Book Tour for Hidden Agenda by Laurie Larsen (Review & GIVEAWAY)

Today we have a return visit from Laurie Larsen with her new release, Hidden Agenda, which deals with some very emotional issues. Keep reading to get my impressions of this book and make sure to comment for your chance to win a bookstore GC.

Can love survive when secrecy is the hidden agenda? A sizzling tale of a millionaire businessman and an ambitious, beautiful advertising executive, and the little girl at the center of a long-held secret that draws the two of them together, but could ultimately tear them apart.

EXCERPT:

They walked to the elevator and waited.  They stepped on, the only passengers inside.  She pointedly walked to the opposite corner from him for the ride.
He watched her for a second more, and then with a groan, he covered the short distance between them, leaned in close and captured her lips with an unexpected kiss.  She gasped as his lips landed on hers.  She absorbed the sensation of his warm, soft lips brushing over hers, his luscious tongue entering her mouth and the fireworks he released in her body.  Short moments stretched into longer ones, and she closed her eyes to push away the realities of time and place, and just concentrate on the sensations.
She reached up and gripped his jacket lapels with both her hands, twisting her neck to allow him deeper penetration.  Their tongues played an urgent but soulful game of wrestling, over and under and back again, until one of them, she wasn’t sure which, ended the kiss and pulled away.  She backed up, panting, and brought her fingertips to her lips.  She gazed up at his face and saw that he was undone as well.  She wiped some lipstick from his lips with her thumb.  
He smiled.  “I know that was uncalled for.”

MY IMPRESSIONS OF THIS BOOK:

Hidden Agenda is an intensely emotional read dealing with grief, religion, and what it means to be a family.  Ms. Larsen deals with these issues in a believable and satisfying way which pulls at the heart strings and leaves this reader with a goofy grin on her face courtesy of the sweetly sentimental romance.

Alyssa Stark loves her career but desperately wanted a child.  With no man in sight she used a donor which resulted in the sweet and well-behaved Caroline.  For years they've managed beautifully just the two of them as Alyssa doesn't trust just any man to become involved in her life.  She's an intensely private person and it's going to take a strong man to get through the barriers she's put up.  Now that they've settled in New York, Fate decides to intervene and introduce Alyssa to a new business client who wants to get closer to her and Caroline.  The past soon returns to the present as certain truths come out that might stop a relationship before it even starts.

During his college years Grant Fontaine made a decision that has now profoundly affected his future as it's become an obsession.  After the death of his wife and child ten years ago the only thing that got him through his recovery and depression was knowing that a part of him was still out there in the world.  He's watched her from afar planning to meet her when she's older but Fate won't wait and puts him directly in the path of Alyssa and Caroline.  He starts out as their friend but his attraction to Alyssa strengthens his bond to them but when the truth comes out he's going to have to move heaven and earth to get his newfound family back.

Alyssa is a strong-willed woman whose life revolves around her work and her daughter.  She appears a bit cold and arrogant at first but seeing her with Caroline and interacting with Grant show a woman of great warmth with a big capacity to love.  She's quick to judge though as feelings of betrayal lead to a knee-jerk reaction that only a friend's words of wisdom can soothe.  Grant early on seems overly obsessed in discovering the child born from his collegiate donation.  He seems like a stalker following the child and her mother from afar and it honestly gave me a feeling of unease.  As you get to know Grant the situation doesn't feel as dirty as you realize his search is the only thing that brought him back from the worst grief to befall someone.  His intentions are truly honorable as he accidentally becomes a part of their lives in the present.  He's a good man who becomes even better after meeting Alyssa and Caroline in person.  The romance between him and Alyssa starts off very slowly which allows the sexual tension to build as they progress from friends to lovers.  The overall romance is sweet with one or two steamy encounters late in the story.  While I found the majority of the story satisfying, there's an event that befalls Caroline that feels a bit like a soap opera but it's thankfully resolved quickly.  I'm also not a fan of stories that bring in religion.  While the issue of God and faith is touched on here it's not done in a way that overwhelms the story.

Ms. Larsen has created a sweet yet slightly sexy story that's heartwarming with immensely likable characters.  The issues addressed are unique and the author handles them beautifully.  This is yet another satisfying read from Ms. Larsen and I look forward to what she'll come up with next.

My rating for this is a B.

*I received this book from the author in exchange for my honest opinion.

AUTHOR INFO:

Project Manager by day in the fast-paced world of Information Technology, Laurie escapes her demanding day job to wrap herself in the joy of writing stories about everyday life, with just a touch of worst case scenario.  Known for her sentimental and emotional love stories, Laurie became an award-winning author when her novel Preacher Man won the 2010 EPIC Award for Best Spiritual Romance. Laurie is a wife and mother of two sons and lives in Central Illinois.

Website :  http://www.authorlaurielarsen.com/
Facebook:  http://www.facebook.com/authorlaurielarsen
Twitter: https://twitter.com/AuthorLaurie
Random Moon Books:  http://www.randommoonbooks.com/

**********GIVEAWAY**********

Laurie will be awarding a $25 gift certificate to Amazon or Barnes & Noble or another eBook retailer (winner's choice) to a randomly drawn commenter during the tour.

-To be entered, leave a comment, ALONG WITH YOUR EMAIL ADDY.

-Winners will be chosen randomly from all comments made throughout the tour, so the more you comment the greater your chances of winning.  A list of all participating blogs can be found here.

-Giveaway ends at 11:59 PM CST on 6/28.