything she produces. Then during one visit to the art gallery to drop off her newest works, Grace is kidnapped and her dealer friend killed. But when they try to use her to force compliance from a stranger in a nearby alley, the stranger saves Grace and gets away...taking Grace with him to his highrise aerie.
Drake has always known he would die violently. He is, after all, the head of a billion-dollar arms empire--and not all that money was earned legally. He's honed himself into a lethal weapon and never takes chances...until he spots Grace's artwork and sees himself in it. For one year, he's only watched from a distance; but when his enemies try to snatch Grace, he realizes her life will never be the same. She's his only weakness, but she's also his only happiness.
It takes talent to make me LIKE a weapons dealer! Drake grew up hard and can only express tenderness with Grace (silly sigh). She confuses him, attracts him, and completes him and he (in a typical male manner) can't figure out quite why. WHAT an Alpha. And the sex?! I think my fingers are still smoking! The story does take place in a compressed timeframe, but that's part of the plot so it didn't bug me. The contrast between the characters and their natures are a big part of what draws me to Rice's works and this story is no exception.
My only beef is the story's eerie resemblance to a previously released work. Not that I didn't enjoy the greatly expanded version, but I would have liked to have known about it before reading "Dangerous Passion". Lisa Marie Rice is still one of my favorite erotica authors and I'll be anxiously awaiting her next release.
She's a mostly naive artist, struggling to make her living in the big city but content with her distance from others. One day Grace's artworks catch the eye of an anonymous collector who buys up everything she produces. Then during one visit to the art gallery to drop off her newest works, Grace is kidnapped and her dealer friend killed. But when they try to use her to force compliance from a stranger in a nearby alley, the stranger saves Grace and gets away...taking Grace with him to his highrise aerie.
Drake has always known he would die violently. He is, after all, the head of a billion-dollar arms empire--and not all that money was earned legally. He's honed himself into a lethal weapon and never takes chances...until he spots Grace's artwork and sees himself in it. For one year, he's only watched from a distance; but when his enemies try to snatch Grace, he realizes her life will never be the same. She's his only weakness, but she's also his only happiness.
It takes talent to make me LIKE a weapons dealer! Drake grew up hard and can only express tenderness with Grace (silly sigh). She confuses him, attracts him, and completes him and he (in a typical male manner) can't figure out quite why. WHAT an Alpha. And the sex?! I think my fingers are still smoking! The story does take place in a compressed timeframe, but that's part of the plot so it didn't bug me. The contrast between the characters and their natures are a big part of what draws me to Rice's works and this story is no exception.
My only beef is the story's eerie resemblance to a previously released work. Not that I didn't enjoy the greatly expanded version, but I would have liked to have known about it before reading "Dangerous Passion". Lisa Marie Rice is still one of my favorite erotica authors and I'll be anxiously awaiting her next release.
December 18, 2014
I really liked this one but in the end I couldn't really get completely over the fact that the hero is an arms dealer and that the heroine, after asking him if he was a drug dealer, never questioned him about his job again. He could be in the business of human trafficking for all she cared, and I just couldn't ignore such naivite in her part.
Other than that, I liked Drake's character, his fierce protectiveness and dominant nature. Although I'm usually one to complain that some romances confuse lust with love, LMR convinced me in this case that their relationship was much more than physical.
The suspense was mediocre, which I admit is the way I like it so it doesn't overshadow the romance, the love scenes sexy but also tasteful, the hero quite yummy. These are reasons enough for me to make me want to read other books of the same author. I just hope the other books do not deal with such morally dubious professions.
Other than that, I liked Drake's character, his fierce protectiveness and dominant nature. Although I'm usually one to complain that some romances confuse lust with love, LMR convinced me in this case that their relationship was much more than physical.
The suspense was mediocre, which I admit is the way I like it so it doesn't overshadow the romance, the love scenes sexy but also tasteful, the hero quite yummy. These are reasons enough for me to make me want to read other books of the same author. I just hope the other books do not deal with such morally dubious professions.
August 3, 2009
Dangerous Passion had nothing to do with the other two books in this series and is a stand-alone. The plot was good, but there there was too much repetition of information and fluff to add more pages to the story, imo. Felt the characters were adequately created and didn't need the reminders of their past lives and harsh realities. Got it.
Fate and soul-mates would be an excellent theme for this book because there was a strong inexplicable tie between the two main characters: Grace was a painter and had dreams of Drake before he had a scar removed from his face; Drake was a self-made gabazillionaire who sold weapons to other countries and the U.S. Their worlds finally collide and danger follows them.
Toward the end, the story dragged a bit, the use of "my love" while being shot at seemed out of place and I was frustrated with how Grace dealt with the loss of her friend early in the story. I still enjoyed the book, would give it 3 1/2 stars if I could.
Fate and soul-mates would be an excellent theme for this book because there was a strong inexplicable tie between the two main characters: Grace was a painter and had dreams of Drake before he had a scar removed from his face; Drake was a self-made gabazillionaire who sold weapons to other countries and the U.S. Their worlds finally collide and danger follows them.
Toward the end, the story dragged a bit, the use of "my love" while being shot at seemed out of place and I was frustrated with how Grace dealt with the loss of her friend early in the story. I still enjoyed the book, would give it 3 1/2 stars if I could.
January 11, 2025
An obsessed hero stalking a sweet as can be heroine when a mortal enemy threatens all causing forced proximity. 5 hot and spicy stars for chemistry and intrigue.
December 4, 2013
4.5 stars. Totally enjoyable. Makes me feel good. Alpha arms dealer falls in love and protects beautiful artist.
