Three weeks after the Rivers' estate was burned down,
Peter Rivers has vanished, while his younger brother Will
is hiding in Paris. The Rivers family that headed an
organisation long thought a myth, the Pentasus, is
decimated. Hunter Cain, who had been Will's bodyguard for
two months is looking for Will. Hunter works for the BND,
a German intelligence agency, and he knows Will is in
Paris. Will is playing dead, but Hunter's mission is to
bring him in, as long as Hunter's attraction doesn't get
in the way of the job he's supposed to do.
THE TALENTED MR. RIVERS, book two of HelenKay Dimon's
Tough Love series picks up right where Mr. and
Mr. Smith left off. I was anxiously awaiting THE
TALENTED MR. RIVERS, especially since I had found Will
Rivers particularly intriguing, and I was decidedly not
disappointed on that count. Will is an exceptionally
well-rounded character, who never ceased to surprise me
throughout the book. An educated so-called pretty boy,
Will knew of his criminal family's activities to some
extent but had always been kept away from participating,
which still doesn't preclude being caught in the
crossfire when all hell breaks loose. However when the
going gets tough, Will more than rises to the occasion.
Which he also does for the brooding German agent, if you
will pardon the pun. Hunter, being undercover and an
employee to boot, couldn't do more than ogle Will while
in his family's employ, but things are different now, and
although there are trust issues on both sides the size of
the Himalayans, Will and Hunter eventually give in to the
passion that they had fought. As if their budding romance
weren't complicated enough, another player has come into
the picture and wants to resurrect the Pentasus with Will
as his figurehead. This leads to a complex cat and mouse
chase, with some spying and action sequences in the
tradition of the James Bond and Bourne movies.
I seldom mention covers in relation to the books, but
when it comes to this series, I find it remarkable how
well they fit the general tone of the stories: the
feeling is somewhat that of Cold War stories, which in
this case is more than perfect, considering Hunter's
fascinating backstory, which felt all too real. The
romance was terrific; first of all, because Hunter and
Will knew each other before anything physical ever took
place, and I really felt their attraction blossoming into
something bigger, with realistic bumps in the road. But
the highlight of THE TALENTED MR. RIVERS for me was Will:
what a splendid character that surprised and delighted me
at every turn. He still retains some innocence in spite
of his dreadful family, he is tough and gentle at the
same time, logical even when falling in love; Will is
simply a perfect romantic suspense hero!
HelenKay Dimon’s suspenseful, provocative series of
double agents and dark desire continues with a novel
featuring two men bound by a dangerous job—and by the
cravings they feel for each other.
As the son of an international crime lord, Will Rivers only
inherited one thing after his father died: trouble. The
Pentasus organization deals in kidnapping and murder, and
Will wants no part of the power grab that’s tearing
leadership apart. But the only way he’ll be able to escape
is with some help from his former bodyguard, Hunter Cain,
whose sculpted body and brooding looks keep Will awake at
night. Somehow, Hunter has resisted the tension between them
. . . until, suddenly, he gives in.
As a German intelligence officer working deep undercover,
Hunter has a very good reason to keep Will in the dark about
his identity and his intentions. Although the sex is hot,
Hunter’s true feelings are a growing liability. Now the only
way to save Will from his old life is to push him deeper
into danger. But when two strong men are each determined to
protect the other, the heat isn’t just combustible—it’s a
firestorm.