Shades of Desire (SIG, #1)

May 20, 2012 rameau rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: arc-galley, romance, inappropriate-erections, read-in-2012, suckity-suck, vapid-insipid-divas-and-ingenues, too-stupid-to-live, i-salute-you-captain-obvious, emotional-disconnect, all-the-wrong-choices, contemporary, suspense

I started this book thinking of giving it a solid three stars and hoping for the fourth. Instead of something extra, I found all the plot threads of a promising premise slipping through my fingers until only thing left was bitter disappointment.

Let's start with the characterisations. What characterisations? The characters do and react as it suits the scene and situation rather than following some internal compass that guides them through life even with the needle improperly calibrated. To this...more I started this book thinking of giving it a solid three stars and hoping for the fourth. Instead of something extra, I found all the plot threads of a promising premise slipping through my fingers until only thing left was bitter disappointment.

Let's start with the characterisations. What characterisations? The characters do and react as it suits the scene and situation rather than following some internal compass that guides them through life even with the needle improperly calibrated. To this moment I can't tell you what Natalie or Mac is supposed to be like. I can tell you the events that supposedly helped to make them who they are because I read the infodumps, but based on their actions showed in this book they remain a mystery to me.

Because of the poor characterisations, the pacing doesn't work either. It's not as bad a situation in the beginning where the focus is on the investigation, but when Natalie and Mac meet, it soon unravels into their incomprehensible instant attraction. Of course they don't really spend time getting to know each other like normal people would, but they snipe at each other to add to the tension, I suppose. The evolution of their relationship is minimal to the point that their sexual encounter feels like it's coming out of the blue even though all the trope warning signs are there. This is because majority of the book Natalie and Mac are apart.

The book is written in third limited with alternating points of views from the hero and heroine and the villains of the story. Yes, that was a plural. At first those glimpses into the criminal psyche were the part I enjoyed reading, but then all subtlety was thrown out and replaced with full-scale infodumping.

This isn't a character driven storyline. This reads like a book that had a mapped out structure before the characters were shoehorned into it. It leaves the distasteful feeling of forced plot progression. Things don't develop naturally, but they are poked and prodded to the right direction by obvious deus ex machinas. I guess it could have been better, had the quality of the writing been good enough to distract from these obvious flaws. Though, I must admit, even then this book wouldn't have made on my favourites shelf.

In my status updates I mentioned the lack of research or feel of it. I might have been overly harsh, but the fact remains that I didn't feel like whatever research had been done did shine through the text. Random titbits about the everyday life of a blind person were thrown in, but they weren't integrated into the text to help bring Natalie's character alive. This, once again, highlights the problematic characterisation.

There's one, highly spoilerish thing I must mention. If you plan on reading this book, don't click to open the tags. I mean it. (view spoiler).

I received an Advanced Readers Copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley.(less)

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May 17, 2012 Danielle rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: review

Review originally posted at Ramblings From This Chick

I will be honest, this was my first romantic suspense book I was actually able to get through. I normally don't read too many books in the suspense genre but I am a big fan of Virna's paranormal series so I figured I'd give this one a try. While it wasn't my cup of tea, I still really enjoyed it. In fact I finished the book pretty much in one sitting. I love the chemistry between Mac and Natalie. The sparks between them were electric and I fou...more Review originally posted at Ramblings From This Chick

I will be honest, this was my first romantic suspense book I was actually able to get through. I normally don't read too many books in the suspense genre but I am a big fan of Virna's paranormal series so I figured I'd give this one a try. While it wasn't my cup of tea, I still really enjoyed it. In fact I finished the book pretty much in one sitting. I love the chemistry between Mac and Natalie. The sparks between them were electric and I found myself quickly turning the pages to see how everything was going to go down.

Natalie Jones was once a world famous photojournalist. She has been all over the world on assignments and she isn't afraid to take risks. At least that was true until she began loosing her sight. Natalie has an degenerative eye disease that is quickly eating away at her sight. Because of this, Natalie has become a home body and doesn't really like to go out in public anymore. But when Natalie is brutally attacked in her home and barely survives, she is terrified.

Liam "Mac" McKenzie is an agent and leader of the SIG unit. A special investigations group that works all over the state solving horrific cases. When he hears of the attack on Natalie Jones, he quickly rushes to question her. He needs Natalie's help identifying the criminal. Only Mac isn't aware that Natalie is on the verge of going blind and actually wasn't able to see the criminal a piece of information that Natalie omitted from her initial interview with local police officers.

From the first meeting both Mac and Natalie feel an instant attraction towards the other. The chemistry is there but they both seem to continuously but heads. Natalie is convinced she is fine and doesn't not need anyone else's help. While Mac is convinced that something bad is going to happen with Natalie and he doesn't want to see that happen. Neither can explain why they are so attracted to the other but neither really acts upon their attraction. Both seem to dance around it for awhile. Mac because he takes his job seriously and he doesn't want anything serious with anyone. And Natalie because she is afraid of relying on others. Both characters are flawed and working on issues in themselves.

I rather liked that Mac and Natalie didn't hop into bed with each other in the first few chapters and that there was a build up between them. I rather liked watching them both interact with one another. The heat between them was there from the beginning and I just liked watching it smolder. I also felt like the progression between them just felt for real and organic.

