Strip Search

Shelley Bradley

Publisher:
Berkley Sensation

Release Date:
July 5, 2006

Genres:
Contemporary Romance
Mystery
Erotica

ISBN:
Print
9780425211090

Bookmark Rating:

Reviewed by
Jennifer Ray

Review Posted:
June 2008

Mark Sullivan was framed for embezzlement, and while he has been cleared of all charges, the real criminals have not been caught – at least, not all of them.  When Mark’s brother-in-law, Rafe, offers him the chance to go undercover to prove the Mafia connection in the money laundering scheme that nearly sent him to prison, Mark jumps at the chance. 

One look at the owner of the strip club he is to work at undercover, and he knows he will never be able to keep it strictly business.  But getting involved with the beautiful and feisty Nicola ‘Nicki’ DiStefano is a bad idea, considering she is one of the prime suspects! 

Shelley Bradley’s novel, STRIP SEARCH, is the sequel to her book BOUND AND DETERMINED.  While the story in STRIP SEARCH is greatly enhanced if the reader has already read the first book, STRIP SEARCH can easily be enjoyed independently, without the reader being lost or confused.  Bradley does a terrific job of giving us the parts of Mark’s history from the first book that are pertinent to the story in the sequel so that a new reader would never even realize this book is a sequel.   

With the character of Mark Sullivan, Shelley Bradley takes all of the stereotypical ideas of a ‘nice guy’ and successfully squashes them.  Apparently, nice guys can also be bad boys!  Mark is an anti-hero, tortured by his past, and torn between his feelings for Nicki, his desire to bring the criminals to justice, and his fear of love and commitment. 

Nicki is a brassy, independent woman who has finally found her niche after floundering for years.  Determined to make her club a success, she has forgone romance for years.  There are many women who could identify with Nicki’s determination to succeed and the sacrifices she makes towards that end.  Even while she has established herself as a business woman to be reckoned with, she is able to maintain a softness and empathy for those she loves that keeps her character very real. 

While the romance between Mark and Nicki is always forefront, the suspense is equally prominent, ensuring a multi-layered story that defies being classified as strictly romance.  For readers who enjoy a touching romance with an excellent plot, STRIP SEARCH is a must read!

Note:  This review was originally written by Jennifer Ray for another review site.  It is being reposted at Wild on Books.

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