Richard Graves has long battled his dark heritage, and
only one woman nearly shattered his elegant facade. Though he seduced Isabella
Sandoval to take revenge on the man who'd destroyed his family, walking away
from her was the hardest thing he's done. Now he's learned the truth about her
son, and he won't walk away again.
Richard's mission of vengeance nearly cost Isabella her
life. But she can't resist rekindling their dangerous passion. Can she protect
her child from the man sworn to claim him -- and herself from the desire she
can no longer fight?
Good book. Richard appeared in previous books as a
secondary character. Unlike the others, Richard had been on the wrong side as a
youth and young man, responsible for training the boys kidnapped and held,
though he also tried to watch out for them. From the first book,
From Enemy's
Daughter to Expectant Bride, Rafael was especially close to Richard, though the
others in their brotherhood do not trust him. Richard has a reputation for
being cold, unfeeling, and ruthless. This was especially obvious eight years
earlier when he seduced the wife of the man responsible for Richard's
involvement in The Organization to get information from her. He never expected
the feelings she stirred up in him, and he walked away, never expecting to see
her again.
Isabella spent years as the trophy wife of a drug lord to
protect her family. Her short affair with Richard was intense, but leaving with
him was impossible. It took her months to figure out his motivations for their liaison,
and she knew she had to escape before her husband realized it too. Eventually,
she earned her medical degree and moved her family to New York to join a friend
in her medical practice.
When Isabella comes to Richard's attention all those
years later, he wants to be sure her past won't cause problems for those he
cares for. Their first meeting is volatile, as he makes demands and issues
ultimatums. Isabella isn't the same person she had been when he knew her last,
and she refuses to be intimidated by him. Unfortunately, the attraction that
still burns between them complicates matters. But that's nothing compared to
the shock Richard receives when he discovers that Isabella gave birth to his
son soon after her escape.
This is where my feelings toward Richard began to change.
That cold, emotionless, and ruthless man fell utterly in love with his son. I
loved seeing a different, kinder, and softer side of Richard emerge, as he was
embraced not only by young Mauri but also the rest of Isabella's family. It
also affected Isabella, making it harder to keep him at a distance. Richard is
stunned to find that the ability to feel he thought was gone forever had only
been buried. I loved seeing the changes in him as those feelings begin to grow.
When it comes time to talk about telling Mauri that Richard is his father,
Richard knows he has to tell Isabella everything about his past. Doing so
convinces him that he's too broken to trust himself in their lives. I ached for
him and the devastating feelings of loss he experienced and for Isabella, who
believed in him but thought he no longer wanted her.
Richard's departure precipitates a crisis involving Mauri.
I liked that Richard was the first one Isabella called and how he sprang into
action. This was one time when the immediate and unquestioning support of the
brotherhood was critical. Not only did Antonio (the doctor) drop everything,
the others also came to lend their support. The effect on Richard was amazing,
and I had to laugh at the teasing he endured. I loved how the crisis brought Isabella
and Richard back together, and the emotional turmoil brought everything to the
surface. With no more secrets or misunderstandings, Isabella and Richard have a
happy future ahead of them.
I liked the secondary characters also. Isabella's mom was
terrific with the way she pulled Richard in from the moment she met him. I
think she suspected the truth from the start. Isabella's son Mauri was
adorable. He's smart and funny and connects with Richard immediately. Their
relationship is fantastic and brings out an unexpected side of Richard. I also
liked Isabella's partner Rose. Neither of them suspected their connection when
they met, and both were stunned when they found out.
One of my favorite scenes was with Numair
(
Pregnant by the Sheikh) after saving Richard's life. It had a profound effect
on both of them.
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