Like I said previously, this was my first romantic suspense and it was at times a bit much for me. It was a little too real at times, especially when we see the villains pov. The villain is quite crazy and for me it was a bit too much. I didn't not like where his thought process would venture at times. Did I like it, no but I completely understand that this is where the author need to go to make it a convincing suspense. I did like that the author was able to blend both the romantic elements with the suspenseful elements together and weave a believable story. I might not have liked all the book, but there was definitely a lot I did like. So much so that I will definitely be picking up the next book in this series.

**ARC copy provided by NetGalley/Author**(less)

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Apr 21, 2013 Kati rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012-reads, 2012-reviews, 3-stars, books-with-reviews, contemporary, netgalley, romantic-suspense, reviewed-by-jamie

**original review by Jamie posted at Romancing Rakes For The Love of Romance**

Natalie Jones is a photographer, quite well known, however with a degenerative eye disease that is progressing rather quickly she starts to lock herself away in her home. Then she is attacked in her home, the only place that felt safe.

Special Agent Liam “Mac” McKenzie is in charge of finding an elusive killer that has been targeting young women. When he hears about the attack on Natalie, essentially the only survivor,...more

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Jan 13, 2013 Lloyd Russell rated it 4 of 5 stars

The Book Sage - http://booksage.blogspot.com/
Virna DePaul's Shades of Desire is a very good book. It's part of the Harlequin Romantic Suspense line. I like that because I enjoy a good romance, but I usually need a decent story to go with it. This has both. The sexual tension between the main characters does not diminish the suspense part. Natalie Jones is a renowned photojournalist. She also happens to be only recently legally blind. Liam "Mac" McKenzie is a top homicide detective for the Califo...more The Book Sage - http://booksage.blogspot.com/
Virna DePaul's Shades of Desire is a very good book. It's part of the Harlequin Romantic Suspense line. I like that because I enjoy a good romance, but I usually need a decent story to go with it. This has both. The sexual tension between the main characters does not diminish the suspense part. Natalie Jones is a renowned photojournalist. She also happens to be only recently legally blind. Liam "Mac" McKenzie is a top homicide detective for the California Department of Justice's Special Investigations Group (SIG). Both of them have had disastrous romantic relationships. When Mac starts investigating a serial killer, and Natalie escapes an attack from said killer, he comes in direct contact (no pun intended) with Natalie. Words and fur fly. They are attracted to each other while, at the same time, they try to maintain an investigator-victim professional relationship.

That's all I'm going to tell you about the story. But I have other things to say. First of all, this book reminds me of Gillian Flynn's Gone Girl (I'm going to see her at the JCC in San Francisco on April 23 - looking forward to that). I liked the 1st half, but I really liked the 2nd half. Just when the Natalie and Mac story was starting to get a little bit tiring, Virna brought in the church's involvement and a bunch of new characters. It went from a bit plodding to compelling. Nicely done.

Secondly, how many of you have read Lie Down With Lions by Ken Follett? It's an older book but a good one. There is a sex scene in there that is really well done. In fact, there are many of us (old) hetero males that still refer to it (don't worry, it's always in context!). Why do I bring this up? Because the 1st sex between Mac and Natalie (you know there has to be sex between them) is reminiscent of the scene from Lie Down With Lions. It's very graphic but sensual at the same time. Jasmine Haynes (our beloved erotic romance author) would be proud (E.L. James, eat your heart out).

Thirdly, Virna does a great job of making us care about the 2 main characters (and some of the other characters, too). You all know that this is a big deal to me. If I don't care a lot, then it will impact my enjoyment of the book. I really cared about Mac and Natalie. I felt their pain, their hopes, their desires (wow, pretty good, eh - I'm thinking about writing jacket covers for Harlequin!).

Lastly, I came across something in this book that I don't think I've ever seen before (if you don't want to know what that is, stop reading this paragraph immediately). The book ends with another sex scene. As surprised as I was, I was not disappointed (that's not what I meant!). It is appropriate to the story. Very cool.

There's only one thing that keeps me from giving this a 3.5 instead of a 3.0. There are a few instances in the book where I have a little trouble following the writing (it could be me, couldn't it?). For some reason, there are moments when I am a little confused as to what she is saying. It doesn't happen often, but it is frequent enough that the final grade is a 3.0. That's still pretty darn good, and I strongly recommend Shades of Desire.(less)

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Jul 30, 2012 Cindy rated it 4 of 5 stars

First off this is the first book in Virna DePaul's Special Investigations Groups Series. I have to admit that the only time I've read her before was in the Anthology with Lori Foster. I defiantly will be reading the rest of this series as it comes out.

The background story here is the murder of a young woman. Through evidence they find on the victim they are pretty sure they know who the murderer is but he haa skipped out on his parole and they cannot find him.

Natalie Jones was a world famous p...more

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Jun 21, 2012 Coleen Scott rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: romantic-suspense

Loved the premise of this book - a photographer who is slowly losing her eyesight is targeted by a crazed killer and falls in love with the cop who catches her case. Wasn't as crazy about the execution of said premise.

Elevator pitch: Natalie Jones, photographer, is going blind and struggling with accepting the changes that come with it. When she's attacked in her own home by a nutty killer, hard-boiled cop Liam "Mac" Mackenzie gets her case. Instant chemistry. Natalie is stalked - quite creepily...more Loved the premise of this book - a photographer who is slowly losing her eyesight is targeted by a crazed killer and falls in love with the cop who catches her case. Wasn't as crazy about the execution of said premise.

