Too Wild to Hold
By
Grade : C

Too Wild to Hold starts out with a bang - almost literally - when private detective Claire Lecuyer meets FBI agent Michael Murrieta at a sensual retreat run by a secret society of sexual fetishists called Novelle Placage. The retreat is a re-enactment of an old school quadroon ball, where wealthy gentlemen would seek mixed-race mistresses. The sexual tension is white hot, and so is the book - until they leave the ball. At that point, it all gets less interesting.

Claire and Michael are at the ball for different reasons. Claire’s there because she’s been hired to track down Josslyn Granger, a woman who abandoned her children so she could live a life of sexual hedonism. Claire needs Josslyn to sign papers abdicating her parental rights so that her children’s stepmother can legally adopt them. Claire’s gotten word that Josslyn will be at the ball, so she arrives under cover and in costume.

Before running into Josslyn, she runs into Michael, who is also undercover and at the ball to find her. Michael is on the trail of a serial rapist who believes himself to be a modern incarnation of Zorro. Claire has received a scarf from him, which means that she’s his next likely victim. Michael has a particular interest and aptitude for the case, because he’s a descendant of the man who was the inspiration for Zorro. He is currently wearing his ancestor’s signature emerald ring, which means his life is about to change in a big way.

Michael and Claire pretend to negotiate an old-style mistress agreement, and when they arrive in a room upstairs they realize that they are being watched and heard. They also find - somewhat surprisingly - that they are wildly attracted to each other, and they kind of get off on having an audience. They go from zero to near consummation in the blink of an eye. They are interrupted a couple of times, the second time by Claire’s aunt, who is playing the role of her “Maman." Claire’s aunt has spotted Josslyn, so they head off in search of her.

Soon after this, their respective cases start dovetailing. They leave the kinky plantation, have sex, and discuss various ways to find Claire’s creepy stalker/would-be rapist. While they deal with this, Michael’s brother and his partner both show up to help, and Michael has to deal with questions of professional ethics (which he’s been violating right and left since he met Claire). Can they catch the bad guy? Is their relationship meant to last?

I was right on board with this story while Claire and Michael were at the plantation/party. It’s full of believable sexual tension and a sense of danger. Plus...history and costumes! What fun!

Then they left the party. Literally and figuratively. And I just wasn’t feeling it. The atmosphere was less exciting, the conflict more bureaucratic. And some of the questions from the party never got answered. Who was watching them, and why? We never found out. And the scary villain? Well, he came off as more silly than scary. Michael’s career decision-making at the end also didn’t work for me, so the whole thing kind of ended on a down note.

Just a note on the sensuality: It's not all burning all the time, but Claire and Michael do watch - and get off on - some other people having a three-way. That says burning to me.

Too Wild to Hold is actually the middle book in a series about three brothers who are descended from the legendary guy. They each get a shot at wearing the ring - and presumably falling in love. I liked this idea, which I found fun. And I loved the interesting and sexy beginning. But since it all nose-dives from there, this isn’t a book I’d seek out.

Reviewed by Blythe Smith
Grade : C
Book Type: Series Romance

Sensuality: Burning

Review Date : September 15, 2011

Publication Date: 2011/09

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Blythe Smith

I've been at AAR since dinosaurs roamed the Internet. I've been a Reviewer, Reviews Editor, Managing Editor, Publisher, and Blogger. Oh, and Advertising Corodinator. Right now I'm taking a step back to concentrate on kids, new husband, and new job in law...but I'll still keep my toe in the romance waters.
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