GOING DOWN, the latest from Shelli Stevens

The latest release from author Shelli Stevens is GOING DOWN, Book 1 in her Holding Out for a Hero series. Check out Ms. Stevens' website for ordering details and an excerpt. I haven't read every one of Ms. Stevens' books, but have read a few and enjoyed them all. You'll have to excuse the hugeness of the book cover I put up - although I doubt that any of you are seriously complaining!

A little about GOING DOWN:

One man wants her heart. The other wants her dead…

Eleanor Owen needs to get out of Chicago and quick. It’s not that she doesn’t want to obey the subpoena to testify against her drug-trafficking ex-boyfriend. It’s making it to the witness stand alive, should a dirty cop make good on his threats.
Tiny, remote Wyattsville, Oregon looks like the perfect place to disappear, but it’s hard to blend into the woodwork when one of the town’s infamous namesakes sends her heart racing. Worse, Mr. Tall, Hot and Packing is the town sheriff, which means she should stay as far away from him as possible.
Tyson Wyatt is positive the sexy new girl in town is hiding something. Question is, what? He vows to feel out her secrets—including what she feels like beneath him. Preferably naked. Until then, he’s not buying the story she’s selling.
Their chemistry is sheet-melting hot, and Ellie realizes much too late that the man with the badge is as dangerous to her heart as her ex is to her life…

My Romance Junkies (4 blue ribbons) review:
When a woman on the run ends up in a small Oregon town to hide out and catches the interest of the local sheriff, it goes without saying that sparks are going to fly. GOING DOWN has sparks and more, as Shelli Stevens gives readers an intriguing love story about learning how to trust, and love, again.
Eleanor “Ellie” Owen has left Chicago in a hurry, but not before putting great thought and planning into her escape. She’s been subpoenaed to testify against her abusive, drug trafficking ex-boyfriend and is terrified that he or one of his friends, including a corrupt police officer, will act on their escalating threats should she testify for the prosecution. Renting a house in Wyattville, Oregon, under an assumed name seems like a good idea until she almost immediately catches the eye of local sheriff Tyson Wyatt. Wyattville is typical of most small towns, where everyone knows their neighbors – and their neighbors’ business. Tyson’s family and the local townspeople aren’t shy about butting in and trying to match the two. But the closer Tyson gets the more distant Ellie becomes, leaving both frustrated and confused.
Wyatt feels certain that Ellie is hiding something but she’s not talking. As their relationship intensifies, Tyson is more deeply bothered by her distrust. He has never fallen head over heels for someone in such a short amount of time but has no doubt that this could be the real thing, if only Ellie would trust him enough to tell him the truth. It angers him to think that someone could cause physical and emotional harm to someone as sweet as Ellie. Eventually, Ellie has to explain her painful, frightening past to Tyson, and the two work together to secure her safety in testifying.
GOING DOWN is a quick read but at no expense to the quality of the story. Ellie’s fear is believable and I feel certain it’s a fair example of the thoughts and actions of someone living in true fear. Tyson’s determination to find the truth is equally well written, and I appreciated that he wasn’t constantly hounding Ellie for the truth. He was patient and kind, waiting for her to come to him with the truth. Townspeople and Tyson’s family are secondary characters that add to the delicious richness of the storytelling. I give GOING DOWN a strong recommendation and encourage anyone who hasn’t read any of Shelli Stevens’ work to give her a try.

Thanks for checking it out! This book is a steal at $3.50 - I encourage you to go grab a copy for yourself! Here's a link to purchase from Samhain.

I'll be putting up a giveaway in the next day or two for a brand spanking new copy of POLITICS, MURDER, AND LOVE IN STALIN'S KREMLIN (The story of Nikolai Bukharin and Anna Larina)by Paul R. Gregory. Not the type of book you typically here and no, I haven't read it yet so there won't be a review, but it sounds incredibly interesting.
Laurie