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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Sweet and erotic, October 7, 2008
This review is from: Driven By Desire (Signet Eclipse) (Mass Market Paperback)
In DRIVEN BY DESIRE, LuAnn McLane gives readers the story of a couple with a painful past who discover after being reunited several years later, that the attraction between them continues to smolder. But old wounds are often the deepest and they're uncertain as to whether they can put past heartaches behind and allow themselves a future together.
When Jayden Michaels runs into Alexia Spencer, literally, while riding his dirt bike through the woods, it's impossible to say which of them is more surprised. Alexia was crushed ten years prior when Jayden chose Supercross motorcycle racing over his relationship with her. When she eventually married someone else, it was Jayden who felt the pain. Alexia eventually realized that she had made a big mistake, divorced her husband and returned home to find herself. She never expected that Jayden would once again be part of her life, and given the secret that she's been keeping for ten years, she fears that he won't understand her reason for secrecy. Alexia decides it's time to tell Jayden the truth, hoping that he cares enough for her and the future they could have together, to understand.
Jayden has come home to nurse a shoulder injury and to help a friend with a new business venture. Spending time with Alexia is an unexpected bonus. He never dreamed that a second chance with her would ever be in the cards for him. Jayden quickly discovers that a white-hot passion still exists between them and they aren't together long before old passions begin to burn. When he discovers the secret that Alexia has been hiding, past pains return and he pushes her away. He isn't certain he has the strength to get beyond his pain to help Alexia deal with her own suffering.
I adore LuAnn McLane and have enjoyed reading each and every one of her books. DRIVEN BY DESIRE is no exception, although it has a totally different flavor than any of her previous books. Her trademark humor has been toned down, the eroticism has been turned (way) up, and the emotions come from much deeper in the heart. Alexia's pain is excellently written, and as readers are taken into her relationship with Jayden a decade before, her dejection when he left, and the events that followed, it almost feels tangible. Jayden suffered as well, and Ms. McLane very clearly understands the workings of a guy's mind as his thoughts, feelings and actions are described with clarity. An equally passionate side romance between Alexia's sister and Jayden's best friend is definitely a reader bonus. The relationships between all of these characters are well-written and comfortable and it doesn't take imagination to bring them to life. I highly recommend DRIVEN BY DESIRE to all romance readers who enjoy stories with reunited lovers, passionately sensual romance, and the undeniable healing power of true love.
COURTESY LAURIE/ROMANCE JUNKIES
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Sexy Hot Read, October 7, 2008
This review is from: Driven By Desire (Signet Eclipse) (Mass Market Paperback)
Driven by Desire is the latest story by LuAnn McLane. It is a story that is about second chances and a love that never died, just got sidetracked. It is a different kind of story than what the reader has come to expect from LuAnn, but a wonderful, heart tugging read that is well done and keeps you turning pages until the end.
Jayden Michaels is a Supercross Motorcycle racing star, who has returned home to Braxton to heal from a shoulder injury and join his best friend, Colin with a business venture. He never expected to cross paths with his first love and possibly get another chance at righting some mistakes he made ten years prior.
Alexia Parkwood aka Spencer has come home to Braxton putting her divorce behind her and get on with starting over a new. She works as a staff reporter for the Braxton Times, with her sister, Brianna who is the editor. When Jayden requests her to do the interview for a series on motocross, Alexia is forced to face the past.
The sparks between Jayden and Alexia burn hot and deep, but they have a lot to get past if they ever hope to have closure. The hurts run deep on both sides, and then there is the secret that Alexia has kept from everyone, that when Jayden finally finds out about is he able to give the support that she needs and can they work past it. The secondary romance between Colin and Brianna is a bonus for the reader as it unfolds as well. This is a heart rendering, roller coaster ride for the reader who is pulling for both Jayden and Alexia to finally have their happy ending. I truly loved this story, and would highly recommend it to anyone. It's about putting the past behind them, learning from their mistakes and taking a chance on what they really have. This book will not disappoint and is a true romance in every sense.
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Liked the motocross theme, but the heroes' brains didn't match their brawn, April 15, 2009
This review is from: Driven By Desire (Signet Eclipse) (Mass Market Paperback)
Plot Summary: This is a two-for-one deal. Ostensibly, the main plot focuses on Jayden and Alexia, young sweethearts who foolishly broke up ten years ago, and who are now reunited back in their hometown, footloose and fancy-free. The subplot features a romance between Brianna, Alexia's younger sister, and Colin, who is Jayden's best friend. Both relationships are given nearly equal time, so it feels like two stories for the price of one. Both heros are macho dudes who earn top dollar as motocross racers. Alexia is divorced, aimless, and harboring a grudge against Jayden, while he has grown up and regrets throwing his first love away.
It's obvious to me that it's been a while since I've read a contemporary romance, because I kept waiting for a two-headed monster to eat someone, or for an accident to land the hero in the hospital. I expected something bad to happen, but the only drama to be had was created by the characters interpersonal machinations. It seemed almost tame compared to the plots I'm used to reading, but the realism felt authentic within its quiet simplicity. After all, most of us go through our daily routines with nary a worry for blood-thirsty vampires, or tragic accidents at every turn.
The sex went from zero to sixty in about twenty pages, and I'm not thrilled when the hero and heroine kiss before the first chapter is over. I like it best when authors ramp up the romantic tension to unbearable levels before unleashing that first lip lock, however some readers like to get down and dirty ASAP, so it's clearly a matter of personal preference. Thankfully McLane does not abandon all relationship development in favor of nonstop sex, and I'd say they're equally balanced.
I had no trouble picturing Jayden or Colin as sexy studs, and since they are athletes on motorcycles, they naturally come across as intensely physical guys. What they do not strike me as is intelligent. These are superstars who can do a gnarly double backflip on a bike, but during a `guy talk' session, they sound like a cross between airhead surfers and pimpled teenagers slinging slang. The problem is, these guys are supposed to be thirty-somethings who have built a motocross promotional empire, but I doubt they've got more than rocks in their head boxes. I want my men to have brains sharper than their washboard abs. If it's not a package deal, I have trouble getting worked up on their behalf.
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