Elevator pitch: Natalie Jones, photographer, is going blind and struggling with accepting the changes that come with it. When she's attacked in her own home by a nutty killer, hard-boiled cop Liam "Mac" Mackenzie gets her case. Instant chemistry. Natalie is stalked - quite creepily - through the book by her killer. At the same time, she's attempting to deal with her blindness, assert her independence and figure out who she is. She keeps getting attacked, Mac keeps coming to her rescue, they jump into bed and fall in love. Bad guy caught, cue the HEA.

What worked: Cool premise - I love the idea of a heroine struggling with a creeping disability that takes away not only her eyesight but her identity as a photographer as well. Mac is the first man she's been involved with since losing her sight, and it was interesting to imagine this progression without the usual visual cues.

What didn't work: Way too much going on here. Natalie's abusive past and insane mother. Religious mania. Friendships going off the rails. Drug abuse. Weird pregnancies. Too many elements that were half-baked. I feel like the author could have trimmed one or two of these extra elements to focus on the core plot, and ended up writing a better book.

Some elements strained credibility. A dude (and I didn't catch where he got his medical training) cuts a baby out of a dying woman in the middle of someone's living room? A woman throws herself out of a moving vehicle to escape her kidnapper, rolls down an embankment and then gets up, refuses to go to the hospital and walks home?

And I'm tired of people shaking off huge psychological and emotional issues - agoraphobic tendencies, a history of terrifying child abuse, adapting to a challenging disability - just because they meet a great guy. Mac comes along, they fall in love, everything's good, right? I wish.

Last but not least - this woman lives in a small community in northern California, and at least half the people in the story have a friend/relative who is blind. Not elderly people - blind since birth type people. I can only assume I need to expand my circle of friends and colleagues because in my entire life, I've only met one person who is blind since birth, a coworker from my university days. This could be a failing on my part, but the coincidence bugged me.

Overall, it was an okay airplane read. (less)

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Jun 17, 2012 Melissa rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shades Of Desire ~ Book 1 in the Special Investigations Groups Series
HQN - Now available on Amazon, B&N, Powell’s and Audible

Narrated by Ashley Adlon

Natalie Jones was once a famous photographer ~ but now, paralyzed by blindness that was brought on by a degenerative eye disease, Natalie is pretty much at a stand still in her life. Denying to herself that her blindness might be forever and that she's going to have change her way of living, Natalie has pretty much isolated herself ~~ until she...more Shades Of Desire ~ Book 1 in the Special Investigations Groups Series
HQN - Now available on Amazon, B&N, Powell’s and Audible

Narrated by Ashley Adlon

Natalie Jones was once a famous photographer ~ but now, paralyzed by blindness that was brought on by a degenerative eye disease, Natalie is pretty much at a stand still in her life. Denying to herself that her blindness might be forever and that she's going to have change her way of living, Natalie has pretty much isolated herself ~~ until she walks in to her own home on what appears to be a burglary in progress and is almost killed.

State Special Agent Liam “Mac” McKenzie and his partner show up to interview Natalie when certain things about her case click with a case they've been working ~ a murder case. When Mac meets Natalie he's instantly and forcefully attracted to her ~ to the point he can't focus on anything else. Not realizing she's blind at first, he's suspicious why this woman is holding back and so abrasive w/ the cops.

The sparks fly instantly ~ while Natalie can't 'see' Mac, she drawn to his voice, but she's scared and confused as to why the cops are back ~~ until she realizes there is more to the simple break in that what she'd first thought.

This book was SO good ~ I listened to the audio version, and the narrator was a little slow in the narration, so I had to speed the narration up to 1.25, but then it was perfect! I so felt for Natalie, who had had her world turned upside down on her...then flipped on it's side. First, the blindness, then the break in and attempt on her life, then meeting this man she feels such a compelling pull towards. And she hadn't even begun to accept her blindness yet.

Mac is a gruff, in your face kind of guy ~ and his protective instincts have flared to life with Natalie, and it's hard for him to separate her as woman from her as a case. I LOVE that ~ and while he's really gruff at times, it was clear to me that even if he couldn't admit it to himself, he'd already decided on some level that Natalie was HIS.
When he discovers that there is actually a murderer trying to kill her, he just can't control his overbearing maleness, for lack of a better way to put it. He's a total Alpha in every sense of the word ~ And Natalie has teach him that he can't run her life.

I enjoyed this book immensely, and cannot WAIT for book 2 ~~ if you're a fan of romantic suspense, Alpha heroes, and sexy romance, READ THIS!! (less)

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Jun 13, 2012 cupcake rated it 3 of 5 stars

If I didn't know better, I'd swear that Virna de Paul likes it nice and slow. Girlfriend keeps us waiting a long, LONG time for some headboard rocking.

Shades of Desire is more of a mystery than the title (and cover) would indicate. Only even then, the mystery is solved for the reader before it is for the characters, so I'm not sure you can say this is an edge-of-your-seat mystery, either. It's more of a how-long-can-I-keep-you-from-the-sex-scenes type of book.

Globetrotting photographer Natalie J...more

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May 29, 2012 Rachel rated it 3 of 5 stars

I’ve read a few of Virna DePaul’s short stories and I really enjoyed them, so I was excited to read my first full-length novel by her. While I wasn’t disappointed, I also am not sure it’s my favorite thing I’ve read by her so far.

