Blog Tour Fun: A Perfect Storm by Lori Foster

I've got a whole package of fun for you romance lovers today! I have really enjoyed Lori Foster's Men Who Walk the Edge of Honor series and the final installment is my favorite of them all. Check out my review, an excerpt, and a guest post from Lori Foster, and then enter to win your own copy of A Perfect Storm!

From the Back Cover:

He never saw her coming…

Spencer Lark already knows too many secrets about Arizona Storm, including the nightmare she survived and her resulting trust issues. But in order to expose a smuggling ring—and continue avenging his own tragic past—the bounty hunter reluctantly agrees to make Arizona a decoy. Yet nothing has equipped him for her hypnotic blend of fragility and bravery, or for the protective instincts she stirs in him.

Arizona wants to reclaim her life, which means acting as bait to lure the enemy into a trap. Sure it's dangerous, especially with a partner as distractingly appealing as Spencer. But as their plan—and their chemistry—shifts into high gear, Arizona may discover there's an even greater risk in surrendering her heart to a hero…


My Review:

Hands down Arizona is my favorite heroine from this series. She's very interesting, and though she may seem rather contradictory, she's very believable. A refreshing, alluring, empathetic combination of toughness and vulnerability, innocence and world weariness, a sense of humor, and a heartbreaking lack of self-esteem. She's been a victim of human trafficking and though her experiences left her damaged and downtrodden, she's determined to never be a victim again and she wants to make sure other women never have to go through what she's been through. She's also only twenty-one years old and has it bad for an older man, the sexy and serious (or is it seriously sexy?) Spencer Lark. Ever since Spencer and Arizona honed in on the same human trafficking ring, the thirty-two-year-old bounty hunter hasn't been able to get her out of his mind. But he is convinced he's too old for her, and he's still mourning the death of his wife three years earlier.

As Spencer and Arizona work together to bring down the scumbags kidnapping young women and forcing them into prostitution (with the help of Dare, Trace, and Jackson from the previous books), they can no longer deny their attraction to each other. Arizona knows Spencer is the man for her, despite his protests about their age difference. He makes her feel safe, he makes her want to confide in him, he makes her think of a future. And the more time Spencer spends with Arizona, the more he desperately wants to be the man who shows her her self-worth, who helps her put her horrific past behind her to embrace all that life has to offer. But can he handle Arizona's trust issues and her need for dangerous action and adrenaline? And can Arizona learn how to put down roots and accept the compromises that come with a committed relationship? That's if they get the chance to figure it out, because as the gang narrows in on their target, a new threat surfaces for Arizona.

I thought we were heading to predictability-ville at the end, but Arizona pleasantly surprised me, and I loved that this story wasn't just about Arizona getting her man, but also about her getting professional validation, too. And the ending was so sweetly poignant, I cried. I found myself tearing up a few other times throughout the story, as Arizona began to realize her value and rise above her doubts and insecurities. I don't read much contemporary romance--I'm really a historical and paranormal girl, but I have enjoyed this series, and I have discovered that Lori Foster is an author who can be counted on to consistently churn out good romance. And she writes smokin' hot sex! So if you're a fan of alpha heroes who spend their days bustin' up bad guys and their nights lovin' on their women, you'll like this series, and I think you'll agree with me that the final book ends it all perfectly.

My Rating:  4.5 Stars out of 5

Scavenger Hunt Excerpt:

Sitting on the side of the bed, he snagged up his boxers and stepped into them. As he stood, he pulled them up.

They fit like a glove.

He still had a tent going.

And she still stared.

He picked up the gun and, betraying some trust issues, checked to make sure she hadn’t unloaded it. Discovering she hadn’t touched it at all, he nodded in satisfaction.

As he passed her, he chucked her under the chin. “It’s called morning wood, little girl. No reason for alarm.” Gun in hand, he went on past her into the bathroom. The door closed quietly behind him.

Belatedly, Arizona shut her mouth.

Read the next passage here: http://kariannalysis.com/

Guest Post:

Using personal stories in writing a romance: do or don’t?

I use personal situations, feelings, things I’ve noticed or talked about. Anything that’s actually me? No. Not ever.

For instance, I was shopping once with my husband and he nudged me. I looked at where he nodded, and there was this young guy, maybe 20 or so, looking at a girl in a prom-type dress. I swear I saw his Adam’s apple bob. He had this look about him that was both hilarious and endearing. I’ve used that particular look many times in my books. It truly said it all – how much he liked her, and how much he wanted her. She did look fantastic, I have to say. But not that much more so than many other 20-something year old girls. LOL. He was fully infatuated, and it was fun to see.

My kids (3 grown sons) have cracked jokes that I’ve used in books. They’ve made male-inspired comments about things that epitomize the masculine mindset. They often give me a good starting point for male POV scenes.

Almost anyone who has read me knows I don’t like alcohol, and I do like coffee. J Those personal things show up often in my books. Anti-alcohol because we had many alcoholics in our family. Back 30+ years ago when hubby and I married, we made a very conscious decision to have all the family parties at our house, and to make them all alcohol-free. I didn’t want to raise my kids with the same problems I had. It’s worked great for us.

Just the other day, my sister sent me a text saying, “Nothing tastes better than that first drink of coffee.” I wrote her back and said, “I’ve used that exact line in a book many times.” She replied, “If I wrote books, I’d use it too.” J

So yes, insignificant things from my life pop up in the books. Things I know, feelings I’ve experienced, scenes I’ve witnessed... they’re there, but with a fictional slant to them.

As a 53 year old, long-married mom of 3, trust me, no one wants to read anything that’s actually about *me.* It’d bore readers to tears. LOL.

Thanks Lori!

And now for the Giveaway!

Simply leave a comment with your email address and you're entered to win. This giveaway is open to U.S. and Canada residents and closes at 11:59pm Tuesday, April 17. Winner will be selected at random.







This giveaway is closed and the winner has been selected.
Stay tuned for more great giveaways!