Untouched (Men of the Jungle Series #1)

Travis Kane is a jungle guide who is tired of moving around. He unexpectedly receives an inheritance from a grandfather he barely knew. It’s a box that he is told to protect, a letter, a home, and a few other items. Travis believes his grandfather was a little ‘off’ as he spent a lot of time searching for a lost treasure in Peru. Nevertheless, he stays in his grandfather’s home to take care of things. Madeline Wentworth is a university botanist visiting Peru, and is waiting for a new guide to replace the one who recently died under questionable circumstances. She is trying to recover her reputation, which is in tatters after a professor at her university spreads lies about her. Travis gets the job as guide for her group, hoping to treasure-hunt while he’s there, and they set out into the jungle, where strange things start happening.

This story is exciting to read! There is a strong undercurrent of tension at times, and readers never know when the next bad thing will happen. There are a few erroneous assumptions and some poor decisions made by both protagonists at the start, but they eventually see each other for who they really are. The story pulls the reader in, and the descriptions of the jungle are vivid. There are several grammatical errors, and one plot hole, but the storyline remains strong and well-written for the most part. The ending is a delightful surprise, and leaves an opening for the next story in this series.

Carey Sullivan