Monday, January 6, 2014

Book Review of The Professional: Part 1 by Kresley Cole


He makes the rules . . .
Mafiya enforcer Aleksandr "The Siberian" Sevastyan’s loyalty to his boss is unwavering, until he meets the boss’s long-lost daughter, a curvy, tantalizing redhead who haunts his mind and heats his blood like no other. Ordered to protect her, Sevastyan will do anything to possess her as well—on his own wicked terms.
Rules are made to be broken . . .
PhD student Natalie Porter had barely recovered from her first sight of the breathtakingly gorgeous Sevastyan before the professional hit man whisks her away to Russia, thrusting her into a world of extreme wealth and wanton pleasures. With every day she spends under his protection, she falls deeper under his masterful spell.
Are you ready to play?
Yet all is not as it seems. To remove Natalie from an enemy’s reach, Sevastyan spirits her into hiding. From an opulent palace in Russia to the decadent playgrounds of the mega-wealthy in Paris, the two lovers will discover that even their darkest—and most forbidden—fantasies can come true…

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As a girl from the Midwest myself I was instantly drawn to this story and its spunky heroine.  From its beginning moments in down-to-earth Nebraska to the splendor and exoticness of a rich man's estate in Russia, life takes a dramatic turn for Natalie after discovering the identity of her birth father.  As she's swept away by a sexy and domineering man with a secretive past, she's thrust into a world of secrets and danger from every side.

This is a fast-paced and seductively sensual read full of unrelenting sexual tension from the first moment Natalie sees Sevastyan and is swept up in his darkly commanding ways that she can't help but be attracted to.  She's always been the good girl but he has her wanting to be bad with him and I can't blame her.  Natalie was expecting all the stereotypes of a man in the mafia and though there are some glimpses of the danger, this first part shows an idyllic life of grandeur from a man making up for lost time with his newly-found daughter.  Natalie is smart with a bit of sarcasm surrounding her.  She's immensely likable, easy to relate to, and I look forward to seeing where life takes her now that she's entered into this mysterious world.

Sevastyan is a man of mystery, loyal to a fault to the man who rescued him from the streets and a life of fighting and prison.  He at first sees Natalie as a job but soon finds himself drawn to her against his will.  He knows he has a dark side, he embraces it, and therefore feels he must protect her from himself.  But as others express an interest in her he realizes he can't keep holding back as their encounters become hotter and more intense.  I found Sevastyan compelling and long to learn more about him.  I love his domineering side and look forward to seeing Natalie slowly thaw his heart.

Just as things pick up steam though we're left with a cliffhanger that left me gasping in frustration.  Ms. Cole has created an exciting and super sexy story that leaves me wanting more.  I'm now counting down the days until we can see the continuation of Natalie and Sevastyan's battle of the sexes!

My rating for this is an A.

*I received this book from NetGalley for review in exchange for my honest opinion.

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