Sunday, July 28, 2013

Blog Tour {Review & Giveaway}—Precious Embrace by Dana Mason


Stopping by The LUV'NV today is Precious Embrace blog tour, organized by Reading Addiction Blog Tours.




Previous Embrace
by Dana Mason
Embrace #2
Publication: July 11th, 2013 by Sapphire Star Publishing
Genre: Romantic Suspense

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A second divorce and a new baby wasn’t the vision Alison Hayes had for her future. Now a single mother with two young boys, she wants to focus on her kids and what’s left of her stagnate career.

When Detective Johnny Rhay Bennett breezes into her life with his country-boy accent, she wants to run. She doesn’t need another man in her life, or another reason to make people talk. But when her worst nightmare becomes a reality, Johnny is the only person who can pull Ali out of her despair, forcing her to stay strong and not give up hope of finding her missing child.

~~~

Who falls in love after a one-night stand? Johnny Rhay doesn’t believe it’s possible until it happens to him. With Nashville in his rear-view mirror, he’s determined to convince Alison she loves him too, even if it means moving to the West Coast.

Ali’s not easy, and she’s living on just this side of bitter after her divorce, but Johnny doesn’t care. He’s up for the challenge. At least, he believes he’s up for it until baby Micah is stolen right out from under his nose. Now Johnny has to keep it together and get that sweet little boy home safe before his dreams of having a family vanish too.

Precious Embrace  is good followup to the first installment of the Embrace series, focusing on the ex-wife of the male protagonist from Dangerous Embrace and featuring one hell of a man in a uniform.

Going through a second divorce and having a newborn to care for, Ali Hayes is cautious, if not a little bitter, about romantic relationships and wants to focus solely on her children and recharging her career. Men are the last thing on her mind—well, except for Johnny Ray, the southern cop with whom she had a one-night stand. When Johnny Ray shows up on her doorstep four months later, announcing he's moved and accepted a job in her city, she has a hard time resisting his southern boy charm and drawl but more so his unconditional love her boys.

Unlike the father of her newborn, Johnny Ray adores and cares for Micah like the little boy is his own. He has stars in his eyes when he looks at her son and at her. Better yet, he doesn't care about her past and the tramp she's painted as because she cheated on her first husband with her second one, only to later divorce him upon the birth of their son.

As Ali's resistance begins to slip and the life she always wanted starts to form, the unthinkable happens: Her son is kidnapped. Ali and Johnny turn to each other for comfort. But then she finds herself once again more dependent on men and questions her ability to be a mother. Johnny is riddled with guilt, as he was unable to stop Micah from being taken and can't help with the case.

Johnny Ray is persistent and utterly devoted. I couldn't love him more. He has a no non-sense attitude, takes the initiative when it comes to caring and playing with her children, and has a heart of gold. He's a natural father figure, the ideal husband, genuinely open, and somewhat an alpha male without being overly so. Never once did I feel he was trying too hard or forcing the persona.

Ali, on the other hand, is guarded, with a snippy attitude and trust issues. I couldn't blame her; she did catch her second husband straying (when she was in labor, no less!), and she can't just let anyone into her and her children's lives. But I did find it hard to like her at times. She could be a bit bitchy and ungrateful. She seemed to be kidding herself all the time when it came to trusting her recent ex and to her accepting feelings for Johnny, especially considering what she went through. Quite a few moments I wanted to shake her. Besides the kidnapping, I felt she deserved what she got. She made her own bed but came out very lucky.

I would've appreciated less of the pity-partying. I don't mind some because it makes the characters human, but I need as much action as the personal inner battles when it comes to Romantic Suspense. That's not to say there isn't a lot of action—there is—but like Dangerous Embrace, the first book in the series, the inner struggle felt never-ending, the emotions repetitive and reiterated too many times. That could just be how I felt, though. Many readers love this series, and it is well written. I just have high expectations with Romantic Suspense.

I still enjoyed Precious Embrace. I adored the male protagonist, and there was hot angry sex (woo-hoo!). I also enjoyed the ending and how far the characters go with their personal development individually.





eARC provided by the author via RABT Tours. Thank you!



Embrace series



Visit the Precious Embrace  Tour Schedule for interviews, guest posts, excerpts, and more reviews!



Dana Mason

Her Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads
Dana Mason started writing to prove to her computer geek husband and her math & science geek kids that she actually has a brain; it’s just a right functioning brain instead of a left. She’s lived all over the country and uses that experience in her writing and character studies. Her debut novel, Dangerous Embrace, is the first in a contemporary romance series about a group of friends from Northern California who learn just how short life can be when you don’t hold on to what’s important. Second chances don’t come easy ... but sometimes love is worth the risk.

When not writing, Dana specializes in professional development and training. She’s also a board member on the local Art's Council and does what she can to support the art community.

As an avid reader and movie watcher, she always requires a happily ever after ending.


Five (5) eBook copies of Precious Embrace

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