Allure

by Nina Lane

[Cocktails and Books]

ALLURE continues the love story of Dean and Olivia West as they try to get their marriage back on track. The tone is a bit different in ALLURE because we don't spent the majority of the book in Olivia's head. We see both sides to this marriage and how these two people that truly love each other to the depths of their find themselves once again find their marriage at a cross roads.

There were many things I loved about both Dean and Olivia when I read AROUSE, but with ALLURE you can't help but fall more in love with Dean and understand just what is was about him that called to Olivia. Dean makes Olivia feel cherished, loved, sexy and protected. All things she needed during various points in their relationship. Dean needs Olivia just ast much, partly because she does welcome his protectiveness. But Olivia's need to prove that she has something to offer (not just to Dean, but to the community she belongs to and her friends) and that brings out her fighting spirit. When she would have let Dean "bully" (for lack of a better term) her into doing what he wants (staying home while he flies to California when he father has a health crisis) she instead steps up and demands that Dean let her be an equal partner in whatever awfulness they would endure at his parents.

That spirit was what they both needed. Not only did having Olivia in California help Dean cope, in a small way, it was also able to help Dean see Olivia as an equal partner in their marriage and understand that while she loves everything about him, he can't control everything and needs to lean on her for support.

This was definitely a turning point in this couple relationship and one that I truly welcomed. I wanted to cheer when Olivia FINALLY stopped acting like a doormat. Fight for your man and more importantly, fight for yourself! She did all of this in her sweet Olivia way, but I think it got her to a much better place. As for Dean, it was almost as if the light bulb was turned on an her truly understood just how amazing Olivia was. She wasn't a china doll that needed to be protected, not matter how fragile she might seem. When he needed it, she was strong enough to prop both of them up.

Another amazing story in the Spiral of Bliss series. Nina Lane has created a couple that is an absolute pleasure to read, even when one or both of them are doing something that you want to yell about. Their love for each other jumps off the pages and convinces you that, not matter what, this couple will somehow make it through whatever obstacle comes in their path. I'm now DYING waiting for AWAKEN to come out this summer. I think it's safe to say, I need more of my Dean and Olivia fix!