The Good:
Ms. DePaul is a master at creating chemistry between two characters and this book was no exception. I could really feel the underlying passion between Mac and Natalie throughout the whole story. I also think that the author did a great job of helping the reader...more

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May 29, 2012 Scooper Speaks rated it 3 of 5 stars

Favorite Lines: "With no warning, she felt pain explode behind her eyes. She saw an intense flash of light before her remaining vision tunneled. Her hands, which had been lightly gripping her camera, jerked violently, snapping the strap around her neck." (p. 16, e-galley)

Shades of Desire is a romantic suspense that pairs an attack survivor with a special agent of California's Department of Justice Special Investigations Group. Both the hero and heroine are emotionally damaged, but they have even...more

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May 19, 2012 Judy & Marianne from Long and Short Reviews rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: contemporary, non-erotic, suspense-mystery

Originally posted at: http://www.longandshortreviews.blogsp...

Murder. Deception. Intrigue. These words fit in so perfectly within the pages of Shades of Desire. There's so many aspects of this book that called to me.

Natalie Jones is the heroine of this story, and a character I completely related to. For one, she's losing her vision, and that changes her completely. There are days she's so withdrawn. She fights feelings of anger, fear, sometimes a bit of pity, but she's a strong woman learning to...more Originally posted at: http://www.longandshortreviews.blogsp...

Murder. Deception. Intrigue. These words fit in so perfectly within the pages of Shades of Desire. There's so many aspects of this book that called to me.

Natalie Jones is the heroine of this story, and a character I completely related to. For one, she's losing her vision, and that changes her completely. There are days she's so withdrawn. She fights feelings of anger, fear, sometimes a bit of pity, but she's a strong woman learning to beat the odds of the cards life dealt her. Her passion involves photography. I can't imagine not being able to look through the lens and capture moments of life that will be still forever. I admire Natalie, and feel for her. Ms. DePaul certainly did a good job creating the angst and realism in Natalie. Writing a lead character without one of the major senses can be difficult. Kudos for really delving into the emotions and every day struggles for a woman facing the truth of her loss.

Liam McKenzie, otherwise known as Mac, is the hero. He meets Natalie after responding to a distress call from her house. His reaction to her surprises him, and he has even more admiration after the discovery of her declining vision. He's drawn to her, though he fights what he feels for various reasons. Mac seems to have some deep unresolved issues of his own, but they don't get much exploration in the book. He's tough, but he does his job well, and that includes keeping Natalie safe when a killer sets his sights on her.

The first couple of chapters were a bit slow, but once the pace picked up, it stayed steady and I couldn't put the story down. The flow of the story, the great writing, and the characters all blended together to create a whirlwind of a tale. The author sure knows the craft of suspense, keeping readers wanting more and more. Shades of Desire isn't just about the suspense, it's about the emotional journey of two people that must face their past in order to move forward in the future. You've got my attention, Ms. DePaul, and I am anxious to see what else you've got.

If you're a fan of suspense, Shades Of Desire comes highly recommended from this reader. Get your copy quick!(less)

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May 09, 2012 Rhonda rated it 3 of 5 stars

3 STARS
It was a good story. The characters all had flaws, some worse
than others. Thier was too much sex in the book for me.
Natalie Jones was going blind. She new for years that she
was like her mom had inheired the desease that ended in blindness
Natalie was a photographer. When she came home one day
she heard someone in her house and he attacked her. She
was able to get to a different room and lock herself in and
call 911.
Her attacker left behind somthing from a girl who's body had
just been found....more

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Jun 06, 2012 Lynelle rated it 3 of 5 stars

Well, I can say that reading the description of Shades of Desire, I was not prepared for the story that I got. While I enjoyed the suspense part of the story and the overall plot, I did not so much enjoy the romance part of it.

Natalie Jones, is a well known photographer who suffers with retinal degeneration that has caused her to slowly lose her sight, which she isn’t dealing with very well. Natalie lets few people into her life, and I got the feeling this is because of her grief about her circ...more Well, I can say that reading the description of Shades of Desire, I was not prepared for the story that I got. While I enjoyed the suspense part of the story and the overall plot, I did not so much enjoy the romance part of it.

Natalie Jones, is a well known photographer who suffers with retinal degeneration that has caused her to slowly lose her sight, which she isn’t dealing with very well. Natalie lets few people into her life, and I got the feeling this is because of her grief about her circumstances. Natalie has not had an easy time and after suffering abuse as a child from her mother and knowing she’d go blind, she learned to build up walls to try and protect herself from other’s failing or hurting her. I felt that Natalie was actually pretty strong considering all that she has gone through and is just learning to adjust in the way she knows how.

Special Agent Liam “Mac” Mackenzie is a detective and he’s very good at his job. He’s a divorced, recovering alcoholic, who has kept his distance in relationships with women to avoid the circumstances that led to his divorce, he’s married to his job and he prefers it that way. Not really anything wrong with that if it’s his personality, but it bothered me he didn’t show really and remorse for his ex-wife. Mac really rubbed me the wrong way and came off as a jerk.

