# 12. Read 30 new books I haven’t read before (1/30)
Dark Summer
By Iris Johansen
Usually adept at fusing well-developed characters with edge-of-your-seat action and adventure, bestseller Johansen stumbles in this novel of romantic suspense revolving around a tumultuous relationship. Veterinarian Devon Brady and enigmatic former navy SEAL Jude Marrok meet on a small Caribbean island recently devastated by an earthquake. When a sniper shoots Marrok’s rescue dog, Ned, while searching for survivors in the rubble of a village, Marrok orders Brady to treat the black Lab, then promptly disappears. In a note he leaves for Brady, he promises to pick up Ned from her later. Soon after returning to her home on the outskirts of Denver with Ned, Brady finds herself a target in a deadly conflict involving international intelligence agents, ruthless billionaire entrepreneurs and Native American shamanism. An unnecessarily convoluted and at times unbelievable plot builds to a predictable conclusion.
My Opinion:
A friend recommended it to me so I decided to give it a try. I didn’t want a heavy read and she said this was perfect. I needed a little fluff right about now. I am usually a fan of Iris’s but unfortunately this book turned out to be a disappointment. The plot was ridiculously implausible and way too far-fetched. I must say it definitely is not one of her best and seemed to have put no effort into making it.