STORY BRIEF:
Drake heads up a billion-dollar empire selling weapons to various countries. He lives in a fortress of a home with bodyguards. One day he sees paintings in an art gallery window that he can’t resist. He goes inside to look and meets the artist Grace who takes his breath away. She brings her work to the gallery every other Tuesday. For the next year, Drake secretly stands in the alley on those days so he can watch her through the gallery window. He loves her from afar but knows he can’t bring her into his world. One of his enemies learns of his Tuesday visits and hires four men to ambush Drake. One of them grabs Grace and holds a gun to her head. He and Grace are able to get away, and Drake takes her to his home fortress. He later shows her she can never be free again, because his enemies will always be after her as a way to get to Drake.
REVIEWER’S OPINION:
Totally enjoyable. Emotionally fulfilling. This is similar to her other books. The same alpha-type warrior who is so in love with a woman and so turned on by her that “he needs to be hosed down.” The same type of heroine: gentle, caring, beautiful, brave, and needing protection. It’s easy to read. Every once in a while I’m in the mood for this kind of writing. Makes me feel good. Some of it is a little over the top – with exaggerations similar to “I’ve done this thousands of times …” and “I’ll kill him if he so much as leaves a scratch on her.” I like her style and enjoyed this even though there were a few weaknesses described below.
CAUTION MILD SPOILERS:
The weaknesses were: 1. I wanted to see how Drake would uncover and deal with the traitor in his organization, but it never happened. 2. Grace’s psychic ability painting his scar felt thrown in and didn’t go anywhere. If the author was trying to show a psychic connection between the two she needed to do more with it than she did. I think the story would have been fine without the psychic part. 3. The hero was a bad guy, an arms dealer. For some readers that may be a problem. I was ok with it. Not every story needs to be about perfect do-good heroes.
This is not a weakness, but I would have liked seeing more story about what went on between Andrew and Shota – how Andrew enticed information from Shota. Shota was so loyal. I wanted to see how someone could pierce through it.
DATA:
Story length: 310 pages. Swearing language: strong. Sexual language: strong/erotic. Number of sex scenes: 10. Total number of sex scene pages: 34. Setting: New York, S. Carolina, Italy, Sivatu (island in the Pacific). Copyright: 2009. Genre: erotic romantic suspense.
OTHER BOOKS:
For a list of my reviews of other Lisa Marie Rice books, see my 4.5 star review of “Midnight Man” posted 3/17/09.
STORY BRIEF:
Drake heads up a billion-dollar empire selling weapons to various countries. He lives in a fortress of a home with bodyguards. One day he sees paintings in an art gallery window that he can’t resist. He goes inside to look and meets the artist Grace who takes his breath away. She brings her work to the gallery every other Tuesday. For the next year, Drake secretly stands in the alley on those days so he can watch her through the gallery window. He loves her from afar but knows he can’t bring her into his world. One of his enemies learns of his Tuesday visits and hires four men to ambush Drake. One of them grabs Grace and holds a gun to her head. He and Grace are able to get away, and Drake takes her to his home fortress. He later shows her she can never be free again, because his enemies will always be after her as a way to get to Drake.
REVIEWER’S OPINION:
Totally enjoyable. Emotionally fulfilling. This is similar to her other books. The same alpha-type warrior who is so in love with a woman and so turned on by her that “he needs to be hosed down.” The same type of heroine: gentle, caring, beautiful, brave, and needing protection. It’s easy to read. Every once in a while I’m in the mood for this kind of writing. Makes me feel good. Some of it is a little over the top – with exaggerations similar to “I’ve done this thousands of times …” and “I’ll kill him if he so much as leaves a scratch on her.” I like her style and enjoyed this even though there were a few weaknesses described below.
CAUTION MILD SPOILERS:
The weaknesses were: 1. I wanted to see how Drake would uncover and deal with the traitor in his organization, but it never happened. 2. Grace’s psychic ability painting his scar felt thrown in and didn’t go anywhere. If the author was trying to show a psychic connection between the two she needed to do more with it than she did. I think the story would have been fine without the psychic part. 3. The hero was a bad guy, an arms dealer. For some readers that may be a problem. I was ok with it. Not every story needs to be about perfect do-good heroes.
This is not a weakness, but I would have liked seeing more story about what went on between Andrew and Shota – how Andrew enticed information from Shota. Shota was so loyal. I wanted to see how someone could pierce through it.
DATA:
Story length: 310 pages. Swearing language: strong. Sexual language: strong/erotic. Number of sex scenes: 10. Total number of sex scene pages: 34. Setting: New York, S. Carolina, Italy, Sivatu (island in the Pacific). Copyright: 2009. Genre: erotic romantic suspense.
OTHER BOOKS:
For a list of my reviews of other Lisa Marie Rice books, see my 4.5 star review of “Midnight Man” posted 3/17/09.
May 14, 2011
"Feelings kill faster than bullets" goes the old Russian saying, and arms dealer Viktor Drokovich discovers how very true that can be when he falls in love at first sight with a work of art and then with its artist, Grace Larsen. Loving Grace will be a weak spot in his armor that puts him in mortal danger -- and it will be his ultimate salvation.
You have to be able swallow a lot for this story to work. Like that an incredibly powerful arms dealer, who's killed any number of people, could also be gentled and principled. Like that someone this obsessed --
"The weakness disappeared instantly. Grace needed food. Just the thought of her being uncomfortable -- God, hungry -- in his home was enough to energize him."
"This was a woman in a million. He should treat her like porcelain, like glass that would shatter at his touch. He should get down on the floor on his knees as if before an angel."
