From New York Times best-selling author Cristin Harber and Anna Bishop Barker comes an exciting collaboration… aggression and tenderness. He isn’t looking to be anyone’s hero, even if he does appreciate the trusty steed and the mighty sword stories.
But there is a monster from the past. A monster who simply takes. And this time it intends to take everything.
In every good fairy tale there are dragons and monsters. The dragon in this tale may be their fiery attraction but the monster won’t remain in the past where it belongs. When the monster resurfaces, this damsel and her knight must brave the currents and fight to keep from going under.
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I can’t say enough good things about this book. Anna has captured the excitement, heat and intrigue of the Titan books and brought it to her characters, Max and Becca.
The Titan Series has die hard fans that demand a certain edge and adventure to their romance novels and Anna delivers on every level. This novel not only rings true to the Titan World for her characters, but also for Cristin Harber’s Titan Group characters, which Anna weaves into her story seamlessly.
Do yourself a favor and just one click.
Trust me.
You will see. 🙂
If I didn’t know any better, I would never have guessed that this was a debut novel. The story and writing were that good. I loved all the action and suspense. The villain was an 11 on the creepy scale. There were plot twists that I did not see coming, and ones that were sad but necessary to the story. I couldn’t put this book down it was that good.
I loved the characters too. Max and Rebecca were awesome together. I adored that the Titan characters were written as well as Cristin Harber does. The whole book was just amazing.
4.5+ stars
Rebecca Shaughnessy is an in-control, professional, and serious research scientist. She comes off as cold, unfriendly, and guarded. She lacks much of a social life and only her longtime best friend, Mia Winters, gets to see her unreserved side.
Max Lawrence is the new psychologist in her department and sparks surprising reactions in her…attraction, interest, anger, and frustration. Their banter is antagonistic, flirty, and full of sexual tension. He knows how to push her buttons to drive her crazy. And she has the ability to do the same to him. But the more glimpses of what she is hiding under her Ice Princess exterior continues to draw him in. He tries to peel back her layers to uncover the the funny, passionate, warm woman he can tell she is hiding.
But there are reasons why she has been guarded and wary. Her past marked her, and now seems to be affecting her present. Max has been trying to chip away at her walls and now she has no choice but to lay her secrets bare and hope that he will help keep her safe.
I was sucked into this funny, suspenseful, and romantic read. It builds at a believable pace and is full of tension. The characters were well developed and their dynamics evolved throughout. The external factors added drama, even more tension, and suspense. It was told in multiple points of view letting us get the full story from various people.
I got a bit giddy when some Titan friends made appearances and she even gave us a little peek into the future. This novella fit right into the Titan World, but can be read as a stand-alone. I am impressed that this is Anna Bishop Barker’s debut. It felt like a fully developed story and not a short novella. It pulled me in and kept me flipping pages. I did not want to put it down. I loved her subtle use of water terminology throughout tying in a theme and the title beautifully. The story was layered with a gradual build up of finding out the secrets, the growing connection and feelings of the characters, the unraveling of the plot, and tying it in with the Titan world.
But I mostly adored the characters. Max was the perfect mix of deliciously hot alpha male with charisma, humor, and heart. He could be both a dirty talker and a such sweet talker. He was cocky, confidant, and persistent, but not an a**hole. He was protective, bossy, and determined to take care of his own. He just had that “it”factor and made me smile, laugh, shiver, and swoon. I absolutely fell for him.
And Rebecca had dealt with some harsh events and realities that led to a life without a lot of affection and support. She was a survivor,..strong, resilient, intelligent, independent, and caring. She put on a cold facade, but was really just guarding her vulnerable heart. She didn’t want her past to take control of her so tried to ignore it, until she couldn’t. She just needed to feel safe to share. But she was not a victim who wanted to be taken care of. She was strong-willed, smart, sarcastic, and independent-minded. And together they were intense, passionate, and challenged each other making them a perfect match. I loved their dynamics, chemistry, and banter. The pop culture references were fun.
Their story was intriguing, enthralling, and full of tension, suspense, and danger. There were some difficult and emotional situations, but there were also humorous, passionate, and swoon worthy moments. I was completely invested in them and the outcome. I really enjoyed this one, and am looking forward to more from this author.
This was my first novel by this author, and boy did she hit it out of the park. For her first published novel she sure knows how to come in with a bang.
It thrilled me that this book was part of the Titan world I love so much.
Can’t wait to read more from Anna
Ms. Anna you came out the gate with a winner. I loved it and can not wait to see what happens in Titan World. The scene in the elevator was HOT!! Good Lord did that ever make you want to see what was going to happen. Rebecca’s character was strong, smart and sexy. She showed us we can survive when bad things happen. Max was pretty much what every woman is looking for, smart, funny, and sexy badass hot. If there is a list, please sign me up. You put so much into this story and it shows. WELL DONE !!!! You have a wicket imagination and I can’t wait to read your future works.
This is an out of the box hit. Great book for Titan World. I loved every minute of it.