ARC Review: High Seduction by Vivian Arend

I wasn’t sure quite what to expect from HIGH SEDUCTION, the third book in Vivian Arend’s Adrenaline Search and Rescue started-off-as-kind-of-romantic-suspense-but-is-now-really-straight-light-erotic-contemporary series: I’d really enjoyed the first book in the series but had some issues with the second and had no real sense of where the third would go. In the end, I found it to be vintage Vivian Arend—a great character-driven erotic romance about accepting one’s sexuality and kinks, with Ms. Arend’s trademark quality writing and heat—but, like with the previous entry, think it would’ve benefitted from being a straight-up contemporary rather than trying to incorporate a very light mystery subplot that did nothing for the story and felt incongruous and forced.

HIGH SEDUCTION tells the story of Lifeline Search and Rescue’s kick-ass, take-no-shit female helicopter pilot Erin Tate, who was probably my favourite member of the Lifeline team in previous books. HIGH SEDUCTION is a standalone story, but since the Lifeline team members and their relationship dynamics are introduced and built on throughout the previous two novels, readers will get a better sense of the Lifeline world and characters from reading the series in order. Unlike its predecessors, HIGH SEDUCTION is SLOW: with the exception of a couple of pulse-pounding rescues early on, nothing much happens plotwise. But that works, because it’s first and foremost a reunion romance and the focus should be (and is) on the (re)developing relationship between the hero and heroine. Erin and SAR paramedic Tim Dextor had a serious thing going out in Newfoundland until something (which we’re kept guessing about for most of the book, though it ends up not being quite the juicy reveal I was expecting) happened seven years ago and Erin up and left and moved to Banff to work with Lifeline. Now an older and wiser Tim is looking for a job with Lifeline and determined to win Erin back. Control is the name of the game and the underlying source of the characters’ emotional conflict, especially Erin’s. On the one hand, she’s used to being in command when she’s in the cockpit or on a rescue; on the other, she enjoys being dominated in the bedroom and feels like she can’t reconcile the two sides of herself. Her biggest fear is that her need for sexual submission will spill over into all other areas of her life and she’ll (willingly) give up her free will to her partner. Ms. Arend does a great job taking Erin on a sensual journey that culminates with her realisation that she can be both strong & independent AND let someone else control her sexual pleasure.

Tim is a great hero, and I really liked him—at least in his grown-up form! He knows exactly what he wants in and out of the bedroom and is determined to have Erin back in his life and have forever after with her. I especially loved how, despite wanting nothing more than to make Erin his again (and forever this time), he’s incredibly patient with her and her new self-imposed boundaries to keep her edgier desires at bay. I loved how he gently coaxed her past all her barriers to what he knew she truly wanted and helped her fully accept her sexuality, giving her the time and space she needed. I don’t actively seek out BDSM, voyeurism, or ménage elements in my romance, but the light touches of all three in HIGH SEDUCTION work beautifully for two characters who thrive on exploring and expanding their sexual boundaries—and make for some pretty steamy love scenes! [Avid readers of any or all three of those tropes beware: this novel only dips its toes into the edgier side of romance]

HIGH SEDUCTION is a solid addition to the series and is a great read for anyone looking for something a bit more sensual and edgy than a mainstream romance but not ready to delve into hardcore erotica. I truly enjoyed the characters, the buildup and execution of the romantic relationship, and the writing. My only gripe is the mediocre suspense/mystery subplot that feels thrown in there because some editor or publisher decided to pitch this series as ‘romantic suspense’: it shows up twice throughout the novel and each time feels jarring and unnecessary. I look forward to seeing if there will be any more entries in this series, now that the principal Lifeline members have all had their stories told!

**ARC provided by Publisher**

Purchase: | Amazon | Kindle | B&N | The Book Depository |

ARC Review: High Passion by Vivian Arend

I love Vivian Arend—I think she writes fantastic character-driven and emotional erotic (or highly sensual) romance. Put that talent against the backdrop of the pulse-pounding, heightened emotions of the search and rescue world and add a dash of mystery, and you have the winning combination that is her new Adrenaline series. I had thoroughly enjoyed the first entry in the series (HIGH RISK) and jumped at the chance to read the second book (HIGH PASSION) early. While I enjoyed the characters and relationship dynamics (both romantic and non-romantic), the voice and writing style, and the scorching love scenes in HIGH PASSION, the light mystery subplot felt contrived and a tad over the top and detracted from my enjoyment of what is otherwise another great book by Ms. Arend.