-- won’t eventually turn on the other person when she reveals a flaw. Like that he never seems to need to have an orgasm.
But the story flows so smoothly and ultimately has such a nice balance to it that it really works, despite the many implausibilities. It's an exciting, romantic, satisfying fantasy.
You have to be able swallow a lot for this story to work. Like that an incredibly powerful arms dealer, who's killed any number of people, could also be gentled and principled. Like that someone this obsessed --
"The weakness disappeared instantly. Grace needed food. Just the thought of her being uncomfortable -- God, hungry -- in his home was enough to energize him."
"This was a woman in a million. He should treat her like porcelain, like glass that would shatter at his touch. He should get down on the floor on his knees as if before an angel."
-- won’t eventually turn on the other person when she reveals a flaw. Like that he never seems to need to have an orgasm.
But the story flows so smoothly and ultimately has such a nice balance to it that it really works, despite the many implausibilities. It's an exciting, romantic, satisfying fantasy.
April 27, 2020
Re-read by audiobook.
4 stars for the story (down from 5 the first time I read it) and the narration.
I remember liking it a bit more the first time around, but I still really enjoyed the story.
4 stars for the story (down from 5 the first time I read it) and the narration.
I remember liking it a bit more the first time around, but I still really enjoyed the story.
August 4, 2009
Dangerous Passion is very much a typical Lisa Marie Rice book. Her hero, Viktor “Drake” Drakovich is a man living on the edge. He is cold, calculating and even though he has the whole world at his fingertips, he is an empty shell of a man. Drake is a nomad who has no place to call his own. He is a borderline villain because his past is a murky one. He has risen to the top and became a billionaire because he destroyed so many to get to where he is now. He trusts no one. He has built a safety bubble, surrounded by bodyguards and protective glass because he has so many enemies. This life he has is his hell, a prison. The money, power and prestige means nothing. Everything changes the moment he spies a beautiful painting. Grace Larsen lives and breathes her art. She paints the most beautiful paintings and when Drake spots one where she has painted his likeness, he becomes undone. It feels like he has been struck by lightning and needs Grace to quench the secret longings he has. Only in a romance novel is there a man like Drake!
Grace is a loner. She doesn’t have many friends and no family to speak of. Painting keeps her going and now that her hard work is being bought by a mysterious buyer, she can save money and perhaps travel and do the things she has always wanted to do. Too bad one of his enemies, who feels he was wronged by Drake in the past, knows about Grace. This enemy will be responsible for bring Drake and Grace together as well as ruining Grace’s life. .
Drake has been watching Grace secretly for almost a year. He knows he can never have anything with her because he is poison. Drake is forced to protect Grace and bring her into his world after she is attacked. He saves her before she is killed. Grace is confused and scared. She is not sure what to make of Drake even though she doesn’t think he is truly bad. She can see a side to him that is clean and pure. And as we come to know in a Lisa Marie Rice novel, all of her heroines make her heroes feel clean again.
The majority of Dangerous Passion takes place in Drake’s protected Manhattan penthouse. Think of it like a fortress where he is the king and ruler. A dictator of sorts. Grace is the damsel in distress, the princess he must protect and the future queen he wants as his own. Drake’s thoughts on what he wants to do to Grace had me panting:
“Just as soon as was humanly possible, he was going to start fucking her, binding her to him with sex. He was going to get into her and stay in her as long as he could, until they breathed the same air, until their hearts beat together, until it would be unthinkable for her to leave his side.”
A somewhat passionate and blunt plea, don’t you think? Even though Drake would love to ram his love into Grace, he knows she must handle her with care. He is big in everyway. Grace is pretty and so very soft and little.
Lisa Marie makes sure to build up the attraction and lust between these two. I don’t know how she does it, but in the short time Grace and Drake are together, she makes it so believable for these two, especially Grace. They fall into each other’s arms so perfectly. So what if Drake is dark and not the perfect hero. He is one of those living on the edge men who changes his tune because of love. Grace and Drake do have great chemistry even though Grace comes across a bit timid. But because Drake loves her so and doesn’t want to walk all over her, he makes sure she feels welcome and settled with him.
The question of these two being settled and having a safe life together seems to be impossible. Again, Drake has too many enemies to count. You would think these two would constantly be on the run and even though Lisa Marie gives an almost plausible ending, it just didn’t ring true to me. It was a lovely thing to read but I feel it just couldn’t work.
Even with the less than believable ending, Dangerous Passion did deliver a passionate romance where a man becomes undone by a woman. I really love those types of stories and Lisa Marie Rice writes them so well. Her sex scenes simmer with unbridled love that cannot be ignored or contained.
Grace is a loner. She doesn’t have many friends and no family to speak of. Painting keeps her going and now that her hard work is being bought by a mysterious buyer, she can save money and perhaps travel and do the things she has always wanted to do. Too bad one of his enemies, who feels he was wronged by Drake in the past, knows about Grace. This enemy will be responsible for bring Drake and Grace together as well as ruining Grace’s life. .
Drake has been watching Grace secretly for almost a year. He knows he can never have anything with her because he is poison. Drake is forced to protect Grace and bring her into his world after she is attacked. He saves her before she is killed. Grace is confused and scared. She is not sure what to make of Drake even though she doesn’t think he is truly bad. She can see a side to him that is clean and pure. And as we come to know in a Lisa Marie Rice novel, all of her heroines make her heroes feel clean again.
