Sandy M’s review of My Everything by Julia Barrett
Romantic Suspense ebook published by Cerridwen Press 1 Mar 09

I gave Ms. Barrett a little bit of a hard time on my review of her first book, Anytime Darlin’. There were things about that book that I liked but more things that I didn’t. But Ms. Barrett was very gracious, took her average grade from me, finished up her next book, and came back to us for another review. I’m glad she did.

I thoroughly enjoyed this sophomore book by Ms. Barrett. The storyline is intriguing and the hero and heroine have great chemistry. Now, that isn’t to say there aren’t a couple of little problems, but for the most part, I see growth in this author’s writing and I will continue to read her books.

Grace is in Los Angeles for a geriatrics seminar and her first night there, one of her infamous migraines is coming on. Back at her hotel she’s in such pain that she locks herself out of her room just because she wanted a cold and bubbly Coke. Out of options and nearly unconscious, she doesn’t even make it back to the door of her room when she’s overcome and not able to go any further.

Ben McCall has been in hiding since the assassination of his wife and unborn child, everyone assuming he’s dead because of his line of work. Losing everything has torn the joy out of his life and the solitude of Costa Rica has given him some measure of peace. But when the emergency call comes from his best friend Tom for help, Ben doesn’t hesitate. But what he finds out is someone has murdered two agents and kidnapped Ben’s sister all in an attempt to get to him, not Tom. He has a surprise waiting for him when he finally gets into L.A. A woman is passed out near the door of his hotel room. Coincidence or is she part of the nightmare that has just begun.

Ben doesn’t believe in coincidence, but in this case he’s hoping that’s what it is. The woman he rescued from the hallway is Grace, all grown up now from the eighteen-year-old college student he spent a month of glorious days with years ago. Knowing where his life was headed, he knew he couldn’t offer her more at the time, and they went their separate ways after an exciting but somewhat chaste love affair. He’d never forgotten her, though. His life went on, he married and had been starting a family.

They’re older now, but it’s like they were never apart, their love blossoming anew. Ben has to leave Grace after their night together, vowing to take care of the bastard who has his sister and then he can concentrate on Grace. What he doesn’t expect is Grace being pulled into the whole mess when she’s attacked in her hotel room. She escapes relatively unscathed and gives Ben information to work with to find his sister. In the meantime, Angel, Ben’s sister, is one smart cookie. She paid attention to all the things her big brother taught her and escapes from the maniac who’d kept her locked in a basement.

Though Angel is safe, they still have to find the scum who took her and that takes them into the San Joaquin Valley of California. (Had to mention that because that’s where I live!) And this is the only place in the story that I have a nitpick about. Ben and Tom are in Bakersfield looking for this asshole when Angel pulls her escape job. When she finds out that Ben isn’t in L.A., she insists she has to see her brother now before something happens and he maybe dies again. She goads Grace into taking her to Bakersfield.

Grace is an intelligent woman. She fought this jerk and won, so she knows firsthand how dangerous he is. She knows if they’re in the vinicity, Ben will worry about them while trying to do his job. But after all this logic, she still talks herself into taking Angel to Bakersfield to find Ben. Of course, they get there in the middle of everything going down and bad stuff happens. I realize the bad stuff had to happen for the story. I just wish we had gotten there in a different way. Especially because everything that happens after that point is terrific. I just felt Grace slipped a few points on the IQ scale, a little blip, so to speak, before she got back on track.

Other than that, this is a very enjoyable book. I liked all of the characters. The action and suspense is very well done. The love scenes between these two are sweet and poignant. The secondary characters have plenty of depth. I even liked/hated the villain, though he was a little convenient as a scapegoat, but it worked.

Well done, Ms. Barrett! You’re only going to get better with each successive book and I look forward to reading each one!

Grade: B+

Summary:

Ben McCall’s wife and unborn child are dead, victims of an assassination attempt meant for someone else. Overcome by grief and guilt, he disappears. When his best friend and business partner is in danger Ben resurfaces, only to find his friend isn’t the target of a murderer, Ben himself is along with his sister Angel.

Then Ben comes face to face with his first love. Though Ben tries to keep Grace out of danger, as the passion between them reignites she, too, becomes a target of the stalker. Grace, Angel and Ben must individually and together use their skills to stay alive as they struggle against a man who has nothing to lose and is willing kill anyone who interferes with his quest for vengeance.

Read an excerpt.