Guest Review: Dangerous Embrace – Dana Mason

Sarah Jennings wants nothing more than a quiet life—alone.

Raised by an eccentric mother, their life on the road only taught her how to run away from hard times. But when she finds herself in an abusive relationship, this lesson serves her well.
Now, back in her hometown, she’s found a place she loves. She’s a first grade teacher, and with few friends and less family around, she has what she wants, a quiet life under the radar where she can be free of her past and live quietly. Finally comfortable in her own skin, she’s settled, and less fearful than she’s ever been in her life.

But it only takes one night and one act of violence for everything to change. Injured and afraid, Sarah wants to run again, but Mark Summors refuses to let her go.

Just when Sarah thinks she can have Mark and the life he promises, her past comes back to haunt her.

Mark Summors was born and raised in Santa Rosa. He married his high school sweetheart and never questioned his life, until he found his wife with another man.

Now divorced, he wants something more. He’s passionate about his job, he wants to protect people, and he devotes his life to it.

This time he’s protecting more than just another client, he’s protecting his future; at least, Sarah Jennings will be his future, once he convinces her she loves him.

Series:  Embrace #1
Release Date:  October 4, 2012
Publisher:  Sapphire Star Publishing
Source:  Provided by Publisher
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Reviewer’s Thoughts:

I couldn’t put this book down.  It took me a day to read it, but I was skipping lunch  at work and going directly to my chaise to read.   It was very interesting and full of action, twists, and turns.  Sarah Jennings fights off an attacker and while fleeing runs into Mark Summors.  He takes her to the hospital and remains by her side through her recovery.  Sarah has been the victim of domestic violence and is very guarded.  They enter into a relationship with him as her protector and later as a very patient boyfriend earning her trust and helping her to be able to engage in sexual relations without going into a panic.  They work through her issues, the attacks from the stalker, and an attempt by her abusive ex-boyfriend to kidnap her.

I enjoyed reading this book.  There were a few times that I became frustrated with Sarah because she was so irrational.  After the initial attack Mark installs a security system in her home while she is out of it for two days and when she  awakens she attacks him because he didn’t ask her.  There were not a lot of sex scenes because Sarah would halt Mark’s progress because she felt threatened (the result of a former rape).  However the behavior was not out of context with the trauma she suffered so I chalk that up to my personality.  I kept wondering when will Mark have enough.  He has the patience of Job in this book which gives it a slightly unrealistic element.  However anyone in Sarah’s situation would wish for a sensitive, sympathetic, patient, virtuous man like Mark.