The majority of Dangerous Passion takes place in Drake’s protected Manhattan penthouse. Think of it like a fortress where he is the king and ruler. A dictator of sorts. Grace is the damsel in distress, the princess he must protect and the future queen he wants as his own. Drake’s thoughts on what he wants to do to Grace had me panting:
“Just as soon as was humanly possible, he was going to start fucking her, binding her to him with sex. He was going to get into her and stay in her as long as he could, until they breathed the same air, until their hearts beat together, until it would be unthinkable for her to leave his side.”
A somewhat passionate and blunt plea, don’t you think? Even though Drake would love to ram his love into Grace, he knows she must handle her with care. He is big in everyway. Grace is pretty and so very soft and little.
Lisa Marie makes sure to build up the attraction and lust between these two. I don’t know how she does it, but in the short time Grace and Drake are together, she makes it so believable for these two, especially Grace. They fall into each other’s arms so perfectly. So what if Drake is dark and not the perfect hero. He is one of those living on the edge men who changes his tune because of love. Grace and Drake do have great chemistry even though Grace comes across a bit timid. But because Drake loves her so and doesn’t want to walk all over her, he makes sure she feels welcome and settled with him.
The question of these two being settled and having a safe life together seems to be impossible. Again, Drake has too many enemies to count. You would think these two would constantly be on the run and even though Lisa Marie gives an almost plausible ending, it just didn’t ring true to me. It was a lovely thing to read but I feel it just couldn’t work.
Even with the less than believable ending, Dangerous Passion did deliver a passionate romance where a man becomes undone by a woman. I really love those types of stories and Lisa Marie Rice writes them so well. Her sex scenes simmer with unbridled love that cannot be ignored or contained.
May 23, 2015
3,75 Stars - The man without feelings falls in love.
Hot, sweet and safe!
Now, I will dwell on this again, I LOVE to read about these alpha males (especially them) and their beloved women in Lisa Marie Rice romances. Having just finished the Midnight Series (3 fun and steamy novels), I couldn't resist the temptation and I now have quite quickly read another book by this writer. [It's my new hobby...] She gave me this time, like before, a novel about the toughest and fiercest warrior and the gentle warm-hearted woman he "rescues". The setup is a bit the same in the four books I've read so far. BUT who cares? Not me, I get exactly what I want. A divinely sexy hero, a lovable heroine, a little adventure and excitement, romance and true love, and a lot of heat and steam.
# Viktor "Drake" Drakovich is a ruthless immensely rich arms dealer. Barefoot from the slums of Odessa, through wars and armies to immense power, wealth, and absolutely isolated luxury in NY - one day he sees some amazing paintings in a gallery.
# Grace Larsen is a beautiful artist with simple needs and a single pleasure - to paint. In a year, has a secret admirer of her art bought all the works she exhibited in the art gallery.
But he has not only bought paintings, he has admired her too ...
As always, our hero has a tender heart behind all the muscles. As always bolts his heart (and c ~ k) hard for the woman he chose. From that day is his life not just about his own needs, weapon, war, fights and pointless-fast-sex anymore. No, he should take care of, attend to, warm and make love with the lovely woman he is prepared to die for. She'll be SAFE; It's his task. So cute - I'm falling head over heels again!
It's gentle about to love and to be loved. It's fast-paced, a lot of suspense, some fun (male) thoughts and as always quite sexy. I'm a "believer" ~ again. It's addictive - I want more!
I LIKE - (as always) these stone tough alpha males
~~~~~~~~~~
Thanks Kathleen, who told me about this book - twice!
Hot, sweet and safe!
Now, I will dwell on this again, I LOVE to read about these alpha males (especially them) and their beloved women in Lisa Marie Rice romances. Having just finished the Midnight Series (3 fun and steamy novels), I couldn't resist the temptation and I now have quite quickly read another book by this writer. [It's my new hobby...] She gave me this time, like before, a novel about the toughest and fiercest warrior and the gentle warm-hearted woman he "rescues". The setup is a bit the same in the four books I've read so far. BUT who cares? Not me, I get exactly what I want. A divinely sexy hero, a lovable heroine, a little adventure and excitement, romance and true love, and a lot of heat and steam.
# Viktor "Drake" Drakovich is a ruthless immensely rich arms dealer. Barefoot from the slums of Odessa, through wars and armies to immense power, wealth, and absolutely isolated luxury in NY - one day he sees some amazing paintings in a gallery.
# Grace Larsen is a beautiful artist with simple needs and a single pleasure - to paint. In a year, has a secret admirer of her art bought all the works she exhibited in the art gallery.
But he has not only bought paintings, he has admired her too ...
Drake smelled her before he saw her. A fresh smell, like spring and sunshine, not a perfume. Completely out of place in the fumes of midtown Manhattan. His first thought was, No woman can live up to that smell.
As always, our hero has a tender heart behind all the muscles. As always bolts his heart (and c ~ k) hard for the woman he chose. From that day is his life not just about his own needs, weapon, war, fights and pointless-fast-sex anymore. No, he should take care of, attend to, warm and make love with the lovely woman he is prepared to die for. She'll be SAFE; It's his task. So cute - I'm falling head over heels again!
"Lean against the window. Now"
His voice was low, utter male command.
She obeyed instinctively.
It's gentle about to love and to be loved. It's fast-paced, a lot of suspense, some fun (male) thoughts and as always quite sexy. I'm a "believer" ~ again. It's addictive - I want more!
I LIKE - (as always) these stone tough alpha males
~~~~~~~~~~
Thanks Kathleen, who told me about this book - twice!
