"Riding On Instinct", by Jaci Burton – ARC Review

Christine from The happily ever after… blog kindly commented on my review of “Riding Temptation”, that she loved Jaci Burton’s voice and I would echo that comment. As I’ve said before, her stories are always heartwarming, sexy, and in the case of the “Wild Riders” series, exciting and suspenceful. Jaci has never once disappointed me.

Christine also noted she liked Jessie’s strength as the heroine in Riding Temptation which caused me to realize that it’s not only the heroes in the Wild Rider novels that have kept me invested in the stories, it is also the heroines. This is equally true of ‘Shadoe Grayson’, the fascinating heroine of “Riding on Instinct”.

Riding On Instinct

The Wild Rider hero in this story is the seeming rabidly confirmed bachelor ‘Spencer King’, who has prided himself on choosing women he can love and leave with no strings attached. That is until he finds himself drawn to Shadoe, a Justice Department Agent assigned to work with Spence and fellow Wild Rider agents Paxton and AJ. The mission is to ascertain the identity of a rogue DEA agent who is passing information to the Columbians about drug seizure operations at the port in New Orleans.

The Justice Department suspects that the rogue agent is using a high-end strip club in New Orleans as a base of operations. The Wild Riders team and Shadoe are assigned to go undercover at the club to identify the agent and catch him passing intelligence information to the Columbians.

When Spencer initially meets Shadoe he is immediately skeptical of her abilities. She appears an “uptight”, prim and proper woman who will never be able to pull off her undercover role as a stripper at the club. Spencer however, is sorely mistaken as Shadoe proves to have a brilliant mind (she has a photographic memory), and assumes her undercover role with chameleon like efficiency.

Spencer plays the role of Shadoe’s bodyguard and boyfriend at the club for the duration of the assignment and he finds himself inexorably drawn to her. Shadoe is witty, sexy and confident. While she has had to compete in a man’s world to earn her position in the Justice Department and suppress her sexuality, it certainly bubbles to surface because of the nature of her undercover role as a stripper and because of her burgeoning interest in Spence.

This is a love story about two kindred spirits, damaged by childhood trauma, who find each other. However both are dedicated to their jobs and are determined to part ways at the end of what turns out to be a harrowing assignment. Spencer is particularly reluctant to become emotionally involved and when he begins to have feelings for Shadoe, his automatic reaction is to reject her. I felt so relieved when he finally lets down his emotional barrier and a firestorm of pent up sexual tension is released between them. The love scenes penned between Shadoe and Spence are extremely intense and erotic, these two enjoy “outdoor experiences”.

More information about “Wild Rider”, agents Paxton and AJ, is also given to readers in this novel. These two are best friends, and how can I put it, share EVERYTHING. I sure hope there is a fourth Wild Rider novel because now I really, really want to read their story. Paxton and AJ are funny, totally efficient as Wild Rider agents and very alpha.

The mission is suspenseful and thrilling as the agents infiltrate the bar, identify the rogue agent and are caught in the crossfire during a vintage “Wild Rider” climax to the story. I was surprised by the identity of the contact for the rogue agent.

Shadoe and Spencer remain committed to their jobs with different government agencies and continue to plan to return to those positions at the close of the mission. I was left on pins and needles until the last chapter wondering if these two lovers were going to have their HEA. However, I always keep in mind that this is a Jaci novel and she always pens great HEA’s for our heroine and hero! In this case, it is totally HOT….

“Riding On Instinct”, is another Jaci Burton novel that has found it’s way to my keeper shelf and I know I will be reading it again.

Don’t forget Jaci’s “Riding On Instinct” contest running until April 6, 2009, the widget is in my right sidbar.