Secrets of a Mayan Moon (An Isabella Mumphrey Adenture, #1)

Paty
Jager
Genre: 
Suspense-Thriller

Isabella Mumphrey's job as a university anthropologist is on the line.  In a last-ditch effort to make a big discovery, she heads to Guatemala to help her mentor decipher a newly found artifact's origins and meanings. Her guide on the dangerous trip through the jungle is Tino Kosta, a mysterious and sexy man who ignites an instant attraction...and curiosity in Isabella. 

Tino is a DEA agent bent on discovering and destroying the drug runners who killed his family. On a mission that should be full of discovery and wonder, these two are thrust into a dangerous world of deceit, betrayal, and ancient ritual.

Isabella and Tino's feelings for each other are evident from the start, but the romance builds slowly. Isabella is an extremely smart woman, and also quite self-sufficient, it's wonderful to come upon a heroine who can stand on her own so well.  She is confident in her work, but not so confident of her womanliness. Tino, with his infamous Latino sex appeal, makes her feel desirable as well as smart. The language is a bit formal at times. Some of this could be due to many of the  characters being from Guatemala, but it also bled into the native-English speakers and sounded somewhat stilted. Some of the big revelations felt a bit melodramatic and sudden. There is a lot of action in the story, but there was also so much going on with each of the characters that some of the emotion got lost, making their feelings and reactions seem unrealistic.  But the pace is fast and the romance is believable. A nice start to a new series!

 

Nicole Duke