January 4, 2010
What can I say about this book? Wow! My favorite from LMR so far. I've read six of hers. The Dangerous books and the Midnight series. I know many others love the Midnight series more but this book just touched me more than the others I've read.
Ever since Drake was introduced in Dangerous Lover he intrigued me. I wasn't sure whether he was a good guy or a bad guy. Turns out he's a good guy doing the only things he could do to survive. Then when he meets and falls in love with Grace he truly becomes the good guy, giving up everything for her.
I was touched by his deep love of her painting and I almost cried when Drake thought Grace had left him and he cried when she returned saying she could never leave him and that she loved him.
The ending was wonderful and the well plotted trap for Rutsoki was perfect. The only thing I wished was that the traitor in New York was discovered and found. However, Rutsoki was obviously the true villian and received his due.
It was a lovely epilogue and also brought a sweet feeling to my heart as he picked up his lovely wife and spun her around after hearing the happy news.
This was such a great read and I hated that it took me so long to finish it!
Ever since Drake was introduced in Dangerous Lover he intrigued me. I wasn't sure whether he was a good guy or a bad guy. Turns out he's a good guy doing the only things he could do to survive. Then when he meets and falls in love with Grace he truly becomes the good guy, giving up everything for her.
I was touched by his deep love of her painting and I almost cried when Drake thought Grace had left him and he cried when she returned saying she could never leave him and that she loved him.
The ending was wonderful and the well plotted trap for Rutsoki was perfect. The only thing I wished was that the traitor in New York was discovered and found. However, Rutsoki was obviously the true villian and received his due.
It was a lovely epilogue and also brought a sweet feeling to my heart as he picked up his lovely wife and spun her around after hearing the happy news.
This was such a great read and I hated that it took me so long to finish it!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 29, 2015
4.5 stars
Dangerous Passion sees author Lisa Marie Rice return to the winning form of her Midnight series. This is the LMR I know and love.
For someone who suffers the at times overwhelming OCD of needing to read books in order, I have no regrets at jumping straight to the last book in her Dangerous series. I had it on good authority that she saved the best 'til last, and that the books in this series were only loosely connected.
When she's on, LMR is a master at writing steamy to erotic romantic suspense. I love her protective alpha men whose only weakness is revealed in their devotion to their woman. Dangerous Passion is more of the same, and in the best way.
Drake, though, has a point of difference. He does not sit clearly on the "good guys" side of the fence. In fact, he has established himself as a powerful force on the wrong side of the law. Although I loved his character traits, I did have a hard time with the fact that his 'career' was brokering arms to almost any group or nation willing to pay his price.
I think that was all that stopped this from being a five star read for me. That and the fact that artist Grace Larson didn't seem to care who or what Drake was, as long as drugs weren't involved. That didn't seem to fit with her character for me, and I couldn't buy it.
That said, those issues didn't come close to spoiling the book for me. It just had so much else to recommend it - sheer entertainment, for one thing. The action was also first class - both in and out of the bedroom - and the epilogue (yay!) was icing on the cake.
Dangerous Passion sees author Lisa Marie Rice return to the winning form of her Midnight series. This is the LMR I know and love.
For someone who suffers the at times overwhelming OCD of needing to read books in order, I have no regrets at jumping straight to the last book in her Dangerous series. I had it on good authority that she saved the best 'til last, and that the books in this series were only loosely connected.
When she's on, LMR is a master at writing steamy to erotic romantic suspense. I love her protective alpha men whose only weakness is revealed in their devotion to their woman. Dangerous Passion is more of the same, and in the best way.
Drake, though, has a point of difference. He does not sit clearly on the "good guys" side of the fence. In fact, he has established himself as a powerful force on the wrong side of the law. Although I loved his character traits, I did have a hard time with the fact that his 'career' was brokering arms to almost any group or nation willing to pay his price.
I think that was all that stopped this from being a five star read for me. That and the fact that artist Grace Larson didn't seem to care who or what Drake was, as long as drugs weren't involved. That didn't seem to fit with her character for me, and I couldn't buy it.
That said, those issues didn't come close to spoiling the book for me. It just had so much else to recommend it - sheer entertainment, for one thing. The action was also first class - both in and out of the bedroom - and the epilogue (yay!) was icing on the cake.
January 16, 2015
One of my favorites by this author. It's erotic suspense. The suspense is decent. The erotica is beautiful, and also loving. Loved the hero!!!
April 28, 2021
lol. ULTIMATE ALPHA.
August 16, 2009
Oh. My. God. Three words that, IMO, perfectly sum up this book.
While the first two stories in this series were severely hampered by their heroines, this book was sheer perfection compared to the previous two.
Grace was still a soft, gentle woman, but - perhaps because the violence touched her early in the story - she didn't come off as unaware, blind or naive. She knew straight on what was going on and though she could wail, cry, and throw tantrums, she did none of those things. She gathered her courage, thrust her chin in the air, and trudged forward. I couldn't imagine a more suitable and perfect counterpart for Drake, our beloved arms dealer.
Yeah, it's a humongous feat turning someone who is essentially a bad guy into the leading man, but Victor "Drake" Drakovich had that little extra oomph that made this possible. The prologue in itself showed us, how utterly different he is from other heroes in Romancelandia - not a towering hunk over six-foot-two, but of average height, hands and feet heavily callused from martial arts (though most heroes are callused, I've never read of someone like Drake), and what we discovered through Grace's eyes throughout the story only confirmed the theory...Also, despite operating on the other side of the law, he still had his principles, his own set of rules, which is what started the whole story.