I just wasn’t feeling this book or I supposed more accurately I wasn’t feeling the relationship between Natalie and Mac, I just didn’t get it. Natalie’s personality was pretty back and forth, but I could believe that as she is has low self image due to her blindness but when she needs to be, she is ruthless and a fighter when her survival instincts kick in. Mac, on the other hand, I really didn’t like. He’s pretty jealous and his reactions to Natalie even from the beginning with how unprofessional and on the verge of being rude he was. Their relationship felt forced and that they didn’t really take the time to get to know each other before falling into bed with each other, I wondered if they even liked each other or just simply desired each other *shrug*

The suspense aspect of the book, I did enjoy. I thought the plot was interesting enough to keep my interest and wanting to keep reading to find out what happened. He learn pretty early on who the man is who attacked Natalie and some of his motivations, but I really wanted to get to the underneath of his crazy religious thoughts and find out if or who is pulling his puppet stings, so to speak.

ARC provided by NetGalley (less)

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May 05, 2012 Vanessa theJeepDiva rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012, request, romance, suspense

Mac is the leader of the Special Investigations Group “SIG.” His latest case may turn into his most frustrating yet. He is simply following up on a missing person turned murder victim. This seems simple enough. Go question the woman who was attacked by his suspect and get a description of her attacker. The problem is that the witness/victim has omitted a vital piece of information. She is blind.

Natalie seems to think that she is handling the progression of her disease well. She copes well enough...more Mac is the leader of the Special Investigations Group “SIG.” His latest case may turn into his most frustrating yet. He is simply following up on a missing person turned murder victim. This seems simple enough. Go question the woman who was attacked by his suspect and get a description of her attacker. The problem is that the witness/victim has omitted a vital piece of information. She is blind.

Natalie seems to think that she is handling the progression of her disease well. She copes well enough to get by. The disease that took her sight has left her feeling like she has a weakness that often times leaves her feeling helpless. She still tries to hide all of this. It makes her interesting to read, while wanting to knock some sense into her. I enjoyed reading Natalie. Her contradictions and her incredible will make her very unique.

I liked the development of Mac and Natalie’s relationship. He knows himself and what he is and is not capable of. He knows that once he admits to his attraction to Natalie that he can never give her what she needs. He knows what he lacks due to a failed marriage and his drive to be the best at his job. He still tries to be the rock that Natalie doesn’t realize that she needs. Natalie definitely wants the detective with the sexy voice and alluring smell that she is drawn to, but she doesn’t want to be appear as needy or a disabled. She is still trying to find a comfortable place in her recently changed life.

The suspense element is mild compared to the couple of other romantic suspense books that I have read. This is not a bad thing or a good thing, I’m just pointing out what I noticed. The overall story flows well and the romance is beyond sweet. Mac tries for professionalism where Natalie is concerned. He just can’t (doesn’t want to) fight the attraction. The characters are realistic, their emotions very real, and the situation that Natalie has found herself dragged into is believable.

Virna introduces her readers to the other members of the Special Investigations Group. Shades of Desire is the first in a new series. She gives us enough details of each character to let us know just a tiny bit about them. Jase and Carrie had large enough roles that I am definitely curious about them.
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Apr 18, 2012 Book Chatter-Cath rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: to-read-review

This isn't actually a bad story.
The writing is smooth and unhurried and the storyline is intriguing.
I especially liked the fact that the MC has lost her sight and is dealing, or in her case, not dealing with the changes that her condition is forcing her to make. Add into the mix a psycho attacker on her tail and the need for some sexy police protection and you've got yourself a winner...or have you?

The initial attraction between Natalie and Mac is very heated, but as the story progressed I didn'...more

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May 09, 2012 Lisa rated it 4 of 5 stars

This is the first book I've ever read by Virna DePaul. This is the first book in a series (Special Investigations Groups Series, or SIG) so it's a nice place to start with a new to me author as well. Natalie Jones is a very complicated character with a very difficult past and possibly a very difficult future as well. Abused by her mother as a child and then sent to a foster home when her mother was committed to a hospital diagnosed insane. Her mother had a degenerating eye problem that she blame...more This is the first book I've ever read by Virna DePaul. This is the first book in a series (Special Investigations Groups Series, or SIG) so it's a nice place to start with a new to me author as well. Natalie Jones is a very complicated character with a very difficult past and possibly a very difficult future as well. Abused by her mother as a child and then sent to a foster home when her mother was committed to a hospital diagnosed insane. Her mother had a degenerating eye problem that she blamed on Natalie. Punished her cruelly for it as well. When she was 17 she finds out she has the same thing.She's going blind. In spite of that she becomes this awesome well know photojournalist. Years later it finally starts to happen she starts losing her eyesight. One of the last thing she shoots pictures of is the local Farmers market. Already she can't see very well but still she is enjoying herself when sudden pain in her head takes her to the ground and her eyesight disappears. Although she gets enough of it back later to mainly just see shadows she has to now learn how to live with it. In steps Liam "Mac" McKenzie cop extraordinaire. OK lol He's actually a part of the Special Investigations group or SIG for short. He's had a bout of bad luck in the relationships department. Given up on relationships all together. He figures with the kind of life and career he leads he's not made for it. Then he gets a load of Natalie Jones. He's immediately drawn to her. He's is investigating a murder that leads him to her door when she is attacked by who he thinks is the same killer.

