Sight Unseen (Warner Forever) [Mass Market Paperback]

Sight Unseen represents a new direction for author Samantha Graves who also writes futuristc romance under the name C.J. Barry.

The book is listed as a romantic suspense but it has a paranormal twist! As her first foray into comtemporary romance this book was a home-run! The plot is excellent - and believable, which can be hard to do when the heroine has a psychic power. The suspense is gripping... and the romantic connection between the hero/heroine was very well done! The perfect balance of attraction and wary interest.

Since there is no description on this listing here's the blurb from the back cover:

CLUES ONLY THIS PSYCHIC CAN SEE
Can an art theif earn an honest living? Raven Callahan does, with the help of a rare psychic power that lets her read the emotions locked inside ancient objects. But when her partner is kidnapped and Raven is forced to steal a priceless masterpiece to save heim, ESP takes a backseat to quick wits, steely nerves, and the lethal skills she needs to survive.

A KILLER ONLY HTIS COP CAN CATCH
Ex-cop Dax Maddox made just one mistake on th ejob, but it took a young rookie's life and cost Dax his ability to see color. Now stalking a killer brings Raven into his life - and floods his gray world with vivid and conflicting emotions: anger and lust, suspicion and awe. Are the criminals they seek one and the same? If so, Dax and Raven's growing need for each other could inspire a madman's terrifying scheme for the ultimate revenge...

After her award winning series as CJ Barry, Samantha Graves had established herself as an excellent Romance author. With Sight Unseen she has raised the bar and changed the rules of the romance genre. To lable this book simply a Romance title, would be a grave injustice, Sight Unseen goes much deeper than that.

The adventure begins as Samantha takes the reader to the bottom of the ocean, to retrieve a medallion that was worn by 'King Pacal Votan the Great'. Raven Callahan is a modern day treasure hunter of sorts, with a special gift that allows her to authenticate the items, with a simple touch. She and her sister, Jillian receive information from inanimate objects. The stronger the emotion of the person that owned or touched the object, the more intensely it is felt by Raven. Working for API, she recovers priceless pieces for private collectors, as well as, museums that have been lost or stolen.

Dax Maddox is rugged and attractive, with loneliness and haunting anger in his eyes. Once a respected detective in Miami, he now had only one goal - to catch a killer! The night, Nick, his rookie partner was murdered, he had been imprisoned in a world filled only with shades of gray. He left the force to pursue a cop killer, to exact revenge and get justice for Nick. Which lead him to the art auction, at 'Matador's Auction House, in Miami. Bringing him face to face with the Vassalo painting and the beautiful woman he knew was a thief.

The chemistry between these two characters, Raven and Dax, is palpable. From the moment he forces her into a closet at the auction, to the swirling intensity of their first kiss, the reader is swept up into the story, like a leaf in a tornado! The author develops each as an individual, while continuing to bring them together, moving toward a confrontation with a killer and explosive intimacy. Both of which will leave the reader breathless and wanting more!

Samantha Graves has delivered an action packed, suspense thriller, filled with three dimensional characters that are intelligent and sexy. The various plot elements are effortlessly woven into the fabric of the lead, as well as, the supporting characters. This title has everything a reader could ask for; suspense - that keeps you guessing, action - that will keep you thinking, passion - that will make you breathless, combined with enough twists and turns to construct a moutain trail. What more could a reader ask for? Well, a sequel, of course!

Don't let "Sight Unseen" remain unseen by you!

Two of my most favorite genres are thrillers and romance. Romantic suspense is a combo of the two. The downside to some I've read is there isn't enough of the suspense. This sub-genre, in my opinion, should be a thriller with hot sex scenes and at the end, the guy gets the girl. SIGHT UNSEEN was just that. This book started with danger from the very beginning and didn't end until the next to the last chapter.

Raven Callahan is an honest thief with a rare psychic ability. She's able to read the emotions people left behind from objects. She works for the Antiquities Preservation Institute to recover stolen objects. This ability comes in handy as she is able to authenticate her findings.

Twice she has met Dax Maddox. The first time was as a cop and he suspected she was a thief. The second time is where this story blossoms. He's quit the force and now on the trail of his partner's killer. When the killer kidnaps Raven's partner, they must team up in order to catch him. Both have a dark past and with a strong attraction towards the other.

SIGHT UNSEEN has the right combo of suspense and romance. What an outstandingly balanced book! Her next book, OUT OF TIME, has Raven's sister, Jillian, as the main character. I look forward to continue on with this series.