Author’s Note: Elusive’s cover has a new look, but the story inside hasn’t changed…a contemporary romance with modern day pirates.I didn’t set out to be a pirate.Life for me was about surviving the ugliness that people knew existed but didn’t talk about.I lived in hell.Then I saw her.I knew I couldn’t keep her, but for just a little while I had found heaven.Eight years later, I can’t get her … heaven.
Eight years later, I can’t get her out of my head.
It is a mistake sailing to her island.
It is a mistake reaching out to her.
She doesn’t recognize me. Or maybe she does.
Closure, it is all I’m after.
Then my past comes back to haunt me.
She’s thrust into my ruthless world. An angel.
A romantic who has a journal that leads to a shipwreck and a lost treasure.
She wants to find the ending to a love story that is over two hundred years in the making.
I want to help her find it.
I didn’t set out to be a pirate.
I didn’t set out to fall in love with an angel.
I did both anyway.
Elusive is the first in a series of standalones. A contemporary, modern day romance. Due to strong language and sexual content, this book is not intended for readers under the age of 18.
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Oh. My. Gosh! I want a pirate of my very own!! One exactly like Kace would be more than sufficient.
Kace was orphaned during his infancy and grew up knowing a life of struggle, poverty and hardship. He eventually found family when he became best friends with Snake at the tender age of 14. Having someone at his side didn’t necessarily make his life any easier. He was still vulnerable, still poor, still finding his meals out of the trash, but at least he was no longer alone. Time and circumstance and the serendipitous meeting of more lost boys created a crew and these men made the best pirates EVER!!
Willow came from an affluent two-parent household but she always came second to their love for hunting ancient artifacts. Her parents were famous treasure hunters (think Indiana Jones) and left her alone for the majority of her upbringing. She had a very loving grandfather, who encouraged her to follow her dreams and her heart, but loneliness was a constant companion, a dark shadow that literally haunted her every step.
Their lives change drastically after a chance encounter while Willow is vacationing in Cancun. Through her, Kace witnessed a new normal, one that he wanted to hold onto with both hands. Their connection was instantaneous and was proven to be stronger than time or distance. Willow was innocence, grace, goodness and mercy. Kace was brooding, dangerous and extremely sexy. They each fit like the missing half of the other’s soul.
With Elusive , the author gave us a story full of intrigue, suspense and adventure. She also gifted us with an epic love that spanned years. One chance meeting cemented a bond between Kace and Willow and lived within their souls forever. Even when they thought they would never see each other again their hearts refused to let go. It’s a story that makes me believe that dreams can come true, that there is always a reason to hope for a love of a lifetime. It’s a story that made the journey seem not only real, but absolutely worthwhile.
L.A. Fiore is a brilliant storyteller. She took a relatively undiscovered concept, at least in the romance world – pirates – and made it all her own. I’m sure other romance authors will one day write their own pirate stories, but I can promise you that they won’t have as profound an effect on me as this trailblazer did.
Wow! What a fantastic book!! Thrilling..right from the start.
L.A Fiore takes us on an adventure. One that is full of romance and suspense. There is even a search for buried treasure. And of course there is a villian who needs to be thwarted. That said, this story isn’t as pretty as that sounded. We still get the LA feel but it’s more, much more. She didn’t give us just a pretty tale of pirates, she gave us PIRATES. Although, its not the yo ho ho kind. Ruthlessness..nothing was sugar coated. We get to see the dark side of these men and how it all came about. I loved it. This wasn’t a dark story but it had some darkness in it. But this is our awesome LA we are talking about, so it’s not too heavy. I’ll say this, she went to certain places with some of characters that we haven’t seen before. It was great and definitely fit. At the same time, it was a light,fun, exhilarating read. I highly recommend it.Amazing!!!
This book was no exception it was amazing and I fell in love with it almost immediately.
