TOUCH THE HORIZON

Author: Iris Johansen ISBN: 9780553591989 10/2008 CONTEMPORARY Publisher: BANTAM

She was stranded in a deadly sandstorm when he rode to her rescue like a desert prince on his black stallion. On a lark Billie Callahan had come to the Middle East to play a minor film role in a desert epic. Suddenly she found herself starring in a real-life romantic adventure. Cowboy, hero, friend of sheikhs and princes, David Bradford spoke like a poet in the drawl of his native Texas. What was this mysterious, eccentric, and irresistibly seductive man doing in Sedikhan, and what did he want with an ordinary woman like Billie? Her curiosity piqued, Billie followed David to the lavish pleasure fortress he called home, with its armed guards and adoring staff. He warned her that the pleasure he offered her would last forever. What he didn’t know was that Billie only believed in now.

RRAH's THOUGHTS AND PONDERINGS:

Iris Johansen's TOUCH THE HORIZON is a love story that is so well-told it almost defies description. I almost want to simply say, "Buy this one. You won't be sorry." But since I can't do that, I'll tell you why I feel this book is one for the keeper shelves.

When a woman goes to the Middle East to satisfy her yearning for adventure, she gets lots more than she bargains for. Billie knows her minor role in a film isn't an award-winning performance by any stretch of the imagination. But she's glad she has done it and especially happy because traveling to the film's location gives her the opportunity to see a part of the world she's always wanted to see. Traveling from one town to another, her Jeep breaks down and she's caught in a horrible sandstorm. Fortunately a hero, on a black stallion no less, arrives and saves her. When the two shelter beneath his robes on the hot desert sand, sparks begin to fly. The magic is palpable and from there it only gets better.

Iris Johansen's mastery with dialogue pulls the reader into every scene of this story. I felt like I was sitting in on every exchange and that made the story even more realistic than it already was. I could see Billie's shocked expression, hear her disbelief. I saw David's good looks and felt his sincerity. The story felt real in almost every aspect, and I loved being drawn in.

The only quibble I have is a minor one, and it probably was only my realistic personality that made me have a hard time with this. From the first instant, David talks of "forever" and seems to know the future. He's barely met Billie yet he murmurs words of eternity and commitment! Frankly I thought he might be suffering from sunstroke, but his all-out charm and good looks made me forget his unusual murmurings. Still, I was pulled from the story—but not enough to quell my pleasure.

TOUCH THE HORIZON is an old-fashioned love story where the hero really does ride in to rescue the damsel! I loved it!

Kay James