Editorial Review: Dangerous Pursuit by Bethany Rosa

Bethany Rosa’s Dangerous Pursuit is a dual-POV romantic suspense novel which follows Jackson and Mia. Jackson has just inherited his family business and has big plans for it, when he’s landed with teenage Mia as his assistant. She’s originally just meant to fill in for a little while as maternity leave coverage, but it’s clear from the start that there will be more to this story.Dangerous Pursuit is a spicy romance, with a forbidden love and an age gap. The author introduces an inexperienced, innocent young girl and her powerful boss, and moves between these two perspectives in this book. Their chemistry builds, with moments of vulnerability and tension escalating into a steamy relationship. Although both characters insist their relationship is forbidden and impossible, their attraction is impossible to deny.Spicy romance novels like this one have a vibrant, dedicated fanbase, especially on BookTok and Bookstagram, where following favorite tropes helps romance readers discover new favorite read. Popular tropes like enemies-to-lovers, forbidden romance, and age-gap relationships can add to the fun of reading a romance, so fans of these themes in romance fiction will definitely enjoy this spicy story.Mia and Jackson’s workplace relationship begins with animosity. Jackson’s cold, almost brooding, demeanor hides a complex character, but all Mia sees is his exterior. Meanwhile, Mia has had a hard life and has an intense strength, but Jackson can’t see any of that, just a young girl he’s stuck with. The dual-perspective format works well to highlight their inner thoughts and develop their personalities.As their relationship intensifies, secrets from Mia’s past return. Although she seems young and innocent for most of the novel, she’s also secretly determined to pay her father’s huge debts to give her family some freedom, and she’s willing to do anything that requires. Of course, she wouldn’t confide her family secrets to her boss, no matter how hot he is, so Jackson doesn’t know. Jackson has no choice but to find out what’s happened. His search for Mia drives the suspense part of the plot, but also shows his protective character and reveals more of his backstory. This combination of secrets and backstory surprises turns a solid spicy romance into a page turner.  The novel moves between steamy and suspenseful, as the author builds up the two lead characters’ growing -- but forbidden --  attraction to each other, and builds up the danger and tension. There’s a lot of steam, with sexy games and new experiences for Mia throughout the novel.Spicy romance promises readers that satisfying happily-ever-after ending for the happy couples. The joy in these novels, for most romance readers, is seeing how we’ll get there. There are moments of animosity and of danger in Dangerous Pursuits where any happy ending feels like an impossibility for Mia and Jackson, which then makes the conclusion emotionally satisfying for readers.While the romance tropes are key to the story, the novel also uses Mia and Jackson’s experiences to explore emotional themes of vulnerability and trust. Dangerous Pursuit is a good choice for steamy romance readers looking for spicy scenes with strong characters.