Tough cop Alex Cruz is less than happy when his boss tells him to allow Caitlin Summers, a young behavioral psycholgist, to do a study at his station. He's been interested in nothing but his job lately, so his attraction to the young woman comes as a surprise to him. The two are starting an intense affair, but is Alex capable of a lasting relationship, or is this just a fling?

First of all: This book was originally published under the title 'Taming Nick' and Lisa Marie Rice's other pen name, Elizabeth Jennings. It has been rewritten with different names for the characters and has been spiced up regarding the sex scenes. In fact, it's one of the author's earliest published novels, after a rewrite.That being said: I really enjoyed the book. It had humour, nice characters and was a really good romance novel. But I also think that the author has improved a lot in the meantime, and has been mixing suspense and romance very well in recent years. A crime plot plays a minimal role here, but nothing more. So if you expect one of her romantic suspense novels, this isn't it. If you enjoy a spicy romance, then this is definitely one of the better novels of this type on the market.

I have read all of Lisa Marie Rice's books and enjoyed each one, this one included.

Lieutenant Alejandro Cruz is the best at his job because he lives, eats, and breathes police work until Caitlin Summers walks into his office. Caitlyn plans to study Alex and the other officers as part of her dissertation on Dominance Hierarchies in Law Enforcement. Caitlyn's habit of spilling things on him or knocking things over is not as distracting to Alex as her soft sexy voice, her alluring smell, and her big, beautiful blue eyes. Caitlyn is quickly becoming a distraction that is more dangerous to Alex than any bad guy ever could be. If he's not careful, she'll slip right in and steal his heart.

A Fine Specimen is very fine. Lisa Marie Rice has the uncanny ability to tap into my psyche and pull out exactly the kind of guy, in exactly the type of situation, I want to read about. Not to mention her leading ladies are always the perfect match for her alpha males. Caitlyn becomes the center of Alex's universe. She's the only person capable of distracting his single-minded focus. Her hopes of a clinical study go out the window with one touch of Alex's lips on hers. Alex tries to stay away, but Caitlyn is just too alluring. Watching him struggle with his emotions is fun. The timing of the bad guy's strike is perfect. It adds a touch of drama and excitement without being predictable. A Fine Specimen has the same flavor as many of Lisa Marie Rice's stories - uber-dominant male meets a shy, conservative woman, and an explosive relationship full of incredible hot sex ensues, which is exactly what I love about them. Alex and Caitlyn make A Fine Specimen fresh, sexy and exciting. I couldn't have asked for anything more.

Nannette

Reviewed for Joyfully Reviewed