Series: Tall, Dark, and Dangerous #1
Author: M Leighton
Released: August 2015, Berkley NAL
Format: EGalley
Pages: 304 per Goodreads
Is she strong enough to trust the most dangerous man she’s ever met? And is he strong enough to let her?
How would I describe myself? Well, I’m Muse Harper. I’m a twenty-something painter who loves red wine, quirky movies, and men with a fatal flaw. But that was before I met Jasper King. He became my fatal flaw. Eight months ago, I had a choice to make—abandon everything I’ve ever known to protect my family, or stay and risk someone getting hurt. I chose the former. My plan was working just fine until I found out my father had gone missing.
That’s when I met Jasper. A bounty hunter with the eyes of a tiger and the nose of a bloodhound, he was supposed to help me find my father. What I didn’t know was that meeting him was no accident. Hunting people isn’t all that Jasper does. And helping me was only part of his plan. I just wish I’d found out sooner, before my heart got involved. But even then, I don’t know if I’d have done things differently.
Now, I have another choice to make—trust the man that I’m falling in love with and hope that he’ll do the right thing, or run as far away from him as I can get.
Any time I start a new series, I have a bit of fear. A panic rush. What if it isn't great? Well, with M Leighton, that has never been a problem. Leighton continues her fantastic writing with Strong Enough, starting off the Tall, Dark, and Dangerous series. I was instantly enveloped in the story, and her writing is, once again, spot on.
Muse is our heroine. She's smart, yet it seems there is a naive side to her. Like she has subconsciously blocked out things. Why do I think this? Well, her dad sent her across the country for "his" safety. She arrives in San Diego to a job, a friend, and apartment, and a burner phone. Wouldn't that warrant a slew of questions? Yet there are none. Muse goes about her life, thinking she is making a great sacrifice for the safety of her dad. Noble, yet naive. Yet in other situations, she shows great intelligence. I just think she has a block when it comes to her dad, and her brain lets some things slide because her love for him overrides reasons and questions.
Jasper. OMG. The prologue to this book had me in tears. I seriously wondered what the hell I was getting into, and if I could handle what was coming my way. Every time Jasper puts his wall up, I think back to the prologue and just bleed for that little boy. But in the hear and now, he is sex walking. He's badass walking. You know not to mess with him. And Muse has just hired him to be her private detective and track down her missing father.
This book could have been called "The Great Big Book Of Secrets". Seems that Muse is completely in the dark about everything. It could have also been called "Holy Shit Every Scene With Jasper and Muse Is Searing Hot!" because seriously, these two are on fire. That's one thing I've learned about M Leighton, she can write a sexually charged scene so well that you find yourself stripping your clothes off while you're reading. This book is exciting on so many levels, it is a definite read. I've also read the second book, Tough Enough, and I can tell you that trend continues.
And hey - Bad Boys fans - Cash and Olivia make a cameo appearance!!!! Holy excitement, Batman!!!
I lick the blood from her lip as the last of my control slips through my fingers. "I will destroy you, too," I confess, guilt and desire and reluctance fueling me.
As if to prove my point, my sick twisted point, I crush my mouth to hers, grinding out lips together, forcing her to open for me. When I taste the inside of her mouth, the submission there, my blood ignites. Suddenly, I can't get enough of her, of her unconditional acceptance of the black beast that lives deep within me.
New York Times and USA Today bestselling author M. Leighton is a native of Ohio. She relocated to the warmer climates of the South, where she can be near the water all summer and miss the snow all winter. Possessed of an overactive imagination from early in her childhood, Michelle finally found an acceptable outlet for her fantastical visions: literary fiction. Having written over a dozen novels, these days Michelle enjoys letting her mind wander to more romantic settings with sexy Southern guys, much like the one she married and the ones you’ll find in her latest books. When her thoughts aren’t roaming in that direction, she’ll be riding horses, swimming in ponds and experiencing life on a ranch, all without leaving the cozy comfort of her office.
Strong Enough on Goodreads
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