Taken

Barbara Freethy

Book 1 of Deception Series

Language: English

Publisher: Signet

Published: Jun 6, 2006

Description:

From #1 New York Times Bestselling Author Barbara Freethy comes a compelling tale of romance and suspense. TAKEN is Book #1 in the Deception Duo. Book #2 is PLAYED.

Kayla Sheridan had longed for love, marriage and a family. Now, after a miraculous whirlwind courtship with the man of her dreams, she is his wife. But on their wedding night, he vanishes, leaving Kayla with the bitter realization that her desire has made her an easy mark for deception.

Nick Granville has an ingrained sense of honor and an intense desire to succeed in building the world's most challenging high-tech bridges. But when he crosses paths with a ruthless con man, he's robbed of everything he values, including his identity. With nothing left to lose, he'll risk any danger to clear his name and reclaim his life.

Thrown together by fate, Kayla and Nick embark on a desperate journey toward the truth -- to uncover the mysterious motives of an ingenious and seductive stranger who boasts he can't be caught ... and to reveal the shocking secrets of their own shattered pasts.

Reviews

"Another crowd pleasing page turner in the first of a tricky romantic suspense series...." Publishers' Weekly

"Terrific and twisty intrigue makes this novel choice reading. Freethy drags her characters through vast emotions, barely giving them time to react, all the while dangling clues. An amazingly gripping, fascinating mystery!" Romantic Times Magazine

"From the rocky isolation of Alcatraz to the haunts of California's historic North Beach, this intricately plotted story has more twists and turns than Lombard Street as it takes its characters on a dangerous adventure with roots in a deadly past. Romance sizzles between the wary protagonists in this riveting page-turner ..." Library Journal

From Publishers Weekly

Bestselling novelist Barbara Freethy (Don't Say a Word) has another crowd-pleasing page-turner in the first of a tricky romantic suspense series. After a whirlwind courtship, San Francisco artist Kayla is about to fulfill her dream of marrying Mr. Right and starting a family—but on the wedding night, her dream man abandons her. Meanwhile, engineer Nick Granville returns home to San Francisco after a few months working in Africa to find his house lived in and his bank accounts plundered. Turns out these two strangers were duped by the same man: handsome, blond, smooth-talking Evan Chadwick. Unable to get the attention of the SFPD, the two marks take it upon themselves to track down Evan and get back what's theirs. As the clues accumulate, so do the smoldering glances between broad-shouldered Nick and curvy Kayla, but Freethy's sex scenes have a reportorial feel that may leave readers cold. Evan's cat and mouse game, however, should hook suspense fans and carry them into the next volume—as Evan says, "the game will be over when I say it's over," and this is just his first play. (June)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Review

Sheer hold-your-breath suspense -- Karen Robards

fabulous page-turning combination of romance and intrigue. -- Kristin Hannah