Title: Flirting with Disaster by Victoria Dahl
Jackson: Girls’ Night Out Series Book Two
Publisher: HQN Books
Genre: Contemporary, Romance
Length: 384 pages
Book Rating: B+
Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through NetGalley
Summary:
There’s no hiding from sizzling chemistry…
Artist Isabelle West has good reasons for preferring a solitary life. Tucked away in a cabin in the woods, she has everything she needs…except a red-hot love life. That is, until a hard-bodied US marshal threatens to unearth secrets she’s spent years protecting. But giving in to the sparks flying between them can only lead to one thing…disaster.
Tom Duncan lives by the letter of the law. But no one has tempted him—or confused him—more than free-spirited Isabelle, who arouses his suspicion and his desire. As their connection grows, and their nights get hotter, they find their wild attraction might shake everything he stands for—and expose everything she has to hide.
Bonus Girls’ Night Out novella, Fanning the Flames, included!
The Review:
Flirting with Disaster is another highly entertaining and steamy romance in Victoria Dahl’s fabulous Jackson: Girls’ Night Out series. There is also a hint of suspense in this installment which helps keep this dynamite series fresh and provides yet another layer to the very appealing main characters.
Isabelle West has a quiet but happy life on the outskirts of Jackson Hole, WY. She is good friends with her nearest neighbor, Jill and she shares a close friendship with Lauren Foster and Sophie Heyer, two of the local librarians. She is a bit of a free spirit with a successful and lucrative career as an artist. In her mid thirties, she is sexually confident and unashamed about fulfilling her desires. But Isabelle is hiding a huge secret which makes it impossible for her to have a long term relationship. Which is not really a problem until Deputy US Marshal Tom Duncan arrives on the scene. At first scared to death her past has caught up with her, Isabelle cannot deny her attraction to the handsome lawman, but can she trust that he won’t uncover her secret?
Tom is a very refreshing male lead-he is sexy but he is not the typical alpha male who is in complete control of the heroine and their relationship. Instead, he is just an all around nice man who is easy to embarrass (which is a very endearing trait) and an impossible to resist need to meddle in the lives of the people he cares about. With nearly twenty years of law enforcement behind him, Tom has good instincts and Isabelle’s reaction to him puts him on high alert. He knows she is hiding something and since he cannot resist helping someone in need, Tom keeps digging into her background until he discovers what that something is.
Isabelle and Tom know their budding relationship has an expiration date since he will be leaving once his current case wraps up. At first, both of them are ok with this since neither is really in a position for anything long term. By the time Tom unwittingly brings Isabelle’s past smack dab into her present, their feelings for one another go deeper than desire. But things go horribly wrong in a hurry and Isabelle discovers that her trust issue run deep and she is fearful of another rejection by another important person in her life.
Flirting with Disaster is a wonderful addition to the Jackson: Girls’ Night Out series. The characters are immensely appealing with flaws and imperfections that are realistic. The plot is unique and quite compelling. The characters from earlier books make brief guest appearances and these scenes are absolutely hilarious and beautifully demonstrate the close friendship shared by the women. The sex is, as always, sizzling hot, but it is the camaraderie and friendship that Isabelle and Tom share outside of the bedroom that makes Flirting with Disaster such a delightful read. It is another outstanding romance by Victoria Dahl that I absolutely adored and highly recommend.
