Shelter From the Storm

❝ "Pay no attention to the man moaning in the next room...
even if he calls out your name." ❞

Shelter From the Storm
Samantha Sommersby
ebook, 216 pages
Published May 11th 2010 by Samhain Publishing
First published June 30th 2006
ISBN 9781605048932

In any other circumstance, Jennifer Jones’s first meeting with Maclain Moore would have been called serendipity, a happy coincidence. She’s looking for a new roommate; he’s looking for a place to live. It doesn’t hurt that he’s sexy as hell, either.

But the man who crosses her threshold isn’t there to sign on the dotted line—he’s the bearer of news bad enough to shake the very foundation of her life. A life built around a fierce sense of independence, born of a violent incident from her past.

Mac is no stranger to heartache. His career in social work immerses him in it, plus he has his own share of skeletons rattling around in his closet. His attempts to comfort Jennifer bring the two of them closer together. With each touch, she becomes harder to resist. Mac’s body’s response would try the patience of a saint. And a saint he’s not.

Baring her soul isn’t high on her list, but she finds herself opening up to Mac in ways that make it hard to hold him at arm’s length. And as her life spins out of control, their growing passion becomes the only tangible thing she can cling to…

This book has been previously published and has been revised and expanded from its original release.

Warning: This book may spoil you for real relationships. It contains a beautiful woman with a dark and dangerous past, sensational sailboat sex and a leather-wearing, motorcycle-riding man who loves kids, knows how to cook and actually listens.

I'm not sure why it was exactly that I took an instant dislike to in these characters- perhaps it be that I just refuse to believe such people exist in this world. So open. So available.

From the moment you meet Jennifer, she's talking to this random stranger (that'd be Mac) as if she's known him for years. It's so odd that he thinks she's a hooker offering up her services. Turns out, it's the apartment she's selling. Or, uh, renting.

From there, she's opening up her door and walking away without a second glance. Then Mac's picking out her shoes and jewelry like he's her best bud, or gay-guy pal. Don't even get me started on that bathroom scene.

Too many 'that would never happen' scenes had my eyes doing dizzying somersaults in their sockets. Mac is just too good and way too nice. On the upside, he's very cute and playful. Yup, just like a puppy. And I could too easily picture the sad little puppy eyes on his face.

This story appeals to the goodness one craves in connecting with another person. And yeah, it sorta does spoil you for real relationships because, like I said, people like these don't exist! It has a pace that I would call skimming. Things move fast and there's very little background or depth. Honestly, the blurb makes the book sound much more intense than the story itself. Don't get me wrong- there are some rather serious issues. Alcoholism. Drug addiction. Domestic abuse. Rape. Murder. Yeah, there's quite a list but the cheesiness of the near perfect Mac mellows it all out. 3 out of 5 stars.