Wednesday, February 22, 2012

Hush (Lodestone #1) by Cherry Adair

A reckless adventure in a deadly paradise.

Thrill seekers Zakary and Gideon Stark travel the globe in search of extreme adventure, but a trip to Venezuela to jump off the world's highest falls catapults them into a perilous game of life or death--where they don't know the rules.


A one-night stand that will change his life forever.
Kidnapped with a woman Zak knows nothing about, the brothers are held prisoner deep in the jungle. A risky, deathdefying escape separates them and nearly claims Zak's life . . . until his recovery reveals a baffling new sixth sense.


An unexpected diversion with lethal consequences.
Now, to find his missing brother, Zak and the mysterious Acadia Gray will have to out-smart, out-gun, and out-maneuver not just the brutal kidnappers but also a new player who joins the adrenaline game: a ruthless opponent who wants the Stark brothers dead--at any cost.


Type: Romantic Suspense, Slight Paranormal 
Heat: 3 out of 5
Rating: 4 out of 5




Sweet Mary I'm gonna have nightmares for a week after this one! But so, so worth it. Once I started Hush I absolutely could not put it down. Just loved it! From characters to the plot and all the action and twists along the way. Could have done without the dinner plate sized spiders and snakes the size of your thigh (cue nightmares!) and I will never, ever, be visiting the jungle but other than that it was nicely done and an enjoyable read. Wasn't at all what I was expecting but sometimes that's a good thing, right? I really thought this was going to be a full on paranormal but in reality the paranormal was just an itty little bit of things. I liked the addition of it though. It was an interesting little twist that had me guessing at what it meant to the overall story. 



Acadia Gray may be one of my favorite heroines. First. What a fantastic name! Such a nice name to say. She's not your typical heroine. You know, the one that immediately knows how to kick ass and is cool and collected in the face of danger. No, not Acadia. She well and truly freaks the hell out when they're being kidnapped. I loved that about her. She's scared, panicking, near fainting from fear and can't keep her mouth shut from nerves. Pretty much what I'd do. 
She had absolutely no idea how to interpret the look he'd just given her. Run? Stay where you are? Dive for the floor? Drop dead? In books and movies, the helpless heroine always knew what her hero's silent stares meant. Hell, those heroines could read a whole chapter into a single glance. In real life--not so much.
She doesn't consider herself brave or a hero. She manages a sports store and likes her simple, boring and safe life. This isn't the type of adventure she thrives on. She's organized as hell but that's her only superpower and she's completely okay with that. She chatters on and on when she's nervous, is a terrible liar, has a fantastically sarcastic mouth, doesn't know any special kick-their-ass moves and is a bit of an organization nut. She's got this whole MacGyver/Marry Poppins thing going on with a sporting vest and hidden pockets that is beyond awesome and save their lives multiple times. So, really, she does kick ass in her own special way. She manages to have a pretty good sense of humor despite the unpleasant situation. A little sarcastic no doubt but funny none the less.
"Kansas?" His laugh sounded rusty, and he stopped to stare at her. His eyes looked very green and were deceptively filled with laughter. Clearly a trick of the light.  
 Acadia scowled. "Yes, Kansas. What's so funny?" 
He started walking again before the guards could prod him. "Keep moving. Nothing, Dorthy." 
Infuriating man. "You weren't held as a baby, were you?" 
"I have pictures." 
Acadia made a rude noise. "Obviously Photoshopped." 
Now, Zak Stark, well It takes a while for him to grow on you. He's surly, a pain in the ass, infuriating, and really just a right bastard to Acadia for a good long while. He has a serious chip on his shoulder where women are concerned or rather what he sees as a certain type of woman and keeps underestimating Acadia because of it. Just like Acadia he's not your typical hero and damned if he wants to be one or have anyone relying on him to keep them safe. So. Not quite lovable right of the bat but he does still manage to win you over by the end of the story. He's an adrenaline junkie to the extreme and does pretty great under pressure and in the face of dangerous situations. Keeps his calm for the most part. He's got a few moves in the hero department (even if reluctantly) but still manages to get himself knocked out for a while on more than one occasion and ends up having to be taken care of because of it. So a hero but not a particularly smooth one. I kinda liked that though. How he and Acadia both needed one another to survive and had to rely on the other. When he finally stops being an unbelievable and sarcastic ass where Acadia is concerned he turns out to be a pretty great and caring guy. Takes charge, gets what needs to be done, done. 
"Oh my God! Acadia stared at him in awe. "You stole a police car?"
He turned on the lights. "No one was using it." he said dryly, driving at a sedate pace down the alley, away from the public parking lot on the other side of the buildings and the growing assortment of officials. "Buckle up." 
The story itself is easy to get into and follow. It's fast paced from page one until the very end and keeps your heart pumping. For an over 400 page book I was completely hooked the entire time and never felt bored or ready for things to end. I liked the interactions between the main characters even when things were surly and sarcastic. Maybe then especially. Things between the two of them are seriously steamy. Whew. Yeah, he definitely has some delicious moves in that area. Yum. The story has a nice blend of heart breaking moments mixed in with some pretty funny and sweet ones with Acadia and Zak. Enough details were revealed throughout to keep things from getting too frustrating but still leave you wondering, just like the characters, what the hell was behind all of the attacks and kidnappings. In the end the villain wasn't all that huge of a surprise. I'd had a feeling about them for a while before everything was revealed. The actual reveal was a little on the WTF side. They are seriously twisted and off their rocker. There was one surprise towards the end that had me yelling "NOOOOO". It was so not how I saw things panning out for one of the characters and it just broke my heart a little. 


So, overall a pretty damn good read. Can't wait to see where the trilogy goes from here.
"I'm worked up. I'm just too tired to show it by exhuberant movements and wild cries of delight." Her eyes glinted from beneath a spiky fan of lashes. "I'm quietly worked up." - Acadia to Zak after finally getting to safety
Have you ever had a book completely surprise you? Where it's not at all how you thought it would be but you loved it anyways?

Amazon | Goodreads

7 comments:

  1. lol at the police car bit


    P/S New Follower @ When She Reads

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    1. It was a pretty good one:) I liked the little humorous quips throughout between the two.

      Thanks for coming by the blog!

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  2. Oooh! This sounds like an awesome read. Thanks for the great review. Keep them coming. I have had several books surprise me. I love it!

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    1. It really was an exciting read! If you give it a go I hope you love it too!

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  3. I hadn't heard of this one and it sounds pretty good.

    Thanks for the share!

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    1. Adair's a new author for me but I'm enjoying her. This was one of her most recent books. Book two of the series comes out in March I think. Pretty excited about it :)

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