Sunday, September 28, 2014

WINTERS HEAT -- a review.

A week before reading WINTERS HEAT, I was somehow introduced to Cristin Harber through SAVAGE SECRETS. I'm not entirely sure how she (being Cristin) ended up on my Nook feed; perhaps another author mentioned her on Facebook. However it happened... It happened.

So, I read SAVAGE SECRETS first -- and I absolutely loved it. When I read series, if I don't start them in the beginning, I tend to have a difficult time starting over. For example, I'm super excited to read Roman and Beth's story because I can hopefully see glimpses of Cat and Rocco. I have a hard time 'rewinding' and seeing characters unattached to whomever I know they will ultimately be with.

Winters Heat popped up as a free book (and hey, look, it still is!). It is book one in Cristin's Titan series so I figured, where better to start 'starting over' the series but with book one. Initially I figured I'd read Sweet Girl when it released, then move onto Garrison's Creed... maybe pick up the other books here and there but not really have a true interest in them.

Boy, was I wrong.

Thank goodness for small favors (such as Winters Heat being free -- it really expedited the process).

I fell in love with Mia and Colby pretty much on page one. The attraction, their banter, the laughs... oh my goodness, do I want a man like Colby to tear-gas his way into my life.... sans all the kidnapping and trafficking, of course.

Publication Date: January 19, 2014

What is it about Colby that I love so very much? It's really hard to say. He's funny, he's attractive, he likes to push Mia's buttons... He's just a good guy. He's a bit of a smart ass...
"Next time he was offered a cakewalk assignment, Winters would ignore his sweet tooth."
"Maybe he could make a list of everything that could go wrong today and see how close he came by the time it was lights out.
"Dear God, let there be an immediate exit... The GPS interrupted his prayer... What do you know? He should pray more often." 
...but he's equally super softhearted.

Colby and Mia's story starts out with a, as Colby states it, cakewalk of an assignment, in which an untrained woman thwarts his plans. Cakewalk becomes messy. The woman, being Mia, becomes the monkey in the middle between Colby's mission via Titan, and the bad guys. Jared has given Colby direct orders to not make a scene, so he lets the goons take Mia -- but of course he follows them, because Mia has what he wants. Barreling in the motel room with tear-gas, Colby rescues Mia but in turn gets kicked and yelled at on the drive to his final destination.

Colby, who goes by his last name of Winters, pushes Mia to call him Colby. Excuse me, dear reader, but this must mean he's attracted to the lady. What I love about this, though, is later? When they get into a fight? She calls him Winters, and it just grates at him. I love it.

Do you know what Cristin does well?

Super emotional scenes.

We'll get into the most super emotional scene in the history of ever when we get to SAVAGE SECRETS, but Colby and Mia have a pretty spectacular fight in WINTERS HEAT.
"'Mia, you're not moving. You're not going anywhere.'
'Typical subject change. Resort back to orders. Classic, almost cliche.'
'I'm serious.' He looked serious, but he was always serious, and when it came to them, he was wrong.
'Your directives don't matter anymore, Winters.'
'Stop calling me Winters, damn it.'
She ignored him, needing space for clarity, and shuffled toward the kitchen. Regaining her wits, she said, 'I'll call you whatever I want. Asshole. Jerk. Liar...You led me on. And the whole it's-not-you, it's-me spiel? I expected more creativity.'
...'I was protecting you.' 
'For God's sake. From what?' she screamed and threw a mug against the wall. 'I survived crazed men and kidnappings. Plural!'
Standing in the middle of the shattered mug, he paused and took a breath. 'None of that would've happened if it weren't for me. If you didn't know me, no one would have chased you, no one would have kidnapped you.'
Mia wanted to run away, but the ceramic shards and bare feet kept her in place. 'If I didn't know you, then I'd be dead in a cheap motel room in Louisville, Kentucky. You saved me.'
They were in a standoff, need versus emotion. Their eyes locked. Her stomach tightened, electricity buzzing around their showdown.
Crunch. He stepped closer.
'Don't you dare kiss me, Winters.'
 'Colby.'He took another step. His boot crunched more broken mug. 'The name's Colby.'
'Let me make this clear to you. You hurt me, and you should leave.'
...His last step closed the distance. 'Not a chance.'
He clasped his hand under her hair, leaned over, and breathed in. Her heart stilled. Her breathing stopped. His sweet lips crushed over her mouth, and the world froze before her lips swept against his...
 Oh, sigh...

But really, when she throws the mug? LU-UHVE it.

Just like I love Mia and Colby altogether. I think you'll love them, too. So, if you don't already know Titan, maybe you should go introduce yourself to them. Any book would do -- you really don't need to read them in order and they could be standalone books, but I suggest you start at the beginning.

Get your FREE copy (as of post publication date) on your Kindle or Nook.

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