Contemporary
The Thorn Brothers, Book 2 - Riptide Love
By Chrissy Dionne
Oct 4, 2008 - 5:33:52 PM

Ethan Thorn rarely remembers the faces of those he saves in the line of duty as a rescue swimmer but his latest rescue brings him face to face with a woman he could never forget.  Their encounter years before destroyed life as he knew it and he’s always regretted the wayhe’d ended things with her and the fact that he’s never had the guts to admit to his brother what he’d done.

Denae ‘De’ Button comes from a background most people would never understand.  She regrets many things she’s done but isn’t about to apologize for the time she spent with Ethan.  She knows she shouldn’t have done it, after all she was engaged at the time.  Her time with Ethan started out as simply a fun weekend fling but it became so much more. By the time either of them realized that her fiancé is his brother, Miller, it was too late, and the damage had already been done. 
 
Being rescued by Ethan has many repercussions for De.  She’s kept a secret for the past three years that as it turns out is one of the best things to ever happen to her – she gave birth to Ethan’s son, Nathan.  He just wasn’t aware of the fact that he has a son until her friend brings the little boy into the hospital room.  De’s done her best to raise her son alone but can’t deny that she’d like for Nathan to know his father.  She’s just afraid of how his family will react to her reappearance in their lives after she’d caused such havoc on them.  As it turns out there are other issues facing the Thorn family that have them off kilter and out of sorts and De and Nathan are simply accepted into the family.  Miller is furious however, not because De and Ethan had an affair, but because Ethan never ‘fessed up.
 
Ethan can’t deny the pride he feels in the knowledge that he has a son.  What he can’t figure out is what to do about Denae.  He is completely oblivious to her background and therefore unaware of the truth about his Miller and her engagement. The passion between De and Ethan has never diminished and it once again begins to pull them under in the riptide of passion which they’ve tried to deny – but once pulled under… well, there’s nothing to do but ‘go with the flow.’
 
RIPTIDE LOVE is the second book in Melissa Lopez’s THE THORNS series. Shockingly intense at some points and poignantly sweet at others RIPTIDE LOVE really fulfilled every expectation I had when I picked up this book.  I love how the outback dialect is infused throughout the storyline and the unique phrases that we don’t normally hear when you live elsewhere.  It allows readers to get the sense of really being in Australia and knowing the characters.  In my review for BOOMERANG LOVE I mentioned my fascination with Miller.  I have to tell you I haven’t wavered on needing to know more about him.  We did get to know more about him in this story but I’m already jealous of the sheila who captures his heart and will definitely be on the lookout for his story. Fortunately we won’t have long to wait because his story TRUE BLUE LOVE is due to be released on December 30, 2008.


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