Black at Heart : All About Romance

Black at Heart

Grade : B-

With the buzz surrounding Leslie Parrish and her Black CATs series, I couldn’t wait to pick up Black at Heart. In the suspense department, I got exactly what I wanted and expected. Unfortunately, the romance elements fell short of the mark.

Wyatt Blackstone, the head of an elite FBI team that solves Internet related crimes, thinks he’s buried one of his young agents until he receives a phone call telling him differently. Putting his career on the line, he does all he can to ensure that the world continues to believe Lily Fletcher, the young agent, is dead. For months he’s kept her secret, supporting her recovery and isolation in his family home in Maine. However, as a new serial killer emerges and leaves clues at the crime scenes pointing to Lily, he has no choice but to question the woman he’s come to care about throughout her recovery.

Lily watched her entire world disappear: Her young nephew the victim of a murderous pedophile, her beloved sister dead as a result of suicide, and herself kidnapped and tortured by a psychopath and forced into hiding in order to recover from the physical and psychological abuse. She owes Wyatt her very existence. As it becomes more evident that someone is trying to lure Lily out of hiding, Wade not only has to protect her, but the integrity of his team as well.

From the prologue to the very end, Parrish delivers a suspense-filled story that kept me glued to the page. Though the crimes are violent and the scenarios horrific, I didn’t find it too overpowering to move beyond. The machinations used to set Lily up took twists and turns that had me guessing at the identity of the villain up until the characters figured it out themselves. However, I did begin to wonder how much more awful stuff could possibly happen to the two characters. There is no way I would want to immerse myself in a life like theirs for anything.

Though I enjoyed the suspense, unfortunately, I found the story lacking in romance. Though I liked Lily’s character and found her sympathetic and strong, Wyatt just seemed cold, distant, and far too restrained, though the rationale for his character is explained. Plus, the whole time I was reading I couldn’t help but think he was too old for Lily. When their relationship finally went to the next level, I felt no excitement for them at all.

If you find the romance in romantic suspense of secondary importance, I think you’ll find that Black at Heart meets the requirement. However for me, I need just a little more light (as in romance) mixed in with my dark to find it completely fulfilling.

Reviewed by Heather Brooks

Grade : B-

Book type : Romantic Suspense

Sensuality : Warm

Review Date : September 8, 2009

Published On : 2009