Present Danger [Mass Market Paperback]

Aunie Franklin doesn't know the answer. Because of her beauty, she is married to a rich and handsome man, Wesley Cunningham, at nineteen but lives like a prisoner. Wesley is a gallery owner and is very possessive of Aunie. He arranges everything and controls Aunie's life that she feels unbearable. She finally gets Wesley to agree for a divorce and he gives her a big settlement including his house and car.

It is just the beginning of Aunie's nightmare. Wesley always shows up whenever he likes and gets her to attend business dinners with him. One night when she refuses to go with him, he beats her up and she is put in hospital. Wesley is arrested and put in jail. Aunie is scared to death and once she is released from the hospital, she rents a car and drives directly from Atlanta to Seattle.

James Ryder is a construction worker and the owner of the apartments where Aunie rents her new home. He is also the hot cartoonist known as JT Ryder. When he meets Aunie in her recovering status, he knows that she is in big trouble and refuses to rent her the apartment but Aunie has already given Lola, the apartment manager, a down payment and has signed the lease.

Aunie starts to attend school in the local area and meets new friends. James is attracted to this little beauty although he doesn't want to get involved. Sparks grow between them and one challenging little kiss starts the flame within James and Aunie. Then, all hell breaks when Aunie receives a call from her lawyer, informing her that her ex-husband is released from jail.

Present Danger is the second romantic suspense written by Susan Andersen. The story is captivating and thrilling with a dash of humour. James is not a typical hero a woman to die for and most people would think him a villain with his build and appearance. Aunie is the Snow White of every man's dream and she tries very hard to prove that she has a brain and not just beauty. A definitely page-turner and keeper for readers who loves romantic suspense!

Aunie escapes from her abusive and delusional es-husband to start a new life in Washington State. Here she does her level best to start a new life for herself and surrounds herself with a new circle of friends. One of these friends is James Ryder a 'wrong side of the tracks cartoonist' who finds himself against his own judgement drawn to his "magnolia" despite all of her problems.

Again it is a good story with really likeable characters. It only falls short on the suspense area. If you are a fan of Susan Andersen you don't want to miss this read. If you are new to Susan Andersen don't let this turn you against a very talented author. It is just not one of her best.