#BookReview: Hush by Cherry Adair - 3 Wine Glasses

Title: Hush 
Series: Lodestone Trilogy #1
Author: Cherry Adair
Format: Paperback, 416 pages
Published: April 26th 2011 by Pocket Star
ISBN: 1439153825 
Links: Goodreads | B&N | Amazon | Kindle | ARe
Source: Purchased by Reviewer
Reviewer: Crystal
Rating: 3/5

National bestselling author Cherry Adair introduces an edgy, sexy new suspense series with this exhilarating international tale of hide and seek. 

A reckless adventure in a deadly paradise. 

Thrill seekers Zakary and Gideon Stark travel the globe in search of extreme adventure, but a trip to Venezuela to jump off the world's highest falls catapults them into a perilous game of life or death where they don't know the rules. 

A one-night stand that will change his life forever. 

Kidnapped with a woman Zak knows nothing about, the brothers are held prisoner deep in the jungle. A risky, death defying escape separates them and nearly claims Zak's life . . . until his recovery reveals a baffling new sixth sense. 

An unexpected diversion with lethal consequences. 

Now, to find his missing brother, Zak and the mysterious Acadia Gray will have to out-smart, out-gun, and out-maneuver not just the brutal kidnappers but also a new player who joins the adrenaline game: a ruthless opponent who wants the Stark brothers dead at any cost.

Thoughts:
Danger and passion lurks in the jungles of Venezuela in Cherry Adair's romantic suspense novel, Hush. 

Acadia Gray is a boring Midwest woman who has always played it safe. But when she comes into some good fortune, Acadia decides to step outside her box and get a little wild. Zakary Stark was suppose to disappear after their one night together in the small Venezuelan hotel. Risk seeker and adventurer extraordinaire, Zak is everything Cady is not. But when she wakes up, she not only finds Zak still in her bed but armed men surrounding it. Kidnapped by an unknown assailant; Acadia, Zak and his brother, Gideon must make the dangerous trek through the word's most deadliest jungles. And when a chance for escape appears, find their way out of them alive. 

Hush begins after a night of wild, unrestrained love making between virtual strangers, Acadia and Zakary, and quickly develops into an all out thrill ride filled with action, danger, mystery, desire and death. Though I enjoyed this romantic suspense, there were a few issues about the story that bothered me. 

First; the recapping of the character's parental history became redundant. If the person you're romantically interested in couldn't remember that your fathered died a few months ago without constantly having to repeat the sad story then the person isn't for you. Though, I think this was more of an editing error and not a lack of interest between characters. 

Secondly; how many times do I need to read about the heroines "apricot nipples"? This phrase was beyond repetitive in the dialogue causing me never to want to eat an apricot again. Again, something that should have been pinpointed and fixed during editing.

There were a few surprises in Hush. I thought that I had figured out the villain early on but when the climax finally came a big, loud buzzer sounded because I was wrong! The twist was interesting but the entire showdown scene was a bit ridiculous and unbelievable, and I didn't like the out come of it. At all. And I hope, hope, hope, that that was not the end. *fingers crossed* There was also a paranormal element that was weaved into the plot that was intriguing but I'm not convinced that it was entirely relevant for the story. However, from what I can tell, the rest of the series is based on this sixth sense aspect so I'll try to keep an open mind about it when reading forward. Which I will eventually. ☺ 

The writing and world building was well done and I enjoyed the characters of the story. Zak was a bit of an anti-hero and the heroine stepped up big time in the crazy circumstances they were thrown into. Also, if you're familiar with the author's T-FLAC series, you might recognize a few characters.  I'm going to be looking into that series now since it is new-to-me. For my first read from Cherry Adair, Hush, was a decent story. Not great but not bad either, and like I said - I do plan on reading more.