IT’S ALWAYS BEEN YOU (Always #1) by VICTORIA PAIGE

23 July, 2014

SYNOPSIS

Former Navy SEAL Travis Blake is a rising star in the security business. In two short years, Blake Security Inc. has become highly sought after by the who’s who in Washington DC.

But unbeknownst to many, Travis is haunted by the mysterious death of his wife three years before. He carries with him the guilt of not being there to protect the one person who meant everything to him. He has buried his wife, but his heart refuses to accept that the body six feet under is hers. His obsessive search for her leads him deep into the trenches of covert ops—and everything is not what it seems.

Caitlin Kincaid has been on the run for a while. The sum of her memories began three years ago when she awakened with a broken arm and leg and a severe concussion. Hunted down by a secret group within the U.S. government, her companion persuades her to stay off the grid because of the standing kill order on their heads. One night, while fleeing assassins, she is left on the side of the road with a cryptic message: “It’s time for you to stop running. I’m not the one you love.”

When Travis receives news that the woman who has turned up at the American Embassy in Berlin could be his wife, he wastes no time getting to her. He is unprepared for the devastation that shreds him when Caitlin looks at him with no recognition in her eyes. Amnesia is a challenging enough obstacle for winning the love of his life back. But with lies defining the past three years of her life, Caitlin becomes wary of anyone’s help.

Love was never the problem. A marriage cannot survive without trust. As sinister forces threaten the bond they are trying to rebuild, trust must come quickly or one of them will die.

* Strong sexual content and language. Disturbing situations.

´♥ ´♥ ´♥

Reviewed by Jenny & Gitte

J&G: ✯✯✯1/2

“I’ll love her enough for both of us until she’ll learn to love me again.”

Jenny: This book was a hot pot of everything wasn’t it Gitte? Suspense, drama, espionage, mystery, intrigue, passion and some very, very hot scenes…..Kindle windscreen wipers required! I really enjoyed It’s Always Been You despite my misgivings over a few plot holes which did leave me shaking my head once or twice and other scenes that felt more like fillers than integral story lines, which stilted the flow of the story a little for me.. I think you know the ones I’m talking about Gitte?

“I’ve been in limbo, babe. You’ve brought the pulse back into my blood.”

The author did a good job though of bringing me back into the story as I HAD to see how it all played out! There were times I thought I guessed how it would unfold, sometimes I was right on the money and other times I was thrown a curveball but it always kept me entertained. There was a big I KNEW IT moment when I actually think I whooped loudly! I will be picking up more in this series because I’m very intrigued about a couple of characters 😉

Gitte: Yeah, this story had everything, literally. Whilst I really enjoyed it and kept reading out of intrigue I have to say that rather than cramming every possible scenario into one story I’d have loved more character development and background. We had two great characters and an interesting suspenseful mystery so it was a real shame the plot holes, the unnecessary fillers and lack of attention to character development in regards to the heroine let this story down.

‘She could never compare to who she was before. She stared at herself in the mirror. She was scarred in more ways than one.’ – Caitlin

It became too sensational without enough ‘meat’ and detail. I loved the premise and some of the twists but there was just too much going on. For a hot passionate read with a filthy talking possessive alpha male though it was spot on though. Right, Jenny?!

Jenny: Travis Blake. Well as far as big, bad arse, bossy, possessive, dirty talking alphas go, Ex SEAL Travis Blake is up there with the best of them. Admittedly sometimes his blustering, jealous behaviour could be a little over the top but I soon forgave him these indiscretions because wow! He was something else! A demon between the sheets with a mouth he frequently put to good uses….

‘But his sexy hip bone and that dusting of hair trailing from his navel down to his weapon of mass orgasm…’ – Caitlin

His commitment and love for Caitlin was without question. He wasn’t about to lose her again. Caitlin caused me confusion to say the least. I had to question her thought processes after she so easily accepted Travis and happily walked off into the sunset with him. Not once enquiring about her family, friends or anything else with her past life. Did you find all that a bit odd Gitte?

“We’ll find each other again. And, sunshine, you’re not building a wall between us because I’ll take it down with a sledgehammer.”

Gitte: Yeah I found it really odd that as integral as Caitlin’s amnesia was to this storyline her character wasn’t developed more and her past examined and elaborated upon. I just didn’t buy her behaviour, attitude and acceptance in this regard.

“It fucking broke me Cat. My life shattered that day. I don’t think I’ve pieced myself back together again. So don’t fucking tell me it didn’t happen to me, because I lived that nightmare.” – Travis

Her lack of questioning and wanting to find out what happened pre-amnesia baffled me. It led me to think perhaps this storyline suffered because of everything else going on? I don’t know really, but this was my biggest issue and why I didn’t enjoy this story more than I did. I will say though that I loved her kick arse character!

As for Travis, I think you said it all, Jenny. He was an extremely passionate domineering hard arse Ex-Seal who basically had no filter for his thoughts or behaviour. At least you know where you stand with this guy though! I found him incredibly yummy and though not a classic romantic per se; his actions and his feelings over the missing three years and what comes after, clearly showed a loving heart and a man desperate for the love and return of his wife.

“I’d walk through hell for you, as long as you’ll be waiting for me on the other side.” – Travis

Overall, I did enjoy this book and I will definitely pick up more in this series. But sometimes less really is more!

**Reviewed on ARC copy provided by author**

Purchase IT’S ALWAYS BEEN YOU here
AMAZON US / AMAZON UK/AMAZON AU / AMAZON CA

**This can be read as a standalone**
The next book is due for release January 2015 and will feature a different couple

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One Comment:

23 July, 2014 at 10:40 pm
Delilah said:

I’m glad you reviewed this new author’s latest book. I really enjoyed the story and the characters. I wasn’t sure where it was going or which characters might be the “bad” guys. I like it when I am not sure about where things are going during a story and have to guess until the end. I agree that Travis’s over the top love, loyalty and possessiveness was the best part of the story. No matter what happened in the past or present, his future was going to be with the woman he loves. Whoo-hoo!
I found this author last year when I randomly came across Victoria Paige’s Guardians series. These stories are also romantic suspense with great alpha males. Each book is about a different couple, but it is best to start with the first, “Fire and Ice”, because the couples appear in the next stories. I am looking forward to the next book in the “Always” series.

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