Forged in Desire

Jackson (A Man’s Promise) continues her contemporary Grangers series with the sizzling, fast-paced tale of a driven bodyguard and the wealthy heiress he’s hired to protect. After Margo Connelly serves on a Virginia jury that convicts a powerful criminal, her life is in danger. Enter Lamar “Striker” Jennings, a bodyguard with a checkered past hired by Margo’s wealthy uncle. Though at first she’s reluctant at first to have a bodyguard, other jurors are being killed, and she recognizes protection is not optional if she wants to stay alive. As the tension ratchets up, so does the passionate sexual chemistry between Striker and Margo, and he puts his life and his heart on the line. Jackson’s deft plotting and effective red herrings keep the suspense high as her multidimensional characters command the reader’s attention. Intriguing subplots, including one involving a psychic investigator, add texture to the story. The only flaw of this first-rate, satisfyingly sexy tale is that it ends. (Jan.)