Liquid Silver Books, $2.99, ISBN 978-1-62210-258-7
Romantic Suspense, 2015
I’m initially skeptical of Trapped because of its length, and the author’s last few short-but-still-longer-than-this stories were not very memorable. This one isn’t particularly memorable either, but it’s a nicely paced and solid story that manages to keep my attention from the get go.
The folks of Chimney Rock are being evacuated because of a spreading fire razing everything in its path. Arlie Davis is all ready to go, but the deputy, who has been pressuring her to date him all this while, decides to turn into Billy Zane’s character in Titanic and goes all mean and crazy with a gun. Fortunately, hot action hunk Hank Clancy manages to come to her rescue, but in the process, the two of them end up stuck in a supply room. Hence, the title of this story. Will they ever get out alive? Will Junior the psycho cop get his just desserts?
The story is pretty good while these two are stuck in the supply room. There is hardly any room for characterization, but the two characters are pretty decent for what they are, and there is some discernible chemistry between them. It’s a pretty readable story, with some sense of suspense and trepidation in the whole proceeding. I have to buy the notion that these two will find something permanent despite meeting under stressful circumstances over an accelerated period of time, but I suppose these things can happen.
However, the author then devotes a chapter for some cringe-inducing naughty scenes with all that talk about forever and soul-destroying orgasms. I mean, these two just met each other for only a short while, and they talk and connect for even a shorter period of time, so what’s with all that hyperbole? It’s like the author wants sell me that the sex is a powerful manifestation of true love or something, and I feel that she’s trying a little too hard in her efforts.
At any rate, Trapped is a pretty readable story for what it is.
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