show, don't tell is a motto this book reallllly needs. ( )

There were many bright spots for this book, and this series overall. Mallory's pacing,however, always feels a little off to me. That, combined with the fact it takes me a while to get into her writing it seems leave me with the conclusion that it wasn't fully satisfying, had so much potential, and I probably don't need to read much more by her. It was good, but it wasn't remarkable. ( )

I reviewed this book on my blog at www.bookworm2bookworm.wordpress.com


This is my first time reading Anne Mallory, and I was glad to have stumbled on to her! As this was a part of her ‘Secrets’ series, I thought it best to read them all, and I was glad that I did. That’s not to say that the stories can’t be read or can’t stand alone. I chose to do it only because of my own personal preference. I found out that even though each book tells its own individual story, I always get the ‘feel’ for it by reading its predecessor first. “One Night Is Never Enough” helped me greatly to understand Andreas and his personality and I highly recommend it as well.

Andreas Merrick was one of those heroes that you can’t help but fall in love with, especially when introduced to his painful past. As for the heroine, Phoebe Pace, she will steal your heart with her gullible nature and sunny disposition. As I was reading it, I kept seeing Meg Ryan’s smile and funny banter while Toby Stephens’ throaty voice was Andreas in my mind.

The relationship between the two was developed in stages and that was perfectly fine with me. Their wit, their sparks, and their opposite personalities were very enjoyable and thoroughly entertaining. The chemistry, sexual tension and the anticipation created by the author, was so well written that once those two came together, I couldn’t help but sigh!

Anne Mallory’s style of writing was refreshing and every character she introduced us to was three-dimensional and the plot kept the story moving with measured speed. The author does an outstanding job in drawing you into the story and caring for the characters she created. If you love your hero intriguing, quiet and strong while he falls for a bubbly, bookish and brave heroine, you just can’t miss this story! It is a fun, moving and an overall exciting read.


Melanie ( )

In Total Surrender is book three in the Secrets series by Anne Mallory and my first book by this author.

I really enjoyed In Total Surrender even though I had some problems getting into the story. I blame this on the lack of background information about the characters and the issues pertained to the plot. Maybe if I had read previous books I wouldn’t have been as lost as I was on the beginning. What kept me reading were the characters.

If you like a tortured hero you will love Andreas. He is dark, dangerous, smart and the product of a very violent childhood. Because of this he is a man who doesn’t trust and lives for vengeance. He is a recluse who lives for plotting against his enemies and doesn’t interact with many people.

Phoebe is the perfect heroine. She is clever, sassy, witty, sweet and caring. Circumstances forced Phoebe to take the reins of her family and their business. She designs a plan to save her family and this plan includes Andreas.

Andreas has been attracted to Phoebe since the first moment he saw her but the last thing he wants is a complication in his life, however our Phoebe is a very smart and patient mastermind. When Andreas was less expecting it he finds himself in the middle of Phoebe’s plan, with her shoving her way into his life with subtle actions.
I loved Andreas’ inner dialogue; it was sometimes as amusing as his conversations with Phoebe.

"And here Miss Bleeding Sunshine sat, looking as if just this morning she’d been attended by fairies, baked with elves, and had tea with a unicorn."

The secondary characters were somehow flat, even the villain of the story lack of depth, maybe this is a villain that comes from previous books and the information given In Total Surrender wasn’t enough to have a clear imagine of him.
Despite not having much scene time Andreas’ brother Roman was the most interesting of the secondary characters. It was obvious previous book in this series, One Night is Never Enough, was his book.

My final thought: The banter between Andreas and Phoebe made of In Total Surrender a very fun read. As I said before what made this a good book were its characters. Their attraction for each other is clear from page one and from then on the sexual tension between these two just rises and rises until… and here comes my second complaint, after all that sexual tension I was expecting a very sexy steamy scene just to read a scene of allegories, nothing clear. I have to read the same scene more than once to realize that what I was reading was a sex scene!
Still In Total Surrender was an enjoyable read with some unexpected twist and turns and a great hero/heroine combination. This book could be read as a stand-alone but I think you may enjoy it more if it’s read as a part of the series. ( )

Although this seems like a sequel to a book I haven't read, it was still quite enjoyable. The characters had a really great relationship development. Andreas is the type of man who doesn't trust easily. All of his life has been a fight for survival, so when Phoebe needs his help and protection, he is wary of her motives.

Although I enjoyed the romance part of the book, some of the business parts of the plot were a little convoluted. ( )