These two completely different people, one soft, the other hard, found themselves thrust together, mostly thanks to Drake and his little obsession, and then had to make the best of the situation. It was lovely seeing their slow, but steady transformation, especially Drake's. He was the one that, despite retaining all his traits that helped him survive through the years and helped him keep Grace safe, was the most changed by this relationship.
She taught a man that never smiled, the importance of it, she taught him gentleness, she brought softness and peace into his life. But most of all, it was so sweet watching him see his bleak world overfill with colors through her eyes.
This was truly an amazing story, with just the right amount of suspense to spice up Drake and Grace's love story. And what a love story this was, with three memorable scenes that put this one firmly on my keepers shelf: the scene at the window overlooking the Manhattan night skyline—H-O-T, the scene on the terrace in Rome—sweet, and the final few paragraphs of the epilogue—bring on the tissues!
An amazingly bitter-sweet and highly recommended read.
While the first two stories in this series were severely hampered by their heroines, this book was sheer perfection compared to the previous two.
Grace was still a soft, gentle woman, but - perhaps because the violence touched her early in the story - she didn't come off as unaware, blind or naive. She knew straight on what was going on and though she could wail, cry, and throw tantrums, she did none of those things. She gathered her courage, thrust her chin in the air, and trudged forward. I couldn't imagine a more suitable and perfect counterpart for Drake, our beloved arms dealer.
Yeah, it's a humongous feat turning someone who is essentially a bad guy into the leading man, but Victor "Drake" Drakovich had that little extra oomph that made this possible. The prologue in itself showed us, how utterly different he is from other heroes in Romancelandia - not a towering hunk over six-foot-two, but of average height, hands and feet heavily callused from martial arts (though most heroes are callused, I've never read of someone like Drake), and what we discovered through Grace's eyes throughout the story only confirmed the theory...Also, despite operating on the other side of the law, he still had his principles, his own set of rules, which is what started the whole story.
These two completely different people, one soft, the other hard, found themselves thrust together, mostly thanks to Drake and his little obsession, and then had to make the best of the situation. It was lovely seeing their slow, but steady transformation, especially Drake's. He was the one that, despite retaining all his traits that helped him survive through the years and helped him keep Grace safe, was the most changed by this relationship.
She taught a man that never smiled, the importance of it, she taught him gentleness, she brought softness and peace into his life. But most of all, it was so sweet watching him see his bleak world overfill with colors through her eyes.
This was truly an amazing story, with just the right amount of suspense to spice up Drake and Grace's love story. And what a love story this was, with three memorable scenes that put this one firmly on my keepers shelf: the scene at the window overlooking the Manhattan night skyline—H-O-T, the scene on the terrace in Rome—sweet, and the final few paragraphs of the epilogue—bring on the tissues!
An amazingly bitter-sweet and highly recommended read.
August 29, 2012
An enjoyable tale of an OTT male hero is tough and ruthless in business but tender and respectable to women (well not all women, just the ones that meet his standards!!!!) – he is after all a very rich arms dealer with some heavy criminal connections , and who finds redemption becomes obsessed with Grace, an incredible artist and loner.
The plot, somewhat a bit unbelievable did not detract me from liking the story of Drake and Grace. I would have like to have been given a bit more information about the two…why was Grace so alone in the world, how did Drake get out of the slums to become a reclusive billionaire. However the build-up to the attraction and the lust for each other is really done well. I felt the tension and the chemistry between the two and how could Grace resist this kind, gentle, tender and rich man, living in the most opulent and amazing penthouse, where she could watch the twinkling lights of new York with snowflakes falling down, creating a magical and totally unknown world for her!!!!
After all the danger, suspense, heart-stopping moments, being chased and shot by killers, I was relieved that they both survived the obstacles and began a new life together. I loved the whole thing of love is all it takes to make you a better person. Made me feel good for them and I had a smile as I turned the last page.
Dangerous Passion is the first book I have read by this author and I like her style of writing, so I am definitely going to look out for her other books.
Book Overview
Feelings kill faster than bullets.
That is Drake's creed. A legend, a renegade, a ruthless, powerful enigma understood by no one and feared by all, Viktor "Drake" Drakovich heads up a billion-dollar empire—and shows no mercy to the many enemies who would stop at nothing to destroy him. He is a man with no love and no weakness, until...
Grace Larsen takes Drake's breath away the first time he sees her—and quickly becomes his obsession. Never before has he burned for someone the way he desires this hauntingly beautiful artist who is plagued by troubling dreams. He aches to possess her, to protect her, to carry her to new heights of sensuous arousal and rapturous release.
But entering Drake's world means becoming a target—for relentless, bloodthirsty foes have been eagerly waiting for him to expose his weak spot. And the price of their passion may be their lives.
March 29, 2016
Dangerous Passion es el tercer y ultimo libro de la trilogia Dangerous de la autora Lisa Marie Rice y narra la historia de Drake, un personaje que aparece brevemente en el primer libro y Grace, un nuevo personaje.
Estaba muy ansiosa por leer el libro de Drake, ya que no era un protagonista que estuviera " en el lado bueno ", no era un heroe como los dos protagonistas anteriores, sino un hombre al que describieron en Dangerous Lover como mortal. Ese es otro aspecto que me gusta de la autora, no se va por el camino facil creando protagonistas perfectos y honorables, crea personajes autenticos y reales, con sus cosas buenas y cosas malas, que mejor ejemplo que Drake, que se dedica a vender armas.
Este tercer libro se ha convertido en mi favorito de la trilogia, no solo porque Drake y Grace son la mejor pareja de la serie sino tambien porque la trama es la que mas me ha atrapado, lo unico que eche en falta fue conocer mas sobre el negocio de Drake, me parecio que todo quedaba un poco en el
aire , aun asi fue una lectura impresionante. Super recomendada!
