Ring Around the Rosie
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Revenge is a dish best served cold . . .
As the ex-wife of a law enforcement officer, Sarah Reed has known loneliness and loss. In order to cope, she makes a life for herself that's full of routine while building a wall of ice around her heart. Everything about her is as predictable as she can make it until a tiny detour for her ex-husband, Ron, changes her life forever. Caught in a bomb crisis, Sarah is taken hostage by a man who wants Ron and everyone around him to suffer---and his idea of suffering is more terrible than Sarah had ever dreamed.
Captain Ron Reed has seen the worst of humanity in his job with the Hostage Negotiation Team, but he never expected his past to come back with a vengeance---literally. Aaron Starks, a criminal explosives expert, has stolen next-gen bomb technology and uses it to force Ron to bargain for the lives of his team and his ex-wife, Sarah, the woman he still loves. But the situation escalates when Ron discovers that Starks has an even bigger objective in mind---using the bomb to show how vulnerable America and her people truly are.
Ron is willing to risk everything to save his country and those he loves, but when negotiations break down, will his sacrifice be too little too late?
I LOVE Julie Coulter Bellon's books and this series is amazing!! I love romantic suspense and she writes it well! This book literally starts with a bang. The night before Claire's wedding, the team meets up at their favorite diner for dinner. Captain Ron Reed's ex-wife Sarah shows up, very upset that he asked her to bring the Corvette he inherited from her grandmother. He pulls her aside to go back to his office to talk about it in private and as they're leaving, a bomb goes off and then the entire team is taken hostage. Sarah's never been in a situation like this but it gives her a chance to understand Ron better and the way his team works together. It also puts them in a tense situation with the man who was the main cause of the breakup of their marriage five years ago.
I had a difficult time putting this book down until I was finished. I love the dialog and plot pacing. It's never slow and I was curious to see how they would get out of the tight spots they were in. Ron and Sarah were able to see each other in a different light and understand what had happened to break up their marriage. They've had five years to think about it and realize where they each went wrong.
Aaron Starks is a great bad guy! He was scary, evil and easy to hate. He knew Ron well and was out for revenge. He also had something else motivating him and Ron needed to figure out what it was before it was too late.
I loved catching up with the rest of the team to get an update on their relationships. I'm sad to see this series come to an end. This is a book that stands on it's own but you will miss out on some of the history between the characters if you haven't read the first three. Whether you enjoy romantic suspense or not, this is a must-read series and is well worth your time!
My Rating=5 stars
*I received a copy from the author for review. My opinion is 100% my own.*
Excerpt
Her words were cut off by a blast of hot air and fire, an explosion so large it blew them all backward. Ron hit the floor hard and lay there dazed and groggy. Glass and debris rained down. Confetti-sized menus and napkins floated like snowflakes in slow motion all around him. For a second the entire world was a silent tunnel with him at the end of it. It would be so easy to just close his eyes and let the blackness suck him down into unconsciousness. But he couldn’t. Not yet. Get up. Get everyone out.
“Sarah?” he croaked. He tried again. “Sarah?” His legs felt like lead and the urge to just lie back was stronger than ever. No. Keep moving. “Claire?” He coughed and tried to catch a breath, but couldn’t get the oxygen to his lungs. With a shallow intake of air, he turned over on his stomach and used his arms to raise himself to a sitting position. The inside of the diner looked like a destructive madman had rearranged it. The booths were toppled or stacked on top of each other. The hostess station was next to him now. The only thing that was still standing where it had before the blast was the four walls, the ceiling, and the antique counter. “Sarah,” he called again. “Bart? Colby?” The little girl. Was she still in the back with her mother?
No one answered. Where is everyone? He crawled forward. Sarah had been nearly right beside him. Now there was no sign of her. He rubbed his eyes and coughed. Moving slowly, he prayed she was alive. It didn’t take long to find her sandwiched between an overturned booth bench and the podium for the hostess station. With some effort he managed to maneuver close to her, the adrenaline kicking in as his blood pounded through his system. Don’t let her be dead. Not like this.
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* Praise for Ring Around the Rosie
"Julie Coulter Bellon proves once again she is a master at capturing her audience from the very first page . . . Unlike most suspense novels, the most suspenseful portion of Ring Around the Rosieis the first two thirds of the book . . . Suspense readers as well as anyone who just enjoys an absorbing story will enjoy this one." ---Jennie Hansen, Meridian Magazine
Julie Coulter Bellon is one of my favorite romantic suspense writers, and this book is her best so far! It charters deep emotions and a complex plot. At the same time it traces the resurrection of a marriage. It has good writing, good plotting, and a very satisfying ending. ---Award-winning romance author, G.G. Vandagriff
About the Author
Julie is married with eight children and eleven published books. She loves to travel and her favorite cities she's visited so far are probably Athens, Paris, Ottawa, and London. She would love to visit Hawaii, Australia, Ireland, and Scotland someday. She loves to read, write, teach, watch Castle, Hawaii Five-O, and eat Canadian chocolate. Not necessarily in that order.
Giveaway
Prize #1---$30 Amazon Gift Card
Prize #2---Booklovers Basket
Prize #3---Four Book Set of Hostage Negotiation Team series
Ends 9/15/14
