Review: The Seal's Secret Lover

captivating, moving - an intellectual orgasm @annecalhoun @SMPRomance #bookreview # 
The Seal's Secret Lover by Anne Calhoun
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Hook, line and sinker - I am now following Ms. Calhoun's new series. Ms. Calhoun is a new to me author and she appeals to my taste with good character development and a tightly written plot. For those who liked Lora Leigh's Elite Ops series, there is a new author who will captivate you. I was not sure at first since I'm a devoted fan of Ms. Leigh's, but Ms. Calhoun had me at "hello, I'm jet lagged".

This is a contemporary romance with sweet erotic elements. The focus is on the character development which impresses me. I really liked the characters in this book. I like and admire Rose. She is a woman who I can identify with easily. I understand her skill sets and her determination. Keenan is a man who is harder to gauge because he is tight lipped about his past and present. He is a competent man who inspires trust. His hella sexy body is much louder and better at communicating his desire to Rose.

This story is much more than a vacation romance to be forgotten. The intimacy Ms. Calhoun creates between the two characters is what moves me. She masterfully layers in a deeper mean to the story by including two books as plot devices: The Iliad and The Odyssey. For lovers of classical greek stories, the moment the Iliad is mentioned, one can predict the Odyssey to be involved. This tie in between Odysseus's journey home and Keenan's desire to find a home is an intellectual orgasm. I loved it and it moved me more. Perhaps I am bias, since The Odyssey is one of my favourite books from my youth.

This story holds more depth than just a simple romance. The idea of family bonds is a subtle subtext as Rose takes her grandmother on a once in a life time trip. The reference to a bucket list adds to the story as a reader realizes their own mortality and is inspired to seize the day. Ms. Calhoun is a wonderful storyteller who is now on my must read list. With the little excerpt of her next book at the end of this book, I am eagerly looking forward to her next books. Highly recommended to romance lovers who enjoy developed characters with a spellbinding story.

*provided by NetGalley

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