Thanks for stopping by to read my review of Dangerous Beauty by Melissa Koslin, a thrilling new romantic suspense standalone story that combines action, a great twist, and a marriage of convenience.
Liliana Vela hates the term victim. She’s not a victim, she’s a fighter. Stubborn and strong with a quiet elegance, she’s determined to take back her life after escaping the clutches of human traffickers in her poor Mexican village. But she can’t stay safely over the border in America–unless the man who aided in her rescue is serious about his unconventional proposal to marry her.
Meric Toledan was just stopping at a service station for a bottle of water. Assessing the situation, he steps in to rescue Liliana from traffickers. If he can keep his secrets at bay, his wealth and position afford him many resources to help her. But the mysterious buyer who funded her capture will not sit idly by while his prize is stolen from him.
Melissa Koslin throws you right into the middle of the action in this high-stakes thriller that poses the question: What is the price of freedom?
Dangerous Beauty by Melissa Koslin is a story that delivers in the suspense and romantic drama genres, with moments of action balanced with great depth when an impulsive marriage of convenience (!!!) grows into a situation involving secrets, risk, trust, and emotional healing — with a story twist, of course!
I thought it clever that the reader gets Liliana’s POV mostly at first, letting the mystery of Meric, his unknown business activities, and other secrets uncover slowly along with her learning of each circumstance. The reader will gradually sense his involvement in something bigger and the danger surrounding it. While the subject matter of human trafficking is a sad reality, Koslin handles its portrayal with a balance of sorrow and hopefulness in the form of the people stepping in to stop its cycle.
Liliana is an admirable and smart heroine, and I was instantly in her corner. I appreciate how she grows throughout the story, overcoming much while facing some harrowing truths. Meric hides behind an enigmatic, cold exterior, but underneath is a vulnerable and fiercely protective hero whose own past motivates his work for good. His championing of Liliana and her strengths from the very beginning had me falling for his tortured heart right along with her :).
Fans of Susan May Warren and Dani Pettrey will enjoy Koslin’s captivating writing style — this is the first book of hers I’ve read, but it won’t be the last!
Thank you to Revell Reads for the copy of this novel. This is my honest review.
The Green Mockingbird 