LITTLE DOVE

A woman with a special ability comes face to face with both potential romance and unmitigated evil in this suspenseful erotic novel.

In the latest book from Decker (945 Cedar Avenue, 2018, etc.), Etta Freeman knows who a person is at first sight. When the 25-year-old was a teen, a vehicular accident nearly killed her and left her with the ability to see others’ energies as glowing auras. She, however, deems this a curse; some auras are so vile that she can feel their energy, which practically debilitates her. In Merrit, the small American logging town where she bartends, she’s found such a man—a logger whose lack of an “energetic pulse” is a sure sign he’s pure malevolence. Etta feels a responsibility to rid the world of this fiendish man before he causes the terrible harm she’s certain he will do, and she devises a plan that sends her to Dallas Perricone, who stays at the same motel where Etta lives. Sure, he’s a drug dealer, but he’s also ruggedly sexy. Will Etta’s dealings with him put her at risk of harm not just from the man who lacks an “energetic pulse” but from Dallas? Decker’s taut novel boasts an appealing, complex protagonist. Etta had suffered leering and much worse from her mom’s depraved boyfriends, and she now takes online classes to be a child psychologist. The story she narrates simmers with tension, trailing a prologue that promises a forthcoming, terrifyingly violent scene. Once the book catches up, the latter half centers more on romance, and suspense dwindles. Nevertheless, the author delivers quite a few delectable, sexually explicit moments, as a genuine emotional connection develops. While Dallas is a memorable romantic interest, Etta’s besties steal the show—curvy Moxie rakes in money with her X-rated webcam, while Tobias runs the motel’s front desk when not sitting by the pool with his friends.

Strong characters help to make up for diminishing suspense as a heroine stands up to wickedness in a logging town.