Title: Razor Wire
Author: Lauren Gallagher
Genre: Contemporary Romance, F/F Romance
Sensuality Rating: Steamy
Source: review copy provided via NetGalley
Published: December 22, 2014 by Riptide Publishing
Two women. One terrible crime. Zero allies.
After being raped by a superior officer, MA3 Kim Lockhoff wants to leave the whole thing in the past. A cop herself, she knows all too well that it’s her word—and slutty reputation—against that of a respected Navy officer.
MA2 Reese Marion, a tough cop hiding her own trauma behind a hard-as-nails exterior, has no patience for pretty little princesses who use their cleavage to win favor with the guys. But when Reese is partnered with Kim, she slowly realizes that reputations can lie. Kim is whip-smart, ambitious—and scared. The man who attacked her won’t let anything damage his career, least of all Kim . . . or the baby she’s carrying as a result.
Isolated on Okinawa, thousands of miles away from home, the two women lean hard on each other. But when Kim confides in Reese, she unwittingly puts her new lover—and both of their careers—in the line of fire. Now her attacker just might have the leverage he needs to keep her quiet for good.
Reviewed By: J9
In a Nutshell: Very good book with wonderful characters, a strong romance and well told plot (thank goodness this is a HEA!)
Why I Read This Book: I read a lot of MM romance and I look for the too-rare FF romance. When I saw this in Riptide’s newsletter I was anxious to read it.
What I Liked: First, Kim and Reese are wonderful characters. Kim is in a very tough spot in her life: a victim of rape by one of the most senior officers on her military base and pregnant by him. Kim’s personality comes through in how she copes with this and it seemed very realistic for her. Reese isn’t all that likeable at first, I admit, but as she opened up to Kim she did so for readers too and I soon connected with her.
The romance between Kim and Reese progresses just the way I like my romance to: with plenty of passion and emotional intimacy. As Kim and Reese cope with Kim’s situation they get to know each other and learn to rely on each other. This lays the foundation for their relationship in a very organic way that I really enjoyed reading. If you haven’t read FF erotic romance don’t let that stop you from reading this great romance! The parts aren’t all that different and the sensuality is so well integrated into the romance.
What I Also Liked: This is a tough plot, I admit. Having the focus be on Kim’s rape and subsequent pregnancy are tough to read about. Her decision to have an abortion or not is certainly going to be a hot topic for readers, no doubt, but I really appreciated the honest and unflinching conclusion to this part of the plot.
Warning: Like anyone interested in woman’s issues, I’ve heard a lot about sexual assault in the military and it’s painful to hear. This story is all too similar to the many reports I’ve heard in the news and that’s just ugly to read. Anyone who has trouble hearing about rape will likely want to skip this book since there are multiple times when sexual assault is discussed. However, I was so happy this is romance so I got the ending I wanted even with this tough plot. I wish the real world worked the way it did for Kim and Reese in this book!
IMO: Razor Wire was a captivating read, both for the romance and the plot so long as readers aren’t triggered by the premise.
J9’s Rating:
Add to Goodreads | Buy on Amazon
I read this book recently and I loved it because there are not a lot of books out there that address rape in a military setting, or rape in any setting, in a way that this book did. And the romance that blossomed between these two women felt natural. Loved it.
ReplyDelete