Fatal Embrace by Aris Whittler
Romantic Suspense
March 26, 2011
Self Published

Reviewed by Tori

Michael Craven is a retired homicide detective who trades investigating for ranching. When he meets his new trainer, nobody is more surprised than him when he finds out Jess Stanton is a woman. After a less than auspicious start, Michael agrees to give her a chance. Michael is dragged back into police work when his town falls victim to a serial killer. To make matters worse, Jess unwillingly becomes his only witness to the killer. As Michael tries to fight his feelings for Jess, he finds himself protecting more then his heart, he’ll have to protect her life.

Michael traded in his badge for his ranch when his fiancé was murdered. Unable to handle not being able to catch her killer, he went into hiding. His manager hires Jess Stanton by word of mouth thinking she is a man. When he meets her for the first time, he is quite antagonistic towards her when he discovers she’s a woman. She champions her cause and he agrees to let her stay in order to gage her skill. Once he sees her in action, he knows she is the right person for the job. As he and Jess spend more time together, she re awakens feelings in him he doesn’t want to face. He and Jess are complete opposites. He is as closed off as she is open. While she pokes and prods, trying to get him to open up, he strikes back trying to drive her away.

When he receives a threat against her life, Michael realizes that she has come to mean more to him then he planned on.

While I found the premise for Ms. Whittler’s debut Fatal Embrace to sound like an engaging romantic suspense, I’m afraid the actual story did not present itself to me in that manner. The opening scene is cute as Michael and Jessica’s first meeting strikes a playful tone, from there on though I found the writing to be overwhelmed with underdeveloped storylines, random stray thoughts, soap opera style dialogue, and two protagonists that just didn’t seem to be a good match together.

Jessica is a young uninhibited woman. She loves life and is confounded when everyone doesn’t share in her joy. Intelligent and feisty, I enjoyed her exuberance though there were times when I felt she crossed boundaries. It’s one thing to be carefree; it’s another thing to encroach on people’s right to privacy. Sometimes she was very mature and others she falls back into a childish mentality. Michael is stiff and unbending one minute, then loving and approachable the next. Because this is written in the third person, we are never really sure what they feel in regards to one another. Their POVs are few and far between. It really felt to me like Michael and Jessica get together just because she’s there. In the beginning, I never got the feeling it was a boss, employee relationship. She flirts and he broods.

The mystery was a bit more interesting as we get a more in depth view of the killer and the investigation. It was gratifying to “hear” Michael’s POV in regards to it as he talks his way through the crime and the killer’s mind. I found Jessica’s attitude towards the killer to be confusing. She knows she’s in danger but has no problem ignoring sound advice. The villain revealed himself early on to me and I felt the ending was anti climatic.

While it was an ok story, the presentation was surreal and I never felt a connection to it.

Overall Rating: D

Recent Reviews:
Book Lovers Inc – 2/5
StoryWings – 2/5
Sizzling Hot Books – 4/5
Once Upon a Chapter – 4/5
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