Customer Reviews

Behind Closed Doors (The McCloud Brothers, Book 1)

5 star:		(60)
4 star:		(21)
3 star:		(11)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(10)

 

 

I first read Shannon McKenna when she wrote a novella for the anthology ALL THROUGH THE NIGHT. I was thrilled to learn she was going to have a full-length book and it was going to be in the Brava line. Brava is a new line of books that promise the reader erotic romance stories and currently not only has Shannon McKenna signed up, but others like Lori Foster.

BEHIND CLOSED DOORS opens with the hero, Seth Mackey, spying on the heroine, Raine Cameron. He is after the killer of his brother and spying on Raine is one way he believes he is going to achieve this. Unfortunately to his job at hand, he grows attracted to her while watching her and it somewhat gets in his way. It does not take them long to meet and the sparks just electrify between the two. And not much longer for Seth and Raine to get in bed and begin a rather interesting, intense love affair. He doesn't trust her and Raine is secretive to him. But boy, he doesn't let his niggling distrust to stop him from pursuing her into bed.
Raine has a secret agenda of her own. She wants to learn about her father's death and the only way she can is to go undercover in her uncle's business. Seth is hired to do security for her uncle, and when she meets Seth, she is caught between the attraction she feels for him and finishing up her task. Even almost to the end, Seth is not sure if he can trust Raine, but love wins his heart. A man who thought he could not love finds that he can.

The relationship between the hero and heroine is very intense, sometimes like a love hate relationship. But they agree in bed very well. ;) Seth is very much a macho man and an Alpha Hero similar to that of the best selling author Linda Howard's male heroes. No woman can stand a chance, but then, who can resist one as sensual and tough as Seth Mackey. He is very sexual and there is lots of action in bed, but also out. It is not a gory type book, but it fits the bill as a romantic suspense for me, with much emphasis on the romance part. Just to warn you though: there is several uses of the f work and other sexual slang terms in the book. It did not bother me, but some readers may not like the use of the words. To me, the usage was necessary and realistically moved the story along.

The story flies to a fast and explosive ending that left me satisfied with the end, but wishing the story had not ended. It was that good to me. Ms McKenna created some characters that not only were realistic, but with great sexual tension that throbbed within the pages of the book. I wish I could give it more than five stars, and I am eagerly awaiting the next book by Shannon McKenna. If you enjoy a good contemporary romance/supsense story that is very hot and sensual, then you will enjoy BEHIND CLOSED DOORS by Shannon McKenna.

Behind Closed Doors is very much a non-typical romance novel! The author dedicates almost as much time to the mystery as she does the development of the leads' relationship. There are highly charged sensual scenes that come close to overshadowing the underlying romance. Yet, if we watch closely, we see both the hero and heroine as highly vulnerable. The book encompasses a great deal of maturing for both leads - especially the hero.

Raine Cameron is looking for her father's killer. She has taken a job with her uncle's company to hopefully find his killer. Seth Mackey is looking for this brother's murderer. He is a surveillance expert and is watching Raine's uncle's company because he believes he will discover the murderer within the company. Thus, we find Seth, on the opening page of the book, spying on Raine and finding himself closed to obsessed with her.

The leads meet early in the book. Seth and Raine are good at keeping secrets from the other. But as their relationship develops they each open gradually and expose the despised vulnerability that lies deep within the other. Seth was a little too mean to warrant Raine's love. Initially, Raine allows herself to be pushed around but gradually we see her becoming more assertive. Nevertheless, there are still times you may roll your eyes and wonder "Why is she allowing this?" The hero certainly takes his time in becoming a nicer person but it is his ruthlessness that carries many of the sensual scenes. These sensual scenes rate about a 4.5 out of 5 (see More About Me for rating guidelines).

If I had a choice, I would rate this book 4.5 stars instead of 5. My reasoning is based entirely on the time dedicated to the growth of Seth and Raine's romantic relationship. Although the murder mystery was somewhat better than you find in most romance novels, it still took too many pages. The couple's relationship had a good base and capacity for growth that is never amply explored.

Overall, certain scenes within the book are too powerful to warrant less than a five star rating. It is certainly one of the spicier books I have read and you definitely have to be a reader that appreciates a type A, dominant male lead. The heroine does knock him off his all-powerful pedestal more than once but he always climbs back up on it. On the whole, this is a fun, entertaining read that I will keep to read again. This author is new and I expect many good books from her in the future. She somehow has developed an intriguing edge in Behind Closed Doors that is difficult to define, but captivating none the less.

