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Redstone Incorporated #11
The Best Revenge
Something in St. John's intense blue eyes reminded Jessa hill of her childhood friend. But Adam Alden was long dead….The handsome stranger had vowed to help her defeat Adam's father in the mayoral race. Yet St. John's quest for revenge seemed too personal for a casual acquaintance. Could St. John and Adam be the same man…and would he disappear with Jessa's heart a second time?Dameron St. John returned home with a new identity and a score to settle. But he wasn't prepared for the emotions that surfaced when he reunited with Jessa. Could he let her in once again…and together would they slay his demons once and for all?
224 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 1, 2010
19 people are currently reading
91 people want to read
About the author
Justine Davis
252 books217 followersAuthor biographies are supposed to give you all those statistics, books written, awards won, etc. and I will, I promise...but first let me tell you about this ornery little tomboy (back then, the boys had all the fun...) who was always the one to make up the stories the neighborhood kids would "play". For those who came of age in the computer game era, this is something that was done usually in the backyard, by any number of summer-bored children, with props where appropriate. (Did you know a 55 gallon drum tied to a picnic bench makes a very cool horse?) It wasn't until much later that this tomboy realized two things: A) not everyone made up stories in their heads all the time, and B) in real life, the boys that had already had all the fun now seemed to always be winning.
But I digress. I was born on a farm down in Iowa....well, not quite, but close; Boone, Iowa is in the middle of farm country, but I arrived at a hospital. In a snow storm. Make that a blizzard. My sister tells me she knew my destiny when I was very young, because when I first saw the Disney classic Old Yeller, I was apparently so upset that I promptly went home and rewrote the story. In my version, the dog lived, of course. Should have been a clue.
Possibly in response to that blizzard I was born in, I've been a West Coaster since before I was a year old, and intend to stay that way. I have a history of staying. I started my first full time job right out of school (well, there was a very brief sojourn at a place where they made, among other things, burial vaults, but I prefer not to recall that one...) and stayed for twenty-one years. I've been married to the same wonderful guy for going on two decades now. We lived in our last house for seventeen years. (I won't even mention how many dumpsters we filled moving after that long....)
Readers seem as fascinated by my first career as they are with my writing. My time in law enforcement was many things, exciting, nerve wracking, and irritating, but most importantly never, ever boring. It was fascinating enough that I didn't think about writing seriously for several years. I kept a journal, and wrote long letters, collected quotes, mentally rewrote movies, and still made up those stories in my head, but never dreamed of actually writing for publication. I was having too much fun helping to catch bad guys, and being continually amazed at the situations people get themselves into. And eventually I walked away with a wealth of background and story ideas, and knowing some truly great people who work very hard to keep all of us safe. I'm proud to have been one of them, and I'm very aware that I have had the great good fortune of having had two jobs in my life that I love. Many people don't get even one.
But now that I'm in the delicious position of being able to make a living telling those stories in my head, I promise my readers two things: A) I'm staying--I'll keep writing as long as you keep reading, and B) in my stories, the girl--tomboy or not--always wins!
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
And now, the official stats:
Justine Dare Davis sold her first book in 1989, and followed that up with the sale of nineteen novels in less than two years. Her first four books were published in 1991, and she saw all reach the finals for either the Romantic Times Reviewer's Choice Award or the Romance Writers of America prestigious RITA Award. She has since won the RITA award four times, along with several Reviewer's Choice awards and three Career Achievement awards from Romantic Times. At the 1998 national conference, Justine was inducted into the RWA Hall of Fame, making her one of a very select group of just eight writers. She also had four titles on the Romantic Times "Top 200 of All Time" list. Her sales now total more than 45, and her books have appeared regularly on best seller lists, including the USA Today list. She has been featured in several local newspapers and nationwide by Associated Press, has appeared on CN
But I digress. I was born on a farm down in Iowa....well, not quite, but close; Boone, Iowa is in the middle of farm country, but I arrived at a hospital. In a snow storm. Make that a blizzard. My sister tells me she knew my destiny when I was very young, because when I first saw the Disney classic Old Yeller, I was apparently so upset that I promptly went home and rewrote the story. In my version, the dog lived, of course. Should have been a clue.
Possibly in response to that blizzard I was born in, I've been a West Coaster since before I was a year old, and intend to stay that way. I have a history of staying. I started my first full time job right out of school (well, there was a very brief sojourn at a place where they made, among other things, burial vaults, but I prefer not to recall that one...) and stayed for twenty-one years. I've been married to the same wonderful guy for going on two decades now. We lived in our last house for seventeen years. (I won't even mention how many dumpsters we filled moving after that long....)
