Revell Blog Tour: My Review of Fatal Judgment

Here's a description of the book from Revell:

"U.S. Marshal Jake Taylor has seen plenty of action during his years in law enforcement. But he'd rather go back to Iraq than face his next assignment: protection detail for federal judge Liz Michaels. His feelings toward the coldhearted workaholic haven't warmed in the five years since she drove her husband--and Jake's best friend--to despair . . . and possible suicide.

As the danger mounts and Jake gets to know Liz better, he's forced to revise his opinion of her. And when it becomes clear that an unknown enemy may want her dead, the stakes are raised. Because now both her life--and his heart--are in danger.

Full of suspense and romance, Fatal Judgment launches a thrilling series featuring three siblings bound by blood and a passion for justice."

My Review:

To be honest, it is with embarrassment that I write this review. I confess to not having read all the way through Fatal Judgment, and not through any fault on the book's part. I read almost 100 pages before I fell into temptation and skipped ahead. It is a very bad habit of mind, and I do it far more often than I would like to admit. In some cases, I can just skip a little ahead at a time, and I still feel like there's surprise waiting later while being satisfied in knowing that romance is around the bend.

But in this case, the whole story revolves around one specific situation, and by skipping ahead in search of more action, I ended up reading the climatic scene. And because of that, I lost my inspiration to go back and fully read the scenes leading up to that climax.

And now I must make a second embarrassing confession: I'm not a huge fan of romantic suspense. Knowing this, I realize that it was not the wisest decision to request to review such a book, especially when I have so much else on my plate anyway.

I will say, though, that from what I read this book is well-written and contains a lot of romantic tension. I didn't really feel like there was a lot of action, in that most of the story came from interactions between Jake and Liz while Jake was trying to keep Liz protected (ie: sequestered away from the rest of the world). However, in the parts I read leading up to that intense climax, there was enough tension and romantic conflict to keep the story flowing.

I don't know if I'm qualified to say much more than that. I apologize for not having a more thorough review.

*With thanks to Revell for providing me with a copy of the book in exchange for my honest opinion. My sincerest apologies to the publisher for not being more responsible in my book choice and in my reading of the book.*

Note: Because I didn't finish the book, and because I think that there are others out there who would really enjoy a good romantic suspense, I would like to pass my copy on to one of my readers. So, if you would like a chance to win this book, please say so in your comment and include your e-mail address. You must have a U.S. or Canadian mailing address. I will announce the winner on Thursday, February 3rd.