**In Love With Romance Book Tour** ~ Dangerous Embrace by Dana Mason

Welcome to my 2nd stop on the In Love With Romance Book Tour! This book tour is being presented by Sapphire Star Publishing in honor of Valentine's Day...sharing romance through reading! :) Today it is my pleasure to share with you my review of Dana Mason's Dangerous Embrace. 

Synopsis from GoodReads
Sarah Jennings wants nothing more than a quiet life—alone.
Raised by an eccentric mother, their life on the road only taught her how to run away from hard times. But when she finds herself in an abusive relationship, this lesson serves her well. 

Now, back in her hometown, she's found a place she loves. She’s a first grade teacher, and with few friends and less family around, she has what she wants, a quiet life under the radar where she can be free of her past and live quietly. Finally comfortable in her own skin, she’s settled, and less fearful than she’s ever been in her life.

But it only takes one night and one act of violence for everything to change. Injured and afraid, Sarah wants to run again, but Mark Summors refuses to let her go.

Just when Sarah thinks she can have Mark and the life he promises, her past comes back to haunt her.

Mark Summors was born and raised in Santa Rosa. He married his high school sweetheart and never questioned his life, until he found his wife with another man.

Now divorced, he wants something more. He’s passionate about his job, he wants to protect people, and he devotes his life to it.

This time he’s protecting more than just another client, he’s protecting his future; at least, Sarah Jennings will be his future, once he convinces her she loves him.

***************
WOW! This was definitely a thrilling read! It began with pulse-pounding action and kept my adrenalin spiking all the way through! It has it's tender moments as well, but man! I thought at times my heart was going to stop or pound its way out of my chest.

Sarah Jennings is a first grade teacher living a quiet, if lonely, life. The night she is brutally attacked and almost raped while walking to her car one evening after work changes all that. She manages to fend off her attacker and she runs straight into Mark Summors...literally.

Mark Summors is an ex-cop who now owns his own security company. He is just picking up his mom from work in advance of sharing his birthday with dinner with his parents. The last thing he is expecting as a gift is to spend the evening at the ER with a beautiful woman who is lucky to have avoided more serious injury.

These two certainly do not meet under the most auspicious of circumstances. Sarah is suffering from the trauma of her attack and Mark refuses to leave her vulnerable. The danger that Sarah is facing and the feelings she starts having towards Mark only increase her desire to run. Sarah is carrying around huge amounts of baggage or "dark waters" as she refers to it. That Mark wants to help her and protect her forces her to face her vulnerability, which makes her uncomfortable. She hasn't allowed anyone to get close for years and she repeatedly tries to push Mark away. But he won't give up. Mark can't explain why he feels such a connection to Sarah or his almost primal need to protect her, but there it is. And it almost breaks him that Sarah can't let him in. However, he won't stop trying until he knows she's safe and he's convinced her they have a future.

I was taken with Mark and Sarah as characters. They're both survivors in their own ways and I was happy to see them survive the odds that were stacked against their relationship. I felt Ms. Mason did a wonderful job in exposing the reasons both Mark and Sarah started out where they do and then showing us their evolution to where they ended up. The supporting characters were also well developed. The relationship between Sarah and her brother, Devon, added to our understanding of Sarah. Mark's ex-wife, Ali, was also a strong figure in the story. And I'm  hoping to see her story expanded -- especially if it involves one Johnny Rhay Bennet! :) Mark's friend Brian, who was the lead investigator on Sarah's case, is a straight-talking cop. He never has any qualms telling Sarah or Mark exactly what he thinks.

As I said, this book is full of spine-tingling suspense...a book I wanted to stay up into the wee hours reading so I could find out what happens next. Also, I look forward seeing a few of the side characters get their own stories told. All in all, this was an excellent read! I will be reading future books in this series. :)

I rate this 4 1/2 worms!

**I received this book from Sapphire Star Publishing in exchange for an honest review.

About the Author
Dana Mason starting writing to prove to her computer geek husband and her math & science geek kids that she actually has a brain; it’s just a right functioning brain instead of a left. She’s lived all over
the country and uses that experience in her writing and character studies. Her debut novel, Dangerous Embrace is the first in a contemporary suspenseful romance series about group of friends who learn the hard way that life is short and you shouldn’t take it for granted. Second chances don’t come easy…but sometimes love is worth the risk.

When not writing, Dana specializes in professional development and training. She’s also a board member on the local Art’s Council and does what she can to support continuing education in the art community.

As an avid reader and movie watcher, she always requires a happily ever after ending.

Find Dana here:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/danamason97
Twitter: www.twitter.com/danamason06
Website: www.danamasonromance.com

Buy Dangerous Embrace here:

Amazon (eBook)
Amazon (paperback)
Barnes & Noble