When their beloved Nonna is attacked in her own home, the Di Luca brothers are determined to find her attacker and bring him to justice. Rafe Di Luca, owner of a high profile security company, heads up the investigation and safe keeping of his grandmother while his brothers attempt to run Bella Terra, the family resort. When a murder is uncovered at Bella Terra, it becomes clear the attack on Nonna wasn't an isolated incident.

Brooke Peterson is still shaken from finding Nonna after the attack. Enlisted to help Rafe find the attacker, Brooke finds herself falling for Rafe, again. As the tension and passion between these two former lovers ignites, so does the danger of Bella Terra's secrets. Soon everyone is aware that no one is safe when a long-ago feud involving the Di Luca family surfaces and threatens to destroy everything and everyone they love.

This was my first Christina Dodd novel and I was impressed beyond all expectations. I simply loved it! Ms. Dodd does a wonderful job giving just enough suspense without being overly detailed in some of the topics that would normally steer me away from a novel of this genre. While I correctly guessed some of the key suspects in this case, I was surprised at a few who turned out to be good instead of bad and vice versa. I enjoyed the writing style of Ms. Dodd so much that I bought two of her other novels after completing this one. Christina has a flair and unique ability to make even a traumatizing event turn sexy. I’ve included the excerpt below for your enjoyment.

This was exactly what she needed.

Taking her nail brush, he cleaned her right hand again, lightly on the skin, and then briskly under her fingernails.

He used the massage spray once more.

He washed her chest, her breast, her belly. He turned her and soaped her back, between her legs, down to her feet. Then again he used the brush on her foot, scrubbing her, rinsing her with the handheld, and washing her again.

Funny. She would have thought nothing could ever make her clean again, and yet… Rafe understood how she felt. He knew what to do. She didn’t think there was another man who could come into the shower and help her without flinching in revulsion.

He knelt at her feet. Looked up at her. “Better?” he asked.

She looked down at the suds swirling around the drain. Disappearing. She gazed at her hand, at her foot, the skin pink from a thorough scrubbing.

Fragments of thought drifted her way.

So many times on the news the reporters spoke of the discovery of a body. The story always spoke of the one who was fallen, of the deceased’s family, of the manner and motive of death. On the TV shows, the story was always about solving the crime. No one ever spoke of the shock and terror of the one who found the corpse. “Is everyone traumatized by the sight of death, or am I overreacting?” She looked down at Rafe, his blue eyed, kind, his hair glistening and curly, his skin so beautifully tanned, the water dampening it to a warm sheen….

“No,” he said. “You’re not overreacting.”

In addition to my new found love for Christina Dodd's writing, I was shocked to find this novel is part of a series which leaves you dying for more! The romance ended in a cliff hanger! Remember "Days of Our Lives" Friday afternoon cliff hangers? Well, this is just as intriguing. In the same way that soap lovers hated to wait all weekend to find out what happens next, I am in utter torment while waiting for the next addition to this series. Luckily Ms. Dodd seemed to anticipate this and was kind enough to leave a synopsis of the next novel, but I still want more! Needless to say this book was wonderful, the characters were wonderful, hot, sexy, interesting and everything they should be! I have high expectations for the rest of the series and can't wait to read what Christina has in store for the Di Luca family and Bella Terra!

~ Tiffany