This book was the perfect mix of mystery and romance - which is usually a hard combination to get right. Many times authors try too hard to make a mystery plot twist and turn, but this one was great - it kepy your interest without being overworked. There was great character development of all characters individually and also good development of relationships and interactions. The romance between Raine and Seth was also well done - sometimes in a mystery the development of feelings is minimized, but not in this case. Lots and lots of hot, sizzling scenes!! OK, so that's an understatement.
Some might think the language in the book is a bit crude, but I find it realistic. How accurate is it when a tough guy says "Gosh darn it, what in the heck are you doing?" Nah-uh, it's not!
It's been a long time since I've considered a book to be 5 stars, especially for a romantic suspense/mysters. So BRAVO to McKenna for her amazing and perfect debut! I am definitely a fan. I wonder if we will see future books about the McCloud boys?? Either way, I can't wait to get more from McKenna.

I've read hundreds of romances, and this makes it into my top ten list. I loved this book!!! It was not only erotic, so hot I thought the book would go up in flames, but it was tender and funny too. The banter between the characters was so real and amusing, especially between Seth and the McCloud brothers. The sex scenes burned, yet they seemed natural, not forced or contrived as in some erotic romances. Even though the hero was a very strong Alpha male, he never went too far. I loved hearing his "self-talk". Crude, perhaps, but it seemed so real. I laughed a lot while reading this book. Hot, tender, funny, what more can you ask from a romance? It was really great, I loved the characters and didn't want it to end. I look forward to her next book, which I hope will feature a McCloud. I've read her short stories and liked them, so I hope she writes quickly!

I read the reviews here, and picked up the book expecting something along the lines of a steamier Nora Roberts or Linda Howard. Umm, not quite. Rather than a good suspense with lots of love scenes, I got the equivalent of a porn movie with lots of suspense scenes. I did enjoy the plot (the main one, that is), but I didn't like the main characters. Seth was too much of a bully to be a good alpha-male hero, and Raine had about as much spine as a jellyfish. Also, the first sex scene was a little too close to date rape, in my opinion. And maybe I've been reading the wrong kinds of romances, but geez, there was a sex scene on practically every other page! I enjoy passionate love scenes as much as the next person, but by the second half of the book, I was actually skimming over those parts.

Obviously this particular writer isn't quite what I'm looking for, so I don't think I'll be reading Connor's story. (Oh, there's another bone to pick - Connor McCloud? Has the author ever heard of Highlander? Every time I read his name I was picturing Christopher Lambert.)

If you've graduated from run-of-the-mill romance and suspense novels, and are looking for something a lot hotter-this book is for you. Good plot, larger than life characters, and sex scenes that will make your face flame (my husband thought I had a fever!). For those of us females whose ideal man is tough, scarred, a little mean, and definitely in charge, Seth is too good to be true. The female lead seems a little ditzy at first, but in the end she finds herself, and is more than a match for Seth. I like the way McKenna keeps the plot and characters believable without being cliched-obviously she did her research and knows men very well. I loved this book and would recommend it to anyone who likes Robin Schone, Susan Johnson, etc. A terrific modern erotic thriller.

Seth Mackey and Raine Cameron both have an agenda. Seth is looking for the person that killed his brother, while Raine wants to know how and why her father was killed. When these two come together passion takes over leads to some very highly charged erotic encounters. This suspenseful read is also well written and fast paced.

Raine Cameron wants to know who killed her father so she takes a job undercover with her uncle Victor Lazar to investigate; of course it's no secret to him who she is. Security expert and computer hacker Seth Mackey mistakes her for Victor's lover and proceeds to bug her house as he wants to bring Victor down for the death of his brother and plans to go through Raine to get it done. He becomes fascinated by her and must have her. Neither is sure who they can trust, and both cannot deny the attraction they feel for the other. Then they join forces to bring Victor and his pal Novak down with the aid of the rowdy McCloud brothers (who each get their own story later).

Yes, the story is pretty hot, but take out the sex (one scene is 63 pages long) and you have almost no plot and very little character development (in fact, the characters lack consistency from chapter to chapter). I found their first encounter laughable, and Seth overall to be quite creepy. He treats her like dirt one minute then lusts for her the next. The whole ridiculous relationship borders on abuse. A too stupid to live heroine matched with an obsessive stalker does not make a good romance novel. You'll have to read "Standing in the Shadows" for the conclusion to the story, but that one is just as obsessively bad. I seem to like McKenna best when she migrates away from the McCloud clan - check out her much better "Return to Me" to see how she can mix eroticism with romance and an actual plot.

