Accustomed to creating perilous scenarios for her characters on the page, writer Taylor O'Toole (the sister of the heroine of Skye's previous offering, My Spy) experiences danger firsthand in this lightweight romantic thriller. When Taylor sustains a few bruises and minor cuts during a freak rock climbing "accident," Navy SEAL Jack Broussard is assigned to watch over her. Though the precaution seems drastic at first, it soon becomes apparent that a group of ruthless international terrorists are indeed out to kill her. Taylor's stubborn determination to fight Jack on nearly every point, even when their lives are in danger, undermines the reader's sympathy, and Jack himself is a cipher, revealing little other than his SEAL skills. Danger heightens the already smoldering attraction between the two, and the sex scenes burn like wildfire. Unfortunately, gaping plot holes and hard-to-swallow coincidences sabotage the intrigue aspect of the romance, though Skye nearly redeems the story with an electrifying twist at the end. A little too clumsy to brush nerve endings or to tug at the heartstrings, this is strictly for readers looking for an easy, frivolous escape. (Feb. 11)