I really enjoyed this book. There is the suspense part of the book with a killer or killers on the loose. Your never really sure who is involved til later in the book. There is the romance part. Mac has a thing for Natalie right from the start. He fights it and fights it but it's no use. She feels it too, but has her own demons. She's trying to figure out how to live like she did before she was blind. She goes back and forth between being tough and doing things she feels she needs to, to feeling as if she is not enough anymore. I leads her to do some stupid things. The heroine being blind i thought was a interesting idea and different for me. I was curious to see how the author would portray that and make it work especially with the suspense pieces of the story. She really works it out nicely though. Natalie is a strong character and so she is determined to live her life to the fullest. She sure takes a beating in this story but it doesn't keep her down. The action starts out fast and quick but there were a few times it felt off. I think that's where you have to remember this is a contemporary romantic suspense. A mixture of the two separate genre's. In that case i think the author hits it about right. 4out of 5 Modokker Book Pick Stars for Shades of Desire by Virna DePaul.

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Jun 19, 2012 Dottie rated it 4 of 5 stars

A passionate, suspense-filled read, which I rated 4.5! Taken from my review at RomanceJunkies.com:

Natalie Jones, famous for her photography, is finding her world narrowing down. Diagnosed with macular degeneration, she is slowly going blind. While out taking photos, she suddenly experiences pain and everything goes black. Later, her vision improves slightly and she is able to just make out gray shapes. The color in her life is gone, except in her dreams. One day, after a friend drops her off aft...more A passionate, suspense-filled read, which I rated 4.5! Taken from my review at RomanceJunkies.com:

Natalie Jones, famous for her photography, is finding her world narrowing down. Diagnosed with macular degeneration, she is slowly going blind. While out taking photos, she suddenly experiences pain and everything goes black. Later, her vision improves slightly and she is able to just make out gray shapes. The color in her life is gone, except in her dreams. One day, after a friend drops her off after a trip to the doctor’s office, Natalie is happy to be home. Since the extreme loss of vision, she is a recluse, hiding out in her home where everything is familiar. But on this day, someone is there when she arrives. It takes a few moments before she realizes that something is different in her house. Soon she is fighting off her attacker and battling for her life. Fighting him off for all she is worth, she manages to escape to the bedroom and call for help.

Liam “Mac” MacKenzie is a detective with Sig, the Special Investigations Group, who works on the tough cases. After spending a decade in homicide investigations for the city, he joined California’s Department of Justice’s elite Special Investigations Group. He was still doing basically the same job, with better perks; higher pay, a different title, broader authority and more flexible hours. He had once been married, but that had recently ended in divorce. He is content living on his own and does not want to be tied down. Now Mac is investigating the murder of a young woman named Lindsay Monroe. It is suspected that her killer is the same person who recently attacked Natalie Jones. Before going out to question Natalie, he had looked her up. Although he had been impressed with her work, it was her picture that struck him, making him feel things he liked, but did not want.

Not knowing how he would be affected by meeting Natalie in person, after the effect just her picture had on him, he took fellow detective Jase with him. When she won’t look at him, he wonders what she is hiding, but then he takes a closer look at the room and is shocked to realize that she is blind, or nearly so. He doesn’t understand the sizzle between them and does not want to get involved in a relationship again. So he handles the questioning badly, with Jase trying to pull him back whenever Mac goes too far.

Natalie doesn’t understand the feelings she is experiencing while speaking to Mac. She feels desire, something she has not felt in a long time. But mentally, she is in a scary place right now and just wants the detectives gone from her home. So she is very short with them. But, unbeknownst to her, she has taken photos that would prove beneficial to the investigation. After accidentally discovering that her work has been tampered with, she contacts Mac again. Combining forces, their close proximity soon heats things up between them. But together, can they find the villain before he strikes again? Can Mac keep her safe, especially since she has something that the killer wants?

A thrilling read, SHADES OF DESIRE, the first book in author Virna dePaul’s SPECIAL INVESTIGATIONS GROUP series, is a compelling, suspense-filled Romantic Suspense that you will not want to miss. Providing just the right amount of suspense and romance to balance out the story, Ms. DePaul has penned a winner. Although Natalie is strong-willed and not used to asking others for help, she if finding it hard to be self-sufficient now. With one relationship already turned bad, Mac does not want to become involved in another. He has made peace with his single life. However, his attraction to Natalie threatens everything. They need to break down those protective walls and join forces to find out the identity of the killer before he attacks again. Ms. DePaul paints a very realistic of the killer’s actions, which heightens the suspense. But being given insight into the killer’s private thoughts takes it over the top. The chemistry between Natalie and Mac is combustible. Brimming with danger, edge-of-your-seat suspense, passion, muscular degeneration, vicious villains, complex character, believable dialogue and romance, this story is unforgettable. I look forward to reading Jase and Carrie’s story in Ms. dePaul’s upcoming book, SHADES OF TEMPTATION, due out in September. I highly recommend SHADES OF DESIRE! A wonderful start to a promising series!

Dottie, RomanceJunkies.com

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May 08, 2012 Elena R a.k.a. Lunies R rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: romantic-suspense

S,E,R's Awesomness!

