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Port Flannery is a harbor town off the coast of Washington state--quiet, picturesque, and just big enough to hide in for a while. At least that's what Emma Sands hopes when she takes a room above the local cafe. In Port Flannery, no one knows why Emma and her young daughter fled New Orleans. No one can guess how terrified she is that the danger she and Gracie left behind is drawing nearer every day.
Emma's right to be scared. Even as she finds new friends and an unexpected ally in the rugged, compelling Sheriff Donnelly, her old life is waiting to intrude. Because the obsession that drove her from New Orleans will track her down anywhere, even a place as remote as this. And this time, there will be nowhere left to run. . .
Emma's right to be scared. Even as she finds new friends and an unexpected ally in the rugged, compelling Sheriff Donnelly, her old life is waiting to intrude. Because the obsession that drove her from New Orleans will track her down anywhere, even a place as remote as this. And this time, there will be nowhere left to run. . .
Genre: romantic suspense
Publishing date: April 2011 (though it's a reprint from an older book)
Mature content: yes
Review: Exposure is a book on which I have mixed feelings.
It is well written, and I liked the plot. While not being entirely original, it is still interesting. I never did understand the depth of Grant's obsession over Emma, though. Of course obsessions are not rational and there are all sorts of sick people out there, but still...either there was more than just the tapes, or maybe Emma could have confronted him for an explanation first. If there had been no signs of anything abnormal before, that's what I would have done. And if there were signs, well...why would she have been living off his money for so long then? The way he's portrayed along the book, he sounds and acts like a mobster, not someone I would want anywhere near my children. I found this to be flaw in the plot that the author could have explained a bit better, and it really threw me off.
I also have mixed feelings about the characters. I loved Elvis and I found him a refreshing break from the usual perfect-male-model-and-God's-gift-to-women heros of most romance novels. I also liked Sam and Clare, and together they make a compelling secondary story. Emma? Not so much. She comes across as rude, verbally and physically abusive sometimes (not to her daughter). She has a New Orleans accent but apparently only uses it when it's convenient (or is it another flaw in the book?). Not the female main character I would expect in a story like this.
And there are other minor details that don't work for me also. Why would a woman on the run trying to remain low key would scream at a mechanic loud enough to attract attention from everyone around and create an almost violent scene, while carrying a three year old toddler in in her lap? Why would anyone in a small town trust a total stranger to look after their cars, and pay cash with no questions asked?
The curiosity in relation to the extent of Grant's obsession kept me reading this until the end, but Exposure is not a book I would actively recommend. It's not totally bad, but as romantic suspense goes, there's much better out there.
It is well written, and I liked the plot. While not being entirely original, it is still interesting. I never did understand the depth of Grant's obsession over Emma, though. Of course obsessions are not rational and there are all sorts of sick people out there, but still...either there was more than just the tapes, or maybe Emma could have confronted him for an explanation first. If there had been no signs of anything abnormal before, that's what I would have done. And if there were signs, well...why would she have been living off his money for so long then? The way he's portrayed along the book, he sounds and acts like a mobster, not someone I would want anywhere near my children. I found this to be flaw in the plot that the author could have explained a bit better, and it really threw me off.
I also have mixed feelings about the characters. I loved Elvis and I found him a refreshing break from the usual perfect-male-model-and-God's-gift-to-women heros of most romance novels. I also liked Sam and Clare, and together they make a compelling secondary story. Emma? Not so much. She comes across as rude, verbally and physically abusive sometimes (not to her daughter). She has a New Orleans accent but apparently only uses it when it's convenient (or is it another flaw in the book?). Not the female main character I would expect in a story like this.
And there are other minor details that don't work for me also. Why would a woman on the run trying to remain low key would scream at a mechanic loud enough to attract attention from everyone around and create an almost violent scene, while carrying a three year old toddler in in her lap? Why would anyone in a small town trust a total stranger to look after their cars, and pay cash with no questions asked?
The curiosity in relation to the extent of Grant's obsession kept me reading this until the end, but Exposure is not a book I would actively recommend. It's not totally bad, but as romantic suspense goes, there's much better out there.
Have a wonderful weekend,
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