Whirlwind by Robin DeJarnett Blog Tour: Review & Giveaway

Whirlwind: Love at first sight is a myth to aspiring journalist Melissa Williams, but when she meets Jason McAlister at a friend’s wedding, a Cinderella-like fantasy turns her no-nonsense world upside down. She sees in his penetrating blue eyes not just an evening, but a lifetime together that includes much more than a glass slipper and a kiss.

Realizing she shared a few salacious emails with Jason months ago, a humiliated Melissa loses herself in the crowd, thankful he doesn’t know who she is. But he does know—and with a gentle touch and a steamy kiss, he soon picks up their flirtation right where it left off.

As midnight strikes, Melissa succumbs to Jason’s sexy pull, unaware that a woman’s body has been discovered in the wake of the party. When evidence points to Melissa as the killer’s next target, the lines between fantasy and reality blur. She goes into hiding, charmed by one mysterious man and hunted by another.

Cinderella lost a shoe—Melissa could lose both her handsome prince and
her life.

Review:
Author Robin DeJarnett delivers on the title of Whirlwind. As soon as practical… I'm one of the boys… I don't need a stinking boyfriend... Melissa "Mel" Williams spots the hunky best man at her best friend Mitch's wedding she is done for. She not only is attracted to him physically but sees her entire future with him in that split second.
I didn't read the blurb for the book before I started so my stubborn brain kept expecting Melissa to end up with Mitch at first. They are best friends and although she's happy that he found the woman he loves, Mel's not fully on board with his choice so neither was I. She reminisces about their friendship and is sad that their relationship won't be the same after the wedding. I kept thinking Mitch chose wrong and somehow he would sweep Melissa off her feet.
Had I read the blurb FIRST, I would have known that it's Jason, Mitch's brother, that was going to break down Melissa's emotional barriers and take her on that whirlwind romance unleashing "naughty Melissa". And she has quite a few emotional barriers! She's definitely more of a tomboy personality and doesn't even notice when someone is attracted to her. Mel is an aspiring reporter who doesn't care about make up or fancy clothes and would rather hang out with the guys. She's dead set against dating or relationships and is terrified of goodbyes.
But when Mel & Jason's eyes meet, they both know there is no going back.
Typically these type of insta-love stories don't work for me but I enjoyed Melissa and Jason's romance. It could be because Mitch is Melissa's best friend so I felt his brother Jason wasn't just some random guy popping up out of nowhere. She has chatted with Jason on line before, she has met his parents already so I could see where there would be a comfort level already established.
The relationship (or at least the steamy sex) happens pretty much right away just as the book title implies. Again, this would normally frustrate me but I loved how Jason was so open and honest about his feelings and accepting of all of Melissa's insecurities. He never tried to change her. He just just encouraged and supported her. Very swoony guy…..and a Doctor. You can't beat that!
There is a murder at the wedding and at first Jason is a suspect but Melissa's investigator instincts lead her to the real culprit. There are a few times that suspicion is cast elsewhere maybe to mislead the reader but there isn't so much of a mystery as far as that goes. The story lies more with the fact that the killer is now after Mel.
DeJarnett blends the two story lines nicely giving an excuse to keep Jason and Melissa together past the wedding. Jason will do his level best to make sure she is safe. Even though they get together fairly quickly Melissa still has those pesky emotional barriers I told you about to overcome so it keeps that tension going on that front.
If I had one complaint about Whirlwind it would be Melissa's insistence that Jason will be taking off and deserting her at any moment despite his insistence otherwise. Doubts about a relationship that can be counted in the span of hours is fine but she took it to a whole new level. She actually has a really good reason, I just wish it was mentioned earlier so that I could have understood her insecurities a little better. After what Jason goes through for her to keep her safe it was fairly obvious that he was in it for the long haul.
I was surprised to learn that this was Robin's first novel. Well done!
I wasn't 100 % convinced that such a whirlwind romance could last. Jason and Melissa have more than a few issues and personality traits to contend with, so I was happy to learn that DeJarnett has a sequel planned called Quicksand. It's always nice to find out what happens after the initial romance comes head to head with reality.

Rating: 3 out of 4

**You can win a paperback copy of Whirlwind by Filling out the FORM below.

*Must be 18 years old to enter
*This contest is for US entries only but follow the tour for stops that include international giveaways. Every stop includes a giveaway! Follow the tour HERE !

Extra Entries:
+2 if you follow this blog
+2 if you Tweet/Facebook (please include link for it to count!)

Contest Ends 6/17 at 11:59 ET Winner posted here 6/18

Just for fun answer this question in the comment section (not an entry for the contest - you still have to fill out the form)

*Have you ever had a whirlwind romance? I knew I would marry my husband after our first date but it wasn't quite a whirlwind romance.

Thanks to the fantabulous Missie from the Unread Reader and Robin DeJarnett for including me on the Whirlwind Blog Tour.

Visit Robin DeJarnett:
Webiste: http://robindejarnett.com/
Twitter: @robindejarnett
Goodreads
Facebook

Buy the book! 

*Saturday, June 18: LIVE Chat with Whirlwind author Robin DeJarnett, plus eBook giveaway! Bookmark the LIVE CHAT link:http://www.talkshoe.com/tc/99133