TBR Challenge - August

The Sins of His Past by Roxanne St. Claire

Published: January, 2006

For one reason or another I was a bit late getting started on this months TBR book. I was real late as a matter of fact. It was Monday night and I still hadn’t pulled one from the TBR pile. I’ve read some older ones lately but they were rereads and not new to me reads. But I saw this one and the motivating factor was it was small. Then I saw the author was Roxanne St. Claire and I’ve read some of her books that I’ve liked. Then I saw the hero was a former baseball player and I knew I had my book for August.

For one incredible night, Kendra Locke gave Deuce Monroe everything she had. The he walked away without a backward glance to chase his big-league dreams as far as they would take him.

Years later, after one daredevil stunt too many, Deuce was back in his hometown, ready to pick up where he left off.

Kendra had no intention of letting him. The consequences of that one night had shattered her dreams. Now what Deuce wanted threatened her future…especially when he tempted her with the sensual promise of more time in his bed. Could she be the one to walk away?

This one is a Harlequin Desire book and the problem with many of them is they are too short to have much character development. Such was the case with this one I think.

Kendra had been in love with Deuce, her brother’s best friend for years, so they had a relationship already in place when the book opened. Deuce had come back to town for the first time in ten years, expecting everything to be the same as when he left. I didn’t really think we got a chance to know Deuce that much. He’d had little contact with his widowed father in all that time and it wasn’t really explained why. He didn’t have a bad relationship with his father and the excuse he gave was kind of lame.

The last time he’d been in town, he’d had one night of loving with Kendra and then left, never calling him. Considering the consequences of that night, I thought she let him off the hook rather too easily and I didn’t really understand her falling in love with him all over again. He did come back and planned to screw up her plans. His explanation for never contacting her after that one night wouldn't have been enough for me.

In addition, there was only one real love scene and it happened near the end of the book. I would have liked to have seen more. I think if this book had been longer and we could have got more insight into the characters I would have enjoyed it more. I did like it well enough – but I was left wanting more.

I don’t often read the Harlequin Desire line and while this book was OK, I'm not sure I’ll read any more of this line. It’s nothing against the author and I am interested in trying her Bullet Catcher books, but this book was like finishing a meal and still being hungry.

Grade: 3.5 out of 5

Also, I know this has absolutely nothing to do with the author so it won’t count as a strike against her, but this has to be one of the blandest covers I’ve ever seen. The title is OK – but the brown cover – bleck!