RIPTIDE LOVE - Melissa Lopez
The Thorns, Book 2
Samhain - www.samhainpublishing.com
ISBN-13: 978-1-60504-203-9
October 2008
Contemporary Romance - Single Title

Cairns and the Outback in Australia - Present Day

Ethan Thorn, a rescue swimmer, doesn’t normally remember the faces of those he saves; however, he knows the face of the woman he just pulled out of the ocean, Denae Button. Sexy and sweet, she’s haunted his dreams for the past three years, leaving him aching and wishing he hadn’t made so many mistakes in the past. Number one being sleeping with Denae, his brother’s fiancée. Number two was falling in love with her. And then there’s number three, the day he told her he never wanted to see her again.

Denae is having one of the worst days of her life when her cousin’s boat catches fire and leaves them stranded in the ocean, but, just when she thinks things are looking up (rescue being at hand) she realizes that the handsome man who saves her is Ethan. Once upon a time, Denae was engaged to Ethan’s brother, Miller. However, Miller sent her to Sydney with her girlfriends to decide if she really wanted to get married, and once there, she met Ethan. Not knowing he was Miller’s brother, Denae fell hard. Then came the shattering news that she had fallen for her fiancé’s brother and Ethan’s quick dismissal of her, as if the whole mistake was all her fault. But, one good thing did come out of that bloody awful time, her son Nate. The son Ethan doesn’t know he has.

Family ties, betrayal, and misunderstandings make a happy ending for Ethan and Denae unlikely, but it is possible, isn’t it?

RIPTIDE LOVE brings together two people with more in common than they ever knew. Ethan’s father was a real treat; beating his sons, cheating on his wife and just generally causing harm to his family whenever they “disappointed” him. Denae was raised by a pair of religious freaks who treated her as property, theirs to do with as they wished. Scarred from their early experiences, Denae and Ethan also owe one man a lot, Miller. He stood up for Ethan when they were growing up and rescued Denae from her parents several years ago, earning her gratitude. Another thing Ethan and Denae have in common is an undeniable, earthy passion that sprung into almost instant life when they first met. Though circumstances tore them apart, that passion, and the love that surged beneath it, is still very much alive. But can Ethan, whose motto was once live hard, play harder and die fast, convince Denae, a devoted mother, that he’s ready to settle down and only wants to do it with her?

There aren’t a ton of secondary characters in this story, but some of them are: Jack (Denae’s cousin) and his wife Paige; both protective, they want the best for Denae and they’re not sure Ethan is it. Then there’s Maree, Ethan’s mum. She loves her sons, all of them, and wants them to be happy. Somehow, this situation doesn’t look as though it will end well, but with a grandson as cute as Nate in the bargain, she has hopes. If this were a medieval tale, Miller would be a knight. Always ready to help those in need, he also has a fierce temper and the ability to hold onto a grudge. Hopefully, this situation doesn’t tear Miller and Ethan apart forever. Cohen is another Thorn brother; he and his wife Hayleigh were first introduced in BOOMERANG LOVE (January 2008). Together, they and their two cute (and spoiled) daughters welcome Denae and Nate into the family. Last, there’s Nate. Cute as a button, he loves the beach, puppies, and his mum. If anyone deserves a happy ending, it is he.

This book will grab your attention from the very first page and hold it until the last with its blend of romance, passion, realistic relationships, and even a chilling moment or two. Don’t miss RIPTIDE LOVE.

Lori Ann