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Perfect Bait

2.8 of 5 stars 2.80 · rating details · 15 ratings · 13 reviews

A spellbinding thriller, as suspenseful as it is sensual.

The richly-textured settings of Seattle's commercial waterfront, San Diego's topless beaches and the breathtaking waters off Cabo San Lucas create the backdrop for a riveting story of love, romance and betrayal, as a young couple find themselves in a fight for their lives having been set up by the FBI as perfect bait...more

Paperback, 392 pages

Published May 18th 2012 by Thunderbird Press

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Dec 04, 2012 Liviania rated it 1 of 5 stars

I enjoy a good suspense novel now and then. They're fast and intense and good for distracting myself from a boring afternoon. PERFECT BAIT sounded like a fast-paced thrill ride from the back copy - "a riveting story of kidnapping, rape, and murder" and "a fight for their lives."

Well, I made it 111 pages (out of 381) and there was only the faintest suggestion that someone might be missing. Instead PERFECT BAIT was about Corey Phillip's failed relationship with his first wife, Karyn, his new relat...more I enjoy a good suspense novel now and then. They're fast and intense and good for distracting myself from a boring afternoon. PERFECT BAIT sounded like a fast-paced thrill ride from the back copy - "a riveting story of kidnapping, rape, and murder" and "a fight for their lives."

Well, I made it 111 pages (out of 381) and there was only the faintest suggestion that someone might be missing. Instead PERFECT BAIT was about Corey Phillip's failed relationship with his first wife, Karyn, his new relationship with Jennifer, and Corey and Jennifer's restoration of a boat. Michael Fowlkes isn't a bad writer, but he did not write a thriller.

But when I received my review copy and noticed that the publisher classified PERFECT BAIT as an erotic romance, not a thriller. (So why the thriller title and back copy? I don't know.) But the erotic elements were also missing. I found the relationships sort of awkward. Both begin with a friendship followed by sex, an immediate exchange of "I love you," and then dating. Considering that Corey's relationship with Jennifer is supposed to be unlike his relationship with his ex-wife, it is unfortunate that the two relationships follow the exact same trajectory. Corey and Karyn get a detailed sex scene, one of those hilariously unrealistic ones where two virgins come three times a piece. After that, all the sex was of the vague purple prose that doesn't actually describe anything resembling sex variety. I don't mind a lack of graphic sex scenes, but it seemed like another mislabeling.

And, well, I was turned off the story pretty early on due to this line: "Men go to war; women pick up the pieces. Men kill; women nurture (30)." It was such an eye roller that I didn't care to dissect whether that was the character or author talking.

That brings me to the point that PERFECT BAIT is written in first person, through Corey's point of view, but the narrative had an odd tendency of slipping into someone else's point of view for several paragraphs before returning to Corey's. There didn't seem to be a point to this technique, so it was simply distracting.

Maybe PERFECT BAIT did eventually turn into a thriller. But I gave it more than a hundred pages and nothing thrilling happened. I got tired of waiting. (less)

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Nov 20, 2012 Sara Palacios rated it 4 of 5 stars

Perfect Bait by Michael Fowlkes is a romantic thriller that begins with Corey Phillips in love with his high school sweetheart Karyn. He believes that he has finally found his happily ever after but that all changes when he walks into their house boat one day and sees his wife with his best friend. Devastated and heart broken, he decides to leave that life behind in an attempt to heal his broken heart. He travels along the coasts until he finds new love Jennifer. Ready for a new beginning, he ri...more

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Oct 03, 2012 Marie Drake rated it 2 of 5 stars

