MARQUETTA's Reviews > Stripped

I didn't know what to expect when I started reading Stripped. There was a bit of judging a book by its cover but I decided to put my pre-conceived notions aside and give this book a try. I am so glad that I did.

Natalya is working undercover for an elite CIA team. She has been working for and living as Dmitri's girlfriend for three years. She is close to bringing down his human trafficking ring until she finds out that his next victim is her sister. Natalya is sent to Vegas to make sure that she catches Dmitri's cohorts in the act and to make sure that her sister stays protected and Natalya's cover is not blown. Brandon is working undercover at Fantasia, a strip club on the Vegas strip. He's trying to track down who has been killing strippers. The killer has a formula; it's just a matter of stopping the killer before he claims his next victim.

Stripped immediately pulled me in. Natalya is a strong heroine (which I love) and I found her to be very likable. Some people may be put off by her due to the nature of her job and what she has to do to maintain her cover. For me, I knew that Natalya The Black Opal is different from Natalya the woman. Natalya has worked hard to maintain her cover which means she's had to be the loving fiancee to Dmitri 100%, doing some of his dirty work and leading innocent women to their doom. Natalya doesn't do this without feeling sadness, hurt and guilt; her goal is to bring down Dmitri's organization so despite the guilt she feels, she has to keep her eye on the prize.

Brandon and Natalya are a great match. They are both strong, stubborn and sexy. The attraction is instantaneous and when they are in the same room together, they are explosive. There is a lot of sexual tension between these two characters and some hot, hot, hot smexy times. I found the attraction between Brandon and Natalya believable and not contrived. These are two people who have more in common than they think and they see something in the other that they see in themselves.

The supporting cast of characters were wonderful and added to the wonderfulnesss (is that a word?) of the overall plot. Stripped is a nice blend of suspense and erotic romance. Most of the action takes place towards the end but there is a nice build up that has you itching for the bad guy to get his comeuppance.

Throughout Stripped, both Brandon and Natalya are trying to make sure that the other doesn't figure out their true identity. Little do they know is that they are both working towards the same goal; to take down the human trafficking ring. There were some "out there" moments in the plot but I felt that it fit with what was going on. I think when you're reading this book, just go with it. Whatever happens, no matter how unbelievable or coincidental it may seem, just go with it. Some of those moments totally work in this book.

Stripped kept me on the edge of my seat. When the big bad was revealed, I was blown away. (I'm normally good at guessing before the big reveal) I am looking forward to reading more by Tori St. Claire. Stripped was a sexy, suspenseful ride that I enjoyed from start to finish.