Synopsis
Rachel Dennehy had a crazy thought. If she could just start over somewhere else, she could forget about her sad and tragic past and all the ghosts that chased her. When an email landed in her inbox, to tutor a difficult student whose father just happened to be the CEO of one of the biggest companies in the nation, the apple was a bit too enticing for Rachel to refuse. She moves from Texas to Beverly Hills, where she is tasked with turning around her wealthy pupil’s bad attitude. It is a bad attitude that stems almost entirely from his parents’ ugly divorce and even uglier custody battle. That her new boss Andrew, or Drew, Fullerton is one of the handsomest and most eligible bachelors in the world means nothing to Rachel. She has absolutely no plans to ever marry or have kids of her own. Her priority is teaching nine-year-old Jonathan, who needs her guidance and her direction and… most importantly… her friendship.Drew’s brother, Alex, however, assumes otherwise. He basically accuses her of being a gold-digging opportunist upon their first meeting. This sets the two immediately at odds, though they both have young Jonathan’s best interest at heart. Alex believes that Rachel is a “ringer,” a wholesome alternative to edge Jonathan’s socialite mother out of the running for custody, since she left Drew after her own salacious affair with a younger man. He wastes no time in telling Rachel that as long as she stays in her job, she will keep Jonathan from his real mother, and that is the driving force behind Drew’s interest. Unfortunately the more he tries to warn her away from Drew, the closer he ultimately propels her toward her charming boss. Drew never questions her motivation or her presence because Jonathan thrives under her tutelage, and Drew is beguiled by her no-nonsense attitude that challenges him from the start.Rachel navigates these choppy waters solely to protect Jonathan. She sees the adults in the family as self-serving; most of whom are far more interested in hurting each other than taking care of this fragile, vulnerable boy. Her heart traps her into this sticky web, despite her own history of loss and betrayal. How long will she last? More importantly, what will she be required to give to save these Fullerton men who continually tug her in three different directions?
The saga begins with the first book, titled “Enticed,” due to release in early 2014. Author Ginger Voight returns to the dream-making landscape of Los Angeles, in a new tale that throws back the curtain on the dangerous power, appeal and excess of the privileged. Only by the time this tale is done, one principle character will pay the ultimate price as they all race toward that elusive happily ever after.
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Review
***Arc was provided by author in exchange for an honest review***
Enticed is a fantastic read. Ginger Voight is a prolific writer; she has the ability to lure readers into her stories with her fast paced storytelling and complex characters. I was hooked from the start with the story of Rachel, Jonathan, and the Fullerton family. It’s a love story with a twist because it is so much more than the love between a man and a woman. It’s about the love or lack thereof between father and son; brother and brother; mother and son; uncle and nephew; and finally, the love between a woman who suffered a great loss in her past and a 9 year old boy who feels like everyone leaves him. This story is both heartbreaking and heartwarming. It clearly shows what can happen when a family is torn apart by divorce, betrayals, and loss.
The definition of entice is to attract someone by offering or showing something that is appealing, interesting, etc. At the beginning of the story, our heroine, Rachel Dennehy, a middle school teacher in Texas, decides to accept a job from Drew Fullerton, multi-millionaire businessman due to his attractive offer of a six figure income, the opportunity to move across country, and a 9 year old little boy who captures her heart in less than two days. For Rachel, Jonathan is her first priority. She is so much more than his teacher, and he thrives under her direction. In fact, both Drew and Jonathan are able to experience a life worth living after so much devastation and bitterness.
But even as Rachel finally feels like she is a part of the Fullerton family, information is brought to light that destroys any connection she feels to Drew and her life in Los Angeles, and Rachel finds herself breaking “Rule #5: I never break my promises. Ever.”
Rachel is such a compassionate and insightful heroine. She has suffered tremendous loss, but due to those circumstances, she is able to be empathetic rather than bitter and jaded. She holds strong to her convictions and fights tooth and nail for what she believes in. She doesn’t allow herself or Jonathan to be railroaded due to the Fullerton family drama. She understands Jonathan after only being with him a short amount of time. She puts him first at all costs.
Drew is the ultimate alpha business man. He is a multifaceted character; at this point, though, I can’t call him the hero…it is still unclear if his change of heart is real. He openly admits that he fights dirty and to win, so readers and those characters around him are unable to tell what is fact or fiction. For most of the story, I wanted to shake him for leaving Jonathan so much – regardless of how big a business he has to run – family should ALWAYS come first.
Drew’s brother, Alex, is just as dominating as Drew, but he unlike his brother, Alex puts Jonathan first. He has a fantastic relationship with his nephew and only wants what is best for him, which means, he doesn’t care who he tramples along the way. He is just as devious as Drew is, so I’m not clear on his true agenda.
And then there’s Jonathan. My heart breaks for this little boy who is thrust in the middle of his parents’ nasty divorce. He feels so alone and acts out just to stop the adults from yelling at each other. He is starving for attention, and he gets that from Rachel, but his insecurities and frustrations are never far from the surface.
Enticed is a dynamic tale about what happens when a family falls apart due to divorce, rivalry, and bitterness. At the heart of the story is the love between Rachel and Jonathan. They respond to each other so easily; their connection is so strong. I can’t wait to find out what happens in Book 2 – Entangled.
4.5 poison apples!
Excerpt
“Maybe I’m keeping you too busy,” he mused as his eyes scanned my face. “A young woman such as yourself must have certain… needs.”
I shook my head. “You know better than that, Drew.”
“Do I?” he asked softly. “You’re human, flesh and blood. Certainly there are moments when you simply yearn for the touch of another.”
His voice was low and hypnotic. It stirred that very longing as if summoning it from the dead. “Listen, Drew…about what you saw…”
He flung the expensive jewelry onto my crumbled bedcovers. He stepped close enough to pull me towards him. “Tell me, Rachel,” he continued as he fit my body against his hardening contours, “do you long to be held? To be kissed?” He bent toward me and whispered, “To be taken?”
My brain scrambled as he lifted me up to crush his mouth on mine. It was every dream realized, though I was blissfully conscious. I groaned under him as he parted my lips and dominated my mouth. Every alarm in my head sounded, but my treacherous body ignored each and every one as it strained for him with a hunger so strong I was powerless to control it.
His fingers wound in my hair as he stole the very breath from my lungs with each kiss. His mouth dragged to my neck, his breath hot in his ear. “Tell me you want me, Rachel.”
I shuddered against him. “Drew…”
“Tell me,” he begged in a hoarse whisper as his hands slid down the arch of my back and over the curve of my hip.
My hands braced on his chest, but instead of pushing myself away, my palms delighted in how solid and real he felt. It sent a jolt through my entire body. “I don’t want you,” I eked out in a pitiful whisper.
“Liar,” he growled as he picked me up into his arms and carried me around to the bed. He followed me down onto the firm mattress.
About the Author
Ginger Voight is prolific author, freelance writer and optioned screenwriter. Her fiction is diverse, with novels like the edgy, coming-of-age drama DIRTY LITTLE SECRETS, and the fun family adventure for kids of all ages, COMIC SQUAD.Having grown up reading different authors like Danielle Steel and Stephen King, Ginger has always been drawn more to story than to genre. This shows up in her various stories. Titles such as MY IMMORTAL and TASTE OF BLOOD are a delicious, heady mix of horror, suspense, and romance.Genre romance, however, has held a special place in her heart, ever since she read her first Harlequin novel when she was only eleven. As a result, Ginger is making a name for herself writing romances of her own, starring women who look more like the average American woman rather than those traditionally represented in the size-biased American media. Her Rubenesque romances were created especially for those heroines with fuller figures, who can still get the man of their dreams if only they believe they can. Such titles include UNDER TEXAS SKIES, LOVE PLUS ONE, THE GROUPIE TRILOGY, THE FIERCE TRILOGY and PICTURE POSTCARDS.Ginger was included in the best-selling book by Smith Magazine NOT QUITE WHAT I WAS PLANNING, featuring her six-word memoir.
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