After escaping an obsessive serial killer, Dr. Cara Messinger hoped to forget her days in captivity. But life would never go back to normal. Dash Adams and his proposition saw to that. The hands-on FBI agent could protect the half-Navajo beauty — but only if she gave up all control. Whisked away to a safe house on a remote sandstone mesa, Care felt her world closing in. It was only a matter of time before the killer came back for her.

Author: Cassie Miles
ISBN: 0-373-69245-5 (Harlequin Intrigue)
Finished/Tossed: 11 June 2007
Who: Dr. Cara Messinger, archaeology professor, and Dash Adams, FBI Special Agent

I tried. I truly tried to give this book a chance. First, what I liked.

The dialog. Though the verbal exchanges were far from laugh-out-loud funny, they amused me. It is the primary reason I attempted to read it without skimming.

Native American folklore. This isn’t something I’m into, but I found it interesting. It added to the feel of the book without being an info-dump that had no bearing on the plot.

Dash Adams, the hero of the book. Divorced. He’s from a family of lawyers and was a lawyer himself in a prominent firm. He decided that he wanted to do something more and became an FBI agent. His wife couldn’t deal with the change — she married a highly placed lawyer, not a lowly field agent. He’s not sure he’s ready to settle down, but he’s willing to be in a relationship with Cara to see if they have a chance. Decent guy, not a arrogant jerk.

Yazzie, AKA “Jabba the Cat”. Cara’s cat, whose’s sometimes smarter than his mistress.

The secondary cast. Not all the quips came from Cara and Dash.

Now, what turned me off: Cara Messinger, the heroine of the book.

I tried to be tolerant, but she just kept doing things that bothered me. Her cat freaks out and she ignores the warning of possible danger — I just rolled my eyes. She doesn’t tell anyone about the stalker emails and doesn’t know that they can be traced back to the sender — I just sighed, exasperated. She ends up in a lip-lock with Dash, twenty-four hours after escaping from her captor (who had her four days) — I just gritted my teeth. I’m not saying she shouldn’t have been attracted to him so quickly but really, how about finding out if he’s married or has a serious girlfriend first, okay?

Cara is a 32-year-old archeology professor. She’s been busy with her career. And then she’s kidnaped. She escapes and realizes, after being so closed to death, that life is short. Cara wants a family, more than ever. Right now. Not, someday. Right. Now. She sees Dash as a potential mate. Small problem: as mentioned above, he’s not sure if he’s ready.

Then came this exchange, that had me skimming to the end:
Cara {C}: “A casual relationship isn’t what I want.”
Dash {D}: “It could be more. Sometimes you have to take risks.”
C: “Don’t you dare talk to me about risk. You’re the one with the dangerous job. You talk about a future together and wanting to get to know me when you’re risking you life every day? What kind of relationship could we have?” {So, people with dangerous jobs can’t possibly have successful, long-term, relationships??? That they have no future???}
D: “My life isn’t any more dangerous than a cop or a fireman. Or a corporate lawyer with a bleeding ulcer headed for a coronary.” {You tell her, Dash!}

Further down, she thinks further on the matter: “She could never demand that he give up his career.” Really? Because, sweetie, that’s exactly what your statement implies: We can’t have a relationship because of your job; therefore, if you want me, you need to get a different job. So there.

It irks me. Naturally, had the shoe been on the other foot – he demanding that she give up a dangerous job – I would have been just as irrate. This is contemporary-set romance novel, not a Regency. So, my question is, if he gives up his field job, and takes a desk-bound job with the FBI, does that mean she’s going to give up her field work (i.e., remote archeology digs) for the sake of their future children? I’m sure Dash is right. FBI work isn’t all high speed car chases and blazing gun battles without back-up. And it’s not as if he’s a black-ops CIA agent like the hero of Dee Davis’s Endgame (which I picked to read after this book).

Don’t get me stated on the ending. . .