Readers seem as fascinated by my first career as they are with my writing. My time in law enforcement was many things, exciting, nerve wracking, and irritating, but most importantly never, ever boring. It was fascinating enough that I didn't think about writing seriously for several years. I kept a journal, and wrote long letters, collected quotes, mentally rewrote movies, and still made up those stories in my head, but never dreamed of actually writing for publication. I was having too much fun helping to catch bad guys, and being continually amazed at the situations people get themselves into. And eventually I walked away with a wealth of background and story ideas, and knowing some truly great people who work very hard to keep all of us safe. I'm proud to have been one of them, and I'm very aware that I have had the great good fortune of having had two jobs in my life that I love. Many people don't get even one.
But now that I'm in the delicious position of being able to make a living telling those stories in my head, I promise my readers two things: A) I'm staying--I'll keep writing as long as you keep reading, and B) in my stories, the girl--tomboy or not--always wins!
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
And now, the official stats:
Justine Dare Davis sold her first book in 1989, and followed that up with the sale of nineteen novels in less than two years. Her first four books were published in 1991, and she saw all reach the finals for either the Romantic Times Reviewer's Choice Award or the Romance Writers of America prestigious RITA Award. She has since won the RITA award four times, along with several Reviewer's Choice awards and three Career Achievement awards from Romantic Times. At the 1998 national conference, Justine was inducted into the RWA Hall of Fame, making her one of a very select group of just eight writers. She also had four titles on the Romantic Times "Top 200 of All Time" list. Her sales now total more than 45, and her books have appeared regularly on best seller lists, including the USA Today list. She has been featured in several local newspapers and nationwide by Associated Press, has appeared on CN
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
January 18, 2010
With a new name and a new face a man returns to his hometown, a place of his childhood nightmares, and to the woman who was his only solace in those dark days…
This is by far the best Silhouette Romantic Suspense book I’ve read in a while, maybe even the best SRS book I’ve read period. It was my first venture into Ms. Davis’ Redstone, Incorporated world, but it most certainly won’t be the last, because if this book is any indication, this is one heck of a series.
In the author’s note at the beginning of this book Ms. Davis mentioned that readers clamored to read St. John’s book, and now, even though I’ve never "met" him before reading his story, I know why that was.
I fell in love with this man on page one and our strange love-affair lasted until the very last page of this amazing story. This extraordinary man is the epitome of a romance novel hero. Dark and handsome, with blazing blue eyes, mysterious, secretive, seductive, taciturn (though his strange speech pattern needed some getting used to), honorable, lovable, scarred … and bent on revenge. And when the truth about him and his past was revealed, I supported his efforts wholeheartedly.
That’s what I loved most in this book (beside its hero, of course). That "it could happen in my neighborhood" feel, the feel of being able of completely empathize with the characters, the reality of it all, despite of it being a work of fiction…And the mastery with which Ms. Davis brought the story and all its characters to life.
The sordid details of St. John’s childhood were bone-chilling, the budding (or just reawakening) romance was sweet and tender, Jessa, the heroine, was perfect for the hero, strong, resilient, determined, and protective of those she loved (I thought she should’ve recognized him sooner, but we can’t have it all, can we?). Though this was categorized as a romantic suspense, it didn’t have those template suspense elements - there was no killer on the loose, no investigation, no kidnapping, but the story was filled with tension and gripping from start to finish.
5 stars!
P.S. Now I’m really curious to read Josh Redstone’s story. ;)
This is by far the best Silhouette Romantic Suspense book I’ve read in a while, maybe even the best SRS book I’ve read period. It was my first venture into Ms. Davis’ Redstone, Incorporated world, but it most certainly won’t be the last, because if this book is any indication, this is one heck of a series.
In the author’s note at the beginning of this book Ms. Davis mentioned that readers clamored to read St. John’s book, and now, even though I’ve never "met" him before reading his story, I know why that was.
I fell in love with this man on page one and our strange love-affair lasted until the very last page of this amazing story. This extraordinary man is the epitome of a romance novel hero. Dark and handsome, with blazing blue eyes, mysterious, secretive, seductive, taciturn (though his strange speech pattern needed some getting used to), honorable, lovable, scarred … and bent on revenge. And when the truth about him and his past was revealed, I supported his efforts wholeheartedly.
