Every Move She Makes (Paperback)

by Beverly Barton (Author)
Key Phrases: Jeff Henry, Beverly Barton, Reed Conway (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly
Hot, steamy nights and dark family secrets abound in Barton's (The Protectors, etc.) suspenseful but somewhat convoluted romantic melodrama. When he was 18 years old, handsome bad boy Reed Conway was convicted of a crime he didn't commit killing his abusive stepfather, Junior Blalock. Out on parole after 15 years and back in his hometown of Spring Creek, Ala., Reed is determined to find the real murderer. But it seems everyone had a reason to kill Junior, including Senator Web Porter, the man who prosecuted Reed when he was the county DA. Meanwhile, the murderer, aware of the danger posed by Reed's probing, arranges events that will put the parolee back in the slammer. Complicating matters further is Reed's attraction to Web's daughter, taciturn Ella Porter. Ella is drawn to Reed's raw strength, and together the two overcome their vastly different backgrounds, join forces and try to find the real killer. The narrative's myriad subplots including a romance between Reed's mother and Web, and a sibling rivalry between Ella's aunt and mother may overwhelm the reader, but the novel's sizzling sexual chemistry and high suspense will satisfy sunbathers longing for sultry poolside reading. (Sept.)Forecast: Romances set in the South, especially those with a high sensuality quotient, are in high demand. Barton's latest will appeal to fans of Olga Bicos and Lisa Jackson and will likely garner respectable sales.

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

--This text refers to the Paperback edition.

From Booklist
Readers who like "hot and nasty" romantic suspense will relish Barton's contemporary and sexually explicit Southern gothic. For a judge, Ella Porter, the adopted daughter of a wealthy senator and his invalid wife, is pretty naive. She believes her parents' lies about their happy marriage and at 30 is still living at home, waiting for undying love like theirs, until good-looking bad boy Reed Conway is released from prison after serving 15 years for the murder of his violently abusive stepfather. Reed is obsessed with finding out who framed him for killing the man who had made his family's life hell; meanwhile the real murderer, intent on sending Reed back to jail, starts a campaign of terror against Ella, making it look like Reed is at fault. When she confronts him, they discover that the unvoiced attraction they had for each other as teenagers has not abated. They also realize that they have to find the real killer, and events escalate steadily toward an exciting climax. Diana Tixier Herald
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Product Details

• Paperback: 416 pages
• Publisher: Zebra (June 1, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0821780182
• ISBN-13: 978-0821780183
• Product Dimensions: 6.7 x 4.2 x 1.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars See all reviews (21 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #52,967 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Bad boy parolee and judge make a hot duo, October 25, 2006

By	Tracy Vest (Northern California) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Every Move She Makes (Paperback)

Wrongly convicted of murdering his step father, Reed's been released from prison after serving a 15 year sentence. Though he earned a college degree and nearly a master's, the only job he can get is as a mechanic at his cousin's garage. He is dedicated to finding the real culprit behind the murder, regardless of the cost. When judge Ella Porter, daughter of the DA that put Reed away starts receiving nasty letters similar to the ones Reed sent to her while in prison, she confronts him, not realizing that someone sinister will stop at nothing to make sure Reed is back in jail. Ella has always been drawn to Reed, and finds that the forbidden passion he promises is too much to resist. Reed doesn't count on actually falling for the daughter of his enemy, and soon she's joining him in his quest for the truth, much to her parent's displeasure (yes, she's 30 and still lives at home!).

Could it be Ella's father Webb Porter, now a senator with a roving eye and zipper, and a shared past with Reed's mother; could it be Judy, Reed's harried mother who suffered greatly at the hands of her sadistic husband; could it be Reed's sister Regina, whose near rape at the hands of her stepfather have cause irreparable damage; or could it be Ella's aunt and uncle who also share a sordid past with the deceased. With plenty of suspects, the two have their work cut out for them!

Ella and Reed make a striking duo. And boy does this couple sizzle! Barton's gothic tale of murder, forgiveness, and love has plenty to keep you entertained, though I felt there were far too many romantic entanglements for a single novel, causing some of them to not be as developed as they could have been.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Who is writing those nasty letters?, June 30, 2004

By	janlouise (Ruston, LA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Every Move She Makes (Paperback)

Reed Conway was convicted 15 years ago for the murder of his abusive step-father. Out on parole, he has just arrived back in his hometown determined to find the real murderer. And, boy is everyone watching his every move! Including the murderer! Senator Web Porter, who was DA at the time of the murder and was instrumental in prosecuting Reed, has a daughter who is now judge- Ella Porter. Ella was attracted to Reed in school when Reed had the reputation of "bad boy/bad news." Reed noticed Ella but knew she was off limits due to her daddy. But now the table has changed - Reed and Ella are in their thirties, are mature adults able to think for themselves, and, boy, is the attraction strong. Too strong to resist! To complicate things - 15 years ago to get back at Porter, Reed wrote a couple of explicit sexual letters to Ella from prison. Well, now that Reed is back in town Ella has started receiving letters again - but Reed isn't writing them. The "suspect of murder" list grows in leaps and bounds - it turns out to be a "peyton place" southern town where everyone is involved with everyone's wife and is trying to cover something up. There is sizzling romance, secondary characters to keep it from getting dull, and suspence of "who did it." I enjoyed it, my first BB book to read and I will read more of her books. I thoroughly enjoyed Reed. Ella seemed whimpy a little. It was wierd her living with her parents at her age and holding a such an important position as Judge. Would I recommend it? Yes!

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A good romantic suspense..., September 2, 2003

By	iheartjackbauer - See all my reviews

This review is from: Every Move She Makes (Paperback)

Almost twenty years after he was convicted or murder, Reed Conway has been released and has sworn that he will find the person responsible for murdering his stepfather. The number one name on his list of suspects is the man that convicted him, Webb Porter. Esteemed senator and doting father, Webb seems like an unlikely suspect. The longer that he is out of prison, the more it looks like someone is determined to send him back. He finds an unexpected ally in Ella Porter, Webb's daughter, whom he feels more for than he ever expected.

Ella Porter can't decide if he's guilty or not. On one hand she is convinced that her father would never go after an innocent man. On the other hand the more time she spends with Reed, the more she doesn't think that he is capable of murder. Aside from the almost animal attraction for him, she tells Reed that she will help him prove his innocence.

Every Move She Makes is classic Barton. Although Ella was a little wimpy for me, always thinking 'run, Ella, run', I still enjoyed the plot as well as most of the characters.