I think it is important to say that there are some things in here that may be triggering to somebody and that is abuse both sexually and physically, it is at the start and it’s just for a few chapters that it comes up, but I feel it is important to mention just in case! I think L.A. Fiore’s talent is shown especially when we are first introduced to Kace who doesn’t have a good life, he is homeless and he is put into a situation where he is then sold off with his friend to a paedophile and there is a small part of the chapter where the man goes to try and rape the two boys before Kace kills him. I feel I need to explain that so people are just warned. The way it was written L.A. Fiore handed it really well and I feel it needed to be mentioned how well she did write it.
The way the whole story was written was beautiful I fell in love with the characters and the story. I felt the happiness they felt, the sadness, they betray I felt it all and she really does manage to bring out the feelings and emotions! She is honestly so talented and the stories she creates blows my mind. The novel is a love story in a love story full of adventure!
I loved Willow’s character and the way she looked at life especially when she was with Kace first off, and that she wanted to try and just live her life without being in her parent’s shadow and constantly trying to get their approval. I loved her whole attitude to life and it made her a great character.
Kace and Noah although they are the same person I agree with what Noah said about when Kace died he died and then he needed to become Noah. He was such a complex character, he is a pirate, but his way of life when he was younger affected him and turned him into the person he was. He was willing to leave Willow the first time because he knew what his life would do to her. It’s very interesting their relationship they had a deep and instant connection and it showed within the novel too. I loved how protective he was over her.
I love everything can you tell? I just also want to say I fell in love with Zoe and the rest of Noah’s crew and although they were technically bad, they were so good and it was amazing. Like they took from the rich and bad people so are they all that bad? Either way, I loved the banter they could all have together and how they were willing to adapt to having the girls around them in the crew for a little bit whilst they went on a treasure hunt for something that Willow had an interest in.
The love story within a love story Willow found a journal which Kace then brought for her and she became obsessed with the story inside of Isabella and Alejandro, who died at sea and Isabella never received the gift that he had made for her so they begin to hunt for it. I fell in love with their story too and I liked that it was a side plot to the Noah and Willow love story yet still important to the story.
It was a wonderful beautiful amazing story, and I fell in love with Noah and Willow’s story and I can’t wait for the second book which is going to be a spin off and will be Snake’s story! I want to go into way more detail but I don’t want to spoil it! I will always try to do spoiler free books which means I only choose which select part to comment on just so I don’t ruin anything and don’t give anything away I like going into stories not knowing much.
“Beautiful but deadly.”
Mind. Blown. I really didn’t know what to expect when I started reading Elusive. So I just dove in, ready for anything. But it was EVERYTHING that I got. Everything that it takes to make a bestseller is right here. I only hope the rest of the world realizes that and the author gets the recognition she deserves. I laughed. I cried. I was angry, scared and shocked. I worried. I sighed. I blushed. I giggled. I gasped. I worried. I waited. I hoped. I melted. And then I cried some more. I’m a wrung out mess in the very best way. All of my emotions have been touched. I felt the breeze blowing, the waves crashing, and tasted the salt in the air. It was like I was there.
Since the author chose not to reveal names or details in the synopsis, I am respecting that and not doing so either. I will just let you dive in like I did. You won’t regret it. There are so many layers that make it like unwrapping a present as each is revealed. This one is special and will stay with me for a long time. I’m so very relieved this book is part of the Shipwreck series which means that this is not the last I will see of those oh-so-sexy pirates. I got very attached to them, along with another sassy friend that kept me very entertained. The possibilities are limitless and with the incredible imagination of the author there’s no telling what adventures she has in store for her readers. I see a #TreasureHunt in my future. The line forms here…
Elusive is a heart stopping, adrenaline pumping, heart breaking romantic adventure of epic proportions. There is something magical about this book and how it was written like the classics you will want to read over and over. You get to live vicariously through Noah the modern day pirate and Willow the treasure hunter, you will see the whole thing playing like a movie in your head the words are so well written. Noah is a modern day pirate running from his past and trying to make a future for himself. Willow is a modern day Jacque Cousteau with a little historian mixed in living out her dreams. They don’t have a traditional romance, but you will be hanging on every word. You are transported into the book and go along for the ride. This is so different from L.A. Fiore’s other books, but in a good way. She pushes out of her norm and into a new realm.
