And Able

I've become a fan of Lucy Monroe, so I grabbed And Able when I saw it. It's a bit of a mixed read: 3 out of 5.

Claire Sharp trusts few people and relies on no one. But after her life is threatened, ex-mercenary Brett Adams blows into her self-contained world, full of southern charm, rugged good looks, and enough sexual experience to write a how-to manual . . . experience he makes it clear he'd like to use on Claire. She wants help fighting the bad guys, but she's not about to fall into Brett's bed. For one thing, the guy has a no-commitment clause that would stump most big-shot attorneys, and for another, despite her response to his sensual kisses, in Claire's experience sex isn't exactly fireworks and brass bands. Definitely not worth getting too excited over . . .

Brett plans to prove her wrong. He's never felt such a powerful combination of lust and friendship with a woman. He'll give her a white-hot pleasure like nothing she's ever known and she'll realize that some things in life are worth every risk. When the threat to Claire grows dangerously close, pitting them against deadly odds, Brett will do whatever it takes to save her. Because Claire Sharp has just found herself a man who's ready to bring it on, willing to do what it takes, and able to go the distance . . .

And Able is nicely written and features Monroe's trademark emotional storytelling. She has a way of getting you to care about her characters quickly; not every writer can do that.

Yet even as I was becoming engrossed in Brett and Claire's story, I found it a bit too predictable. After one scene between the two, I thought, "This is how their story will play out." And I was right.

Now, you expect a happily-ever-after ending from romance; that's not the kind of predictability I'm talking about. I mean I anticipated several plot points before they happened, and this lessened the effect of the story for me.

I do like Monroe's books, though, so this won't keep me from buying them.