She put her hand to her swollen lips, "I'll be waiting."
"Oh and Kate?"
She cocked her head to the side giving her full attention. God, she was cute. "My birthday is April 16th. It happens to be the same date as my parents anniversary." ~ Tony Lupito (Massimo Bertalucci)
Katherine Anderson is a hard working New York restaurant critic. When she finds her fiancé in a compromising position mere months before their wedding, she kicks him to the curb and goes alone on their romantic Italian honeymoon. Right then and there I decided I like Katherine. She had to be a strong woman to go on that trip alone. Little does she know, this trip is going to be the ride of a lifetime.
Tony Lupito is a swoon worthy dark haired, sparkling green eyed, olive skinned stranger Katherine notices on the train (that combination of looks is my complete weakness, so I get your reaction Kate, I really do). They share a look and a word on the train and it seems like that's the end of their meeting. It's not. Tony needs to find someone to safely get him out of Italy to the United States. It looks like Kate is his mark. So he starts showing up wherever she is.
Why does he need to get out of Italy? Well you would think being in the olive oil business is a relatively safe way to make a living. Well at least I would. Anyway, somehow, Tony (whose real name is Massimo Bertalucci) and his family have gotten mixed up in a black market olive oil cartel. It's a big enough deal for Tony's entire family to lose their lives and Tony to be on the run with a beautiful American woman. I admit, I was like, black market olive oil? Come on. But seriously, read on because as you're reading it all starts to make sense.
Ok, back to Katherine and Tony, because their attraction to each other is immediate. And the more time they spend together, the more relaxed Katherine becomes with him. Which is exactly what Tony needs for his plan on using Katherine to get him out of the country. Katherine, who has always been a good girl and played it safe decides to throw caution to the wind and seduces Tony. It's a very hot scene and damn I know I'd like to be in the same bed with Tony.
Throw into this mix, an American FDA agent and Italian Polizia and you have some serious suspense. Especially since you're never quite sure who the good guys and the bad guys are. I'm trying so very hard not to give any spoilers, because if you enjoy mystery and romance you need to one click this book.
Believe me, you're not going to know who's going to come out of this alive and when you find out who's behind the cartel and the reason for his causing so much damage, holy plot twist. You'll also want to just beat him senseless (I know I did).
There's a little bit of everything in this story, romance, suspense, and even a car chase scene which I totally held my breath for, because you just don't know who's going to come out alive.
I am a huge fan of the setting of Surrender. The description of all of the spots in Italy Katherine visits are on point. I love the scene at the Trevi Fountain. I also love the description of the restaurants and the foods. I was feeling hungry (and a little jealous) as I read about all of the delicious food Katherine got to try as she went from city to city.
I'm going to give you something to look for as you're reading. The part of the book with the ring....swoon. That's all I'm going to say. With that being said, I'm giving Surrender by Jennifer Burrows a four lip smack review. The characters, the setting and the plot will keep you involved throughout the entire story.
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