Book by: Melissa Koslin
Dangerous Beauty by Melissa Koslin has an interesting premise – a woman trying to escape human trafficking and the man who rescues her. And the book cover is fabulous, depicting the opening scene where Liliana is escaping through the forest, no shoes on her feet, and a dress she’s worn for days. It starts off with a suspenseful scene which resolves in an interesting manner. The author writes descriptions of locations well, making it easy for readers to picture where the characters are.
I had a difficult time with the rest of the story however. It wasn’t the content so much as a disconnect from the characters and the narrative style. The author’s narrative style tells exactly what is happening as it happens (more as a distant third point of view) which is either refreshing or frustrating depending on a reader’s preference. Liliana appeared relatively consistent with her reactions throughout the pages but Meric is a walking contradiction. Despite this, I didn’t relate to either the hero or heroine.
I enjoy a good marriage of convenience trope, especially if it’s in a modern setting. Dangerous Beauty is that, but I had a hard time believing the only way to save Liliana was to marry her. There just didn’t seem to be a solid reason (or enough believable reasons) for Meric to propose at the point in the story he did.
I received a copy from the publisher through NetGalley. All opinions expressed are my own.