REVIEW: Hero at Large by Robyn Amos
THE AGENT: Tall, dark and devastatingly handsome Keshon Gray
THE MISSION: To smoke out a deadly traitor–or die tryingTHE OBSTACLE: The sweet temptation of the only woman he’d ever loved!
Keshon Gray had never regretted anything he’d had to do in the line of duty–until now. For entering the dangerous world of gang warfare led to a tempestuous reunion with Rennie Williams. Although he had to keep his identity secret, he just couldn’t stay away from the virtuous beauty who reawakened his heart. But would their love survive a shocking turn of events that promised to change their lives…forever?
Dear Ms. Amos,
I’ve been meaning to read another of your books since finishing “Cosmic Rendezvous.””Cosmic Rendezvous.” “Hero at Large” sounded interesting and though romantic suspense isn’t my favorite, occasionally I will try one. It was a bit light on suspense – with more time devoted to reunited lovers story – but I can’t say that this is why it didn’t work so well for me. No, the main reason is I got bored and into skim mode.
Rennie and Gray had tough start in life. No punches got pulled here and I appreciate that. Gray was pulled into the LA gang life by Rennie’s brother Jacob and Jacob’s desire to join one as a substitute for their broken family life. With their mother dead and father working all the time, Jacob wanted another family and sought it in a gang to become brothers to him. But it cost J his life, something which scarred both Rennie and Gray. Both eventually used this as a way out but the paths they took were different. Rennie escaped through higher education while Gray was recruited into a government agency which has sent him around the world on various assignments. Fate intervenes and the two meet up again. So far, so good. The reunion isn’t meet-again-cute. Instead it’s fraught with fear on Gray’s part that he’ll get Rennie involved in the arms deal he’s brokering to catch a rogue agent gone bad while Rennie is horrified to learn that Gray apparently didn’t totally escape their dark past and has done time in jail.
Still the attraction is mutual and they begin to spend time together which serves as a way for a former gang leader who’s recently gotten out of jail to begin to move in on the sweet deal and money that he thinks Gray has going for him. Rennie is Gray’s weakness and TK will exploit that in order to get the former gang members Gray recruited to follow him instead. Rennie knows all about allowing oneself to be swayed by wanting a man in one’s life because of the women’s counseling sessions she runs. A trained psychologist, Rennie works helping battered and abused women and she’s heard all the excuses. When it comes to her own relationship, she discovers she can be just as blind and willing to look for justification to remain with a man she loves despite what her sense of right and wrong tells her.
I actually don’t have a problem with any of that. We all make mistakes, we all think we know what we’re doing, we all want love and to see the best in someone we love. It’s all good. There are also some bad things that happen here – one of Rennie’s clients loves where she shouldn’t and ends up paying a terrible price for it. Rennie and Gray have to decide how far they’ll go for this relationship and what they’re willing to give up. Trust and love are risked and tough choices are faced but I found my eyes glazing at times.
And that is the main fail of this story for me. Rennie and Gray both spend time thinking and reminiscing. Then thinking more. And more. And then a lot more. This is supposed to be a suspense story as well as a romantic one but there is so much mental think, think, think that literally pages go by as Rennie and Gray think things to death. It got to where my eyes where skittering down the page seeking some action, some dialog, anything. Enough with the time spent in Rennie and Gray’s thoughts. Please, blow something up already. Then when something does finally happen, it often takes place off screen or it happens, it’s over and we zip right past it without really getting into the characters’ emotions. I realize that some of this might be due to the fact that this is part of a series and since the suspense arc couldn’t be completed in this book there was space to fill but it still dragged.
This might be the thinking person’s perfect romantic suspense book but it’s too static for me. I think I should go back and try another of your books which focuses just on romance and see if that will hit my sweet spot again. C-
~Jayne
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