Out of Control

This review is dedicated to Wendy.

Some authors you like because they write interesting variations of a character or story. Others you like because every story seems completely different. I thought that Shannon McKenna might fall into the former category; then I read Out of Control. While still steamy (you saw the smoke coming from my direction, right?) and not completely different, this story offers a nice change of pace from McKenna's previous books: 4 out of 5.

Don't misunderstand me; I'm not talking about a radically different book here. Out of Control contains all the things I love about McKenna's writing: steamy and emotional sex, intriguing suspense, gripping drama. Did I mention the steamy and emotional sex?

A brief summary: Davy McCloud is phasing out his P.I. business when Margot, an aerobics instructor who works next to his martial arts studio, comes to him with a problem. She's being stalked.

Davy knows there's more to Margot's story. He was instantly attracted to her when she started working next door. He put his P.I. knowledge to work by doing a background check, only to discover that she's not what she seems.

What's different about Out of Control are the characters. While protective, Davy McCloud is a bit less alpha than her previous heros. And Margot isn't as innocent as some of her heroines. Some critics have said that McKenna's heroines are pushovers; I don't agree with this assessment--Raine from Behind Closed Doors, for example, is more than a match for Seth. Whatever your opinion on this subject, Margot isn't a pushover in any sense.

Characters from the previous books make appearances here, but I don't think you need to have read them to follow this story. For readers who have, it's nice to see Raine and Seth, Connor and Erin, and Sean (the last single McCloud brother) again. If you haven't read the books, don't worry that Out of Control falls prey to sequel-itis. The previous characters play important, if minor, roles in the story.

Another intriguing difference in this book is the sex. Readers of the previous books will remember the multipage sex scenes. There's no lack of sex in this book--and have I mentioned that it's steamy, emotional, and complicated?--but many of the encounters aren't as long. If you're a fan of the heat, though, there's still plenty of it here.

As I've mentioned before, I was disappointed in Return to Me, but Out of Control shows McKenna back in fine form.

Alyssa