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| ALLURE by Nina Lane (Spiral of Bliss #2) May 13, 2013 Snow Queen Publishing 392 pages Source: eARC for honest review Genre: Genre: Contemporary Romance with a very sexy married couple. |
“We both want this so badly. I can feel it resonating between us like the hot pull of our first attraction, tangible and intense.”My Review:
After lies and betrayal almost destroy their marriage, Dean and Olivia West reignite their blissful passion. The medieval history professor and his lovely wife are determined to fix their mistakes, and Liv’s unexpected pregnancy intensifies their desire to fall madly in love all over again.
Then a family crisis forces Dean back into a feud with his parents and siblings, dredging up guilt over a painful family secret. Dean fights to shield Liv from the hostility, but for the first time, Liv resists her white knight’s defense. Her newfound resolve clashes with Dean’s desperate need to protect her.
Liv and Dean have battled obstacles together before, but bitter family conflicts now endanger their fragile intimacy. And when Dean’s career is suddenly threatened, he and Liv must struggle with events that could damage them in ways they had never imagined.
If you have not read AROUSE yet, this review may contain spoilers from the first book, so I suggest grabbing a copy of AROUSE first. ALLURE picks up right where AROUSE left off. Dean and Liv's problems from AROUSE are nowhere near solved yet, but they are moving forward, and I was thrilled they were ready to start working through things. Unfortunately for them, the pregnancy is only a small part of the trials they must face.
I loved ALLURE much more than the first book, AROUSE. For some reason I was able to connect on a much deeper level with Dean and Liv this time around. I still felt the same frustrations with them, but my hang-ups with the previous novel were put to sleep. Plus, Nina Lane has a beautiful way of weaving her sentences together. And her streaming between past and present flowed so well. I loved the flashes to past and present. And I loved the alternating between Olivia and Dean's POVs. The way the author revealed certain things felt very natural and unforced, and I love that we keep getting new tid-bits from Dean and Liv's pasts, though the people they deal with in the present are far from enjoyable (hence their trials).
I felt thoroughly engulfed in Dean and Liv's lives, and vested in their future. Being married for 16 years myself, I can fully appreciate the ups and downs of marriage, and I truly appreciate the way Nina Lane dives right into the joys and struggles of young marriage. I have no idea how the entire series will end, but I will say up front I'll be devastated if they don't make it as a couple. I am a strong believer in fighting for your marriage, so I feel completely invested in Dean and Liv, and am rooting for them all the way. (Ah, feels good to get that off my chest.)
During one flashback, Liv makes an observation that I thought was so key to whatever problems Dean and Liv faced, past or present. And getting past this is such a powerful part to releasing the full potential of their relationship and future. I think this also speaks volumes for many people and couples, and is a great insight by the author into relationships, and the harm that can be done internally by couples. Even though the chemistry and heat between Dean and Liv is undeniable, sexual attraction is not enough to hold a relationship together.
"As powerful as our attraction was, it was becoming fraught with a strange undercurrent of secrecy and evasiveness."
The way Nina Lane delves into the past and present of Dean and Liv's relationship, how they handle the internal and external obstacles to their paths, also holds so true to many people. I think that is part of the power of this series. And despite what Dean and Liv should have learned from the mistakes made in AROUSE, here they are making the same mistakes again. Not fully giving of themselves. They think that they are, but they are not. And not only are they dealing with marital issues, but personal issues as well, which then bleed into their marriage. These struggles are true and relatable for so many people. I found myself loving Dean and Liv and the beautiful things they would say to each other and the lovely way they would describe the other. They have an amazing chemistry and connection, and truly feel like they were made for each other. Then I would feel frustrated that they were being so blind to the problems they were causing, rather than solving. But I will say that I really appreciate where Nina Lane left Liv and Dean at the end of the novel. Not that things were completely solved, but there is great hope for the future and their personal and mutual journey, but also much work to be done.
The series is called Spiral of Bliss, and it makes me wonder if this is supposed to describe the up and down spiral to Dean and Liv's relationship. One moment they are spinning into mutual love and adoration, and the next moment they are spinning down a path of mistrust and misguidance. Well, I am caught up in their spiral and I will definitely be eager for the next book, AWAKEN!
5 STARS
Giveaway:
Book Links:
About the Author:
Nina Lane is a multi-published author of elegant, romantic and often raunchy erotica.
Her recent release AROUSE is the first book in the Spiral of Bliss series, and her novel
THE EROTIC DARK is a #1 Amazon erotica bestseller.
Nina used to write novels under the name Natasha Rostova and has published stories
in anthologies such as “Best Women’s Erotica” and “Erotic Travel Tales.” Her work has
been translated into both German and Japanese. In addition to writing, she's an avid
reader who loves popcorn and has recently joined a workout boot-camp that is kicking
her rear end.
Connect with Nina Lane:
FACEBOOK | WEBSITE| GOODREADS| TWITTER
Wow, Jenny, thank you so very much for such a wonderful, thoughtful review of Allure and for participating in the LLL blog tour. I am so happy you connected with Liv and Dean and saw the "reasons" behind why they do what they do. I also love your assessment of "Spiral" - so awesome. Thanks again so much, Jenny - I greatly appreciate the support and praise. ♥♥♥
ReplyDeleteThanks Nina! It was a pleasure to read your book and I truly look forward to Awaken and the rest of Dean and Liv's story. You are a terrific writer :)
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