That’s what I loved most in this book (beside its hero, of course). That "it could happen in my neighborhood" feel, the feel of being able of completely empathize with the characters, the reality of it all, despite of it being a work of fiction…And the mastery with which Ms. Davis brought the story and all its characters to life.
The sordid details of St. John’s childhood were bone-chilling, the budding (or just reawakening) romance was sweet and tender, Jessa, the heroine, was perfect for the hero, strong, resilient, determined, and protective of those she loved (I thought she should’ve recognized him sooner, but we can’t have it all, can we?). Though this was categorized as a romantic suspense, it didn’t have those template suspense elements - there was no killer on the loose, no investigation, no kidnapping, but the story was filled with tension and gripping from start to finish.
5 stars!
P.S. Now I’m really curious to read Josh Redstone’s story. ;)
October 11, 2011
Really loved this book. St John showed up in town and offered to help Jessa win against Adam's father in the election. There was something about him, from the beginning, that touched her. Pretty soon she realized who he was. Meanwhile, he was feeling so many things he had never felt before, and it was making him nervous. I liked seeing the way the people at Redstone helped him, especially Josh Redstone himself. It was kind of a hard book to read. The subject matter was very intense. It also took me awhile to get used to the way St John spoke. I have the rest of the series on my list of books I want to read.
March 17, 2010
With a new name and a new face a man returns to his hometown, a place of his childhood nightmares, and to the woman who was his only solace in those dark days…
When I first read this story in January 2010 I had no idea what to expect…After I finished it I was more than pleasantly surprised. I was literally blown away. It was (and still is) by far the best Silhouette Romantic Suspense book I’ve read. And St. John introduced me to the amazing world of Redstone, Incorporated and I’ve been hooked ever since. I didn’t know him then, when I first read his story, but now, having read the entire series from beginning to end, I understand his appeal and the fans’ clamoring for his book (as Ms. Davis mentioned in the introduction to the story). I can relate, people.
I fell in love with this man on page one and our strange love-affair lasted until the very last page of this amazing story. This extraordinary man is the epitome of a romance novel hero. Dark and handsome, with blazing blue eyes, mysterious, secretive, seductive, taciturn (though his strange speech pattern needed some getting used to), honorable, lovable, scarred … and bent on revenge. And when the truth about him and his past was revealed, I supported his efforts wholeheartedly.
That’s what I loved most in this book (beside its hero, of course). That "it could happen in my neighborhood" feel, the feel of being able of completely empathize with the characters, the reality of it all, despite of it being a work of fiction…And the mastery with which Ms. Davis brought the story and all its characters to life.
The sordid details of St. John’s childhood were bone-chilling, the budding (or just reawakening) romance was sweet and tender, Jessa, the heroine, was perfect for the hero, strong, resilient, determined, and protective of those she loved (I thought she should’ve recognized him sooner, but we can’t have it all, can we?). Though this was categorized as a romantic suspense, it didn’t have those template suspense elements - there was no killer on the loose, no investigation, no kidnapping, but the story was filled with tension and gripping from start to finish.
P.S. Now I’m really impatient to read Josh Redstone’s story. August cannot come soon enough.
When I first read this story in January 2010 I had no idea what to expect…After I finished it I was more than pleasantly surprised. I was literally blown away. It was (and still is) by far the best Silhouette Romantic Suspense book I’ve read. And St. John introduced me to the amazing world of Redstone, Incorporated and I’ve been hooked ever since. I didn’t know him then, when I first read his story, but now, having read the entire series from beginning to end, I understand his appeal and the fans’ clamoring for his book (as Ms. Davis mentioned in the introduction to the story). I can relate, people.
I fell in love with this man on page one and our strange love-affair lasted until the very last page of this amazing story. This extraordinary man is the epitome of a romance novel hero. Dark and handsome, with blazing blue eyes, mysterious, secretive, seductive, taciturn (though his strange speech pattern needed some getting used to), honorable, lovable, scarred … and bent on revenge. And when the truth about him and his past was revealed, I supported his efforts wholeheartedly.
That’s what I loved most in this book (beside its hero, of course). That "it could happen in my neighborhood" feel, the feel of being able of completely empathize with the characters, the reality of it all, despite of it being a work of fiction…And the mastery with which Ms. Davis brought the story and all its characters to life.