I was drawn in by the description of this book. It sounded like a page turner. I started reading. I continued reading. I read almost 70% of the book before it got to the part resembling the description. The author took the long way around, telling Corey's entire life story beginning as a boy, his first love, childhood sweet heart, who he married after highschool. He then came home to find her in bed with his best friend. He walks away, just up and starts a new life with Jennifer, who he never t...more I was drawn in by the description of this book. It sounded like a page turner. I started reading. I continued reading. I read almost 70% of the book before it got to the part resembling the description. The author took the long way around, telling Corey's entire life story beginning as a boy, his first love, childhood sweet heart, who he married after highschool. He then came home to find her in bed with his best friend. He walks away, just up and starts a new life with Jennifer, who he never tells he is married to someone else. They fall in love, they buy an old boat, with Jennifer's money. They restore the boat, chapter after chapter of details about their experience fixing up that old boat. They start a charter business, and immediately they lose a very powerful judge overboard when he tried to urinate over the side at night in an alcohol stupor. When they realize he is gone, it is a frantic and heroic rescue. At that point, I thought maybe it was going to start developing into the plot. Not yet.
The story is from the man's perspesctive, which is interesting in it's own way. The women, Jennifer and Jasmine, who are so completely loveable in this book, from a man's perspective, ask no questions, make no demands, just give of themselves. Jaz even willingly has threesomes in order to make her man, Travis happy, and keep him content. Whatever the men want. Even in the end, when Jennifer finds out Corey is married, no big deal, it's okay. That had me wondering.
I am still waiting for the suspense. Finally, it gets there, when Jennifer volunteers to fill in for the cook on another boat, who's daughter was hit by a car and he needed to be with her. The men who chartered the boat brought young women on with them and were not interested in fishing. They began under the pretense of using the boat as a floating brothel, but eventually murdered the crew in order to kidnap the women and sell them in slave trade. I had a hard time reading some of it. It is heavy handed with violence, torture, murder, and rape. Could have lived with less details in that. Even the poor dog gets violently murdered.
It seems a whole lot of this book could have been condensed or cut out and still it would have been a good story. If you are interested in or have knowledge of fishing and boats, you may enjoy it very much. The ending of the book was where the story became quick paced, and the adventure began. I did enjoy Jennifer as a strong female lead at the end, when standing up to and outsmarting the kidnappers until help arrived. I also was touched by Corey's devotion to Jennifer, sailing off to find and rescue her no matter what happened, refusing to give up.
I was given this book for free in exchange for an honest review. (less)

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Sep 26, 2012 Angie Holtz rated it 3 of 5 stars

From Lilac Wolf and Stuff

This one is tricky. At times it got on my nerves, but all in all it was pretty thrilling. I thought I knew what was going to happen from the summary, but I was taken by surprise and in the end I couldn't put it down.

What I didn't like was the storyline dragged and had elements that just didn't need to be included. Like in the beginning with his wife, I can see that. At the end she shows up, but I have no idea why. It's never addressed again. And all the people, conversat...more

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Sep 23, 2012 Frishawn Rasheed rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: oh-how-romantic

The Story
Corey Phillips is a man who believe that he has found his "happily ever after" in the arms of his beautiful high school sweetheart Karyn, and is all set to live with her in wedded bliss on his boat in the sheltered harbor of Seattle.
That dream is shattered on the day that Corey comes home to find his wife and best friend lost in an undertow of passion so powerful that they are not even aware that he is in the room.
Heartbroken, Corey decides to leave it all behind, and with nothing more...more The Story
Corey Phillips is a man who believe that he has found his "happily ever after" in the arms of his beautiful high school sweetheart Karyn, and is all set to live with her in wedded bliss on his boat in the sheltered harbor of Seattle.
That dream is shattered on the day that Corey comes home to find his wife and best friend lost in an undertow of passion so powerful that they are not even aware that he is in the room.
Heartbroken, Corey decides to leave it all behind, and with nothing more than a few clothes and his truck; sets out to find a place to heal.
Traveling from the coasts of Washington to the beaches of California, Corey manages to find the love he seeks in the arms of his fiery new love Jennifer, and his furry sidekick Sierra.
Deeply in love and ready to return to the water and the life that he has always known; Corey starts running charters on Vintage, a beautiful yacht that he and Jennifer saved an uncertain fate and lovingly restored.
Just when it seems that there is nothing ahead but clear waters and blue skies for these two, the sharks begin to circle and there is blood in the water, as one fateful charter changes their lives forever.

Technically Speaking
This book is written from a very emotional perspective, which makes it a very easy read to lose one's self in. Jennifer and Corey seem like the kind of people that anyone would be glad to have as friends; making them very easy for readers to invest in relatively quickly.
Though this book is said to be a thriller, the number of pages dedicated to the romantic aspects of this tale (about 265), versus the 120 or so that get down and dirty with the thrilling, leads one to classify this as more of a romantic thriller.
Each scene that the reader is allowed to experience is captured in such detail that its as if the moment has been placed inside a bubble; giving audiences the chance to view it from all sides before releasing it in anticipation of the next.
Female readers will be happy to find that the sex scenes in this story are plentiful and very romantic.
The only true negative that one finds in this story is the seeming disconnection between the romance of the first part of the story and all the action and mayhem in the ending chapters.
The book should be longer so that all of the time and attention that that was given to the romantic part of the book could have transitioned to the thrills.

