Review: Bane (The Westmorelands) by Brenda Jackson
Bane by Brenda Jackson Published by Harlequin on December 1st 2015
Genres: African American, Contemporary, Contemporary Women, Fiction, Romance, Sagas
Pages: 192
Format: eBook
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New York Times bestselling author Brenda Jackson's last Westmoreland bachelor is a navy SEAL on a mission to protect the woman who got away… After five years, navy SEAL Brisbane Westmoreland is back home on his ranch and ready to reclaim the woman he left behind. But when he tracks her to Dallas, he's in for a shock. Crystal Newsome isn't ready to forgive Bane for saying he loved her then vanishing from her life. Only now the beautiful chemist needs his protection. As their own irresistible chemistry takes over once again, can Bane keep Crystal safe and convince her they can have the second chance they both deserve?
Fans of Brenda Jackson’s Westmoreland series can rejoice! The long awaited novel featuring Bane is here!
I have been waiting for Bane and Crystal’s story for what has to be over ten years anbd I am happy to say that she does not disappoint.
A little backstory for all those who are unfamiliar: Bane and Crystal met when they were 19 and 15 respectively. They were deeply in love and reckless to the point where their families had to separate them. Crystal was sent away and Bane enlisted in the marines. Years later, after Bane has become the man he always wanted, he goes back to reclaim the love of his life.
Things don’t quite go as planned when he finally tracks her down. Even though both had agreed to wait for each other, a lot has changed in the five years since they’ve last seen one another. Bane, for some reason, thought that it would be smooth sailing once he reentered her life, but that was not the case. The main thing is that when these two finally meet again, Crystal is afraid for life and in some serious trouble due to the nature of her job. Without batting an eye, Bane becomes her protector. He is determined to keep the love of his life safe and is willing to do whatever it takes to keep her out of harm’s way.
Jackson takes us on a journey with the novel Bane. We see old flames reignite; we explore the couple’s doubts, their chemistry, and even a few pains from their past. We see these characters take a ride and in the end, we see the evolution of their love; one that is fulfilling, especially for those who have read this series from the beginning.
The danger present in this story was very reminiscent of The Midnight Hour by Jackson which is my favorite Brenda Jackson novel to date.
I have to admit though that Bane and Crystal’s agreement years ago did make me pause a few times. They didn’t really argue or had a real discussion about their years apart during the book. Why didn’t Crystal question Bane more about the need to stay absolutely silent during that period? I partly understand his reasoning, but you mean to tell me that you couldn’t speak with her through Bailey more than once? You really thought that if you even heard her voice, it would cause you to quit? It may be the cynic in me, but I wasn’t quite sold on that particular part. To tell you the truth, Crystal was much better than me too, because I can’t guarantee I would have been able to essentially put my life on hold for all of those years. #judgemeallyouwant
Overall, I think longtime fans of the Westmorelands will be satisfied with the ending of this series albeit a little sad to see that this is it. However, with the introduction to the Outlaws we know that this is not truly the end that we will see of this bunch.
Natalya is the author of All The Things I Never Said, a soul-stirring collection of short stories, prose and love letters for the soulful wanderers, the brokenhearted and the hopeless romantics.
You can follow her rantings and occasional sparks of brilliance on Twitter @NatalyaMuncuff.
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