Fever [Paperback]

Joan Swan (Author)

Book Description

Release date: February 28, 2012

When Dr. Alyssa Foster is taken hostage by a prison inmate, she knows she's in deep trouble. Not just because Teague Creek is desperate for freedom. But because the moment his fingers brush against her skin, Alyssa feels a razor-sharp pang of need...A man with a life sentence has nothing to lose. At least Teague doesn't, until his escape plan develops a fatal flaw: Alyssa. On the run from both the law and deadly undercover operatives, he can only give her lies, but every heated kiss tells him the fire between them could be just as devastating as the flames that changed him forever.

Product Details

• Paperback: 354 pages
• Publisher: Brava; Original edition (February 28, 2012)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0758266383
• ISBN-13: 978-0758266385
• Product Dimensions: 1 x 5.4 x 8.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (80 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #997,257 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

I write what I like to read: romantic suspense, paranormal romance and contemporary romance. I write for entertainment and escape--the same reasons I love to read.

A triple RWA Golden Heart finalist as well as a double Daphne Du Maurier finalist, I am a lover of craft and closet-hoarder of writing craft how-to books.

In my day job, I work as a sonographer at UCSF Medical Center, a location with an intensity that makes me slightly insane...which works well with the writer in me. Not to mention all the character material I have access to--and I'm not talking about the patients (well...mostly).

I have been married twenty years to my own personal hero, a veteran firefighter, we have two beautiful daughters and are blessed to live in the heart of wine country on the gorgeous Central Coast of California.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

34 of 36 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Exciting and suspenseful start to new series March 15, 2012

By Jen K.

Format:Paperback

My Rating:4 stars: Enjoyed - strongly recommend (A-)

Teague Creek (yes, that is his name!) is a wrongfully convicted felon in a high-security prison. His only wants are to escape, reunite with his young daughter, and live a long life away from those who want him behind bars, hurt or worse. His plans involve kidnapping a technician from a local hospital, who happens to be the girlfriend of the man who is guardian over his daughter. Of course, when he kidnaps Dr. Alyssa Foster - the wrong woman - things go from bad to worse. Top that off with a fellow inmate who is pure evil joining the escape plans, and you have a mix for an action-packed, suspenseful journey towards freedom. Nothing goes right for Teague, and he is being hunted by government officials that would rather see him dead than free again.

Right from the start I was engrossed in this story. The details and events unfolded before me in the perfect manner. The reader is given little nuggets that are just enough to keep you going and find out more. The tone is harsh, the mood is dark, but our heroine, Alyssa, seems to find a way to make it lighter and easier. In addition, Ms. Swan demonstrates excellent descriptive abilities, smoothly integrating rich detail about the scenery and plot into the story.

Overall I liked Alyssa and Teague. They fit together well and complimented one another... when he was rash, she made him stop and think, when she was hurt, he healed her. They have one of those back-and-forth, give-and-take relationships. And boy did they have steam! Thanks to a mysterious fire Teague was involved with several years back, he has the ability to increase his body temperature to way above normal. He uses his "power" to help heal, jump-start cars, and melt metal. And I can only imagine how hot he is in bed (and other places!)

I did feel that Alyssa was a bit too forgiving of Teague at times. She was held hostage and harassed. Teague may not have meant to physically hurt her, but he did cause emotional abuse. It is a bit unbelievable in the context of the real world... that she would take his "abuse" and keep coming back. I liked how Alyssa's brother, Mitch, described the situation... Saying about Teague, he may have been an upstanding citizen going into jail, but jail changes everyone. It's true, Teague is a harder man. Luckily Alyssa continues to chip away at Teague's exterior, exposing the tarnished gem inside. And since it's a romance, I forgive the rough start and enjoy them as a couple.

The ending of the story did wrap up a little too neatly and easily for my tastes, but it is a satisfying conclusion. The author left many open doors, and I am interested to see where this goes. There are some people very interested in the group of firefighters that were exposed to chemicals which altered their body chemistry (like Teague). I want to know what will happen to the other men in Teague's band of brothers, and what is the ultimate goal of these dark nefarious players.

I also want to comment about the use of racial slurs in this story. There had been much discussion on GoodReads about the use of racial slurs in this book. There is a character who is pure evil and YES, he uses just about ever cliched slur available. If this is something you know will bother you, then this book is not for you. It's okay not to be okay with the content in this book. It is also okay to still enjoy this book, even though it has some nasty parts. Neither opinion is wrong. This character is not a big part of the overall book and does make an exit a quarter of the way into the book. For me, the character's use of the slurs fit his persona, and I was able to read past the content and focus on other aspects of the story, but it isn't for everyone.

Fever has the perfect amount of world-building for a first book in a new series. The story was easy to follow, unfolded at a great pace, and had just the right amount of frustration without overkill. It was an enjoyable, quick read, and I want to know what will happen next.

17 of 17 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Awesome Debut From Ms. Swan April 23, 2012

By Misty

Format:Paperback

I am a very fast reader, and it depends for me on how fast a book moves. Fever moves and moves quickly.I loved that Ms. Swan didn't cut corners either, it's gritty in the places you look for grit and tender where it counts.You will fall for Dr. Alyssa Foster who is kidnapped by prison escapee Teague Creek. Teague is a a wrongfully convicted felon in a high-security prison and all he wants to do is prove that he's innocent. Fever is a non stop thrill ride that left me wanting more. It made me laugh, cringe and cry in many different places. It's sensual not sexual meaning I can sell it to customers who love romance but don't need every other chapter to be a steamy scene. Romantic suspense readers who don't pick this book up will be truly be missing a great read.

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars HAWT Damn! May 17, 2012

By HJGarrett

Format:Kindle Edition

OMG... yep it's worth those three little letters right there!

Joan hits a home run with me her first out of the gate! Suspense thriller with a paranormal aspect unlike anything available out there today. If you want a story, and I mean a full on well plotted beginning to end story then Fever is for you. I love how the drive of the story is pulled along by the hero's conflict and resolution as opposed to the hero always being the rescurer of the heroine!