4 Estrellas!!
December 9, 2015
Rice is one of the few erotica authors I can stand. As usual, the hero (Drake) is an ex-military guy, extremely powerful and dangerous. In this case, he's a very wealthy arms dealer living in New York. His one weakness is Grace, an artist he's been watching from afar for a year, anonymously buying all her paintings. Twice a month, she goes into the gallery to deliver her work and he lurks in the alleyway outside to watch her. His enemies find out and ambush him, taking her prisoner in the process. She and he manage to get away, but he knows she can never go home again or leave his side after that, because his enemies will definitely use her against him. In his fortress-like apartment, the two of them slowly fall in love and he decides to "give everything up" to keep her.
Very decent book. Even the sex scenes were readable, which is rare for me. Drake was a convincingly tough hero, and Grace was likable and talented. Their HEA was extremely satisfying.
Very decent book. Even the sex scenes were readable, which is rare for me. Drake was a convincingly tough hero, and Grace was likable and talented. Their HEA was extremely satisfying.
January 16, 2010
I won't do a real review here but I have to say that this is the best out of the Dangerous series. I loved Drake. At first I was concerned with how would LMR make her audience like a bad guy but she did. I totally fell. Awesome book and a good ending.
July 4, 2016
I loved this book.
August 5, 2021
This was a reread. I read this the first time in 2012. I liked it more then. I was straight up devouring this author then. This time I listened to the audio book, and I wasn’t wild about it. The narrator makes the H sound cartoonish with his accent…. Anyway, I think my tastes have changed.
The h is 28 and the way she talks is a little OTT shmaltzy to me… the language in general is overly flowery. And while I remember the H as being dark, dangerous, and mysterious (an anti-hero)…. On this reading, he just comes off off as sweet and gentle and… and… not my flavor. 😕 He’s a bad guy who is trying to leave the crime life now that he has the h. 🙄
Anywho… I think some readers will like this, but it’s not really my jam anymore. The H is protective and obsessed, but not in the way I like. 🤷🏼♀️ If I read it for the 1st time now, id probably give it 2-stars… while I would have rated it 4 stars a decade ago… so we’ll go with 3-stars. 👀😂
The h is 28 and the way she talks is a little OTT shmaltzy to me… the language in general is overly flowery. And while I remember the H as being dark, dangerous, and mysterious (an anti-hero)…. On this reading, he just comes off off as sweet and gentle and… and… not my flavor. 😕 He’s a bad guy who is trying to leave the crime life now that he has the h. 🙄
Anywho… I think some readers will like this, but it’s not really my jam anymore. The H is protective and obsessed, but not in the way I like. 🤷🏼♀️ If I read it for the 1st time now, id probably give it 2-stars… while I would have rated it 4 stars a decade ago… so we’ll go with 3-stars. 👀😂
January 14, 2025
This book gave me all the feels from beginning to end.
I absolutely crave a dark, dangerous, stalker hero that will do anything to protect the heroine. Drake was all of that and so much more. Grace was a bit of a delicate flower, although I loved her for it, but as the story progresses, so does her strength and I loved how she rose to the challenge before her.
The relationship between them went beyond steamy. This couple are absolutely nuclear together and yet there is such an air of tenderness interspersed throughout as well. Drake was so gentle with her while igniting fires that it felt like the pages of my ereader would be left scorched. The look inside the mind of our villain heightened the tension of the story and the author completed it all with an amazing epilogue.
Multi POV
Safe
Triggers
Steam
I absolutely crave a dark, dangerous, stalker hero that will do anything to protect the heroine. Drake was all of that and so much more. Grace was a bit of a delicate flower, although I loved her for it, but as the story progresses, so does her strength and I loved how she rose to the challenge before her.
The relationship between them went beyond steamy. This couple are absolutely nuclear together and yet there is such an air of tenderness interspersed throughout as well. Drake was so gentle with her while igniting fires that it felt like the pages of my ereader would be left scorched. The look inside the mind of our villain heightened the tension of the story and the author completed it all with an amazing epilogue.
Multi POV
Safe
Triggers
Steam
December 19, 2011
The bad:
1. The amount of characters in this book are very, very limited,
2. Lacks of dialogues,
3. Grace Larsen (the heroine) was too agreable despite her life turned upside down,
4. There are some unfinished bussiness (what happened with the traitor and Shota?)
The goodies:
1. The story wasn't something ordinary (mafia hero!),
2. The narrative (which held a huge portion of this book) was really, really good,
3. Viktor "Drake" Drakovich was totally a hero to die for,
4. Grace transformed from a lame heroine to a strong one,
5. Hot steamy breathtaking romance (it's erotica after all),
6. The relationship between Grace and Drake was... how to say it? They both says what they feel for each other, they shows their feelings, without denying, without pretending. They trust each other completely, without hesitations.
Oops, one more...
Goodies #7: Great prologue, fantastic epilogue!
1. The amount of characters in this book are very, very limited,
2. Lacks of dialogues,
3. Grace Larsen (the heroine) was too agreable despite her life turned upside down,
4. There are some unfinished bussiness (what happened with the traitor and Shota?)
The goodies:
1. The story wasn't something ordinary (mafia hero!),
2. The narrative (which held a huge portion of this book) was really, really good,
3. Viktor "Drake" Drakovich was totally a hero to die for,
4. Grace transformed from a lame heroine to a strong one,
5. Hot steamy breathtaking romance (it's erotica after all),
6. The relationship between Grace and Drake was... how to say it? They both says what they feel for each other, they shows their feelings, without denying, without pretending. They trust each other completely, without hesitations.
