Sandy M’s review of Quinn II (Undaunted Men, Book 2) by J.C. Cliff
Contemporary Romance published by J.C. Cliff 19 Apr 16
I’ll be honest here, I really had no expectations for this book after reading the first part. My biggest quibble, apart from the purple prose that leads to not being true to the characters, is the fact they don’t trust one another, nor their love in each other. Yes, that’s probably due to the fact they fell in love in record time, but then that’s the dilemma the author has woven into the over-the-top emotion this couple throws back and forth at the drop of a hat. There’s only one reason, and one reason alone, this book gets a higher grade from me over the first book.
This book picks up exactly where the first one left off – Lexi running from Quinn when she discovers something she either doesn’t understand or misinterprets, runs straight into trouble and Quinn has to rescue her and drag out of her why she ran to begin with. The opening scenes, as in the first book, actually move along okay, giving me hope maybe this story may be better. But then as Quinn and Lexi begin an actual conversation, my hopes plummet. People just don’t speak to each other the way these two do. It’s stilted and awkward, all due to word choice, which, again, is not true to the characters. Especially Quinn. He’s supposed to be alpha military. He’s only that when he’s actually in military mode. It doesn’t bleed over into his everyday life.
Once Quinn and Lexi get to the end destination after their wilderness trek, things go to hell very quickly. Vincent, Lexi’s supposed fiance, is there first and causes havoc to no end. Lexi tries to will Quinn to understand her betrayal, and Quinn is just left bewildered and out cold, even though he can take down any number of men at a time. I find it a bit ironic it’s always something very simple that takes Quinn down in these books. He finds himself bound in a basement somewhere, and he bides his time to escape and get Lexi out of his mind. These scenes during his imprisonment are actually some of the best in the book.
Lexi, on the other, hand, she hasn’t grown one whit since the first book. She’s still too vulnerable and naive, especially after her sojourn. She just needs to grow the hell up. But even after her treatment in Vince’s hands, she’s the same old Lexi. Finally her father, the mob boss, gets involved, which should have happened much earlier, in my opinion. Both she and Quinn are doubting each other to the point of never wanting to see the other again. At least Lexi does get the gumption to finally face Quinn when her next secret can’t be hidden any longer. But the man is vicious. Doesn’t give her a chance, flaunts his one-nighter in front of her, and is very close to losing my respect. In fact, I’m surprised that hasn’t happened already.
What saves him? His reaction to Lexi’s news when he does finally discover the truth. Of course, there needs to be more groveling on both sides by this time, but it’s too late for that. For me there’s just way too much outside conflict that goes in their lives. They seldom work together, and when they do, it doesn’t last long. But I do like the scenes near the end when Quinn finally has everything he never thought he wanted. That, and the few other points above, are the only things that brought my grade up for this book. Everything else needs so much work. Hopefully Ms. Cliff will take this experience and grow from it.
Grade: C-
Summary:
QUINN IS BACK and pushing the limits on it all — suspense, sex, love, gut-wrenching emotions — with a fiery intense conclusion to his and Lexi’s story. The more Alexis runs, the harder Quinn fights for her.
It’s an undeniable truth; bad things happen to good people, and Lexi is not impervious to the realities of the life she left behind.
Keeping Lexi safe at all cost, Quinn remains unwavering in his duties, constantly putting his life on the line, time and time again.
Two tortured souls are pushed to the edges of their sanity and their love will be put to the test. Tempers flare, emotions burst, and love flickers, but after the ultimate explosion, can forgiveness be found amongst the rubble?
Alexis needs Quinn more than ever…and Quinn must decide if Lexi is truly his fate or if their romance was never meant to survive beyond his mission. One thing is for certain: neither Quinn nor Alexis will be the same after surfacing from the mountain trails. Now that they’ve survived the wild, can they survive each other?
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