I really enjoyed this book,especially when it came to the characters stories plots and though both the hero and heroine each had their own demons to deal with. It made the story have more meaning, besides just a mystery/suspense novel. Both characters have a past and both were very hesitant for what the future had in store for them, or, if there ever could be a future.I thoroughly liked how the book explored the emotional side of Natalie,she was made to seem like a strong in...more

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May 21, 2012 Brandy rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: arc-s, net-galley

This book is considered Contemporary Romance, this is a genre I never read much of but being a fan of Virna DePaul's Paranormal series I decide to give it a chance. This book kind of hit close to home for me in the respect that I'm a photographer and could relate to the main character in that aspect.
Natalie is a Photojournalist that has been diagnosed with an eye disease that will eventually make her completely blind. She is desperately trying to hold on to her love of Photography but it is bec...more

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Jun 12, 2012 Misty rated it 3 of 5 stars

Natalie Jones is the lucky survivor of an elusive killer who preys on young women and then disappears from view. And since her harrowing ordeal, the once gutsy photojournalist has remained isolated in her home, paralyzed by fear and her failing vision.
Special Agent Liam "Mac" McKenzie has scars of his own. But despite his efforts to ignore the attraction that simmers between him and Natalie, he needs her help to catch a predator. Soon, they will forge a tentative alliance—charged with desire. Th...more

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Jan 16, 2013 Kris rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: romantic-suspense, romance, series, suspense

1.5 STARS

Natalie Jones is slowly losing her sight due to a genetic condition and finds herself to be a victim of an assault. Mac is a special agent for DOJ in California and has been trying to find a killer and find Natalie's killer. Mac and Natalie start to feel sparks for one another but there is baggage that keeps them apart.

I was really looking forward to this novel based on the description and was majorly let down. I did finish the novel but mostly from reading quickly so I can get through...more

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May 07, 2012 Melinda rated it 5 of 5 stars

One word for Shades of Desire is awesome. I loved the idea of the heroine being blind and usinf her other senses. Natalie Jones is a talented photographer who because of fate and genetics is losing her career. taking pictures is her whole world and now darkness envelops her. Mackenzie is a man who is afraid of loving someone. Divorced now he fears of facing a life of ensless women yet something about Natalie intrigues him. Someone though wants to end Natalie before she gets a chance at love.

Thi...more

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Jul 16, 2012 Shan rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I absolutely love this book. I couldn't help but put myself in Natalie's position. I kept wondering if I would be as strong if I was in a similar situation. I believe my answer would be no. I love that they made mistakes along the way with dealing with each other, that made it seem more realistic.

I always love when you get experience what's going on in the minds of more than just the hero and heroine and Ms. DePaul did that effortlessly. I got to experience this journey through everyone's point...more

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Jul 19, 2012 Sara rated it 4 of 5 stars

In this story you meet Natalie and Liam.

Natalie was a famous photojournalist. She had been all over the world until she began loosing her sight due to an eye disease that quickly eats away at her sight. Because of this, Natalie doesn't really like to go out in public anymore, and when she is brutally attacked in her own home for an unknown reason she is terrified.

Enter Liam "Mac" McKenzie

Mac is an agent and leader of a special investigations group that works all over the state solving horrific c...more

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Jul 18, 2012 Tracy rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: netgalley, romantic-suspense, arc

Struggled with the Main Character
Her retinal degeneration is progressive, but professional photographer Natalie Jones is coping with the limits of her decreased vision. She thought she had time before her world went completely dark. She had no idea the morning she decided to take a stroll through the park near her Plainville home, snapping pictures as she went, that the bright day full of color and light, shapes, forms, and textures, would be the last she'd ever see.

Eight weeks later, a man brea...more

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Jun 07, 2012 Carlyn rated it 4 of 5 stars

Natalie has been diagnosed with a degenerative eye diesese which as a photographer is a horrifying prospect and when she inadvertatly takes pictures relating to a crime she is put into a dangerou situation on top of not dealing very well with her disability. When she meets Mac, a special agent, the sparks fly and the emotions run wild!
I really enjoyed the way the author has dealt with the characters as the despair that natalie feels about her eyes adds an extra dimension to the story and really...more

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Oct 15, 2012 Pallavi Subramanian rated it 1 of 5 stars

So much confusion...

What attracted me to this book was the interesting concept for a heroine and plot - world-class photographer gone blind and literally the last thing she does before going blind is take pics of a murderer. Also, I've read other books by Ms. DePaul (her para-ops series) and I know she's a pretty good author. But this book went wrong in so many ways; I don't even know to where to begin.

First the good: Liam "Mac" McKenzie is a pretty good hero. The writing is well done. And that...more

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Jul 13, 2012 Teresa Kropp rated it 5 of 5 stars

What a fantastic romantic suspense book by Virna DePaul! It was hard to put it down! The book is about Natalie Jones, a world renown photojournalist, who grew up knowing one day she would be blind because of a hereditary disease. Natalie was innocently taking pictures at her town's open market day at a park, when she suddenly goes blind. Soon after, she is courageously adjusting to being almost blind, - just being able to see shades of color and shapes - when she is attacked in her own house. Na...more

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Aug 09, 2012 Anna at Book Lovin' Mamas rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: summer-12-reading-list, audio-books-i-own, books-to-review, contemporary, favorites, suspense

Natalie Jones, a photojournalist, has been diagnosed with degenerative eye disease so she has locked herself away in her home, afraid to leave because then people might realize she is blind. After being attacked by a suspected serial killer she becomes the only living witness the police have.

Special Agent Liam McKenzie, or Mac, has been looking for this killer for a while now. He knows it's only a matter of time before the killer strikes again so it's a race against the clock to find him. Having...more
Natalie Jones, a photojournalist, has been diagnosed with degenerative eye disease so she has locked herself away in her home, afraid to leave because then people might realize she is blind. After being attacked by a suspected serial killer she becomes the only living witness the police have.

