Book Review: A Perfect Storm by Lori Foster

A Perfect Storm by Lori Foster

Publisher: HQN

Publish Date: March 27, 2012

Mass Market Paperback, 442 pages
Fiction, Romantic Suspense
 ISBN: 978-0373776566

Men Who Walk the Edge of Honor #4

My Review: 
I know I keep saying it every time I read a romantic suspense book, but romantic suspense is one of my favorite genres.  And Lori Foster is a master at writing in this genre.  As she finishes up the Men Who Walk the Edge of Honor series with Arizona and Spencer's story, she goes out with another great story and a great way to finish up.  We get to see all of our favorites from this series and see things tied up nicely as well. 

For a romantic suspense novel, the majority of this book's action is with the characters.  Yes there are bad guys and there is a suspense plot, but the main setup is getting Arizona past her issues (which are not superficial) and Spencer past things he needs to get past as well so they can figure out that they are in love and supposed to be together.  Ms. Foster is a master of sexual tension.  I told my husband that.  I think that is my favorite part of these books.  I don't read them for the sex, but the sexual tension in them is amazing.  Knowing the two main characters are attracted to each other, but they are trying to either avoid it or work through things first makes things very interesting.  And trust me, things can get rather tense and very interesting between Spencer and Arizona.

I wasn't really sure I liked Arizona at first.  It was more I could not relate to her.  She's tough, she's been through total hell in her life as a victim of human traffickers, but she has survived and in her survival she seeks to right wrongs for others who are being taken advantage of.  That said, I admired her, but I don't know women like her, especially since she is so young.  But as the book progresses and I got to know Arizona more I began to like her more and more.  She has spunk, but she can be kind as well.  She cares for Spencer and for the other men and their wives as well and it shows.

Spencer, is an amazing specimen of a man, but he really doesn't seem to know it.  He is a widower and while he has had a fling with his neighbor he is not the typical pretty-boy womanizer and I liked that about him.  He's also noble with Arizona.  He thinks he's too old for her.  He wants to help her.  But what I love most is eventually he learns to listen to her and love her for who she is.  That is a good man.  But of course it takes him the whole book to figure that out.  It wouldn't be fun if he knew that from page one.  But their romance is not frustrating.  In fact it's very enjoyable to watch.  I almost did not like being drawn away from it for the suspense parts, even though they were integral to the romance parts and to who Arizona and Spencer were.

And then there is the suspense.  While it kind of takes a backseat in this book to the romance, it's there and like I mentioned, it's very integral to the story.  It focuses on human trafficking, and I have to say I was surprised by the outcome.  I loved that all the men were eventually involved and we got to see them and their wives/girlfriends again before the series ends.  It's also fun to see how the other men react to Spencer as pseudo big brothers to Arizona.  Yes there is humor among the seriousness of the book.

A Perfect Storm is another great installment to this series and I'm sorry to see the series end.  While I thought Spencer and Arizona's story wouldn't do as much for me as the others, I found out quickly I was very wrong and this story was extremely enjoyable.  Amazing romance, great suspense and characters that are interesting and believable.  Ms. Foster has created another winner in my book.

My Rating: 4.5/5.0

About the Book:
He never saw her coming…

Spencer Lark already knows too many secrets about Arizona Storm, including the nightmare she survived and her resulting trust issues. But in order to expose a smuggling ring—and continue avenging his own tragic past—the bounty hunter reluctantly agrees to make Arizona a decoy. Yet nothing has equipped him for her hypnotic blend of fragility and bravery, or for the protective instincts she stirs in him.

Arizona wants to reclaim her life, which means acting as bait to lure the enemy into a trap. Sure it's dangerous, especially with a partner as distractingly appealing as Spencer. But as their plan—and their chemistry—shifts into high gear, Arizona may discover there's an even greater risk in surrendering her heart to a hero…

About the Author (from her website): 
Lori Foster first published with Harlequin in January 1996. Her second book launched Temptation Blaze and her 25th book launched Temptation Heat. Since those early days, Lori has routinely had 6 to 10 releases a year. She's a Waldenbooks, USA Today, Publisher's Weekly and New York Times bestselling author with over 50 titles published through a variety of houses, including Berkley/Jove, Kensington, St. Martins, Harlequin and Silhouette.
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FTC Information: I received this book through Meryl L. Moss Media Relations for an honest review.  I do make money from purchases made at The Book Depository, Alibris and B&N.com, but all money is used to fund giveaways and shipping for giveaways from the blog.