Veena’s review of Awakened (Intimate Relations, Book 3) by Kate Douglas
Contemporary Romance published by St. Martin’s Paperbacks 28 Jun 16
The Marc Reed revealed in this book is very different from the confident billionaire we’ve met in the series so far. He’s a tormented young man who has nightmares of blood and murder. Are these dreams a manifestation of a truth that he’s suppressed? Is he a killer? Once the euphoria of becoming a millionaire notch on a groupie’s bedpost is over, these nightmares have kept him from a fulfilled life of his own, until circumstances lead him to room with Mandy Monroe. Once she learns his truth, she’s determined to help him find peace and love, hopefully in her arms.
Mandy takes Marc to a hypnotist to help him make sense of his nightmares, only to find the root of them in a childhood trauma that changed his life forever. I really like the hypnosis theory and practice that the author brings in as a key element to her story. Marc flowers under the gentle hand of the doctor and reveals long-hidden truths in his session. Each time he goes back, he makes more progress, and it’s fascinating to see the memories unlocked under hypnosis.
As the two deal with his emerging memories, they begin to track clues, trying to find the truth behind the murder that Marc still dreams of. Mandy and Marc are bonding and coming together in a sweet, sexy way. She’s his assistant by day and lover by night. Marc hopes to persuade her to stay with him throughout the day on a long-term basis by setting up a coffee shop on the ground floor of his building. I admire Mandy for her standing up for her principles and refusing to accept his largesse until he appeals to her need to help underprivileged and abused women and use the coffee shop as a means for creating jobs and helping them with their self-esteem.
Their hunt for clues leads them to uncovering the truth behind Marc’s memories, but the killer is on to them and hopes to prevent them from exposing his secrets. Once again Ms. Douglas weaves her unique brand of suspense and romance to create an eminently readable story. I particularly enjoyed a little bit of the supernatural that she threw into this one by bringing the couple support from the ghostly side.
The interesting kicker is a secondary romance that I never saw coming, which adds a nice touch to this story. I like how the author builds each story in the series like building blocks. You absolutely have to read this in order to get the most out of it; otherwise, you’ll miss all the extras. Ms. Douglas is relatively new to me as an author, and I definitely enjoyed this series and will look forward to reading more from her in the future.
Grade: B
Summary:
PASSION NEVER SLEEPS.
Small-town barista Mandy Monroe will never forget the first time she saw the man of her dreams. Every morning, this impossibly gorgeous hunk would ride his bike past her coffee shop, fueling her wildest romantic fantasies. But when she learns that her crush is none other than vineyard owner Marc Reed, one of America’s hottest young entrepreneurs, Mandy knows her fantasy will never become a reality. That is, until Marc’s home burns down and he moves in with her…
As a roommate, Marc is as warm, friendly, and down-to-earth as he is rich, famous, and heartstoppingly handsome. But beneath his laidback exterior beats the heart of a red-blooded man with an uncontrollable urge to take Mandy in his arms and make mad, passionate love to her. Mandy is everything he’s ever wanted; she’s sweet, smart, funny, and irresistibly sexy. But how he can tell her the truth about his past? How can he explain the nightmares that haunt him every night? And how can he tell Mandy he loves her…without putting her heart, and her life, in danger?
Read an excerpt.
Other books in this series:
