Lauren Dare is a woman with a past, and keeping a dark
secret that endangers her very life. A very dangerous man
wants her dead, and has already tried twice to have her
killed. After two years on the run, she has settled in
Portland, Oregon as an artist. As MIDNIGHT VENGEANCE
begins, Lauren's paintings are being shown at a show
featuring the interior designs of her very good friend
Suzanne Huntington. Suzanne's husband John is providing
security for his wife's show, along with a team from his
company, Alpha Security International. One of his crew,
Morton 'Jacko' Jackman, has been especially charged with
watching out for Lauren.
Jacko is doing more than just keeping his eye on Lauren for
the show, however. He has harbored a crush on her for
months, even going so far as to take the community art
classes Lauren sponsors. Jacko is unable to articulate his
feelings for her, unfortunately, and settles for
friendship. Jacko is a large, tattooed and pierced ex-SEAL,
and has always gone for a more earthy type woman. Lauren is
a petite lady, elegant, classy, and refined. She is so far
out of Jacko's reach that he can barely speak to her, much
less make his feelings for her known. They are friendly,
but Jacko has been unable to find a way to gauge Lauren's
interest or take their acquaintance to the next level.
Their relationship suddenly changes the night of the
gallery showing. When an art patron snaps some pictures of
Lauren on his cell phone, she has a near meltdown.
Although Jacko confiscates the phone and deletes the
photos, Lauren fears her cover is blown and knows she will
have to flee once again. She decides that the one last
thing she wants to do before she leaves is to act on the
simmering attraction between Jacko and herself. Lauren
takes Jacko home for one night of passion before she runs;
but deeply underestimates the lengths Jacko will go to in
order to keep and protect a woman he now considers to be
his.
MIDNIGHT VENGEANCE is the fourth book in Lisa Marie Rice's
popular Midnight series. Although it has been nine
years
since Rice wrote a new book in this world, the storyline
takes up very shortly after the previous book, Midnight
Angel. MIDNIGHT VENGEANCE builds a bit slowly, as there
is a lot of catch-up to be done with the leads of the
previous books of the Midnight series. Once
reacquainting
the reader is out of the way, the story takes off; and is a
quite enjoyable suspense tale. There are not one, but two
bad guys after Lauren, and showing their points of view
adds a great deal of malevolence to MIDNIGHT VENGEANCE.
Rice has gone back to her writing roots here, and to a
beloved series and group of characters. This is Rice's
vintage style of writing and characterization, featuring
her trademark alpha men and genteel heroines. There's not
really anything new here; but for fans who have been a bit
disenchanted with Rice's recent offerings, this is a
welcome return of a beloved author's classic style.
Although part of a series, MIDNIGHT VENGEANCE can easily be
read standalone.
Morton "Jacko" Jackman isn't afraid of anything. He's a
former Navy SEAL sniper, and he's been in more firefights
than most people have had hot meals. Lauren Dare scares the
crap out of him.
Gorgeous, talented and refined, she's the type of woman who
could never be interested in a roughneck like him. So he's
loved her fiercely in secret, taken her art classes, and
kept a watchful but comfortable distance. Until now.
Lauren had finally found a home in Portland, far from her
real identity, far from the memories of her mother's death,
and outside the reaches of the drugged-out psycho who's
already tried to kill her twice. One tiny misstep—a single
photograph—has shattered it all. She has no choice but to
run again, but this time she'll give herself a proper
farewell: one night with Jacko.
Their highly charged emotional encounter changes everything.
In Jacko's arms there cannot be fear, there can only be
pleasure. Anyone wishing her harm will have to pass through
him, and Jacko is a hard man to kill.
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