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Emma Wright has finally escaped the dangerous man who's controlled her every move for the past six years. Taking her five-year-old son, she has fled across the country--seeking freedom, safety and a fresh start. But Max's father isn't giving them up so easily.
Preston Holman understands the lengths a parent will go for his child. He's given up everything to pursue the man he believes killed his son.
When Preston meets Emma, he wants nothing to do with her or the boy who reminds him so much of his own child. Yet he can't abandon them--and as he's drawn into the danger that surrounds them, Preston begins to wonder if he's finally found something to live for beyond revenge.
For six abusive years, Manuel Rodriguez has kept his insignificant other Vanessa Beacon a virtual prisoner. He never married her because his family, especially his mother, would not accept her because she is from the wrong ethnic background, but he also refuses to let her go. With the help of Carlos the gardener and others Vanessa escapes when he is away on business. She changes her name to Emma Wright and flees the prison with their five year old diabetic son Dominick whom she calls Max for their trek. --- Manuel beats up Carlos and forces him to report the car he gave to Emma which was reported stolen to the police. They find the vehicle in Fallon, Nevada, but unoccupied. Instead, San Francisco stockbroker Preston Holman reluctantly gives the mother and son a ride east. He is heading to Iowa to confront Dr. Vince Wendell who he blames for the death of his son two years ago. Meanwhile Manuel has to save face with his family so is coming to take back his heir and at a minimum beat up or perhaps even kill his fantasy woman. --- EVERY WAKING MOMENT is an exhilarating romantic suspense thriller with the emphasis on the chase as the heroine knows evil is following but is handicapped by her son¿s health needs in her bid for their freedom. Manuel makes the story line work because though obsessed, he takes advantage of tools to abet his pursuit. Manuel¿s family business and Preston¿s thirst for vengeance seem like ¿convenient¿ devices enabling yet subtracting from a powerful woman on the run plot. Brenda Novak provides a compelling tale that grips readers from the moment they realize that the bird flew the coop.--- Harriet Klausner
2 out of 3 people found this review helpful.
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Posted July 11, 2005
Manuel Rodriguez kept Vanessa under tight control. Oh, he had to abuse her sometimes, but he figured he was simply using 'tough love'. Though they never married, Manuel knew he could always use their six-year-old boy to manipulate her into whatever he wanted. He never expected her to have the guts to PLAN an escape from him, much less succeed. But he would find her. She could not have much money. Once he got her back, she'd pay big time. She would never even THINK of running off again. .................. Vanessa had ID in the name of Emma Wright. Her son was now called Max. With luck, they could reach Iowa to live a nice, quiet life there. Even as Emma prayed that would happen, she knew Manuel was hot on her trail. ................... Preston Holman was hunting down the man he believed killed his son. He had only to find proof. When he met Emma he wanted nothing to do with her. Her son, Max, reminded him too much of his own son. But he knew they were desperate, running from something or someone, and he could not abandon them. He vowed to keep an emotional distance from the pair, drop them off in Iowa, and forget about them. Yet his heart knew better. ........................................... ***** Author Brenda Novak has proven, once again, that she is one of the top suspense writers of our days. This one is a breathless romantic suspense novel that will keep her readers' attention from the first page until long after the last has been turned. The characters seem to actually come alive from the pages and I found myself holding my breath at a few points. An outstanding book that I highly recommend! *****
2 out of 3 people found this review helpful.
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Posted June 29, 2005
Brenda Novak¿s gift lies in grabbing the reader mercilessly by the throat and not letting go until the very end. Her latest romantic suspense, Every Waking Moment, is one of those special books which will make readers so deeply involved with the story and characters they will laugh, scream and even shed a few tears. On the surface, Vanessa Beacon leads the kind of life most women would be envious of¿she lives in a luxurious mansion, drives a Jaguar, and wears ten-thousand dollar studs on her earlobes. Many would say she has the perfect boyfriend¿the arrogant, handsome and successful Manuel Rodriguez, with whom she has been living together for five years and who happens to be father of her young son, Dominick. But Vanessa¿s life has a much darker side. The lovely mansion she lives in is, in fact, her prison, and her handsome boyfriend, her captor. Suspicious of her every move, Manuel obsessively controls everything she thinks and does, and even goes to the extreme of having her constantly followed wherever she goes and denying her any kind of economic independence. Deep inside, she knows Manuel is a dangerous man, and his ¿business¿ dealings more than dubious. To ad to her predicament, her son Dominick suffers from diabetes and she must care for him constantly, administering insulin and checking his blood levels several times through the day and night. But abuse situations sometimes reach a limit¿and today Vanessa is leaving Manuel. With the housekeeper¿s help, Vanessa and Dominick are able to escape¿ but for how long? Haunted for the past two years by a tragic event in his life, Preston Holman is obsessed with a deadly mission, one he will fulfil or die trying. When his destiny clashes with Vanessa¿s, the last thing he wants is getting involved with her¿especially with her son, whose sight constantly brings a torrent of heart-wrenching memories. Besides, their presence will complicate his plan. But how can he not help her, when she seems so terrified? Preston tells her he will bring her as far as Iowa, no more. But as they move from state to state in his van, and stay in motels at night, the emotional and physical attraction between the two become irresistible. To complicate matters, Preston begins to feel attached to Dominick, and vice versa. With Manuel and his men close behind on a death wish, will Vanessa and Dominick ever be able to find freedom and happiness? What about Preston¿s mysterious mission in Iowa¿will he bring it to fruition and still survive? Fast-paced scenes filled with sparkling dialogue, romantic tension, and a series of pulse-racing plot twists bring the story to a heart-stopping climax and a conclusion that will form a knot in most readers¿ throats. The hero and heroine, as well as the little boy Dominick, really stand out, casting their magic to maintain a continuous suspension of disbelief. An exciting, compelling, entertaining read, Every Waking Moment comes highly recommended from this reviewer.
2 out of 3 people found this review helpful.
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Posted May 19, 2005
Driven by fear and desperation, Vanessa risks everything to get herself and her son away from the violent, angry man who is his father. Though she and Dominick get away, she knows that his father is close behind. Even though she doesn't want to get involved with another man, she is forced to ask for Preston Holman's help. Soon, the handsome stranger is completely involved in the mother and son's lives as they race to stay one step ahead of danger. ................................... Though fast moving, the plot would have been helped by knowing more about the characters. As a movie, this story probably would have worked quite well; you don't expect a lot of development or background. In a book, the lack is telling.
1 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
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Posted March 8, 2013
Awesome Love story, easy to follow. Very Good Book!!!
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Posted May 2, 2013
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Overview
Emma Wright has finally escaped the dangerous man who's controlled her every move for the past six years. Taking her five-year-old son, she has fled across the country--seeking freedom, safety and a fresh start. But Max's father isn't giving them up so easily.
Preston Holman understands the lengths a parent will go for his child. He's given up everything to pursue the man he believes killed his son.
When Preston meets Emma, he wants nothing to ...