REVIEW: Forsaken (Deep Connection #1)

Forsaken (Deep Connection #1), by Sierra Kincade
Publish Date: October 18, 2016
Publisher: Intermix
Format: ARC, provided by the publisher
Genre: adult contemporary/suspense romance
To Buy: Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Rating: 5 STARS

(Synopsis) Marsella Talent has been on the run for two years, ever since her father thrust a ledger into her hands and told her to run from the police swarming their family restaurant. Now, with the cops and her father’s men desperate to get their hands on the book, she knows she can never go home.

Jake never thought he’d see Marsella again, not after he helped her escape the night of the sting operation targeting her father, August Talent. So when he stumbles upon a mysterious woman named Cassie, the spitting image of Marsella, he knows he has to gain her trust to finally make up for the mistake he made years ago.

Only the closer he gets to her, the more irresistible he finds her. And soon he realizes he’ll have to make a choice—prove his loyalty by getting back the ledger, or save the woman that he’s growing to love...

Sierra Kincade is back doing what she does best - writing sexy, suspenseful stories that leave you on the edge of your seat and hot under the collar. 

Forsaken was dark and dangerous and, of course, incredibly sexy and romantic. How could it not be with a hero like Jake at the helm? A series of bad decisions and years of research have finally led him to a diner in the middle of nowhere where he has, at long last, found the elusive Marsella Talent, daughter of crime lord August Talent, and owner of a ledger that details her father's sketchy business deals. Jake's plan is simple (yeah, right) - grab the ledger by any means necessary and hand it over to the right people so he can start feeling a little good about himself again. And he has to do it before other super bad men get to it - and Marsella - first.

But, when faced with Marsella again for the first time in two years, Jake's plans go a bit awry. He wasn't prepared for how strong she was or how beautiful or how smart and resilient. Or how much she desperately needed a connection with someone again. And, luckily, Jake isn't a man too proud to admit when it's time for him to alter his plan a bit if it means protecting a woman who quickly comes to mean more to him than his reputation.

"If you need something, I'll do it. If you tell me to stop, we're done. Just because you give me some power, doesn't mean I'm going to use it against you. I'm just going to hold it until you take it back."

I can't imagine what kind of person I'd be if I had gone through what Marsella had. From the first chapter, I wanted nothing but the worst punishment for nearly all her family. Her father and sister are awful human beings, and they both treat Marsella like such crap. It's obvious that Marsella is the "good girl" in the family - the one who trusts too easily and loves too much. And she's taken advantage of because of that. Her family has ruined her ability to trust others, so be assured that Jake has to work very, very hard to gain it for himself. 

Then, Marsella spends years running, hiding and keeping to herself. She's afraid of going back because she doesn't want to be implicated in her father's crimes. But, she doesn't want to stay put because she's only living half a life in the shadows. She's stuck, and it takes Jake all but forcing her hand to get her to make a move in one direction or the other. 

Two things I can count on when it comes to Sierra Kincade - a good, suspenseful mystery and lots of steamy, sexy times. Forsaken does not disappoint in either area. Jake and Marsella are great together, with tons of chemistry and history and tension that make for crazy hot times together. And the mystery is pretty awesome too, with twists and turns that will blow your mind. 

Although Jake's and Marsella's story isn't quite over, book 2 - Forgotten - will cut from them to Marsella's brother Cole to tell the events of what happens next. I love this approach, and the fact that it involves two of the most intriguing side characters in Forsaken - Cole and MacKenzie. Bring it on.