I will admit to a serious Jackson crush since his first appearance in this series. He is one of those in-your-face bad boys that will not be ignored, whether it's his turn to be the hero of the story or not. Whenever I have high expectations about a certain character, I automatically worry that the story will not be all I want it to be. It so often seems like previous secondary characters who move on to the starring role have personality transplants from one role to the other. Not so here. Jackson is just as bold, just as filterless and just as entertaining as he has been throughout the series.
Jackson has made no secret of his desire to get Alani, Trace's sister(Trace of Fever (Men Who Walk the Edge of Honor))into his bed. Well, as we join the story, that seduction has happened, but poor Jackson has no memory of it. Seems he was drugged prior to Alani's arrival, and he has no recollection of the past day's events. Watching him struggle to get the details out of her, at first covertly, then overtly, was vastly amusing. He is quietly dying to know what tipped the scales in his favor so he can do it again....and again....and again! Alani at first thinks he is rejecting her, then comes to believe he actually was incapacitated, and he is completely miserable about it.
Alani was not my favorite heroine in this series (that would be Priss), but I liked her well enough. She was a little too understanding at times. That may have worked for me if she had followed directions better. The juxtaposition of her not feeling the need to question Jackson with her refusal to do what he said jarred me a bit. Not enough to wreck the story, though, not at all. I love that she trusted him, it just seemed a little out of character, given the moments of jealousy shown, and her willngness to connect her elbow into his ribs when Jackson went all caveman on her. Still, her steadfastness and her willingness to explore their attraction endeared her to me.
Jackson tried so hard to be straightforward with Alani whenever possible, and to tell her he wasn't able to be honest when it came to security issues. His determination to win her trust and to honor his promises to her was touching and, dare I say, sweet. Jackson is a man of many levels, which he tries very hard to hide. Alani pretty much sees right through him, though.
I love the frankness of the conversations between Jackson and Alani. Sexually and emotionally, they go out of their way to be honest with each other, at least to the extent of answering questions honestly. Was it realistic for them to have that level of honesty? I don't know, but it was refreshing to read. Jackson, in his POV, was very open about how he wanted Alani and how he cared for her. His biggest fear was of Alani getting tired of him, and leaving. It was different to see the hero struggle to not overwhelm the heroine, while still being just wide open about his desire for her. I am not explaining it well, but wow, I felt the testosterone Jackson was throwing coming right off the pages. It was intoxicating.
The actual plotline of the book revolves around the human sex trading operation that has been the focus of the last 2 books. Very fast paced and the villian is just creepy. We also get introduced to 2 new characters who I think we will be seeing more of. Dare and Trace make several appearances throughout the story, which is nothing but good. Priss and Molly show up for a guest appearance, as do Chris, the girls and Liger.
There were a lot of light moments in the story, from Jackson's first encounter with Alani's ex, to Trace and Dare's reactions to Jackson and Alani as a couple. And Trace and Dare's reaction to Jackson's....um, virility...was very funny.
I had a couple of small, almost nonissues with Savor the Danger. First, there were the few times that Alani came off as too good to be true. Second, the (SPOILER!)/Spencer subplot almost overpowered Jackson/Alani. That said, I cannot WAIT to read their book! Yikes, the few scenes they had together were blistering. Thirdly, not enough Chris! Then again, I am not sure there can ever be enough Chris, so that probably isn't fair to Ms. Foster.
All in all, a fabulous addition to the series. Love me some Jackson!