The sordid details of St. John’s childhood were bone-chilling, the budding (or just reawakening) romance was sweet and tender, Jessa, the heroine, was perfect for the hero, strong, resilient, determined, and protective of those she loved (I thought she should’ve recognized him sooner, but we can’t have it all, can we?). Though this was categorized as a romantic suspense, it didn’t have those template suspense elements - there was no killer on the loose, no investigation, no kidnapping, but the story was filled with tension and gripping from start to finish.
P.S. Now I’m really impatient to read Josh Redstone’s story. August cannot come soon enough.
June 25, 2011
Those who have already read TBR would probably agree that the antagonist Albert Alden had one of the creepiest lines ever written in a Harlequin romance. I'm referring to that gross remark he spat out at the end of Chapter 23. It still gives me shivers!
If, what had happened previously in St. John's life wasn't horrible enough, that biting comment surely would have sent a weaker man over the edge. I just shake my head wondering how anyone could live with his memories.
It's a credit to JD's writing that she could make a whole story about St. John in the first place since this is the man with the one word questions and answers that pass for normal conversation.
Not many of us would like the one-sidedness of that aspect in a relationship and creating Jessa with the strength to deal with SJ's quirks is great.
Sometimes, though, it felt as if the romance was overshadowed by SJ's revenge. I wasn't even sure they'd ever have face time the way Jessa and SJ behaved so politely with one another. But he is a man after all, and she's a woman, and so stuff happens, and they get their HEA. And, that's a relief.
Now, I am ready to find out what happens with Josh!
If, what had happened previously in St. John's life wasn't horrible enough, that biting comment surely would have sent a weaker man over the edge. I just shake my head wondering how anyone could live with his memories.
It's a credit to JD's writing that she could make a whole story about St. John in the first place since this is the man with the one word questions and answers that pass for normal conversation.
Not many of us would like the one-sidedness of that aspect in a relationship and creating Jessa with the strength to deal with SJ's quirks is great.
Sometimes, though, it felt as if the romance was overshadowed by SJ's revenge. I wasn't even sure they'd ever have face time the way Jessa and SJ behaved so politely with one another. But he is a man after all, and she's a woman, and so stuff happens, and they get their HEA. And, that's a relief.
Now, I am ready to find out what happens with Josh!
April 30, 2010
This is my first book by Justine Davis and I absolutely LOVED IT. Infact its my fav Silhouette Romance of all times. I would love to read the other Redstone ones but I dont want to be disappointed as I dont think any will match this. So I will wait for the final book 'REDSTONE EVER AFTER'. I do hope that in that, St John and Jessa are pregnant (after a reversal of course)and he feels secure enough to speak in complete sentences.
February 7, 2019
SRS #1597
November 24, 2019
3.5 Stars!
February 26, 2016
Finished in the wee hours this morning. Guess I shouldn't feel too terribly surprised to find myself reading, entirely by accident, a book eerily similar to one I had qualms about - at least in plot points.
This one, I compare to The Highwayman. It's not even in the same sub-genre but...
-little blond girl befriends older boy who is being abused.
-circumstances separate them when she's 10
-circumstances bring him back within her circle under an assumed name
-both boys deal with sexual abuse
-both are afraid they're monsters due to their upbringing
-both inadvertently say something that makes the h realize who they are
-up until this point, both heroines assume the boy is long dead
-hero bolts
The areas where one fails and the other succeeds:
-how long it takes for the h to realize her childhood friend is standing right there
-consistency or lack thereof in attending to threats
It is simply difficult to believe that an otherwise intelligent heroine really needs such blatant signs as an accidentally whispered pet name in the heat of the moment to figure it out. Our h picks up on a slip in a conversation within a day or so of his showing up. She lets him keep his secrets though for a week or better, as she figures he has his reasons. He is understandably surprised. They have a conversation.
The h in The Highwayman wasn't even a little suspicious as to his identity, something I found strange considering how much he knew about the past. Yeah; he told her that "the boy" had shared all that info with his buddies (which I found a little odd too, to be honest). Still...
The H was content to leave his past firmly in his past as long as his abuser didn't go for political standings. At that point, he came home, did some investigating, and put the wheels in motion to destroy the man, slowing only when he realized the man had a new whipping boy. This in turn attracted the attention of his boss who showed up to whisk the child out of the line of fire.
The H in The Highwayman set precedent in that people responsible for the horrors he endured as a kid wound up dead. He knew of the threat to the heroine when they were children. It seemed unbelievable that he would suffer the man to live long enough to actually find the h, much less attempt to hire an assassin to take her out (or track her down and kidnap her).
