Ex Marks the Perfect Spot by cynthia eden Series: Wilde Ways #16
Published by Hocus Pocus Publishing on July 26, 2022
Genres: Contemporary RS
Format: eBook
Source: Purchased
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He can’t be the hero.
One moment, Chelsea Ember is sitting on a gorgeous, tropical island and sipping a cute drink, but in the next instant, she’s being tossed in the back of a van and spirited away. She’s terrified, desperate, and sure that she will never see her family again…then he rushes to her rescue. Her ex. Her gorgeous, hyper-controlled, heartbreaker of a former lover, Colt Easton.
He isn’t the lover she remembers…
Suddenly he’s knocking out bad guys and showing a dangerously brutal edge that she never expected. He’s fierce, vicious with the enemy, and there is no sign of the polished and cool businessman she knew before. But the attraction she felt for him since the very beginning—that scorching, consuming desire—is still there. Even if Colt does seem to be a complete stranger.
Trapped in paradise, all their secrets will be exposed.
Colt met Chelsea while he was working undercover. She never had an opportunity to get to know the real man beneath his mask, and he’s tracked her down because he wants a second chance with the woman he can’t get out of his head. When Chelsea is taken, he knows a boring, good guy won’t be able to help her. But the real Colt can. Time for Chelsea to see just how wild he can be.
A lot can happen on a hot island night.
Danger stalks Chelsea from every turn. And her best bet of getting off the island alive? Her ex, the most unlikely hero ever. A man who is proving to be a complete badass as they trek through the heart of the island and dodge the foes on their trail. He’s savage, rough, and definitely not a civilized gentleman, but Colt is exactly what she needs in order to stay alive. As they fight to survive, Chelsea realizes that she might just be in danger of falling for him all over again…
Author’s Note: When you’re trapped in paradise, you need just the right hero to help save the day. Sometimes, the “right” hero is dangerous and deceptive, and he’s also down to do anything to protect the woman he wants. Prepare for some hot island fun and for two lovers who are about to scorch the tropical night with their passion. A second chance, a lover in disguise, twisting secrets, and some edgy danger are inside EX MARKS THE PERFECT SPOT.
Well, who knew my kink was men who are undercover as a mild mannered Clark Kent type of guy, but in reality are more like Superman? I may be dating myself with this movie, but if anyone remembers True Lies? I mean, I guess I just kept thinking of Jamie Lee Curtis’ character saying, “He’s just an insurance salesman!” and then Arnold Schwartzenegger is all, “Honey I’m a spy.” It was like that but just so much better, more intense, and sexier.
Chelsea is dating super sexy accountant Colt, but he’s constantly late, and doesn’t make her feel like she is important enough to miss just one “accounting emergency.” He seems to have a lot of those. The moment he kisses her, she remembers why she puts up with it…until he really chooses the blatantly obvious lie of another accounting emergency and she realizes that no man is worth the heartache and coming in second to his weirdly intense accounting job. She dumps him right there in the restaurant.
A couple of months later, and Chelsea is enjoying some beach time on a tropical island all alone and ready to relax. Until Colt shows up. The fact that he pops up on the beach right in front of her kind of freaks her out, so she leaves, pointing out a random man at the bar, telling Colt it’s her boyfriend, and she hustles on over. The stranger at the bar is incredibly happy to have a beautiful bikini-clad woman come up to him, but little does Chelsea know, he’s actually there to kidnap her. Colt gives chase and saves her, which is amazing and sexy, and Chelsea has no clue what’s going on.
Learning that Colt was never really the nice guy accountant she’d thought he was is hard on her, of course, but she is able to appreciate the fact that maybe right now, she needs someone who isn’t such a nice guy. In the mean time, though, it seems Chelsea is smack in the middle of a big mess, and next thing she knows, she and Colt are running for their lives.
Colt knows he messed up with Chelsea, but he couldn’t string her along while he was undercover. He wants to start fresh, but when she’s almost kidnapped on her tropical vacation, he knows something bigger is happening. When Chelsea notices he seems far more comfortable holding a gun or a knife than he did as an accountant, Colt knows he has some explaining to do. But it seems someone was paid a whole lot of money to kidnap her, and he won’t let her out of his sight. It’s entirely possible that the case he was working when he met her may have something to do with it all. But Colt isn’t going to give up.
Chelsea for her part takes the new information well. I loved how she never became a damsel in distress, she also didn’t do anything stupid like try to run off on her own. She was able to face some fears, put her trust in Colt, and they learned some groundbreaking information about Chelsea without her falling apart. She was a great heroine. I loved Colt’s dedication to her. He wanted her safe, whether that meant she wanted him back in her life or not, he just wanted her safe. I think he’s my favorite hero I’ve seen in a while. His big plan of trying to win Chelsea back on a tropical island was completely shot down, but he was the perfect man to keep her alive and safe. This book is absolutely one of my favorites. The side characters that kept popping up made me wonder if they’ll be getting their own stories down the road, and I’m 100% in on the Wilde Ways series. I’ll read whatever Ms. Eden writes.
***I bought this book
