Hot Pursuit [Hardcover]

Christina Skye (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 2003

He’s hot. He’s tough. He’s dangerous...

Bestselling suspense writer Taylor O’Toole has a huge problem--almost overnight, her quiet, humdrum life is starting to resemble one of her novels. Who knew that a little unofficial surveillance for a friend would backfire--throwing her into the crosshairs of a stalker? And why does her sexy new neighbor always seem to turn up when things start heading south?

He’s a Navy SEAL with a top secret mission: her!

When Navy SEAL Jack Broussard is called back from a dangerous mission, the last thing he expects is a top secret assignment protecting a beautiful mystery writer. Jack can drop a kidnapper with his bare hands, run airtight surveillance, and cook a mean lasagna, but tangling with his unpredictable neighbor is enough to drive any man crazy. Like it or not, his new orders are to keep Taylor O’Toole in his sights--after all, she could be a key link in the government search for a missing Navy scientist. But when an attempt on Taylor’s life ratchets up the stakes, Jack knows he’d better watch his heart. Because suddenly the chase is on . . . and seduction has never been so close. Or so dangerous.

--This text refers to the Mass Market Paperback edition.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Accustomed to creating perilous scenarios for her characters on the page, writer Taylor O'Toole (the sister of the heroine of Skye's previous offering, My Spy) experiences danger firsthand in this lightweight romantic thriller. When Taylor sustains a few bruises and minor cuts during a freak rock climbing "accident," Navy SEAL Jack Broussard is assigned to watch over her. Though the precaution seems drastic at first, it soon becomes apparent that a group of ruthless international terrorists are indeed out to kill her. Taylor's stubborn determination to fight Jack on nearly every point, even when their lives are in danger, undermines the reader's sympathy, and Jack himself is a cipher, revealing little other than his SEAL skills. Danger heightens the already smoldering attraction between the two, and the sex scenes burn like wildfire. Unfortunately, gaping plot holes and hard-to-swallow coincidences sabotage the intrigue aspect of the romance, though Skye nearly redeems the story with an electrifying twist at the end. A little too clumsy to brush nerve endings or to tug at the heartstrings, this is strictly for readers looking for an easy, frivolous escape.
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Mass Market Paperback edition.

From Booklist

*Starred Review* Skye has hit her stride with this delightful Navy Seal romance. Taylor O'Toole (the sister of Annie from My Spy [BKL Ja 1 & 15 02]), a popular mystery author, takes up some amateur spying for her friend Candace, who is having trouble with her lover, the scientist Harris Rains. Before she knows it, Taylor has suffered a climbing accident, received a death threat via a funeral wreath, and almost been abducted in the armed robbery of a convenience store. Her hunky new neighbor, Jack Brussard, who is not only handy to have around but who can also cook a mean lasagna, steps in to protect her since it seems Taylor has gotten herself mixed up in an international bio-weapon plot. As though Jack wasn't exciting enough, readers will also meet up once again with Izzy Teague, the tall, dark, and handsome technical and logistical wizard who is always there for a Navy Seal in need. A compelling story; endearing, well-developed primary characters; colorful and enticing secondary characters; and sizzling, sensual sex scenes make Skye's latest a romance not to be missed. Diana Tixier Herald
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to the Mass Market Paperback edition.

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Product Details

• Hardcover
• Publisher: San Val (February 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1417712732
• ISBN-13: 978-1417712731
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (22 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #11,163,002 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars not up to expectations, February 26, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Hot Pursuit (Mass Market Paperback)

I have loved Christina Skye's contemporary thrillers/romances, but this one is a bit of a let down. I won't go into a description of the plot as that has been done very well by other reviewers. But I would like to say something about the character development. While she has established the characters, their backgrounds and the plot, the female character's personality is stagnant throughout the story. The woman becomes extremely annoying because her reaction to every situation is the same, basically she feels that she knows best and she will do what she wants to do. This results in her bodyguards themselves being exposed to unnecessary risk, but after an initial burst of repentence, she does it again and again. The character is supposed to be kind and compassionate and loyal to her friends, but her actual behaviour paints her as selfish, stubborn and careless of other people's lives, not to mention just a little bit stupid. It just doesn't make sense. Wouldn't a supposedly bright person learn from repetitive mistakes (especially those involving gunfire!) and grow up a little? Frankly, I cannot see what the male lead is supposed to see in her.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Such a disappointment., March 24, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Hot Pursuit (Mass Market Paperback)

This book starts out promising, but then goes nowhere. Too many threads of the story line are introduced, but never followed up, such as Jack's culinary skills, which could have been used to humanize him, or the fact that Taylor finds out she is adopted. My biggest complaint is that there is very little about Taylor that is likeable. Her selfish, irresponsible behavior gets others killed and she doesn't seem to ever learn anything from it. I guess this is suppose to show how head-strong and loyal her character is, but I almost couldn't finish the book because of it. We never get inside Jack's head at all, so there isn't much appealing about him either, except that he is physically a hunk.

I enjoyed Skye's Draycott Abbey series, so it is too bad this series has been such a disappointment (2000 Kisses was terrible also).

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Unevenly paced pursuit, February 15, 2003

By 

Desmond Chan (Bishan North Singapore) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Hot Pursuit (Mass Market Paperback)

Christina Skye's lightweight caper of a romance follows the uninspired line of damsel-in-distress-and-Navy-SEALs-comes-to the-rescue that has flooded the genre. Taylor O'Toole, a suspense writer has become the victim of many sabotages including a mountaineering accident and a hostage-taking in a convenience store ever since she helps her friend Candace to stalk her love-interest Harris Rain. It soon reveals to be a sprawling plan where secret biological weapons are manufactured for terrorists and a military scientist is being kidnapped. Jack Broussard is dispatched to watch over Taylor and sparks fly between them.

Hot Pursuit, alas, is unevenly paced and the suspense element which has lots of gaping inconsistencies fails to impress. The relentless chase, along with Taylor's abrupt knowledge of herself being adopted as well as her refusal to be ordered about by Jack hardly leaves any room for character development. It has none of the spunk and panache for a Christine Skye's vehicle. It started off well but ends up with too many surprising conclusions. Which is a pity when there are occasional terrific moments of danger and passion. The pursuit, regrettably, always seems to cool off after that.