***5 ‘Elusive Heaven’ Stars***
I want to go treasure hunting now…I do, really…*sigh* ok maybe NOT in real life, but I definitely want to read more books like this one because there was just so much to love about Elusive. It has not one, but two epic romances, mystery, adventure, life and death situations, hot as sin pirates and head strong characters with amazing hearts. All of these factors, plus the fact that it gave me the feels and got me a little teary eyed, made it a hard book to put down and one I didn’t want to end.
Kace is an enigma, one I adored, but still an enigma. He’s alpha AF, smexy as sin, protective, has a presence about him that you can feel from miles around, ruthless and is way to intelligent for his own good. He believes his heart and soul are black, and based on his past he’s not too far off course, but even in the darkness there is light always trying to break free.
Willow I out right adored. She comes across as soft and empathetic, and she is. She feels everything and even when that feeling is sadness or pain, she finds a way to deal with it and move on. But this doesn’t mean she is weak, her strength comes from feeling so much and makes her driven and determined to attain her dreams.
Even though their journey to their HEA wasn’t smooth sailing, it was perfect for Kace and Willow. Their connection was soul deep and I enjoyed seeing how that connection helped to make both of them evolve into the people they were always meant to be. The sexual tension between them was, for lack of a better word, intense and it was always there no matter what they were doing. The choppy waters they had to maneuver through were frustrating, but necessary and I was very happy with how everything worked out for them in the end.
I have yet to read all of Ms. Fiore’s books, but Elusive may very well be my favorite of the ones I have read. Not only does she give us an epic romance, but she also gives us a timeless secondary romance that held me as in thrall as Kace and Willow’s. The details, the backstory, and how it all unfolded was truly a joy to read. And you all know while I love the main characters, I’m always checking out the secondary characters and I gotta tell you I’m already making grabby hands for the next book (It doesn’t come out until 2018, but I’m starting now). I honestly can’t decide which of Kace’s crew interests me the most because they are all intriguing in their own right, so I’m just gonna claim them all *BSEG* If you’re looking to get swept away by a romance with hot pirates whose morals go a little sideways, feisty woman and a journal that may hold the key to an amazing treasure then this is book for you!
Fav quote (especially because of who said it): “”…but for just a little while you found that elusive heaven people always talk about…””
~ Copy provided by The Next Step PR & voluntarily reviewed ~
This book was fantastic, I thoroughly enjoyed the book and being about a modern day pirates made it even better. I couldn’t ask for a better book to read when I discovered L.A. Fiore, you will love Kace/Noah and Willow along with the rest of the gang, and the treasure hunts. Can not wait for book 2!!
OMG!!! What an AMAZING read by L.A. Fiore!!!
Elusive is a captivating, intriguing and unique story that is filled with romance, love, lies, betrayal and heartbreak. This book will suck you in from the very first page and not let go until the very last word!! I LOVED every word of this story and I look forward to more in this series in 2018!!!
Elusive is the first book in L.A. Fiore’s Shipwreck Series. I honestly believe this is some of her BEST work to date!!! Her mind absolutely amazes me. I can’t even begin to know where a story like this comes from. It was raw and gritty and at times hard to read, but it also was an amazingly beautiful love story that spans over many centuries. I don’t want to say too much about the storyline, because the readers NEED to experience this story for themselves and unravel all the hidden things on their own.
