Sandy M’s review of Fever (Phoenix Rising Series, Book 1) by Joan Swan
Romantic Suspense published by Brava 28 Feb 12
I just love it when a debut author hits it out of the park. Joan Swan has done that and then some. She’s given readers an intense and suspenseful story infused with a romance that grows as secrets are revealed, all with an underlying paranormal element that gives the Phoenix Rising series its base, on which Ms. Swan has built exciting characters and storylines.
Alyssa Foster has worked hard to keep her medical career on an upward track, culminating in a promotion she’s ready to knock out the competition for. She’s on overload and tonight, because they’re short staffed, she’s taking care of prisoners from San Quentin. Two inmates are brought in, and what she gets for ogling a handsome man with a rock-hard bod is danger and fear when they force her from the hospital and on the wildest ride of her life that will change her forever.
Not willing to give up a chance at freedom after years of incarceration for crimes he didn’t commit, Teague Creek plots to take a hostage central to his plans to get back to the one girl who means everything to him. But plans have a way of going wrong, and things definitely go wrong for Teague. The woman he grabs has more backbone than any female he’s ever met. Alyssa gives him trouble from the beginning. His partner in crime is also trouble, but Teague needs him for the time being. And the guy is slime to the core. He’s a racist who acts on his ignorance. Some readers may not like the slurs this jerk spews, but it’s real and honest, and you know how much fun it can be when characters like that meet their destiny. Don’t let that put you off this book, because you’ll be missing out on a terrific read. Then Teague finds out he has the wrong hostage. What the hell is he supposed to do now?
But as Alyssa learns Teague’s story, as she sees the gentleness in him, the love and protection he has for those he cares about, her perception of him goes through a pivotal change. She also sees his regret at how he’s treated her during this ordeal. As all of the people involved with Teague’s case begin to emerge and the stakes for them both climb higher, Alyssa knows there’s no use denying what she feels for him any longer. And their love scenes sizzle and steam like you wouldn’t believe. Especially since it’s been so long for Teague, thinking he’d never touch a woman again. Amid all of this Alyssa adds her expertise to what he’s accumulated concerning the case, hoping to help him clear his name, but Teague is resigned to the fact that he’ll never have a normal life again.
There are a number of players involved in the entire story, but Ms. Swan does an excellent job at keeping them straight for the reader, never confusing you with the intricacies of the mystery. Teague is a wonderful hero. His softer side is revealed little by little, and you love him more each time you glimpse his internal emotion, and never do you question his masculinity. Alyssa is the perfect heroine for me. She’s sharp and stands up for herself, even against a convict, but she also shows fear and anxiety where it’s needed. She’s never TSTL and not too much of a kick-ass heroine to make her hard and standoffish.
We also meet Luke, Teague’s best friend, in this story. The paranormal ability Teague possesses was caused by a warehouse fire fought in his former life as a firefighter. We find Luke was also affected, though his ability is slightly different from Teague’s, and the mystery behind it all is not revealed here but will continue on in Luke’s book, Blaze, which will hit the shelves in October of this year.
What an all-consuming, thrilling, and passionate first book from Joan Swan. It’s action packed, the pace never slows down, and the romance is gradual and definitely satisfying. The promise this story gives to the entire series, however many books there may be, is never ending, so I hope there’s plenty of books in store for us. There aren’t many first-time published authors who would go on my keeper shelf, but Ms. Swan is definitely the exception to that rule. I have a feeling she’s going to be an exception to a lot of the rules out there. Look out, Romanceland!
Grade: A+
Summary:
Dr. Alyssa Foster will admit to a bad boy fetish…
But when she finds herself face to face with a convicted murderer with a ripped body, a determination for freedom and an eye on her as his get out of jail free card, Alyssa knows she’s in deep trouble…. Not just because Teague Creek is a prisoner desperate for freedom, but because his every touch makes her desperate for more.
A man with a life sentence has nothing to lose…
Teague Creek has one shot at freedom, but his plan to escape with a hostage develops a fatal flaw: Alyssa. On the run from both the law and deadly undercover operatives who know of his strange abilities, he needs to avoid trouble, but every heated kiss tells him the fire between them could be just as devastating as the flames that changed him forever.
Read an excerpt.
Other books in this series:
Blaze – October 2012
