Veena’s review of Echoes at Dawn (KGI Series, Book 5) by Maya Banks
Romantic Suspense published by Berkley 3 Jul 12
Grace Peterson is a rare talent – she can heal any illness and even defeat near death by taking on symptoms into her own body, which then defeats the illness, leaving the sick person, as well as Grace, healthy, with no residual effects. As you can well imagine, this talent in the wrong hands could be exploited in the worst way. Grace has a mental connection to her sister which they have supressed in order to stay under the radar; however, she’s severed this communication and no matter how much Shea might try, she can only feel silence where once the psychic link with Grace used to be. Because of all this, I was fascinated with Grace when she was first introduced in Whispers in the Dark and have waited at the edge of my seat for her very own book to be released in the Kelly family saga.
Rio is his own person, even though he gives his loyalty to Kelly Group International and, thus, the Kelly family. He, like me, was fascinated with Grace Peterson when he first saw her on a video when he was guarding her sister, Shea. Now that Grace has disappeared, Rio sets out with his team to locate, rescue, and ultimately reunite her with Shea. Starved, hurt, and exhausted, Grace has been able to stay ahead of her pursuers so far, but now nearly at the end of her tether she has been cornered at the edge of a cliff and literally goes over the side when she is located by Rio and his men. Rio rescues her and takes her to his hidden home in the South American jungles so she can rest and recuperate before taking her back stateside.
As Grace recuperates, the attraction that has simmered between her and Rio blooms into a full-blown romance. She also gets to know Rio’s team and there develops a sense of mutual admiration and camaderie between them. Grace is in danger since she is being sought after a top-secret black ops team who is so black that most goverment agencies don’t know they exist. In order to save Grace and bring the battle on his own turf, Rio creates a bate-and-switch plan, which is foiled and the team is betrayed in the worst way. I feel that the scenes where Rio is betrayed, Grace’s compassion and actions which lead Rio to ultimately if not forgive then at least spare the life of the betrayer are vintage Maya Banks. There are some interesting twists and turns when Grace is recaptured by the group targeting her and the ending is very sweet where you see a completely different side of Rio.
I started to read the KGI series with Whispers in the Dark and then went back and read all the other books in the series. I really couldn’t wait for this book to come out, only to feel disappointed when I read it. The strength of the series is the mix of the romance between the primary characters, the family dynamics between the Kelly seniors and the other brothers and sisters, a thread of laughter that runs through the book totally engaging the reader. I feel something is missing in this book, and on further consideration it’s the Rio and Grace story itself, which is great, but I miss the interactions between the Kelly parents and siblings, and I miss the laughter, because this book is more serious than the other stories, though it does have some interesting twists and turns, some good and some dark. I enjoyed the book, but do not love it like I expected.
Read Sandy M’s Echoes at Dawn review here.
Summary:
The Kelly Group International (KGI): A super elite, top secret, family-run business.
Qualifications: High intelligence, rock hard body, military background.
Mission: Hostage/kidnap victim recovery. Intelligence gathering. Handling jobs the US government can’t…They live by night.
Grace Peterson is desperate, in hiding, and on the run after escaping a shadowy group determined to exploit her extraordinary ability to heal others. Her only lifeline—an unerring telepathic ability she shares with her sister—has been severed, leaving her alone and vulnerable. And time is fast running out…
Enlisted to bring Grace home is Rio, relentless member of the KGI. He’s unprepared for his reaction to this wounded, damaged woman, and he’s fiercely determined to protect her from those who nearly destroyed her. In Rio, she finds a safe haven, and for the first time…hope. But the mission is far from over. The danger Grace has eluded is fast closing in. And now it’s pitching two lovers toward an unfamiliar horizon, with no place left to hide.
Read an excerpt.
Other books in this series:
