ALLURE (Spiral of Bliss #2) by Nina Lane-a review

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release May 2013

Order for only .99 cents at : Amazon.com / Amazon.ca/ Barnes and Noble

After lies and betrayal almost destroy their marriage, Dean and Olivia West reignite their blissful passion. The medieval history professor and his lovely wife are determined to fix their mistakes, and Liv’s unexpected pregnancy intensifies their desire to fall madly in love all over again.

Then a family crisis forces Dean back into a feud with his parents and siblings, dredging up guilt over a painful family secret. Dean fights to shield Liv from the hostility, but for the first time, Liv resists her white knight’s defense. Her newfound resolve clashes with Dean’s desperate need to protect her.

Liv and Dean have battled obstacles together before, but bitter family conflicts now endanger their fragile intimacy. And when Dean’s career is suddenly threatened, he and Liv must struggle with events that could damage them in ways they had never imagined.

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REVIEW: ALLURE is the second storyline in Nina Lane’s contemporary romance Spiral of Bliss series that continues the journey of Dean and Liv as they struggle to overcome jealousy, betrayal and a painful past. ALLURE furthers the couple’s spiral into a world fraught with loss, love and the potential to lose everything. Just as their lives take an unexpected turn, a family crisis will see Dean and Liv embarking on a journey that will end with a loss from which one or both may never overcome.

The storyline, once again, blends the past with the present by way of flashbacks, recollections and memories but the majority of this particular storyline is told from Dean’s POV. The reader is pulled into the drama of family betrayal when what everyone sees on the outside, does not come close to the truth underneath. We learn the heartache of pain and sorrow as Dean’s family refuses to accept the woman that he loves as well as the continuous animosity between siblings and parents that threaten an already fragile peace. Dean’s past will resurface with a connection to his family, but his need to protect Liv from further exposure will only force the couple to take a hard look at where they are going-together.

As their lives continue to spiral out of control, the ugliness and brutality of a vengeful student will further Dean and Liv’s already tentative hold on their relationship. But it will be Liv who makes the ultimate sacrifice when she tells Dean what he has to do, and in doing so, may lose the man in whom she loves.

Once again, Nina Lane pulls the reader into an emotional journey of one couple’s struggle to keep the pain at bay, as the walls around them begin to crumble. The romance is sensual and sexual as the couple endeavors to rediscover each other following a heartbreaking separation but sex is not always the answer at the end of the day. Dean’s need to protect his wife from himself and his past, will test the boundaries of their love when Liv asks Dean to let go of the painful memories that threaten to overwhelm him at every turn.

Nina Lane has written a storyline of one couple’s struggle against the realities of life-from betrayal to trust, heartbreak and sorrow, love and lost to the realization that everything you ever needed may be only a few feet away or lying next to you on the bed. Dean and Liv’s relationship is not perfect-it is flawed in ways similar yet different from most. They suffer painful rejections and losses and, like the real world, will be tested at every turn. Their story broke my heart and left me in tears, and I am hoping for a HEA in book 3-AWAKEN.

Reading Order
1. Arouse
2. Allure

Arouse (Book 1 ) in ebook format is available for $1.00 for a limited time only: Amazon.com/ Amazon.ca/ Barnes and Noble/

Copy supplied by the author.

Reviewed by Sandy