I received this book for free from the library in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Source: the library
Nauti Angel
by
Lora Leigh
romantic suspense, sexy romance in a paperback edition that was published by Berkley on November 7, 2017 and has 352 pages.
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Other books by this author which I have reviewed include Styx's Storm, Moving Violations, Cops and Cowboys, B.O.B.'s Fall, Manaconda, A Wish a Kiss a Dream, "Dragon Prime", Primal, Live Wire, Navarro's Promise, Forbidden Pleasure, Beyond the Dark, Black Jack, Tempting the Beast, Dangerous Pleasure, Maverick, Man Within, Midnight Sins, Wild Card, Tied with a Bow, Lawe's Justice, Legally Hot, Deadly Sins, Stygian's Honor, Surrender to Fire, Nauti Temptress, Submission & Seduction, Wicked Sacrifice, Secret Sins, Nautier and Wilder, Shameless Embraces, Wicked Pleasure, Only Pleasure, Guilty Pleasure, Wicked Lies, Twin Passions, Nauti Enchantress, Shattered Legacy, Intense Pleasure, Knight Stalker, Enthralled, Secret Pleasure, Rule Breaker, "The One", Nauti Seductress, Wake a Sleeping Tiger, Collision Point, Cross Breed, One Tough Cowboy, Hot for the Holidays, Dawn's Awakening, "Night Hawk"
Ninth in the Nauti sexy romantic suspense series and revolving around the Mackay very extended family. The couple focus is on Angel Calloway and Duke Mackay.
My Take
It’s a frickin’ melodramatic soap opera what with all the snap judgments and Angel moaning on and on and on about how her mother betrayed her all those years ago!
No, it’s not all the sex. I get that Leigh is all about the sex and weaves a story around it in order to connect it up. But what I object to is the incomplete jumpiness of Nauti Angel. And no, it’s not because of the third person multiple point-of-view. If anything that POV helps simply because we get the perspective from a variety of characters.
It’s those lame excuses as to why Chaya behaves so badly to Angel. If Chaya is supposed to be so smart, why is she so obvious? And then her insta-turnaround with her expectations is so unrealistic. And talk of unrealistic. Natches practically takes Duke’s head off for touching Angel, but has no qualms about their sharing a bedroom in his house. As for Angel, she keeps herself disguised and still expects the mother who thinks she’s dead to recognize her? Why would Chaya’s sister take Jenny and Beth to Iraq? WTF?
As for Angel’s flipping back-and-forth about Duke…hoo, boy. I do wish Leigh had been less even about Angel’s emotions on why Duke is a traitor and then he’s not. Camp up the bit about his being a traitor and her desire for him will make more sense.
It’s a story that flips back and forth between times and past events — I get the impression that Shane is the new sheriff BUT his parents’ story is fourth in the series, so how can he be old enough to be sheriff?? It’s so confusing and inconsistent that I felt a need to go back and re-read the series — for all the wrong reasons — just to figure it out. Not a good way to inspire me as a reader.
The whole family’s attitude toward Angel is hypocritical. She’s good enough to rescue their kids, just not to be around them.
It takes Duke FIVE years to find out Angel’s history? Doesn’t say much for Army Intelligence…
All I can say is read Nauti Angel at your own risk…and with a bottle of aspirins next to you.
The Story
It’s torment for Angel Calloway, being so near her half-sister and mother, not telling them who she is. Yearning for their love, but despising her mother at the same time, for her abandonment.
But Bliss is in trouble, and Angel can no more stay away than change the past. Even if it does mean dealing with that traitorous Reece Duquaine!
The Characters
Angel Calloway, a.k.a., Beth “BeeBee” Dane, has been training for battle since she was rescued at three years of age — and cooking since ten to survive. Binny, her childhood teddy bear, is still with her. J.T. and Mara Calloway are the mercenary couple who rescued Beth. Brutus is their war dog, a Rottweiler. Tracker and Chance “Grog” are their sons.
Duke Mackay is former Army Intelligence and a cousin from the other side of the mountain(??). I’m guessing he’s also Reece Duquaine who is Reece Duquaine Mackay. Turns out his parents, Trent and Marie Mackay, had been working with Dayle. Ethan is Duke’s brother. Jacob and Jonah are more cousins from the other side of the mountain. Memmie Mary “is the iron will of the Mackay family on the other side of the mountain” who makes the salve.
Fifteen-year-old Bliss Mackay is the daughter of Natches (a former captain and army sniper) and Chaya Mackay (a former interrogator with military intelligence) whose story is told in Nauti Dreams, 3. Declan, an orphaned Iraqi boy, is their adopted son. The traitorous Dayle Mackay had been his father. Craig Dane had been Chaya’s traitorous first husband who had an affair with Jo-Ellen, Chaya’s sister. Jenny is the daughter Jo-Ellen had with Craig.
Bliss’ cousins include Annie, Laken, and Erin
Annie’s parents are Rowdy and Kelly Mackay; Ray is Rowdy’s supportive dad (Nauti Boy, 1). Erin’s parents are Police Chief Alex Jansen and Janey Mackay who still runs her restaurant, Mackay’s Fine Dining (Nauti Intentions, 4). Desmond is still the chef. Laken’s parents are Dawg and Christa Mackay (Nauti Nights, 2). Dawg’s half-sisters are all engaged to DHS agents: Eve (Brogan Campbell; Nauti Temptress, 6); Lyrica (Graham Brock, a former major in Army intelligence; Nauti Enchantress, 7); Piper (Jed Booker; Nautier and Wilder: “Nauti Siren”, 7.5); and, Zoey (Chatham Bromleah Doogan, the assistant director of DHS; Nauti Seductress, 8).
Timothy is a former DHS special agent who is in love with Mercedes Mackay, the mother of Dawg’s half-sisters. Seth and Saul August, twins, are cousins from Texas and both are Navy SEALs.
Detective Samantha “Sam” Bryce and Shane Mayes, the son of the former sheriff (Zeke and Rogue Mayes, Nauti Deceptions, 5), are close friends of the Mackays. Lucas Mayes is a retired Navy SEAL and seems to be an uncle to Brannigan “Bran”, a boy Bliss has been flirting with at the marina. Harley Matthews is trained in security.
Grecia Davinov is a Russian billionaire for whom the Calloways did some security work years ago. Solange is his current wife; Aleda is her daughter from a previous marriage. Viktor is Grecia’s estranged son. Nikolai is his youngest son. Rastor Davinov is his brother. Ilya and Gregor, Russian Special Forces, are snipers and Rastor’s sons.
The Cover and Title
The cover reminds me of army camouflage with its greens and browns in the distant treeline on the other side of the muddy river with the foreground a grassy dirt patch with a darkly cloudy sky overhead. It’s a black muscle-shirt-clad Duke, a wave of his short brunet hair falling over one eye and the blonde-haired Angel sitting behind him on the motorcycle, her long curly tresses blowing in the breeze.
The title is all about an unexpected daughter, a Nauti Angel.