Shannon McKenna's writing style is truly superb! The plot is gripping - the characters come to life. The sex scenes seem so real - the descriptions and verbal play are incredibly erotic and arousing; you almost feel like a voyeur as you read. McKenna really knows what goes on in a man's mind ... knows his purpose and his male perception of the sex act. Seth and Raine exchange dialogue that seems so realistic - not contrived. Seth is one of the most intense alpha-heroes I can think of. He exudes dominance and potency ... and lust. Everything he does is extremely intense and controlling, especially the sex. Oh my ... in that area he's like a primal beast! Red-hot!!! Seth's behavior with Raine is based on impulse and instinct ... she became his woman long before he ever met her in the flesh. I still laugh at the scene in the office kitchenette after he had briefly seen her ... or should I say 'stared at her' for the first time in an elevator ... where he leans into her, this stranger, and sniffs deeply to "memorize her smell." You can really understand how vulnerable Raine feels; Seth exposes all ... strips her barer than bare. He's like a modern day laird or viking ... a conqueror. Seth could fit into medieval times - yet he's perfectly suited for the here and now. But Raine is the perfect counter-balance for this dominating man. Her gentle caring spirit softens his hard edges as he learns to control his power play. And I especially liked that she wasn't an angry woman ... no matter what Seth did that was inappropriate, she spoke to him about it, explained her feelings, and got passed it. None of the "he said, she said" bulls**t dialogue. Awesome book! I can't praise it enough!!!

A good combination of thriller and very erotic romance. There's a lot of sex in this book, so if you object to such, then this is not a tale for you. However sex is used here as much to show how the two central characters change in the course of events, from power plays to tenderness, touching on punishment and eventually even forgiveness. In this, as well as the quality of writing, McKenna makes this about more than sex, and brings in something of the human condition, as well as drawing in other themes and subtexts of the novel. Thus, although plentiful, the erotic nature of the book actually adds meaning to the relationship and thus integrates into the story as a whole.

As for the thriller side, there is certainly no `mystery' here - we know whodunnit and why the various characters are taking the actions that they are. The two central characters are Raine Cameron, who has recently begun working for identified baddie Victor Lazar, and Seth Mackey, whose brother had been killed 10 months prior to the opening of the book. All that drives Seth now is the need for vengeance. He likens himself to a cyborg - focused, emotionless and with a single purpose. To this end he has extensively bugged the house of Lazar's mistress (Lazar being involved in his brothers death), which is now Raine's house. Raine is actually related to Lazar, and blames him (rightly) for the death of her father. She has been on the run from Lazar for 13 years, and considers herself to be a bit of a coward - the shy, retiring, unnoticeable type. Now convinced that she needs to find out more of her fathers death, she has `infiltrated' Lazars firm, supposedly anonymously - almost a joke as Lazar knows exactly who she is. Seth, for his part, has been watching Raine with fascination, becoming more and more attracted to her. And now the plan moves along, as he seeks to make contact with Lazar, and through him with Lazar's new assistant. Both of them seeking knowledge and retribution, neither sure of who they can trust, both unable to deny the attraction they feel for the other. An attraction watched with interest by many...

It's a very well thought out story, containing many elements. Revenge, hate, manipulation, rage, and the seamer side of life are definitely a part of it, but so too is a great deal of warmth and `family' feeling. Seth on his side has the memories of his brother, and his developing relationship with the McCloud brothers (who I hope will have their own stories in the future). Raine brings her historical relationship with her parents, and her ongoing complex feelings about Lazar. There are others very central to the book too - Novak and Riggs whose roles become important in the telling of the story. There is no `mystery', but a great deal of human nature, as characters change and develop as they deal with very real danger and cope with the shifting nature of reality. I particularly liked the triangle of Raine, Seth and Lazar's roles as they played against each other.

Overall I enjoyed the book very much, particularly as a study of human characteristics and relationships, and indeed and how we as individuals affect each other and touch each others lives, for better or worse. I liked very much that this `erotic thriller' was deeper than a surface story, and that the characters within were constantly evolving not only as they grew and changed within themselves, but also in their dealings each other.