To view this review and more...WTF Are You Reading?: Book Sparks PR Presents: Perfect Bait (less)

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Nov 05, 2012 Tiffany (Book Cover Justice) rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: books-i-own

The Story:
Corey Phillips has everything he ever wanted. He is married to his childhood sweetheart and works for his grandfather. When he discovers his wife cheating on him, Corey takes off and drives for days, ending up in California. There, he takes a job as a cook at a small restaurant and is immediately drawn to Jennifer, the beautiful waitress. Eventually they start a relationship and buy an old dilapidated boat, rebuilding it from scratch. The start a charter business and are loving life. T...more

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Oct 24, 2012 Passion For Pages rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: death, net-galley, suspense, murder-mystery, thriller

Review posted on Passion for Pages

Perfect Bait was not really what I was expecting. The summary on NetGalley sounded great and caught my attention instantly, but the book was a slow read until about 60% of the way in. For me, that’s where the story really started to get going and finally got interesting.

It’s told in first person POV by Corey Phillips. What irritated me, though, was it still had several other POV’s in it. And unless Corey is also psychic, it just didn’t make any sense for one ch...more Review posted on Passion for Pages

Perfect Bait was not really what I was expecting. The summary on NetGalley sounded great and caught my attention instantly, but the book was a slow read until about 60% of the way in. For me, that’s where the story really started to get going and finally got interesting.

It’s told in first person POV by Corey Phillips. What irritated me, though, was it still had several other POV’s in it. And unless Corey is also psychic, it just didn’t make any sense for one character to tell the story in first person, yet also tell what was going on with another character when he wasn’t even around. The book really should have been written in third person if the author wanted to have the extra POV’s.

Another reason this book caught my eye was because it’s labeled Erotica. It’s not erotica. Yes, there are one or two descriptive sex scenes, but most are just glossed over, and there’s nothing erotic about any of it. It’s more of a murder mystery/thriller. There are violent scenes, but again, not as graphic as some reviews say. The author didn’t go into great detail about the murders, he just told what happened. Same thing with the rapes—yes, the book mentions rape. But there is no detail to it, so don’t let that turn you off. It’s just talked about. A lot.

Like I said, the book didn’t really get interesting until about 60% through. I felt most of the first half really could have been cut. We’re told about Corey’s childhood, his failed marriage, meeting Jennifer, finding and fixing the boat—which had more detail than any other part of the book. I was kinda bored reading all that. Sure there were things a reader should have known, but other parts just made the book drag on for almost 400 pages.

I liked how Jennifer and Jaz were strong female characters. I didn’t like how they just went along with whatever the guys wanted from them and nothing seemed to ever bother them. I know that sounds like a contradiction to them being strong, but it really isn’t. They had their own thoughts and did what they wanted and didn’t take any shit, but still when it came to the men everything was just perfect and they could do no wrong. Like when Jennifer finds out Corey is married. She has a thirty second, “OMG you’re married” freak out and then all is well again.

It’s well written, don’t get me wrong. This being the first novel I’ve read by Michael Fowlkes I think he’s a good writer. But this book just didn’t do it for me, really. The reason I wanted it turned out not to be true (Erotica) and the summary of the book didn’t get started until the book was almost over, and then it was wrapped up pretty quickly.

**Copy provided by NetGalley
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Oct 23, 2012 Judith rated it 4 of 5 stars

4.25 out of 5. This is one of those can't-put-it-down kind of novels that is written in the first person and draws the reader into the story of a young man who has literally been born and raised on the waterfront of Seattle and whose personal and professional life goes down the tubes in one fell swoop. Written in a rather rambling style that is nevertheless quite compelling, Corey Phillip's story takes the readers through the experiences of first love and betrayal, new beginnings, frozen emotion...more

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Oct 15, 2012 Sandra rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: arc-netgalley, angst-and-drama, contemporary, flowers-and-chocolates, whodunit, nailbiters

This is a difficult book to rate. I waffled between 3 and 4 stars for a while before settling on the final rating. The book's blurb hints at a thriller, with the FBI using Corey and Jennifer as bait. While that is true, that actually doesn't happen until the last 60 pages or so, out of nearly 400.

Until about 60% in, this book is mainly about Corey Phillips, told from his perspective, though he occasionally seems to be omniscient, knowing what people are doing and saying even though he's not the...more This is a difficult book to rate. I waffled between 3 and 4 stars for a while before settling on the final rating. The book's blurb hints at a thriller, with the FBI using Corey and Jennifer as bait. While that is true, that actually doesn't happen until the last 60 pages or so, out of nearly 400.

Until about 60% in, this book is mainly about Corey Phillips, told from his perspective, though he occasionally seems to be omniscient, knowing what people are doing and saying even though he's not there with them.

Corey grows up in a fishing environment outside of Seattle, and when he finds and falls in love with Karyn, he marries her and settles down on his houseboat. Karyn betrays him with Corey's best friend, and the heartbroken man drives away from everything he's ever known, coming to a final stop near San Diego. There, he meets Jennifer, and after much time and reflection, allows himself to open his heart again. They fall madly in love, buy a large though dilapidated boat and start a fishing charter business. When one of the other boat owners asks Jennifer to fill in for their cook on a three day trip, all hell breaks loose and the book finally dips into what was hinted at in the blurb.

