A Chance in the Night - Kimberly Van Meter
Harlequin Superromance
Harlequin, 2011
ISBN: 9780373717002
N.B. This is a North American release.
My rating
From the back cover:
"Skye D'Lane isn't looking for a hero. She stopped believing in dreams a long time ago—that's what got her trapped in a lifestyle she never wanted. Even sexy Christian Holt sweeping in and rescuing her from danger can't convince her to take another chance on love.
Christian never planned on being anybody's hero, especially someone like Skye. He's spent most of his life trying to outrun his own painful past, but he can't get her out of his mind. If Christian can help Skye escape her situation, maybe he can save not only her life, but her heart, too. And maybe this could be a second chance for a new life, for both of them."
If you read this blog regularly you may remember that the last two books I read from the Superromance line left me feeling somewhat down in the dumps, and for that reason I have avoided reading any more. But I thought I would give this one and go... it was not at all what I was expecting.
The hero Christian and the heroine Skye meet when Christian saves her life when she is savagely beaten by her 'date' for the evening, and takes her back to his to rest. Skye is thankful to Christian for saving her but leaves before he wakes as she doesn't want to drag him into the mess that is her life. Skye is a high-dollar escort, whom is trapped into this lifestyle by Belleni, a very evil man who is also the father of her beloved son. Skye has tried to escape with her son many times but has always been caught and punished, but after the attack and especially when Belleni begins to show that he wants even more from her, she knows she has to get out now. Christian doesn't forget Skye and when he sees her again, by chance, with her son he knows that he wants to help her. Christian and Skye spend time together and he tries hard to make her trust him and open up. And when Skye comes to him with fear in her eyes asking for his help to get her and her son out of town, he's more than willing to help.
When I said that this book was not what I was expecting, I meant it! A heroine who is a prostitute is very surprising, and when I started reading it to say I was sceptical is an understatement! But, as I read on I found myself enjoying it and accepting everything that went with the two characters. It is very brave of the author, especially in a romance, and it certainly made me think about the harsh realities of life. Christian is a wonderful hero; he is so open and kind, as well as just a little tortured by his bad childhood and his feelings towards Skye. I really felt for these two characters, both of them are strong but lost, and I felt they really deserved to find happiness with one another.
The writing is very smooth but there are a couple of things I didn't like about the book. First is that it was never really explained how Skye first got involved and trapped in her lifestyle, which is a bit frustrating. Secondly, there were random small snippets of POV from the two 'baddies', but these lacked depth and didn't really add to the story, it would have been better if there was more or non at all.
Nevertheless, this is a surprisingly enjoyable book with a wonderful blend of love and reality.
Xx
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