Reviewer: Debbie Nahom
Title: The Arrangement
Author: Suzanne Forster
Publisher: MIRA
ISBN: 10 - 0778324265 / 13 - 978-0778324263
Release Date: May 2007
Genre/Sub-genre: Romantic Suspense
Year/Setting: Present Day San Diego, CA
Overall Rating: 5.0
Sexual Content Rating: Sensual/Sexual
Language (Profanity/Slang) Content Rating: Mild
Violent Content Rating: Minimal/Moderate in a couple of scenes
Suzanne's Website:
www.suzanneforster.com
The women in Andrew Villard’s life always seem to meet with unfortunate and untimely fates. So, when Andrew’s wife, Alison, is presumed dead after a boating accident, Andrew is the number one suspect. Andrew insists he didn’t kill his wife and sets out to find some clue as to what happened to her. The last thing Andrew expects to find in his search is Alison herself, but he does find her….alive, brutally beaten, and almost completely unrecognizable.
After six months and several surgeries, Alison Fairmont Villard is physically restored almost to normal but is emotionally crippled. She has what her husband calls transient amnesia. She remembers certain things about her life but details fade in and out. Most importantly, she doesn’t remember her husband at all. But, with no friends or family near; Alison has little choice but to trust Andrew and everything he tells her about her past and their life together. Alison isn’t comfortable with blind trust, though, and when her memory returns, what comes flooding to the surface may be more than she can handle.
Although Andrew seems to be innocent of Alison’s attempted murder, it’s probable that someone did try to kill her, so she and Andrew set out on a mission to have questions answered, having no choice but to join forces, even though they’re not sure if they can trust one another. In their quest for answers, they end up in Alison’s home town of Mirage Bay, California and cross paths with a psychotic FBI agent out to avenge his brother’s death. Alison also discovers some terrifying family secrets that should have remained hidden.
The Arrangement is a whirlwind of drama, suspense, and romance that had me intrigued from page one. I found myself feeling about Andrew and Alison, the way they felt about each other; wanting to trust and believe in one another but painfully aware of the deadly secrets lurking beneath the surface. I constantly wondered what surprise hid in the shadows.
I expected many twists and turns in The Arrangement and was not disappointed. Nothing in this book was predictable. And, even though Alison and Andrew were the primary focus, the supporting players were integral to the plot and had stories of their own that were seamlessly interwoven with the mystery surrounding Alison’s accident. Each secondary character was crucial to the story and its outcome, and although I didn’t like most of them, each was an important piece to the puzzle.
This book is a suspense thriller, with the romance being secondary. Make no mistake, though, there is romance and it’s hot! The love scenes were sexy, romantic, and steamy without being overwhelming.
I enjoyed The Arrangement immensely and highly recommend it. I’m excited to get started on Suzanne Forster’s backlist.
Debbie
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