Safe In His Arms

Safe In His Arms
Melanie D. Snitker
Dalliance Media, LLC, 2016

With only her beloved dog and what little she could fit in the van she paid cash for, Anastasia rolls into Quinton, Texas in desperate need of employment. She inquires at the busiest diner she can find and gets a job prepping burgers. It’s not glamorous, but it’s honest, and there’s also the small matter of the kind, handsome owner of the diner, whom she finds herself attracted to against her better judgement. But despite the new friends she’s making and the way her situation is improving with her new stream of income, Anna can’t stop looking over her shoulder. Will she ever be far enough away to really feel safe?

Joel knew as soon as he spoke to her that he should give Anna the job – a God thing, he tells his roommate. But even though he feels good about that decision he is sure that there is something more to Anna than meets the eye. Despite his best efforts at forming a friendship with his pretty new employee, she remains aloof and wary. Add in some strange behavior and he would almost bet she’s scared of him, though he has no idea why. Persistence wins out and she begins to open up to him as their mutual attraction grows, until the day that she is forced to reveal the past she’s been hiding and the danger it now poses to both of them.

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Safe In His Arms is what I would probably classify as a beach read. It’s not that long (230 pages) and it was easy to read. I finished in like two days, no sweat. The plot line was somewhat predictable (think Sleeping With the Enemy) but was still enjoyable, since you feel all the feels about a young woman running from a psychotic ex-boyfriend. Anna’s easy to root for and her odd behavior and reluctance to accept Joel feel justified. It never bleeds over into melodramatic territory, which was what I was concerned could happen.

More contemporary fiction:
Deadly Proof
Practicing Normal
Falling Home

Likewise, Joel is the quintessential good guy, but he makes enough mistakes to make his character believable. He’s not a perfect night-in-shining-armor who immediately rides in to save the day and overcomes her with his charismatic charm. He has a painful past as well, and that becomes important in finally getting Anna to trust him so that he can help her.

If you are an animal lover, specifically a dog lover, you will probably enjoy this book for the big part that Anna’s dog plays. He is a Great Pyrenees named Epic, and a lot of the story revolves around his role in her life. It was especially fun for me to read a book with a Pyrenees in it because we had several when I was a kid, and people always had something to say about how huge and furry they were. Here’s where you can see a picture of one if you don’t know what I’m talking about.

All in all, if you are looking for an easy read with likable characters, a forward moving plot, and a cool dog, then Safe In His Arms is a good choice for you. I’m looking forward to reading the next one in the series too, Someone To Trust.

Do you like easy reads or do you prefer to be challenged by your book choices? Let me know in the comments!