This time out, I have Jami Alden's third book in her 'Gemini Men' series, Unleashed (Brava). In this one, Danny Taggart is about to meet his past and future, all rolled up in the person of Caroline Medford. Caroline burned him once, long ago, and is the reason Danny doesn't do relationships now. He's really a love 'em and leave 'em kind of guy, but he can't seem to leave Caroline, especially when she's in danger. That protective instinct kicks in, even though he knows he needs to protect his own heart from her, and Danny can't leave things alone. And it turns out his investigation will dig into both of their pasts, something that shouldn't bring them any closer, but with the chemistry that still simmers between them, they can't resist. That doesn't mean either of them intends to let their relationship get serious again; neither is willing to risk the broken heart a second time around, and Caroline is keeping a secret that will only reinforce Danny's feelings of betrayal from all those years ago. But with someone after Caroline, even their painful past isn't enough for Danny to walk away this time. This one didn't grab me at the beginning, unfortunately. I've really liked some of Ms. Alden's work, and then felt completely the opposite way about other of her books. This one falls somewhere in the middle for me. Danny is a guy with some major issues that he'll have to overcome before he can be in a serious relationship again, a wounded hero. Caroline has her own issues, including the secret she's kept from him all these years, but there's never really a doubt that they'll find a way to fix things between them. Parts of this one were terrific, and others just didn't work for me. I wouldn't call this one a keeper, but I can't imagine any woman turning down one of the Taggart men. And if you shop by book covers, ignore the teenage boy on the cover who couldn't possibly be the eldest Taggart brother. While I didn't love this one, it is nice to round out the trilogy with the sexy oldest brother. This one's earned three of Cupid's five arrows.
Until next time, happy reading!
