Lori Borrill’s Unleashed is a reasonably entertaining quick read, despite the improbable premise.
When Jessica Beane picks up cop Rick Marshall in a bar, she intends for him to be a one-night-stand to kick-start her way into dating after her messy divorce. What she doesn’t foresee is Wade, her evil ex, showing up, robbing her apartment and stealing Rick’s car.
Rick is furious when he wakes up to discover Jessie gone and his car missing. He is especially concerned because the car contains a vital piece of evidence in a murder case he’s working on. When he finally tracks Jessie down, they come to the reluctant conclusion that the only way to trace her missing jewellery and his stolen car is to join forces in the search for the slimey Wade.
Unleashed started out very well but lost momentum in the second half of the book. I actually found the storyline more entertaining than the characters, which is unusual for me. Rick alternates between being grumpy and being horny, which got dull fast. I found it very hard to respect him after he was dumb enough to leave crucial evidence out in his car. I can’t believe a decent cop would be so careless. Jessie was irritating right from the start. She allows her ex to threaten her while a police officer is sleeping in the next room – and doesn’t bother to wake said police officer! This put her into Too Stupid To Live territory as far as I’m concerned.
If you’re a fan of the Harlequin Blaze line and can overlook the silly hero and heroine, Unleashed might be for you. As I’m a reader who prefers character-driven stories, I found Unleashed wanting in that regard. Grade: C+
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I like a good Blaze now and again, but my tolerance for TSTL characters has lessened. I also prefer character-driven stories, though I’ve been known to enjoy a good, raunchy erotic romance w/o caring much about character development LOL. Great review
@Stacy ~ Thanks, Stacy. I don’t read many erotic romance books but I’ve read a few Harlequin Blaze lately. So far, Sarah Mayberry is my favourite of their authors.