This book is a standalone novel with NO cliffhanger and is told in Dual POV. There was so much to this book, I don’t think I can truly do it justice with my review. The characters were absolutely fabulous and I fell in love with all of them, with the exception of a few, and you will learn why that is as the story unfolds. This story was unlike anything I have ever read!! Totally unique and awe-inspiring. There were so many twists and turns I never got bored and I couldn’t put it down once I started. I thought Willow and Kace were very real and raw and relatable. I loved the look into the world of salvaging and pirating that Ms. Fiore gave us. You can tell this book was well researched. And the writing was phenomenal!!!.
So all I can really say at this point is take some time and pick up this book once it releases, and get swept away in Willow and Kace’s love story. You won’t be sorry!!! One of the best reads of 2017 for me!!!!
5/5 STARS
It was hard to say goodbye. To Willow and Noah. To Alejandro and Isabella.
ELUSIVE is about LOVE. Beyond centuries or beyond darkness. Against odds. It was an epic journey, with a dark and jaded hero, a hopeless romantic heroin, love stories, tragedies, betrayals, cruelty, the human being at its worst, but also at its best, with gestures of kindness and love that touch your soul and make you believe that, maybe, you’re allowed to dream about happiness.
You’ll really have a hard time to close the book and leave those characters behind.
****
ELUSIVE was my second book from L.A. Fiore.
I fell in love with her writing with DEVIL YOU KNOW, so my expectations were very high, and she didn’t disappointed me.
You know that awesome feeling, when you read a book and it’s like diving in a movie?
ELUSIVE did that to me.
Modern pirates, engulfed treasures and secrets, and two beautiful love stories.
Alejandro and Isabella, Willow and Noah.
The author has an incredible talent to write great characters and make us feel all kind of deep emotions. Noah is jaded, he witnessed the worst and it seems he finally embraced it to survive.
Willow is a hopeless romantic and has always felt lonely, with absent parents travelling all around the world, searching for treasures.
This book was a mayhem of emotions: survival, friendship, cruelty, betrayal, but also kindness and real love.
Yes, Noah is dark and cold, but he still has his good heart. It has always been there, hidden and protected. His instant connection with Willow was like they were meant to meet, and share this magic night. Like their hearts were soul mates. Even for a few hours.
And when fatality and years seemed to keep them definitely apart, destiny brings them back together. At least for “diving matters”…
But it seems all those years weren’t enough to forget each other.
Willows knows that Noah isn’t the same anymore, but still, she risks her heart, knowing he will be gone after their mission.
He is a pirate, sometimes she seems to forget it and kind of romanticizes what he does for a living. He has blood in his hands, he is bossy, filthy and so sexy.
I really enjoyed the fact the two love stories plot, the History, all the mystery around Isabella’s boat, I was turning the pages bracing myself for the day Noah had to leave Willow again, ad for good… It was hard sometimes to read what Noah and Snake had to face to stay alive, it was hard to see how fate / bad timing seem to have a good time keeping them apart, and yet, there were moments of pure tenderness, and of course hot passion (really steamy, girls), so many wonderful lines to quote, so many secrets and twists.
I just didn’t want this story to end.
A week after closing the book, I still want to go back there, where Alejandro and Isabelle wanted closure and Noah and Willow hoped what they shared that night, years ago, was meant to be so much more than two souls briefly crossing paths…
I didn’t get the chance to read all the previous books, but after those two, I know I need to read them all.
And of course, being ELUSIVE the first book of the new series, Shipwreck, I just can’t wait to read the next!
L.A. Fiore is a MustRead / AutomaticallyAddHerBooksToMyList Author.
I really hope she’ll get translated soon into French!
“She had become my addiction and like a true addict I was hooked.”
I was kind of skeptical to read a book about pirates, but whoa was I wrong to think that way. I don’t really know how to put into words, but this book was amazing. The writing is top notch and flows so perfectly. The story has everything you could hope for love, suspense, humor, it is just perfect.
I love all the characters and can’t wait to read more in the Shipwreck series.
I have 3 of L.A. Fiore’s book’s on my kindle and I will be reading them in the very near future!