Maximum Security

Rating:
Summary: Maximum Enjoyment
Review: Back in January, I picked up Maximum Security, a Harlequin Intrigue by Tracy Montoya, because it was the first time I'd found a category romance by a relatively new author, and I thought it would be good to study. Only this week did I finally select it from my book bin, and I'm glad I did.

Maggie Reyes is the only woman to survive The Surgeon's violent games, and two years later, she's still terrified to go outside. She's changed her name and has a lonely, anxious life. When computer crimes specialist Billy Corrigan shows up on her doorstep, demanding her assistance in finding and stopping The Surgeon, Maggie refuses at first. But then the Surgeon finds her and begins a new deadly game of cat and mouse, leaving Maggie and Billy to desperately match wits as they find strength in each other.

Normally, a category romance is heavy on romance, so much so that the sexual tension sometimes feels forced and artificial. In this case, there is no obvious romance, yet what exists between the Maggie and Billy eventually becomes "true love" by the end of the book. I wanted these characters to get together, and Montoya's decision not to include frequent mention of any attraction helped me focus on what mattered -- the suspenseful story and the genuine relationship that's built on the blood and bones of painful pasts. The characters are fully-formed, with quirks and thoughts that feel real, thanks to Tracy Montoya's descriptive prose and insight.

With a few sub-plots to lengthen the manuscript and more scenes with a delightful seconday cast, including Billy's tougher-than-M boss and Maggie's fiery Latina best friend, this book could have easily stood on its own as a single-title, or find more audience as a thrilling film. I'm keeping this book as a good example of what to do *right* in a category romance.

Rating:
Summary: Storyline from Publisher
Review: BREAKING DOWN THE WALLS

She was the sole survivor of the deadly game of a serial killer - a man who'd ensnared women and eluded police for far too long. And since her daring escape from his evil clutches, ex-cop and bestselling crime writer Maggie Reyes had remained locked in her beach house, paralyzed with fear until "the Surgeon" was caught.

Then Billy Corrigan came to her, demanding her help. For the sexy FBI agent, catching "the Surgeon" wasn't just a job, it was personal. So Maggie reluctantly agreed to work with him, but soon found renewed strength wrapped in Billy's arms. And as the killer closed in, Billy swore he'd lay his own life on the line if it meant freeing beautiful Maggie from her self-made prison....

Rating:
Summary: Maximum Enjoyment!!
Review: Ever since reading ISABELA'S DREAMS, I have anxiously awaited Tracy Montoya's next book -- and MAXIMUM SECURITY was well worth the wait. Great characters, compelling plot, sizzling chemistry -- Ms. Montoya captured it all. From the first page I was hooked and couldn't put it down. Billy and Maggie will steal your heart with their haunted souls that can only be healed by the other. I highly recommend MAXIMUM SECURITY.

Rating:
Summary: Maximum Enjoyment!!
Review: Ever since reading ISABELA'S DREAMS, I have anxiously awaited Tracy Montoya's next book -- and MAXIMUM SECURITY was well worth the wait. Great characters, compelling plot, sizzling chemistry -- Ms. Montoya captured it all. From the first page I was hooked and couldn't put it down. Billy and Maggie will steal your heart with their haunted souls that can only be healed by the other. I highly recommend MAXIMUM SECURITY.

Rating:
Summary: Maximum Page Turning Enjoyment!
Review: Maggie Reyes physically survived her attack by a serial killer, but mentally? She's still trapped in the horror of the experience, just as she's trapped inside the safety of her house, living in anonymity. Isolated from the world. But now the killer's found her. So has Billy Corrigan. He wants her help capturing "The Surgeon." For him this isn't part of his FBI job...it's personal. Together they work to bring down a murderer even as these two wounded souls start to heal each other.

A gripping story! Tracy Montoya's debut for Harlequin's Intrigue line will keep you turning pages!

Rating:
Summary: Maximum Page Turning Enjoyment!
Review: Maggie Reyes physically survived her attack by a serial killer, but mentally? She's still trapped in the horror of the experience, just as she's trapped inside the safety of her house, living in anonymity. Isolated from the world. But now the killer's found her. So has Billy Corrigan. He wants her help capturing "The Surgeon." For him this isn't part of his FBI job...it's personal. Together they work to bring down a murderer even as these two wounded souls start to heal each other.

A gripping story! Tracy Montoya's debut for Harlequin's Intrigue line will keep you turning pages!