FROM POPULAR ROMANCE AUTHOR BONNIE MCCUNEA newly edited version!A feisty single mom clashes with an ex-military corporate star at a retreat in the wild Colorado mountains. But when a raging flood threatens their survival, they learn the true meaning of partnership.Years ago, Ramona ‘Raye’ Soto faced harsh reality when a roving con man knocked her up. Now, at thirty-something, she’s concentrating … Now, at thirty-something, she’s concentrating on her career in a major telecommunications firm and funding college for her teenaged son. Enter Desmond Emmett—a fast talker and smooth operator. New to the office, the ex-serviceman possesses every negative quality that Raye should avoid in a guy.
Thrown together at a corporate retreat in the wilderness, the reluctant duo struggles to complete management’s extreme mental and physical tests for a huge reward. But only one can win the prize, and Des needs the money to underwrite medical treatments for his adored younger sister.
See-sawing between attraction and antagonism, the mismatched couple face their biggest challenge—learning the meaning of true partnership. When a massive flash flood sweeps down the rocky canyon and threatens their very survival, they must put aside their differences to rescue their colleagues—and their future as a couple.
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I have read Bonnie’s previous two novels and find that she does not have a cookie cutter approach to her writing. So many times in reading an author’s various works, we can tell that the plot is boiler plate and the characters just have new names. In Italian, we say “Cambia il maestro, ma la musica è sempre la stessa.” In other words, the characters change but it is always the same old story.
Especially in Never Retreat, Bonnie’s approach to story-telling has evolved and matured. There are such wonderful details and descriptions of the surroundings that they become part of the story even before the weather becomes a major character.
I enjoy Bonnie’s novels because the romantic partners in her novels begin as friends and their relationship grows organically. Never Retreat is a breath of fresh air in this world of steamy romance without a true relationship. It is fun to learn about the characters as they learn about each other. A must read for anyone who is looking for plot and character development.
The title, Never Retreat, gives the reader a few clues about the elements that comprise the plot and themes of this page-turner. Two employees of a large corporation meet shortly before a company retreat. They size each other up and get each other totally wrong. Both Raye and Des are battered by life and hypervigilant in their approach to the world. They have their reasons, but they’ve both become rigid in their biases, especially about the opposite sex, and their default pose is combative when they think they’re facing an adversary. They have much more in common than either suspects, as the plot gradually reveals. The retreat is themed around a contest with a hefty monetary bonus for the winner. The external contest quickly becomes a personal contest between Raye and Des, both of whom have good reasons for needing to win the bonus. When the elements turn the contest more serious, Raye and Des must assume leadership. Both step up, and circumstances reveal their best qualities. As the two learn more about each other, they also learn more about themselves. As we watch this process, we get attached to them as they become attached to each other. This is a touching and often funny story about love and loyalty.
Chemistry between Raye and Des made this a story worth reading. I loved Raye’s desire to better her life and her son’s, giving up her personal life for the most part. Des had reached that time in his life that he should settle down, and the attraction to Raye was surprising but welcome. There were moments of sighing and tearing up as they dealt with their pasts. I recommend this story.
I received a copy of this story through Enticing Journey Book Promotions, and this is my unsolicited review.
Single mom Raye, and ex military Des, find themselves partners at a corporate mountain retreat. This is a well written story which is fast paced, and with unique and relatable characters, which all had me totally enthralled throughout this addictive page turner, and hats off to this talented author for her attention to detail and beautifully descriptive wording. I highly recommend for all.
An Hispanic single mother, an ex-military newly-hired head of security, a corporate retreat in the Rocky Mountains and a flash flood—ingredients that combine to make a fast moving, satisfying story I couldn’t put down.
Both of the main characters, Raye and Des, have good reason to be suspicious of the opposite sex, and when a competition for a monetary prize, which both have desperate need for (Raye, to send her teenaged son to college and Des to fund medical treatment for his sister) is thrown into the mix at the Pursuit Telecom retreat, it would seem the two are never going to get together. However, when forced to work as a team, they begin to appreciate one another’s positive qualities and are inevitably drawn to one another. And when an expected life and death test—battling to get the entire group of co-workers to safety during a flash flood—is thrust upon them, they find that together they can handle anything.
Added to the mix are perceptive views on the value of friendship, family relationships and handling workplace discrimination, which give the book authenticity and depth.
Never Retreat is author Bonnie McCune’s latest novel and I find she just keeps getting better.