Sunday, February 23, 2014

Book Review : Circle of Desire (The Circle, #1) by Carla Swafford



Circle of Desire
The Circle, #1
by 
Carla Swafford

Published:
Nov. 8th, 2011

Publisher:
Avon Impulse

Source:
Publisher

Synopsis:

She Knew How To Fight But Not To Love ...

As the top assassin at The Circle, a shadowy group of mercenaries, Olivia St. Vincent can hunt down anyone. She's been trained since she was a teenager to kill without feeling, to interact with men without love. But when she's kidnapped by the enigmatic leader of a rival organization, she learns she's been lied to for years. She never worked for the good guys.

Collin Ryker believes the sultry woman he's abducted knows more than she's telling about The Circle and its plans for complete domination. Over time, as they work together, Olivia's tenacity and vulnerability captivate him. But if he isn't careful, Collin will fall into the biggest trap of all: caring for a woman who can betray him to his greatest enemy.




 The Circle Series


The Circle of Desire (The Circle, #1)
Goodreads | Amazon | B & N | Kobo

The Circle of Danger (The Circle, #2)
Goodreads | Amazon | B & N | Kobo

The Circle of Deception (The Circle, #3)
Goodreads | Amazon | B & N | Kobo


My Review:

Intense, passionate and a real page-turner! Romantic Suspense is not a genre I usually read. I decided this year that I was going to step out of my comfort zone and try reading books that would not usually end up on my TBR list. I received the opportunity to review Circle of Desire and I took it! I am so happy I did! This story by Carla Swafford really hooked me from the first page!

Circle of Desire is the first installment in The Circle Series. This is the story of Olivia St-Vincent and Collin Ryker. Olivia is an assassin for The Circle and Collin is the leader of The OS. These two organizations are are sworn enemies. Collin kidnaps Olivia with every intention of bringing The Circle down. While she is held captive, Olivia finds out that The Circle is not at all what she always thought it was. Secrets are revealed about The Circle, which leaves her taking sides with The OS and helping them with their mission. What Olivia and Collin never expected was to fall for each other and for their pasts to come back and haunt them.

Like I mentioned before, it's the first time I read a Romantic Suspense novel. I did not have any expectations going into this book, and I must admit that it left me wanting to read more books in this genre. What I liked the most about this book is that even if it's a 300+ pages book it never felt like one. It was a fast-paced read filled with lies, secrets, betrayals, passion and romance. The storyline was very well developed and the twists and turns never ended. I was surprised a few times on how the story was unfolding. Olivia and Collin have crazy hot chemistry together. OMG!!! The sexual tension for the first half of the book was INTENSE!!! The more time they were spending together the more they grew has characters. Olivia and Collin have strong personalities, which I loved!!!! Both of their pasts were a big part of this story. Olivia's life has been hell. She lived in an orphanage and a foster home. She was sexually abused and she fell into a vicious circle. Everything that happened to her has made her the person she is today. When Collin reveals the real colors and intentions of The Circle, Olivia wants a different life for herself. Her connection to Collin makes her feel things she never expected. Collin really tries hard to stay away from Olivia, but she gets under his skin like nobody ever did. I really liked all the supporting characters in this story. I could already see which characters was going to get a story next and I'm really happy that the next installments in the series are already out. 


My Rating:

I give, Circle of Desire, by Carla Swafford 3.5 erotic, intense, fast-paced, thrilling stars! Overhall I really enjoyed this story and I look forward to reading the rest of the series. Even if I really enjoyed this book, the ending was a bit rushed in my opinion and I really wanted to see more of Olivia in ''assassin'' mode.


About the Author:
Carla Swafford is a third generation storyteller and married to her high school sweetheart. She lives in Alabama. 


4 comments:

  1. Hi
    I love reading Carla's books and I've met her several times. Carla is a super sweet lady who has a wonderful sense of humor. I look forward to seeing her soon at an upcoming book signing.
    Thank you for your review and time.
    Ginger aka robertsonreads

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    Replies
    1. Awesome! I'm really happy to hear that! Thank you for stopping by Ginger! ;)

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  2. Interesting. I have not read a lot of romantic suspense myself, but I did enjoy the few that I did. I liked having action and romance together, if done right it can be fun. sounds like this one was very enjoyable and intense ;)

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  3. I agree with you, Lily! Action and Romance go well together. I'm really happy I discovered Carla's books.

    Thanks for stopping by! ;)

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