What a passionate story! Dee Lloyd really knows how to bring two characters together. The chemistry between the leading man and the leading lady was the driving force behind this story.

Sara Tolberg was off on a cruise to decide if she should marry her intended, Stephen Cafik, the bright young businessman that her father, the Senator, was backing in the next election. Stephen was, for all intents and purposes, a wonderful man, very kind and caring and he loved her. What more could she ask for? What she wasn't counting on was the keen interest of Mike Garson, her shipmate.

Mike Garson was going on his honeymoon, alone. After returning from business abroad he discovered that his future wife had fallen in love and eloped with another man. Devastated, but not willing to admit it, he vowed not to love another woman. He had decided to become the predator in a game of lust aboard the ms Theseus. But he wasn't counting on Sara Tolberg.

Their shipboard romance alone could entice the reader into several guilt free hours of reading enjoyment, but Dee Lloyd didn't stop there. Sara found herself in a nasty mess, brought on by her oh-so-sweet intended, Stephen. She refused to believe he would have anything to do with the suspicious activities surrounding her trip, but Mike's blood boiled at thoughts of Stephen harming Sara and the reality that Sara intended to marry him.

Mike found himself falling deeper in love with her the deeper they got involved in Stephen's gruesome plan. And to throw another angle into the story, Stephen's assistant and long time lover, Rosalie, was livid that the love of her life planned to marry Sara to advance his political career. Rosalie set her own plan in motion to get Sara out of the way and exact a little revenge on Stephen for all the times he used her, then cast her aside.

Dee Lloyd takes the characters through beautiful settings. Her descriptions of the countryside, the water, and the climate are enough to make the reader think they are standing on board the ms Theseus looking out over the ocean. The character interaction is real and filled with emotion. The reader can almost feel the heat from the tropical sun and the characters' love and anguish as they are dragged through their own doubts about each other and themselves.

I found the story intriguing and tantalizing. I couldn't put it down. Dee Lloyd covered action, romance, passion, beauty, and international intrigue in one great package. Definitely worth a read.

Reviewed By: Nancy Peckford
(c) June 2004

This review refers to a previously published version of this book.