The bolting had a different reaction with the heroines.
One recognizes that the H is having difficulties and resolves to give him some space before tracking him down.
The other takes him at face value, goes away as ordered (really!?), and eventually threatens to take a lover to provide her with the promised family, bringing him back in a rage (conveniently just in time to show up for her rescuing herself from the bad guy).
You know, in retrospect. This book's heroine makes the other heroine look like an insensitive twit...
This one, I compare to The Highwayman. It's not even in the same sub-genre but...
-little blond girl befriends older boy who is being abused.
-circumstances separate them when she's 10
-circumstances bring him back within her circle under an assumed name
-both boys deal with sexual abuse
-both are afraid they're monsters due to their upbringing
-both inadvertently say something that makes the h realize who they are
-up until this point, both heroines assume the boy is long dead
-hero bolts
The areas where one fails and the other succeeds:
-how long it takes for the h to realize her childhood friend is standing right there
-consistency or lack thereof in attending to threats
It is simply difficult to believe that an otherwise intelligent heroine really needs such blatant signs as an accidentally whispered pet name in the heat of the moment to figure it out. Our h picks up on a slip in a conversation within a day or so of his showing up. She lets him keep his secrets though for a week or better, as she figures he has his reasons. He is understandably surprised. They have a conversation.
The h in The Highwayman wasn't even a little suspicious as to his identity, something I found strange considering how much he knew about the past. Yeah; he told her that "the boy" had shared all that info with his buddies (which I found a little odd too, to be honest). Still...
The H was content to leave his past firmly in his past as long as his abuser didn't go for political standings. At that point, he came home, did some investigating, and put the wheels in motion to destroy the man, slowing only when he realized the man had a new whipping boy. This in turn attracted the attention of his boss who showed up to whisk the child out of the line of fire.
The H in The Highwayman set precedent in that people responsible for the horrors he endured as a kid wound up dead. He knew of the threat to the heroine when they were children. It seemed unbelievable that he would suffer the man to live long enough to actually find the h, much less attempt to hire an assassin to take her out (or track her down and kidnap her).
The bolting had a different reaction with the heroines.
One recognizes that the H is having difficulties and resolves to give him some space before tracking him down.
The other takes him at face value, goes away as ordered (really!?), and eventually threatens to take a lover to provide her with the promised family, bringing him back in a rage (conveniently just in time to show up for her rescuing herself from the bad guy).
You know, in retrospect. This book's heroine makes the other heroine look like an insensitive twit...
August 4, 2010
Really slow and doesn't get interesting til the late middle. All of Adam Alden's life he was abused by his father. Going to school with multiple injuries and his father starting rumors that he was a disturbed and bad child. He only had one reason to live for and her name was Jessa Hill. Four years younger, Jessa was the only person Adam could confide in. But soon after making her swear not to tell anybody about his home life, he drownds in a flood. Never forgetting the boy that was her best friend, Jessa has grown up to dispiss his father and herself for never getting Adam help. When his father, Albert Alden, decides to run for mayor, replacing her late father, she decides to run against him. Then, in walks this mysterious guy, St. John, into her store one day offering her help in defeating Alden. Soon after another run in with this guy who's going to help her, she realizes that's it's Adam. Together they work against his father and save another young boy who was in the same position Adam was in himself before he got out. And once again Jessa shows St. John another reason for living.
January 27, 2010
Amazon preorder
Davis can absolutely rip you to shreds. This felt a little on the thin side though. (Mind you, medium Davis is still very good. I'm ready for her to do something other than Redstone, although obviously there are one or two major stories that need to be told yet.
The problem with having super rich, uber powerful characters in the background means that the deus ex machina is always there.
Serioiusly damaged tortured hero (possibly very triggery re child abuse.)
The good guys win, the bad guy shows his colors and foams at the mouth at the end. It's a pretty good trip along the way, but a surprisingly slim read for something so heavy.
Davis can absolutely rip you to shreds. This felt a little on the thin side though. (Mind you, medium Davis is still very good. I'm ready for her to do something other than Redstone, although obviously there are one or two major stories that need to be told yet.
The problem with having super rich, uber powerful characters in the background means that the deus ex machina is always there.
Serioiusly damaged tortured hero (possibly very triggery re child abuse.)
The good guys win, the bad guy shows his colors and foams at the mouth at the end. It's a pretty good trip along the way, but a surprisingly slim read for something so heavy.
May 5, 2010
AWESOME!
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews