Dangerous Beauty

Liliana Vela is no fragile flower. She may have been seized and taken against her will, with her family left dead behind her, but she isn't just going to bemoan the unfairness of it all. She finds a way to break free of her captors and run, but they're closing in on her. A fortuitous encounter at a truck stop sees her rescued, her captors in custody, and Meric Toledan asking her to trust him and marry him so he can keep her safe. Meric happened to be in the right place at the right time, and he didn't hesitate to do the right thing. But is this just a marriage of convenience, or can Liliana and Meric work through their pasts to find something more?

Melissa Koslin grabbed my attention with this story from the get-go. The tension started on page one and remained nearly constant, with moments where it ramped up big time. Even when she was doing something seemingly simple like leaving the apartment to get a bite to eat, the tension is still lurking. I felt like I was always on the edge of my seat, just waiting for that other shoe to drop, waiting for the bad guys to jump out and grab Liliana.

Liliana is so much more than just a fragile flower, and it frustrates her that Meric seems almost to shy away from her or shut her out. She doesn't know, though, that he's battling his own demons. He fears that if he lets his emotions show, he'll lose control, like the father he never knew but who hurt his mother so badly. Yet even as he resists his attraction to her, he does his best to keep her safe, to protect her from the wealthy buyer who's determined not to let the prize – Liliana – escape. When Liliana volunteers to go in and try to help rescue other trafficked women, Meric is beside himself. But I love that she's willing to put herself back in harm's way for the good of others, and I love that Meric is willing to let her do it, but still does his best to protect her without blowing her cover. They are both such good, decent, likable characters, I couldn't help but cheer for them.

Koslin does an excellent job of drawing out the suspense, and the big reveal near the end of the book was quite a surprise to me! I knew something was not quite right with the characters that turned out to be the Big Bad, but I couldn't put my finger on it before all came to light.

Dangerous Beauty deals human trafficking, and it's a timely and difficult topic. Here in my part of the world, Interstate 10 is a major trafficking corridor. I'm glad there are people who are trying to make a difference and shut it down. I think Koslin addresses it in a way that is as sensitive as it can be while still painting an accurate picture of the ugliness of the situation.

Content matters to be aware of: there are some violent scenes that are part of the story, because the traffickers are violent men, and sometimes the good guys have to fight fire with fire. I didn't feel like any of the violence was gratuitous or overly graphic, though. The romance is clean and doesn't go beyond some steamy kisses. There are mentions of faith, and Liliana trusts in God and asks for His help.

Overall, Dangerous Beauty was a timely and thoroughly engrossing book. The story is well constructed, the good guys are good (if conflicted sometimes), the bad guys are obviously bad (and some worse than others), and good wins the day. It was tough to put down, and I lost sleep over it.

If you want a clean, compelling read with characters you can cheer for, I highly recommend Dangerous Beauty. Five stars for keeping me up past my bedtime.