The Deluca Family Collection

Genre: Romantic Suspense

Heartbeats – Book 1

Ice Blue – Book 2

True Blue – Book 3

Synopsis

DeLuca Family Collection A Suspenseful Romance CollectionComing December 12th 2014 from Musa Publishinghttps://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23678047-deluca-family-collectionSynopsisLove makes your heart race, but passion can kill.Three strong, captivating women. Three intense, driven men. One family devoted to justice. Come journey with the DeLuca Family from the tumultuous streets of Chicago to the majestic peaks of Glacier National Park in these three intriguing full-length novels loaded with passion, suspense…and danger.

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Excerpt From Book 1 Heartbeats

 She knew it was crazy that her hands should tremble on this occasion, considering she could thread a catheter to the heart as precisely and steadily now as the best in her field, but Dr. Elizabeth Iverson never felt comfortable in the limelight.

“I know many of you share my story in one way or another,” Elizabeth said, her gaze moving from table to table, guest to guest, as she scanned the seven hundred or so university alumni seated in the Grand Ballroom of Chicago’s Palmer House Hilton, “or know someone who has benefited from the fund.

I grew up on a farm about forty-five miles northwest of here. When I was little girl, I always dreamed of becoming a doctor. My Barbie dolls didn’t wear clothes; they wore bandages and tourniquets, and I was always pretending to try the latest medical procedure on some poor, unsuspecting farm animal — with some very interesting results, as you can imagine.” Now well into her speech, she raised a playful eyebrow and was rewarded with mild laughter.

“Back then, though, college seemed financially out of the question. That’s why what we’re doing here tonight is so important. We’re helping to fuel dreams. For me, it’s not about the glamour of being a doctor. As a cardiologist, it’s about looking into a patient’s eyes and seeing that spark of hope shine back when she’s just learned she has another lease on life. To me, that’s priceless.”

Her attention moved to the guests at the back of the room. “With our silent auction tonight, we’ll help more students turn their dreams into realities. With the money you’ll so generously donate, I know —

” Elizabeth’s lips froze in mid-sentence. Her words caught in her throat as her heart did a major flip-flop. She recognized him instantly. There was no mistaking the identity of the man who stood in the entrance to the ballroom, nametag in hand, as if he had just arrived. She stood, motionless, staring, unaware of the murmurs of uneasiness arising from the gathering. She watched, mesmerized, as his lips curved into that slow, Mona Lisa smile of his and his chin lifted in acknowledgment of her awareness of him. Although quite a distance away, Elizabeth could easily make out the slight cleft in his chin, the sexy, firm line of his jaw — and those deep-set eyes, which she knew were the most amazing shade of midnight blue.

“Dr. Iverson, are you all right?” the alumni president asked at her side.

Suddenly the awkward coughing of the guests, the clinking of glasses, the shuffling of chairs reached her senses. Embarrassed and frustrated by her reaction to him, she broke contact with those eyes and grabbed for her water glass as if reaching for a lifeline. When she looked up again, he was gone. The twinge of disappointment she felt at that surprised her, but she forced it to the back of her mind as she turned her attention once more to the gathering.

“I’m sorry, where was I? Yes, the dreams…”

Tina’s Series Review

DeLuca Family Collection by Susan Rae
Released: December 12, 2014

** Provided by Author in Exchange for an Honest Review. **

Heartbeats (#1)
Originally released: November 1, 2005
As cardiologist Elizabeth Iverson delivers her speech at a University Alumni dinner, a man from her past walks into the room. It’s been six years since they’d parted ways, but she’d recognize him anywhere. FBI Special Agent Drake McGuire spent a spectacular weekend with Elizabeth six years ago and never managed to rid his system of her. Their encounter at the dinner did not go as planned so he goes to her house after. But things quickly become chaotic. On the eve of their brief, ill-worded reunion, she returns home to the scene of a murder. Drake makes it his business to figure out if the victim was the intended or if Elizabeth was the target.
An intriguing murder mystery mixed with a reunion romance. Add to that one bright and adventurous little girl, and you’ve got an exciting read! While the main characters are well-written and very likable, it’s a couple of the supporting characters that the series is named for. Supporting cast is strong. The dialogue and interaction are mostly believable and the plot is dynamic and dramatic, creating a smooth flowing story that compels the reader to keep turning pages. Never mind sleep, just keep reading! It was moderately predictable, but it did not take away from the overall story. The conclusion was solid and neatly tied up. No cliffhangers here. I’d recommend this to anyone who likes action, mystery and intrigue mixed with some hot sexual tension.

