It is my pleasure to host Frontline by Alexandra Richland via The Novel Tease. This promises to be a special treat for romantic suspense fans, and a Giveaway is available below. Enjoy! ~ LV
Title: Frontline
Author: Alexandra Richland
Release Date: August 6, 2013
Genre: Mystery/Contemporary Romance
Cover designed by: F.S. Meurinne (www.fsmeurinne.com) E-mail: info@fsmeurinne.com
Synopsis:
When nurse Sara Peters treats celebrity billionaire Trenton Merrick for a mysterious injury to his forehead, she is blindsided by what follows: A passionate exchange in the examination room, followed by an invitation to Trenton’s mansion the next night.
Trenton spins a web of deceit and seduction around Sara that both repels and attracts her. One part humanitarian, the other international financial mogul, his professional and public life are a curious contradiction. As Sara journeys deeper into her feelings for Trenton and begins unraveling the mystery behind his injury, she finds herself embroiled in a game of trust and betrayal, where the odds are stacked in Trenton’s favor, and the outcome for the loser is too terrifying to conceive.
Goodreads link: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16909152-frontline
Book Trailer: www.youtube.com/watch?v=pZNzH791bYY
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My Review of Frontline
Alexandra Richland is one to watch in the genre of romantic suspense. Frontline was exquisitely plotted and kept the reader guessing in the vein of a veteran suspense writer. The hero, billionaire Trenton Merrick, is an alpha male and quite the enigma to the heroine, Nurse Sara Peters. After a passionate altercation in the ER while treating Merrick for a mysterious cut on his forehead, Sara is drawn to this man like a moth to a flame.
Flummoxed by how quickly they become embroiled in what promises to be a steamy affair, Sara is torn between trusting Merrick and letting herself fall for him, and running as far away from him as she possibly can. This conflict keeps the plot fresh and believable. Indeed, were a rich man to meet you, at once become quickly enamored, then not demonstrate the actions that match up with his words I’m sure you’d be just as discombobulated as Sara.
The more she gets to know about Trenton Merrick, the more she questions his intentions, his business dealings, his feelings for her, and whether he is an honest, law-abiding citizen. This is attraction to the bad boy in the extreme, if what her friend uncovers about Merrick is true. While his philanthropic ventures don’t mesh with his persona on the illegally acquired papers she has been given to peruse, Sara repeatedly makes attempts to dispel the notion that Trenton is not a good guy. However, she is disappointed at every turn, and deliberately kept in the dark by Merrick and his security men, whom she affectionately calls “Tin Men.”
As she and her two best friends become enthralled with Trenton and his two best friends and co-managers of his security team, the UST heats up while the stakes go higher on the Frontline. Readers discover along with Sara Peters just who Trenton Merrick is.
If there is one thing I would change about Frontline, it would be Sara’s insistence on calling him Mr. Merrick in her thoughts so much in the first one third of the book. I would postulate that any man whose tongue finds itself down your throat within the first half hour of meeting you should be someone you can address on a first name basis, especially in your thoughts. She repeated Mr. Merrick so many times it took on an almost comical effect, and I don’t think that was what Ms. Richland was going for. I understood that she was distancing herself from him by using his formal name, but it would have been sexier if used in moderation.
Frontline is a mature, romantic suspense story that is well-researched, well-written, and engaging from page one until the end. As a reader becomes more engaged in the plot, in the second third of the mystery, the formal name faux pas is all but forgotten. Join Sara and Trenton on the Frontline. You’ll be very glad you did.
I give Frontline four out of five stars!
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About Alexandra Richland:
Alexandra Richland spends rotating twelve-hour shifts working as a registered nurse at a Toronto hospital, indulging in her love of science and medicine, and caring for patients with their own unique tales to tell. When she is not on duty, Alexandra escapes into her own imagination. Therein lies a fantasy world of thrilling adventure, gorgeous men, classic Hollywood glamour, exotic getaways, and a seductive dose of romance. Alexandra captures these stories in her popular novels, The Starlight Trilogy and Frontline, and her short story, Gilded Cage. Say hello to her on Facebook and on Twitter.
Connect with Alexandra:
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5764902.Alexandra_Richland
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Ms.AlexandraRichland
Twitter: https://twitter.com/RebelMissAlex
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Excerpt from Frontline:
Mr. Merrick and I face each other. I rock back and forth on my feet nervously.
“Well, I guess this is good-bye.” I stick out my hand for him to shake.
Mr. Merrick slips his hand into mine, but instead of shaking it, he uses his hold as leverage to pull me into him.
“I’m really looking forward to tomorrow evening, Miss Peters,” he says, his lips hovering dangerously close to mine. “After all, I believe I owe you a proper kiss.”
My jaw drops. If what we shared earlier isn’t a real kiss in his book, I can’t imagine what one actually entails.
I feel one hundred pairs of eyes on us from every direction.
“Uh, thank you for, uh, coming, Mr. Merrick,” I say, trying to remain calm, as though he and I are having nothing more than an innocent conversation.
Mr. Merrick drops my hand, but doesn’t move away. As if I’m not turned on enough, he leans in and brushes his lips to my ear. “Welcome to my world, Miss Peters. You’ll soon discover that I live up to my many reputations in every way.”