Special Agent Liam McKenzie, or Mac, has been looking for this killer for a while now. He knows it's only a matter of time before the killer strikes again so it's a race against the clock to find him. Having a suspect helps but he needs a witness, so when he finds out Natalie may have been attacked by the same man, he jumps on the chance.

Together Mac and Natalie work together, and sometimes against each other, to find the bad guy or guys and maybe in the process come to peace with themselves and possibly something more together...

My Review
WOW! What an emotional roller coaster of a book! FAN-FREAKING-TASTIC! First off, Bravo Virna! This book had me on the edge of my seat the entire time and being that I listened to the audio book, that made it even better. I felt like I was in shock when I finished it because that was some ending! This book is full of everything you want when reading a suspense novel, lots of action, some very well written characters, good and bad and some super hot lovin’ that was spicy and tasteful all at the same time!

Natalie was such an incredible character! I couldn’t help but sympathize with her. What a terrible thing it must have been to grow up knowing the she would one day go blind and even though she had that chasing her she still did what she wanted and became a photographer! I don’t think I would have been as strong as her! And then having finally come to that time where her sight was failing and being attacked not once but twice, just wow! Very inspirational! And then there is Mac! Oh how I loved Mac with his gruff demeanor and over protective instincts! Nothing like a man who likes to protect, even if it gets him in trouble! LOL

The secondary characters where great too! I am SO excited for the next book and hopefully more after that but I really really want to read Jase’s book, which I believe is next! He was such a fun character and he added a bit of light to such an emotional and tense story. The others were pretty fun too but he stood out more than them.

Since I listened to the audio version, I feel I need to say a few words about that. I am usually very picky about which books I’ll listen to because some narrators can take away from the story with their tone or the way they read certain parts. Not so with this narrator, Ashley Adlon! She did a fantastic job reading and I think she actually contributed to the feeling of the book. I knew I was taking a chance when I bought this book since I’d never listened to her before but now I know I’ll be seeking out more books that she has narrated because I absolutely loved her style of reading!

Over all, this was a well written, attention gripping, suspenseful love story that I have absolutely fallen in love with! I’ve read Virna’a work before so I know that this is definitely one of her best and it definitely won’t be the last I read from her! I give this book 5 Moons, wish I could give more, and I recommend this to all Romantic Suspense fans! Go get your copy today and fall in love with it just like I did!(less)

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Jun 23, 2012 Shari rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012-book-challenge

This is the first opportunity I have had to read a Virna DePaul book. Since this is the first book in the Special Investigations Series, it was a great way to become acquainted with her work.

We meet Natalie Jones during a bad experience in her life. She has just lost her eye sight to retinal degeneration and is trying to recapture her life. Her past is riddled with heartache of an abusive mother who is later institutionalized having gone insane as well as gone blind herself. Photography was Nata...more This is the first opportunity I have had to read a Virna DePaul book. Since this is the first book in the Special Investigations Series, it was a great way to become acquainted with her work.

We meet Natalie Jones during a bad experience in her life. She has just lost her eye sight to retinal degeneration and is trying to recapture her life. Her past is riddled with heartache of an abusive mother who is later institutionalized having gone insane as well as gone blind herself. Photography was Natalie’s passion along with her career and now she feels the loss of her sight in more ways than one. Her boyfriend can’t stay for the long haul and she starts to isolate herself to heal. Determined not to lose her mind or her independence, Natalie is learning to live life without sight, but Natalie becomes a recluse.

When she is attacked and almost killed in her own home, she faces the police who have no clue she is blind. But when Special Agent Liam “Mac” McKenzie correlates her attack to a murder case he is working on, the sparks start to fly. It takes him some time to figure out she is blind, while his partner knows right away. Instantly Natalie and Mac are at odds with one another and can’t seem to find common ground to work on.

Special Agent Liam “Mac” McKenzie has a high success rate of solving cases, but this has pretty much ended his personal life. He’s divorced, but married to his job. In charge of a special unit in the FBI, SIG, he is focused and hard. No room for romance or love when there is a job to be done. While she brings up his hackles, she also stirs his passions. Drawn to her when he doesn’t want to be drawn to anyone.

The mystery of finding the killer stole the show in this book! Plot twists had you going one way, then dragging you another, only to shake you up and throw away everything you thought was going on. The killer is a real piece of work.

Natalie’s blindness really added a different element to the story. She is a witness to someone who tried to kill her but she can’t tell them what he looks like. But what was more interesting was how she learned to deal with her blindness and then how it tinted her reactions to everyone. As the story moves along, we peel back layer after layer of Natalie’s personality to realize she is afraid she will go crazy like her mother.

I really loved this book, but had a few issues with the romance. It just didn’t seem to flow right. They were constantly arguing and never really seemed to actually like each other. Both are drawn to each other, seeking each other out, but then one or the other would do something hurtful. The love scenes were delectable, but also seem stilted. I can’t find the right words other than to say the entire romance seem off.

The supporting characters from the SIG team will be interesting to watch through this series. Unfortunately one of Natalie’s friends ticked me off and I couldn’t like her much.

While the story was captivating, it did have a few speed bumps that had me wondering what was going on and why these people made a good couple. The suspense was interesting to watch grow. Sometimes it was confusing, but she wrapped it all up in the end with a great first story in the SIG series.(less)

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Shades of Desire (Special Investigations Group (SIG) #1)

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