The series centres on the lives and trials & tribulations of the members of Lifeline, an elite private search and rescue team based in Banff in the Canadian Rockies. Since the team members are introduced and the base relationship dynamics established in the first book, this is definitely a series where the reader benefits from reading the books in order—though the story in HIGH PASSION technically stands on its own. Devon Leblanc and Alisha Bailey are Lifeline’s youngest members and lead climbers, hotshots from their recent school days where they were always competing with each other to be the best. That competition has bled over into their Lifeline work as good-natured bickering and teasing… and, as Lifeline helicopter pilot Erin puts it, the longest verbal foreplay in history, since the competitiveness and quips are partly a front to hide their attraction to each other. That undercurrent of attraction is palpable throughout the first book in the series (making us readers wonder WHEN and HOW, not IF, they’ll give in) and comes to a head in HIGH PASSION, when Alisha’s moment of panic during a rescue forces her and Devon to work closely together to identify any potential triggers for that panic without the rest of the team knowing. As tends to happen when two adults who’ve been denying their sexual attraction for years spend even more time together, they finally give in and start burning up the sheets. And, boy, do they burn—in typical Arend fashion, the love scenes are frequent and hot enough to melt your e-reader (if perhaps more ‘vanilla’ than those in HIGH RISK). I’d really liked both Alisha and Devon in the first book, so watching these laid-back, fun-loving but incredibly devoted characters go from sexually frustrated rivals to lovers to forever after was great fun. The fact that both of them have serious family issues—Alisha is the daughter of a rich Toronto businessman who insists she’s just playing at search and rescue and sowing her wild oats before settling down into her life as a socialite and Devon’s (also wealthy) family keeps hounding him to grow up and get a ‘real’ job and a family—adds another layer of complexity to their characters and their relationship and makes them real and relatable.

I liked the characters, I liked the build-up and execution of the romantic relationship and the sense of camaraderie within the team that gets stronger in each book, I enjoyed the steamy love scenes, and I loved Ms. Arend’s writing style (as always). But what didn’t really work for me was Vincent, the ‘villain’ in the story: a wealthy Bailey family friend who works for Alisha’s father and will go to any length to get controlling interest in the company. He felt like a cardboard supervillain simply added in to add a layer of intrigue to the storyline, and his actions felt a tad extreme and unrealistic. I love some good suspense mixed in with my romance and read a lot of thrillers and romantic suspense, but I found myself rolling my eyes a bit at Vincent’s antics and felt that that entire subplot didn’t contribute much to the story. Likewise with Lana, the new member coordinating the Lifeline call-outs and pushing for a place on the team. I found myself enjoying the bits with Devon and Alisha and their budding relationship much more than anything else.

HIGH PASSION is a solid entry into the series (though, in my opinion, not as good as HIGH RISK) and has everything one has come to expect and love from Ms. Arend’s contemporaries. I really enjoy the Lifeline team, and I’m looking forward to reading chopper pilot Erin’s story in 2014.

**ARC provided by Publisher**

Purchase: | Amazon | Kindle | Barnes & Noble | The Book Depository |

Weekly Winners

Below is a list of all of the winners from the past week.

Linda
Mary
Cathy
Book of Choice from Maureen Driscoll

Alicia
His Mistletoe Bride by Vanessa Kelly

PC
Swag Pack from Sophie Barnes

Lori
Necklace from Bonnie Bliss

Laura
Book of Choice from Elle Kennedy or Vivian Arend

All winners have been notified via email. Thank you to everyone that stopped by and entered. =)

Hot and Cool Blog Tour: Guest Post with Authors Elle Kennedy and Vivian Arend

Today I am happy to welcome both Elle Kennedy and Vivian Arend to RFTC. Both authors are celebrating a book release and have teamed up to bring you the Hot and Cool blog tour. Please give Elle and Vivian a warm welcome.

A RITA-award nominated author, Elle Kennedy grew up in the suburbs of Toronto, Ontario, and holds a B.A. in English from York University. From an early age, she knew she wanted to be a writer, and actively began pursuing that dream when she was a teenager.

Elle currently publishes with Signet Eclipse, Harlequin Romantic Suspense, and Samhain Publishing. She loves strong heroines and sexy alpha heroes, and just enough heat and danger to keep things interesting!

Places to find Elle:

| Site | Facebook | Twitter |

Vivian Arend in one word: Adventurous. In a sentence: Willing to try just about anything once. That wide-eyed attitude has taken her around North America, through parts of Europe, and into Central and South America, often with no running water.

Her optimistic outlook also meant that when challenged to write a book, she gave it a shot, and discovered creating worlds to play in was nearly as addictive as traveling the real one. Now a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of both contemporary and paranormal stories, Vivian continues to explore, write and otherwise keep herself well entertained.

Places to find Vivian:

| Site | Blog | Facebook | Twitter |