Do you remember your first love? Tatiana does. There is just something about him. When he is with her the sun is brighter, the birds sing more beautifully, it is a feeling she wants to hang onto forever, if possible. Instead of her love fading, as so often happens in early romances, a cruel and vicious betrayal by someone she thought she knew rips love from her arms. What then? That’s the question Tatiana Branigan is struggling with in J.J. Massa’s newest novel, A Hunted Heart.

It is almost impossible for Tatiana to remember a time when she wasn’t in love with the tall, proud Von Branigan. As a mere servant’s child, Tati never expects to catch the heir’s eye, but she does. As a child he watched over her, now as a woman it is her turn to care for him. When no one else will believe in Von, she is more than ready to give him her hand and her heart.

In his bleakest moment, Von is surprised to find his little angel, his pet name for the diminutive Tatiana, by his side. Tatiana, his elfin beauty, is quick to reassure Von that he is still a wonderful man when his entire family writes him off because of his business failures. Tati encourages him to fulfill his secret dream of building sailboats. Taken by Tati's charm and devotion, Von impulsively claims the young Tati for his own. It is this sudden decision that causes him to question how well he knows his young bride, especially after the photographs.

Tatiana’s life is a fairytale come true until in one unguarded moment it all vanishes. Von refuses to believe her side of the story and kicks her out of his home and life. The bitterest words are the ones declaring he never ever wants to see her again. Like women everywhere, Tati picks up the pieces and manages to forge a new life for herself until she is attacked again. Only this time, Von rushes to her rescue. She is afraid to love again, aware she is still recovering from the last time Von renounced his love. Then there is the problem of the stalker who is determined to kill her and maybe, Von, too.

Tatiana and Von’s youthful romance is realistically portrayed with just the right amount of passion and naivety. Von’s suspicions reveal a deep-seated fear of rejection that would be appropriate for a man who has faced severe rejection. This all works, but what bumps is that Tati is not taking care of herself like a woman who not only had been repeatedly assaulted, but is also in the dangerous job of a criminal profiler. She is more reactive than proactive. Instead of throwing a punch when threatened, she whimpers and crab-walks away. She acts like a victim. On the plus side, the antagonist is well fleshed out and deliciously evil.

A Hunted Heart is a romantic suspense with an underlying sweet love lost-love rediscovered story. A Hunted Heart will definitely earn a few deep breaths, anxious moments, and the bedrock belief that love does conquer all. I recommend this as a light summer read.

Reviewed by Morgan Wyatt
© July 2007