Oops, one more...
Goodies #7: Great prologue, fantastic epilogue!
April 26, 2012
This was a great book. Alpha male-opposites attract. I loved Grace and Drake together. Drake was such an Alpha but so tender with Grace. I found it amazing how hot the book was considering that I didn't read mutual orgasm intercourse until 90% of the book. There's sex where only Grace comes, lots of touching and a particularly hot wet humping scene, but real sex is saved for late in the book. Some of this is because it takes time for Grace to be ready to take his large member. (lucky girl). She's not a virgin, but it's been a while. Drake refuses to hurt her. (what a gem!). And of course they have sex before I get to read about it, but the sex was good once it happened. Recommended read. Can be read as standalone.
January 12, 2023
This was an okay book. I liked the hero drake. He is very protective. I liked that. But i didnt like the heroine that much. I didnt like her behaviour. She didnt even questioned the hero much. She saw her friend die but still she was not that sad. She was ok with whatever drake did.
October 4, 2012
Guh.... I love LMR alpha males!
September 18, 2010
As I was reading this book i was really, really enjoying it. I think I've on;y ever read one LMR book before and was nicely surprised by her style.
But after I finished and mulled it over for a bit, I realized that even though the read was crazy enjoyable there were some things about the book that keep it from being a 5 or even a four star for me.
Except for a few forays into the increasingly bat-shit crazy mind of the the guy who is out for Drake's blood, this story is told almost exclusively from Drake's POV. On one level that is really great because it is a rarity to get a book that is almost completely from the perspective of the hero. But otoh, it made for a very opaque heroine. Because we are in his thoughts constantly and know what he thinks/feels for her, she almost seems like a manifestation of his deepest fantasy. She is THE perfect woman for him as we are told in many different ways. But because she rarely had a voice, we just have to take it on faith that she really is all these things (and that his perception of her isn't just wishful thinking on his part).
It is also important to note that the hero is a truly bad guy. He isn't a Navy SEAL, he isn't an undercover cop or CIA agent. He is a Russian Gangster. An illegal arms dealer who sells all over the world to unstable countries etc. This particular thing doesn't bother me in a fictional sense. However, I had to groan when the heroine, clearly knowing that she wouldn't have been shot at and her friend murdered in front of her eyes, unless this guy was into something kinda bad. So what does she ask him? She wonders if he deals drugs. He says no...and that's it. I guess being a drug dealer is the only deal breaker with her. Couldn't she at least have asked if he trafficked in child pornography? Was wanted by the Secret Service for trying to assassinate the President? Ran a prostitution ring? She seemed remarkably uninterested in what he was.
And then there is the fact that Drake knew that someone in his organization betrayed him and he knew that the guy trying to kill him would just keep trying. So what does big, bad, super smart Drake do? He decides to spend the next 3 days fantasizing about boning Grace and then boning her at every possible moment. That's it.
I liked that he did (finally) get at the guy who was trying to kill him. But I was more disappointed in the fact that there was no attempt or effort to even find who in his organization betrayed him. That betrayal resulted in the murder of an innocent man (Grace's friend) and several members of his own security detail. But Drake has the fabulous Grace and that is all that matters to him.
So yeah, not a five star book. I still liked it in spite of those things, but it would have been a much stronger read in the end if the characters had a made a few different choices.
But after I finished and mulled it over for a bit, I realized that even though the read was crazy enjoyable there were some things about the book that keep it from being a 5 or even a four star for me.
Except for a few forays into the increasingly bat-shit crazy mind of the the guy who is out for Drake's blood, this story is told almost exclusively from Drake's POV. On one level that is really great because it is a rarity to get a book that is almost completely from the perspective of the hero. But otoh, it made for a very opaque heroine. Because we are in his thoughts constantly and know what he thinks/feels for her, she almost seems like a manifestation of his deepest fantasy. She is THE perfect woman for him as we are told in many different ways. But because she rarely had a voice, we just have to take it on faith that she really is all these things (and that his perception of her isn't just wishful thinking on his part).
It is also important to note that the hero is a truly bad guy. He isn't a Navy SEAL, he isn't an undercover cop or CIA agent. He is a Russian Gangster. An illegal arms dealer who sells all over the world to unstable countries etc. This particular thing doesn't bother me in a fictional sense. However, I had to groan when the heroine, clearly knowing that she wouldn't have been shot at and her friend murdered in front of her eyes, unless this guy was into something kinda bad. So what does she ask him? She wonders if he deals drugs. He says no...and that's it. I guess being a drug dealer is the only deal breaker with her. Couldn't she at least have asked if he trafficked in child pornography? Was wanted by the Secret Service for trying to assassinate the President? Ran a prostitution ring? She seemed remarkably uninterested in what he was.
And then there is the fact that Drake knew that someone in his organization betrayed him and he knew that the guy trying to kill him would just keep trying. So what does big, bad, super smart Drake do? He decides to spend the next 3 days fantasizing about boning Grace and then boning her at every possible moment. That's it.
I liked that he did (finally) get at the guy who was trying to kill him. But I was more disappointed in the fact that there was no attempt or effort to even find who in his organization betrayed him. That betrayal resulted in the murder of an innocent man (Grace's friend) and several members of his own security detail. But Drake has the fabulous Grace and that is all that matters to him.
So yeah, not a five star book. I still liked it in spite of those things, but it would have been a much stronger read in the end if the characters had a made a few different choices.
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