Out of Time

Samantha Graves

Jillian Talbot has an unusual psychic gift. She is able to look at historical artifacts and see the people in their history. As curator of a small museum in New York City she keeps her abilities secret. She often can tell the true provenance of an item but without proof has to go along with the official version of the item's history.

Simon Bonner has been a tomb robber all his adult life. He is finally retiring, getting out of the dangerous life he has lived for so many years. But he isn't even in his home an hour before a man from his past is pounding at his door. By the time the Jackson leaves, Simon is on his way again. Simon's ex-wife has been kidnapped and held for ransom. The object Jackson gave him is part of the key. Jillian Talbot is the other part of the key.

When leaving the museum that evening, Jillian is kidnapped. It appears, though, that two or three people want her. Simon is the one who manages to save her from the other men and whisks her away to Boston to regroup. Paulie, a friend of Jillian's family, follows them to Boston to protect her. Without mentioning his ex-wife, Simon is able to convince Jillian and Paulie to go to Mexico. She is attracted to the strange lens object Simon received from Jackson. She doesn't trust Simon, but she wants to find the archives in the archeological site in Mexico that pulls the lens back.

The riches promised by the appearance of the lens attracts more than Simon. His ex-wife is being held for ransom by an unknown party. Two unethical, murderous tomb raiders have banded together to get and use the lens and will get rid of anyone between them and Jillian. A rich man also has a group of people following them in order to find the ancient site. As if things aren't crazy enough, Simon and Jillian find themselves fighting an overwhelming attraction to each other.

The archeological/psychic premise of this novel is interesting. Jillian's unique talent gives Out of Time a different twist. The action is fast-paced, never stopping. In an earlier novel about Jillian's sister, Raven, she was also kidnapped. The reader has to feel for Jillian when she is bemoaning the fact that she is being kidnapped yet again...

Simon's character is an mixture of ruthless tomb raider and ethical hero. It's only as he slowly reveals his story to Jillian that the reader learns how he can be both and be the good guy in the book. He has a murky past but is hoping for a better future - if he can survive this adventure with Jillian. Preferably, he wants to survive with her.

Out of Time by Samantha Graves isn't believable, but is escapism. The heroine is normally strong but caught in a bad situation. The hero turns from rogue to good guy. It's what a reader wants to read when picking up a satisfying romance..

Notice: Non-graphic violence, Strong sexual content

Publicist provided for review

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