Review by JanieReads -- Escape by Belle Ami
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JanieReads
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- Latest Review: "Escape" by Belle Ami
Review by JanieReads -- Escape by Belle Ami
[Following is a volunteer review of "Escape" by Belle Ami.]
4 out of 4 stars
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Escape by Belle Ami is a romance/political thriller set in Spring 2015, mostly in the Middle East.
Layla Wallace is a college student on a trip to relax and meet her boyfriend's parents in Dubai. Things takes a turn for the worse when both of them are kidnapped for ransom and she is thrown in prison with no hope of escape. That is, until her very own Superman comes to her rescue, but is he her savior or her captor? Cyrus Hassani is the second in command in an Iran military compound that is manufacturing Uranium for nuclear weapons. When he is ordered to retrieve and gain the trust of an American hostage, he doesn't hesitate to follow orders. Then, his orders are changed by another source and he has to get them both out of Iran without being captured, or he must kill Layla. Once he meets Layla, however, his priorities change in a big way. Can they make it out of Iran together and alive?
This book has the best plot line that I have read in a long while. The story is action packed enough to keep me turning pages and romantic enough to leave me breathless. I never wanted this story to end! Layla is a character that I can really understand and respect. She goes through some unimaginable things and still has enough sass to keep her entertaining. I love a strong female lead character, not ones that are helpless and weak willed. Layla fits the bill perfectly. Cyrus is an excellent male hero persona. He is confident, yet humble, and feels like he has the weight of the world on his shoulders. He has a strong sense of family, honor, and what he feels is right. I loved Cyrus and Layla's chemistry throughout this book. They are funny, sexy, and so passionate.
I especially enjoyed the political aspect of Escape. Normally, I have trouble following along when it comes to international politics, but Belle Ami does a wonderful job of making it flow seamlessly into the story and makes it very easy to understand. She also does a great job of intersecting other languages into this story without the text and dialog becoming confusing. I believe this also gives the plot a sense of realism. This book also made me consider the nuclear weapons crisis and the effect it really has on countries around the world. Not many books can make me do that, I'd rather live in my safe American bubble where nothing bad could possibly happen, but Belle Ami has really opened my eyes to the ramifications of nuclear war.
Escape really made me appreciate my lot in life and made me proud to call myself an American. I don't think that American pride was exactly Belle Ami's intent with the writing in this book, but it happened all the same. The way that the Iranian people mistreat Layla and other women really opened my eyes about how good I have it. For instance, one quote in the book is "No witnesses, no crime. In our culture, without a witness, the woman is guilty".
This book is fast paced, politically enticing, and emotionally charged. I give this book a 4 out of 4 stars. I cannot wait for the next installment in this series and Belle Ami has officially made it to my "must read" authors. It should be noted that there are sexually explicit scenes and mention of an attempted sexual attack.
******
Escape
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4 out of 4 stars
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Escape by Belle Ami is a romance/political thriller set in Spring 2015, mostly in the Middle East.
Layla Wallace is a college student on a trip to relax and meet her boyfriend's parents in Dubai. Things takes a turn for the worse when both of them are kidnapped for ransom and she is thrown in prison with no hope of escape. That is, until her very own Superman comes to her rescue, but is he her savior or her captor? Cyrus Hassani is the second in command in an Iran military compound that is manufacturing Uranium for nuclear weapons. When he is ordered to retrieve and gain the trust of an American hostage, he doesn't hesitate to follow orders. Then, his orders are changed by another source and he has to get them both out of Iran without being captured, or he must kill Layla. Once he meets Layla, however, his priorities change in a big way. Can they make it out of Iran together and alive?
This book has the best plot line that I have read in a long while. The story is action packed enough to keep me turning pages and romantic enough to leave me breathless. I never wanted this story to end! Layla is a character that I can really understand and respect. She goes through some unimaginable things and still has enough sass to keep her entertaining. I love a strong female lead character, not ones that are helpless and weak willed. Layla fits the bill perfectly. Cyrus is an excellent male hero persona. He is confident, yet humble, and feels like he has the weight of the world on his shoulders. He has a strong sense of family, honor, and what he feels is right. I loved Cyrus and Layla's chemistry throughout this book. They are funny, sexy, and so passionate.
I especially enjoyed the political aspect of Escape. Normally, I have trouble following along when it comes to international politics, but Belle Ami does a wonderful job of making it flow seamlessly into the story and makes it very easy to understand. She also does a great job of intersecting other languages into this story without the text and dialog becoming confusing. I believe this also gives the plot a sense of realism. This book also made me consider the nuclear weapons crisis and the effect it really has on countries around the world. Not many books can make me do that, I'd rather live in my safe American bubble where nothing bad could possibly happen, but Belle Ami has really opened my eyes to the ramifications of nuclear war.
Escape really made me appreciate my lot in life and made me proud to call myself an American. I don't think that American pride was exactly Belle Ami's intent with the writing in this book, but it happened all the same. The way that the Iranian people mistreat Layla and other women really opened my eyes about how good I have it. For instance, one quote in the book is "No witnesses, no crime. In our culture, without a witness, the woman is guilty".
This book is fast paced, politically enticing, and emotionally charged. I give this book a 4 out of 4 stars. I cannot wait for the next installment in this series and Belle Ami has officially made it to my "must read" authors. It should be noted that there are sexually explicit scenes and mention of an attempted sexual attack.
******
Escape
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon | on Smashwords
Like JanieReads's review? Post a comment saying so!
Latest Review: "Escape" by Belle Ami