ICE Blue (#2)
Originally released: March 29, 2013
Angela is the youngest of six siblings in the DeLuca family. Where most became cops, she became a paramedic. Troy Deavers is the southern boy, the son of a corrupt politician. He purposely removed himself from that to become an ICE agent in Chicago. An abandoned newborn in a box is left on Angela’s back porch, kicking in her maternal and protective instincts. CPD is determined to find and charge the mother. Troy is convinced the baby is tied to illegal immigration. Is there any winning solution to be found? Being a paramedic and a leading supporter in the new neighborhood health clinic, she is seen as capable, caring and compassionate. Having lost a baby of her own, she’s also protective and vulnerable where the baby is concerned, especially since he is suffering from a heart defect. Troy does not tolerate rule breakers well and he’s sure the cute and feisty paramedic knows more than she’s saying.
The main characters are strong, smart and smoldering. Secondary character are solid and supportive. We have the opportunity to catch up with previous characters and meet new ones. The dialogue and interaction is believable, providing a good foundation for a full plot that flows smoothly. There was plenty of conflict throughout the story, all finding satisfactory resolution. I was a little disheartened with my ability to predict several key elements long before the reveal, but I still enjoyed reading the scenes as they unfolded. The conclusion was tight, leaving no cliffhangers. Another fantastic suspense-filled read!

TRUE Blue (#3)
Originally released: May 16, 2014
Things are feeling off-balance for CPD detective Lt. Joey DeLuca. One of his detectives was just killed, he’s up for a promotion soon, and his marriage to Andi is feeling a bit strained. Now, just when his guard is at it’s weakest, his teen crush resurfaces after twenty-four years. All those years ago, Meghan McConnell’s father served on the CPD alongside Joey’s dad and was gunned down late one night. The murder was never solved. Fearful, her mother packed them up and the moved to Arizona never to return and demanded they never speak of the incident again. Now with her mother passed on, Meghan is determined to solve her father’s murder. She is certain there’s more to the case than what they’ve released to her. She does the only thing she can think to do, contact and plead her case to her dear old friend Joey… only, she swears him to secrecy. Meanwhile, Andi’s own detective’s instincts are lighting up like a Fourth of July fireworks display. She sees her husband’s evasiveness and feels he’s distancing himself emotionally. What will happen when past and present collide?
This installment of the DeLuca Family features less of the family as in ICE blue. It can stand alone. The conflict flowed as a constant undercurrent throughout most of the story and was maturely resolved in the end. I’m extremely pleased to learn that any of my suspicions were wrong and there was virtually no predictability. The conclusion felt a little rushed and there were some minor strings left untied, but there were no serious cliffhangers. Once again, Susan Rae delivers a riveting, suspenseful romantic drama with strong, smart characters, dynamic interaction and plot elements and a pace that flows quite smoothly. I did not particularly like some of the decisions made by the characters, but that’s only my opinion and does not effect the overall book rating. This series is written in such a way that the reader quickly become cynical and trusts no one. Everyone is suspect & it’s exciting to be on the edge of your seat, not knowing the “who” of it all.

Overall, this series is riveting. The plots are intriguing, action-packed, and exciting. Even with the higher predictability of ICE blue, the DeLuca Family series was a fantastic read. I feel this is a series that can easily please both genders of reader.

Author Bio:

Susan Rae Susan grew up in the suburbs of Chicago and received her Bachelor of Arts Degree from Columbia College, Missouri with an emphasis in creative writing.She penned her first melodrama in fifth grade for a Girl Scout Drama badge. Complete with hero, heroine, and dastardly villain, it wasn’t so very different, really, than the romantic suspense she writes now. “I love writing romantic suspense because it allows me to combine a sexy, passionate love story with a gritty suspense tale—in my opinion, the best of both worlds.It also allows me to express my appreciation for the outdoors in the setting that I recreate on the page.” When she is not sketching characters, you might find Susan on the golf course working on her handicap, or traveling around the country seeking out new settings for her novels with her husband and empty nest puppies, Ginger and Nikute.

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