The writing is hard to describe. It's emotional but not overly so, and it mostly captures the inner voice of a youngish man accurately. As such, it's easy to become fully immersed in the book as the protagonist's voice drew me in from the start. Each scene is captured with much detail and examined from all sides, even though it never feels boring. For example, fixing up the nearly ruined boat is described in much detail, and while I didn't understand all of the technical terminology, it was interesting to see the inner workings of a fishing boat/yacht. The repairs were also used to allow Corey to build new relationships outside of the Jennifer bubble, and introduced important characters that were needed down the road.

The author also nicely captured Corey's personality, and the growth the character goes through - from insecure first time captain to listening to his gut feelings, against the advice of men who've been in the profession longer. He actually finds his sea legs, so to speak, as the book moves towards the climax.

The love scenes are plentiful, but always emotionally described. The attachment between Corey and Jennifer is very strong, and their love scenes only further that. Their romance is so pure and full of heart, so strong in its grip on both of them, that I was a bit envious at times.

The violence towards the end is also described in detail, and while it was at times gory, I appreciated that the author kept his style of not glossing over things.

The flow of the book could be compared to the ocean - there are some rough seas in the beginning, then the waters calm down, until they churn again violently in the wake of a hurricane and then, as the book ends, we are in for what the reader hopes will be a long time of smooth sailing.

The book could perhaps be condensed in the long descriptions of bringing the old boat back to life, but it would lose some of its charm in that case. I would however recommend a change and/or expansion to the blurb, so readers can make a better assessment of what to expect prior to purchase.

If you love romances in a maritime setting with a strong lead character and a bit of action, this book is for you.

I received a free ARC from the publisher via Netgalley.
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Nov 14, 2012 Charlotte Lynns Reviews rated it 4 of 5 stars

Living on a charter boat “Vintage” seemed like the perfect life for Corey, Seattle born and raised, and Jennifer, devoted and gorgeous. When the cook on another charter ship gets called away for a family emergency, Jennifer steps in to help. However, this charter group are not the usual group and trouble happens. As Corey, his right-hand man, Travis, and Travis’ girlfriend, Jasmine, rush to find Jennifer they find so much more than they ever imagined.

This story went from a young man raised by h...more

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Nov 17, 2012 Eileen Dilbeck rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012-reads, e-book, galley, kidnapping, ocean-water, suspense-thriller

Once you get past the fluff a very heart racing suspenseful read. Karyn, Shane and the whole sea rescue with the judge-could have been completely omitted or done as a BRIEF flashback.
When Jennifer is asked to fill in a gally chef aboard the swanky cruise ship DORSAL, she doesn't realize the chartered party are part on an international slavery ring. Her boyfriend Corey and his friends cross perilous seas in his ship VINTAGE to find and rescue Jennifer.

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Nov 08, 2012 Kristin (Kritters Ramblings) rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: kritter-reviewed-2012

Check out the full review at Kritters Ramblings

From the synopsis, I was beyond excited about this enticing read with a who dun it taking place on the water, it was a dream book. Corey is the main character and the book starts in Seattle where the reader learns of his love for fishing and boating. Issues arise and he travels to San Diego where he is able to pursue again the love for fishing and boating - this part of the book was fine, but we were 100 pages in and I still didn't feel the mystery...more

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Sep 12, 2012 Michelle [Helen Geek] marked it as to-read

Shelves: arc-netgalley, tbr-kindle

ARC on 09/11/2012.

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Feb 27, 2013 Stephanie Johnson marked it as to-read

Shelves: netgalley-books

Jan 28, 2013 Joshua Fox rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: adv-readers-copy

Jan 28, 2013 Live Read and Breathe Reviews marked it as to-read

Shelves: netgalley-to-read

Jan 07, 2013 Ashley Williams marked it as to-read

Shelves: arc-netgalley-edelweiss

Nov 20, 2012 Lindsey marked it as to-read

Shelves: i-want-to-read

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Shelves: to-request-netgalley

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Sep 23, 2012 Michelle rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: net-galley, read-2012

Sep 19, 2012 Janette Marie marked it as own-to-read-kindle

Sep 18, 2012 Heather (Fic Talk) marked it as to-read

Shelves: net-galley

Sep 12, 2012 Kelly marked it as to-read

Sep 11, 2012 ElaineY marked it as to-read

Shelves: mystery-suspense, netgalley

Sep 10, 2012 Stephanie (StephTheBookworm) marked it as to-read

Shelves: tbr-received-for-review, own

Sep 10, 2012 Jennifer marked it as to-read

May 02, 2013 Holly rated it 2 of 5 stars

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