Valentine Vendetta

Nikki Brooks is in protective custody after witnessing crime boss Al Cappaletti murder another man in front of her. A romance author by profession…make that a steamy romance author, she needs to be able to continue writing no matter what else is going on around her, including Cappaletti’s contract out on her. Deciding the safest place to sequester her is the remote Wild Creek Lodge, District Attorney Ralph Dawson arranges for around the clock police protection.

That would be all well and good except, D.A. Dawson has assigned Detective Marc Trapani to the case. The problem with Detective Trapani is that he is also Nikki’s childhood nemesis. Unable to provide other coverage on short notice Dawson escorts Nikki to Wild Creek while Marc finds his own way there. Due to a recent storm the lodge is closed to the public, but there is one room that is available for Nikki and Marc—the Bridal Suite. Adding to the tension that already exists between the two who have not seen each other in twenty years, it is Valentine’s Day.

As if the threat on her life were not enough, between being reunited with Marc on Valentine’s Day in a romantic suite with the power out is just about more than Nikki can take. Oh, and add to that…Marc has grown up to be an incredibly sexy, gorgeous, hunk of a guy who definitely makes Nikki’s heart go pit-a-pat.

Ms. Atkins gives readers a Valentine’s treat that can be enjoyed throughout the entire year. This talented author’s personality comes through with the quick wit exhibited in the characters’ dialog. Not that Nikki’s situation is funny, not by a long shot, but the bouncy, spirited personality that must truly be a part of Ms. Atkins comes through. It speaks to all of us who had a miserable time in high school and can now look back to see how life did get better once we were out of that shadow.

Coming from a police background, this reviewer did have a bit of a problem with some of the liberties taken in the story such as an injured officer being assigned a protective detail, having only one officer on that detail and the officer contemplating sharing a glass of champagne while on the job. It was a bit difficult to get past the real life realities, however, Ms. Atkins weaves such a fun story it was easy to set aside the facts and enjoy the story.

Those issues aside, the characters are well developed, the scenery easy to picture—almost transporting the reader into that bridal suite! The idea of running into your worst childhood nightmare and having the chance to have a “do over” is fun to contemplate. What a fun story.

This reviewer is not a fan of short stories or novellas because they seem so “cut to the chase”. Usually seems to be little character development and story lines that seem to end abruptly leaving a feeling of incompleteness. Here again, Ms. Atkins’ story telling compensates for these limitations, leaving the reader with the feeling of a full tale. This reviewer would love to see VALENTINE VENDETTA told as a full-length novel simply because the characters are so well developed. The story line is intriguing and could be developed into a heavy-duty romantic suspense, the kind of which would keep the reader wrapped up in the story for several nights of reading instead of sleeping because it is just too good to put down. Ms. Atkins leaves her readers wanting to read more and read more now.

January 2007