Have you seen the cover of Dangerous Beauty??? I am so in love with the contrast and colors and the haunting imagery. Ladies and gentlefolk, if you want a blueprint for cover design done right, look no further… (pause for applause) Okay, but seriously, I knew, especially after reading the premise, that this I not only wanted to review this, but I needed a paperback on my shelf. This being said, how are all of you?

To those who follow my blog, you know I’ve had a bit of a mad year. I’ve somehow made time to write and love on several new books. And my baby girl is big enough that she’s content to gurgle and talk to her toys long enough for me to get extra things done. Something I’m learning to do is to savor these quiet in-between moments. You never know when life might pull the rug out from under you yet. So it’s best to savor the time you’re guaranteed. And cling to those precious moments for when the days grow darker. Something our heroine in Dangerous Beauty attempts to do. 😉 I’m excited to share my review for this one, but first, here’s a bit about the book. Stay tuned for the giveaway chance at the end! 

DANGEROUS BEAUTY

A NOVEL

by MELISSA KOSLIN

 

Fiction / Christian / Romance / Suspense
Publisher: Revell
Pages: 352 pages
Publication Date: September 6, 2022
Scroll down for Giveaway!

---

What is the price of freedom?

Liliana Vela hates the term victim. She’s not a victim, she’s a fighter. Stubborn and strong with a quiet elegance, she’s determined to take back her life after escaping the clutches of human traffickers. But she can’t stay safely in America–unless the man who aided in her rescue is serious about his unconventional proposal to marry her.

Meric Toledan was just stopping at a service station for a bottle of water. Instead, he becomes the key to Liliana’s rescue. If he can keep his secrets hidden, his wealth and position afford him many resources to help her. But the mysterious buyer who funded her capture will not sit idly by while his prize is stolen from him.

| Amazon | Baker Book House | Christianbook |

| Other Revell Affiliates |

PRAISE FOR DANGEROUS BEAUTY:

“Do not start this book until you have the time to read it in one gulp. This is a really fresh twist on a marriage of convenience with the potential for pages of suspense. The hero and heroine are each hugely compelling, and I just wanted to protect them both. It’s also a sweet story of the healing power of hope. Highly recommend this novel for those who adore romantic suspense with a fresh twist.” –Cara Putman, award-winning author of Flight Risk and Lethal Intent

“Koslin brings the underworld of human trafficking to life in a gripping yet redemptive plot.” –Booklist

---

5 of 5 Stars

Can we pause a moment to admire Dangerous Beauty’s gorgeous cover art? As someone who works with a book design company, I am painfully aware of shortcuts and cheats you often see in covers. So it’s a genuine treat when I’m impressed as I was by Revell’s design team. To the person(s) who worked on Dangerous Beauty, wherever you may be, you deserve all the praise for your gorgeous color dynamics. Why am I waxing poetic about this book’s cover before we even dive into the plot? The cover sells the book. Most people will barely look twice at a book by an author they aren’t familiar with. A brilliant cover can make a book, and it certainly caught my attention. If I’d seen this in a bookstore, I would have picked it up because of the contrasting colors and haunting imagery.

Now let’s officially dive into why you should read Melissa Koslin’s Dangerous Beauty. Without involving major spoilers, we are given a marriage of convenience trope but with a much darker edge. Liliana has just managed to escape the cartel trafficking her and other enslaved women. Meric happens to be in the right place at the right time. When we first meet them, it’s hard to tell who Meric will be to Liliana. Is he a savior and potential ally? Or will he be yet another man who has let Liliana down in perhaps the biggest betrayal of all?

I loved the tension Koslin expertly built, not only throughout the novel, but between Meric and Liliana. We know there is a “big bad” somewhere out there that wants her back. But Meric is no pushover and seems to live by his own set of rules apart from society. Liliana is just as much of an outcast, and the author does a fantastic job of presenting her struggle to learn English and integrate into American society. Here is a perspective we don’t often read but which is absolutely relevant to so many. 

To those of you who have read your fair share of romance, you’ll recognize what I mean when I say this is a “slow burn.” The characters are tied to a marriage of convenience, and as a woman of faith, Liliana tries to honor Meric while also looking to maintain her independence. And Meric, that gorgeous hunk of repression, bends over backward to make sure Liliana knows she is safe and protected. I’m a huge fan of emotionally backward cold men of power becoming soft for the women they love. Liliana’s struggle to overcome her traumatic experiences felt visceral, and in an ironic twist, she too becomes a safe place for Meric to open up. 

Excellently paced and executed, Dangerous Beauty is perfect for fans of romantic thrillers with hopeful endings and messages of faith.

**I was provided with a copy of Dangerous Beauty by NetGalley and this is my voluntary and honest review.**

---

MEET MELISSA KOSLIN

 

Melissa Koslin is a fourth-degree black belt in and certified instructor of Songahm Taekwondo. In her day job as a commercial property manager, she secretly notes personal quirks and funny situations, ready to tweak them into colorful additions for her books. The author of Never Miss, Melissa lives in Jacksonville, Florida, with her husband, Corey.

| Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram |

| Pinterest | Goodreads | Amazon | BookBub |

---

GRAND GIVEAWAY

 TWO WINNERS

Each receives copies of Dangerous Beauty and Never Miss 

+ $25 gift card to Bookshop.org

(US only; ends midnight, CDT, 9/24/22.)

 

A RAFFLECOPTER GIVEAWAY

---

CLICK TO VISIT THE LONE STAR LITERARY LIFE TOUR PAGE

FOR DIRECT LINKS TO EACH POST ON THIS TOUR, UPDATED DAILY,

OR VISIT THE PARTICIPATING BLOGS DIRECTLY:

9/14/22	Chapter Break Book Blog	Excerpt
9/14/22	Hall Ways Blog	BONUS Promo
9/15/22	StoreyBook Reviews	Review
9/15/22	LSBBT Blog	BONUS Promo
9/16/22	Book Fidelity	Character Interview
9/17/22	The Plain-Spoken Pen	Review
9/18/22	Boys’ Mom Reads!	Notable Quotables
9/19/22	All the Ups and Downs	Author Interview
9/20/22	Stories Under Starlight	Review
9/21/22	Shelf Life Blog	Top 5 List
9/22/22	Jennifer Silverwood	Review
9/23/22	Reading by Moonlight	Review

---

blog tour services provided by