Into the Fire

Toni Shiloh presents Book 2 in the Faith & Fortune series: The Truth About Fame. 

Tori Bell (Astoria Bell) is a supermodel. Her parents are famous actors, and her brother is an award winning photographer. It seems Tori has acquired a stalker and her dad requires and hires her a bodyguard. Marcel Fox, who she calls Fox and who calls her Princess, gets on her nerves in spite of his 6' 3" drop dead gorgeous appeal which she chooses to ignore – for the most part – because of his uninvited presence which requires him to take care of her and shepherd her around 24/7. However, when the stalker escalates his threats and causes injury, Fox moves her out of her home which she shares with her two lifelong friends and into a place she least expects to occupy, reducing any possibility her stalker will locate her. 

Toni knows how to write romance, and, yes, this is a "typical" romance, but this time I do not mean it disparagingly. Because the heroine and protagonist share mostly equal parts in this story, it's who they are as people that separates this story from being tiresome or mundane. Well-developed characters with snap, crackle, and pop chemistry between them, a pledge of protection from Fox rocks Tori's pledge to remain man-less. Trust issues plague Tori because of her early and more recent experiences with predator men, but she's forced to place her trust in Fox because of his plan to flush out the stalker. When it works, Tori is forced to rely on her re-commitment to God because it seems her stalker has seen to eliminating her protection.

Tori does show some evidence of living the high life while desiring to be a regular person without really realizing all she's ever known is privilege. She can't help that, but she's kind, pleasant, fun, and giving – except when it comes to her bodyguard. Fox comes from a history of pain, is a man of admirable faith, absolute in his devotion to complete his job no matter what it requires of him. He knows how to push Tori's buttons and selectively takes pleasure in doing so.  

Ultimately, we get the happy ending after Tori realizes that she certainly can trust God and can always count on Fox.

The Truth About Fame is a quick, fun romance with plenty of heat between the two main characters. Well done, Toni!     

Father, please continue to meet every need Toni requires to keep writing the stories you have just for her to tell. Bless her in your abundance and keep her safe from all harm. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.