Friday, October 2, 2009

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Review: Taken by Tori Carrington

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Title: Taken
Series: The Bad Girls Club
Author: Tori Carrington
Read copy: eBook
Published: July 1, 2007
Publisher: Harlequin
ISBN: 1426802617
ISBN-13: 9781426802614

In Seline Sanborn's opinion, her latest con was a thing of beauty—mind-blowing sex, enough cold cash to keep her in diamonds and a gorgeous mark who would never know what hit him. What a rush! And she’d gotten away free and clear. After all, it was just chump change to sexy CEO Ryder Blackwell. There was no way he’d consider tracking her down....

But even Seline’s wildest erotic fantasies couldn’t prepare her for what happened next...

My rating:

I've often complained about Blaze authors not having a clue how to "mix business with pleasure" when it comes to sex and suspense. Well, the power duo behind the name Tori Carrington sure are an exception to the rule, making this story one of the best suspense-tinged Blazes I've read so far.

Seline Sanborn is a con artist. She's "infiltrated" the building of Blackwell & Blackwell with one specific goal in mind—take their money. Unfortunately her love of fast cars ends her in an impromptu chase through Manhattan competing with a Jag driver, but it isn't until she arrives back at work that she realizes the Jag driver was none other than the sexy, hunky CEO of Blackwell & Blackwell—and her boss—Ryder Blackwell.

The most important rule in a con artist's life—fly under the radar. Well, she blew it, since she's firmly on Ryder's radar and he's invited her up to his office. She knows he's up to no good, not with his reputation, so she jumps her schedule. She would transfer the money to her ghost accounts and would be out of Dodge a day early. First one—easy. Second one—not easy, since Ryder appears in her office.
Second most important rule in a con artist's life—never mix business with pleasure. And that night, in Ryder's penthouse, Seline blows that one, too, when the two indulge in a night of set-the-sheets-ablaze, raunchy, non-stop sex.

Seline is gone when he exists the shower in the morning and by afternoon Ryder knows exactly why. But there's no chance he'll let her go away. She's screwed him twice, and while he can write off that quarter of a mil she's taken, he can't write off her disappearing act after their steamy, rug-burn-inducing night. And he won't rest until she's once again in his arms.


Well, this sure looked like a straightforward Harlequin Blaze story to me...With more sex (a lot raunchier that the average Blaze), well-developed and nicely-drawn characters, and loads more oomph that I expected.

Then, nine days of incessant searching, Ryder found her. Good for him. They had sex again. Good for them both. Then the bullets started flying, and I went "great, another one bites the dust". Boy was a wrong. Was I ever.

Because Lori and Tony Karayianni succeeded in combining great characters, steamy sex, great tension and angst, and one heck of a suspense subplot with loads of action, car chases, and the Mafia (a cliché that could've proved fatal to the story) in one killer combo. And I'm sure those extra pages helped a lot in bringing this story together, without rushing things or blundering over important details.

I was hooked from the first page to the last, the twists and turns just wouldn't end, the tension and emotions were tangible, the attraction grew with each passing moment, and the sex was simply hot.

This was definitely a scorcher with one heck of a plot...A Holy Grail of Blazes that I'm so happy to have found. A keeper!

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