5 Wine Glass #Review of Threat of Danger by Dana Marton

 

Title: Threat of Danger
Series: Mission Recovery #2
Author: Dana Marton
Format: Kindle Edition, 298 pages
Published: June 5th 2018 by Montlake Romance
ISBN: ASIN: B075JJTS1W
Links: Goodreads | Amazon | B&N
Reviewer: Linda
Source: NetGalley
Rating: 5 out of 5 Wine Glasses

Falling in love can be a deadly proposition in this pulse-quickening Mission Recovery novel from the New York Times bestselling author.

Jess Taylor and Derek Daley were in the throes of first love in a small Vermont town when they were kidnapped by a serial killer. They escaped his clutches—but not the trauma of the unsolved crime. With their lives changed forever and their romance cut short, they went their separate ways to exorcise their fears.

Jess is living on the edge as Hollywood’s hottest stuntwoman. It’s no longer terror thrumming through her veins. It’s adrenaline. Derek is a former Navy SEAL spinning his ordeals into heart-pounding bestselling thrillers. But when Jess is called home on a family emergency, she must face the past—and face the man she left behind, who is just as haunted and, like her, still so much in love.

Now, as an old flame reignites, Jess and Derek are taking advantage of second chances and putting their bad memories behind them. But here, in the quiet town of Taylorville, a killer is getting a second chance as well. 

Linda's Thoughts:
Guilt was a living, breathing thing. Guilt could tie you tighter than ropes, and he should know. He had extensive experience with both. He’d been the captive of a madman, along with Jess, for three days that had felt like an eternity. Then, this past year, he’d been a POW in Afghanistan, the prisoner of insurgents, for six torturous months. Yet it had been the three days with Jess that had broken him in ways the insurgents could never accomplish.

Threat of Danger by Dana Marton is both romantic and chilling. It is set in the small town of Taylorville, Vermont, and recounts the tale of two sweet and innocent young lovers who are kidnapped and assaulted by a serial killer. They are extremely lucky and survive – and go on to live separate lives, individually stronger from their ordeal. Until one day, they meet up again in their hometown where the killer has never been caught.

Threat of Danger is the second installment in Dana’s Mission Recovery series, but it can be fully enjoyed as a stand alone read. There’s only a quick mention in passing of the hero and heroine from the first book within this tale so there’s no reason not to jump right in with this fabulous read if that is your preference.

This story focuses on Hollywood stuntwoman Jess Taylor and ex-Navy SEAL and author Derek Daley. As a teenager, Derek was Jess’ dreamboat. Sadly, on their first real date, they were kidnapped by a psychopath. Over three days, she was tortured while Derek was tied down and forced to watch.  They were both understandably crushed by the experience. Shortly after, Jess fled from every reminder of her previous life to LA where she attended therapy and became a successful stuntwoman, gaining focus and strength. However, when Jess’ mother falls, she reluctantly returns home after a decade away to be there for her and to keep the family’s maple syrup business on track.

Derek also left the area after their life-changing experience. He joined the Navy and the SEAL program.  His military career came to an abrupt end after a helicopter crash which also involved six months as a POW. He returned home and took up writing as a form of therapy which then morphed into a career as a bestselling author of thrillers. When he learned that Jess has returned home to assist her mother while she recuperates, he fears that the woman he’s always loved will be hurt by the plans he has set in place.

Sadly, all these years later, young girls are still disappearing and the aura of danger is pervasive. Will the two defeat their demons once and for all and can their romance be rekindled?

Threat of Danger is told from the POV of both the villain and the captives thus taking readers into the mind of a disturbed individual while painting a picture of his victims’ perseverance. You can feel the connection between Derek and Jess from the get-go. Their characters are richly developed and easy to connect to. I liked how Dana intentionally incorporated coping techniques in their tale. For instance, her trainer taught her “restate and reframe” stunts, which evolved to become her life’s mantra.

Following please find a few of my favorite lines from Threat of Danger:

Within the magnificent cathedral of the Vermont forest, the joy of young love sang.
---

The bones changed everything.
---

“You can’t see it, but you gave me a raging hard-on.”
“One-track mind.”
“It’s a good track.”
---

“I’m a Navy SEAL. Nobody will hear me coming.”

Dana is one of my favorite authors. She writes exceptional stories in multiple genres. Notably, one of her books has placed in my list of top ten favorite reads each year since I discovered her.

If the word “rape” is a major trigger for you, you may want to veer away from this read.  Just know that the author doesn’t dwell upon the event. Yes, parts of the story are hard to read. Violence against women does occur. But, know that the emphasis herein is not on being a victim, but on dealing with the aftermath, and becoming a stronger person after going through a traumatic near-death experience. Dana handles the episode in a sensitive and thoughtful way.

Threat of Danger is an intense, emotional and inspirational read about second chances. It is teeming with love and forgiveness and ranks as another hit out of the ballpark for me. As the story opens, their past is admittedly darkly tragic, but their future is yet to be written. I highly recommend Threat of Danger to anyone who enjoys well-written and perfectly-plotted romantic thrillers.



Suggested Reading Order:
Book #1 Silent Threat
Book #2 Threat of Danger