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A Fallen Star…
A hot-mess of controversy and scandal, Dakota Breeze—tarnished pop star of fading fame and fortune—accepts a friend’s offer, taking refuge in a small Midwestern town in order to rehearse her comeback concert in secret. Starstruck is the perfect venue however rehearsals are marred by Dakota’s reluctance to resurrect her former bad-girl persona and complicated by an anonymous death threat.
A Haunted Bodyguard…
Enlisted by a mutual friend, Wyatt MacDermott—a seasoned protection specialist—agrees to act as Dakota’s temporary bodyguard. Forced to set aside a personal grudge in order to fulfill his duties, Mac’s stunned by his fierce and instant attraction to the reckless celebrity he’s long associated with his greatest regret.
Obsessed with conflicting needs and united passion, Dakota and Wyatt spin out of control, indulging in a whirlwind affair and tempting an avenger’s wrath.
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Storytelling comes naturally to award-winning author Beth Ciotta. Dubbed "fun and sexy" by Publisher's Weekly, Beth specializes in contemporary, historical, steampunk, and paranormal romantic fiction.
Beth lives in NJ with her husband, two zany dogs, and a crazy cat. A retired professional performer, Beth now pours her artistic passion into her writing. To learn more about her colorful life, visit her website at www.bethciotta.com
{ excerpt } .
Dakota palmed her aching chest, fought for an even breath as Mac steered the sedan through the gates to her temporary residence. She hadn’t meant to spew or to beg. She didn’t want his pity.
But she did want him.
For all his indifference, he made her feel safe. At this point she’d welcome anything, even the company of Ice Man, to minimize her stress. Stress messed with her concentration and judgment, undermining her on-stage performances and her pursuit of private serenity.
Feeling exposed and raw, Dakota pushed her agenda. “So are you with me or not?”
He didn’t respond. Of course, he didn’t respond. The man was a freaking robot.
The car stopped just shy of the house and, with a white-knuckled hold on her purse, Dakota pushed open her door. Her shoulder sang with the effort, but she didn’t groan or complain or even wince. Mac was right. She was lucky to be alive.
She blocked his cold rejection from her mind, focused on Maggie. She needed to check on her ailing assistant and she didn’t want to compound matters by looking like a frazzled mess.
A startled scream stuck in her throat as her new bodyguard backed her against the car.
“One,” he said, spearing her with steely grey eyes, “You don’t move without telling me first. Two: As soon as we get in the house, I want that letter. Three: I say jump, you jump. I’m talking unflinching trust, Dakota.”
It was the most he’d said to her since they’d met and even though he’d done nothing but issue arrogant orders, a strange sense of calm snaked through her tense being. Pinned between the tank of a car and her broad-shouldered bodyguard, Dakota held his gaze and raised onto her toes, her mouth a breath away from his own. “For me to jump, MacDermott, I need to know something other than ice flows through your veins.”
And with that she indulged in one last impulsive act. She pressed her lips to his, anticipating rejection. Anticipating Antarctica.
Instead, he blew her away, melting her bones with a deep, searing kiss. His touch, his taste, his passion dazed her far more than any spinning car. Who could think straight with his strong hands exploring her curves? With his massive erection raging between them?
Dakota gave over to the intensity, the wonder, the mind-blowing melding that obliterated morality. Just shy of her jumping his freaking bones, Mac cooled her jets by backing away.
“Now you know,” he said as he reverted to professional indifference. “And if you’re smart, you’ll leave it at that.”
{ review } .
Rating: ★★★★1/2
This was a quick read with deep characters -- and being quick, it's pretty awesome that the author managed to get all the character development and descriptions in.
Both Dakota and Wyatt have deep personalities, and both keep them firmly locked up tight. Wyatt was half in love with his old charge, Rusty -- a number of years his senior -- and she only cared for him like a friend. But because his loyalties run deep, he agreed to a bodyguard gig for a friend of hers -- a woman Wyatt really wants nothing to do with.
There's more to Dakota than the diva persona the media continues to play her to be. When she meets Wyatt, she's disheartened to realize he's just like all the others -- cold and distant. Slowly, his tough exterior cracks, allowing her to show her own secret parts.
While this story happened in a shorter span of time, I felt that everything worked for the most part. When you're in close quarters, it's easy to start to develop feelings (at least thinking you are). What Beth did well with this, is gave them a good three month break.
I loved protective Wyatt, but I loved the Wyatt that saw Lucy. I loved that he recognized her felt for Lucy, and that was who Dakota needed to be when all was over. I also rather liked that the big fall out of their story wasn't all that huge. Yes, emotions and fears come to play, but they worked with them.
This was a cute, quick read, and one I'm sure I'll thumb through again.
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