A NIGHT OWL REVIEWS BOOK REVIEW | Reviewed by: CYD
This is a well written, emotive and suspenseful dramatic novel.
When Christa, a professional softball player, gains an obsessive fan who attends every softball game, she finds him unsettling and she and her best friend Teryl, nickname him, ‘The Stalker’, they have no idea how accurate the name is. The stalker’s behavior starts off as irritating; he shouts encouragement at her during the game, throwing off her concentration, and quickly segues into threatening, when he introduces himself to her after a game and gives her a ‘friendly warning’ about her safety. Her concerns about the man, who calls himself her number one fan, brings Rayne, a cop into her life. Rayne is a friend of a friend, someone who Christa rates on the hotness scale of 1-10 as a 12. Rayne is well known to be a player when it comes to women; he has a succession of beautiful women who parade through his life and is rarely seen with the same woman twice. On hearing of Christa’s predicament, he recognizes all the classic signs of a stalker. The stalker’s behavior quickly escalates and Christa finds herself under virtual ‘house arrest’ with Rayne installed as her live in bodyguard. Christa is confused by Rayne showing her that his flirtatious behavior isn’t just a reflex action in her case. Christa isn’t interested in being Rayne’s girlfriend of the moment, only to end up discarded when he moves on to the next. Christa is a very admirable person, a thoroughly multi-dimensional character, who is courageous and quick thinking. Rayne finds that he’s seriously interested in a woman who is totally unlike any he’s ever met, he can completely understand why her stalker is fixated on her, but he intends to not only keep her safe, but be with Christa – for keeps.
The plot was engrossing and fast paced, and I did shout at my keyboard a few times. Christa’s stalker was creepily realistic and Christa and Rayne are well drawn characters, whose dilemma completely drew me in emotionally. This is a great read, and I thoroughly recommend it.
Mar 25, 2011 | 9781601543103
5 - Rare Top Pick | 4.5 - Top Pick | 4 - I Liked It | 3.5 - Enjoyable | 3 - OK | 2.5 - It just didn't click
Book Blurb for Out Of Her League
Christa Bailey is one cut away from making the Olympic softball team when threats from an obsessed fan jeopardize her dream, and her safety. Forced to put her life on hold, she reluctantly turns to ERT officer Rayne Hutchinson for help, praying the police catch her stalker before she is cut from the team or does something stupid, like fall in love with her unattainable protector. But Christa's stalker is something far more sinister than either of them could have imagined. With her life at stake, can Rayne keep Christa safe from this patient predator?
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