RETRIBUTION
She’s a ballerina with a dark secret. He’s a retired sniper with a tortured past. Will they find love or fall prey to a stalker’s deadly game?
“Fast paced, lots of suspense and surprising twists in the plot.”
Professional ballerina Jessie Hilton wraps her battle scars in satin pointe shoes, but there’s a deeper hurt that haunts her sleep. When a handsome man steps in to save her from a mugging, something about her hero makes her heavy heart leap. Though her career can’t afford distractions, he may be her sole source of safety when she gains the unwanted attention of a relentless stalker.
Ex-sniper Brad Jordan survived his tour of duty, but a tragic accident cost him the lives of those closest to him. With his faithful border collie Whiskey by his side, Brad gets a second chance when he protects the beautiful Jessie from danger. When the ballerina’s stalker grows more brazen, Brad’s tactical training may be their only weapon against tragedy.
Will Jessie and Brad survive a deadly game, or will the assailant destroy their chance at love?
Retribution is a standalone romantic suspense novel. If you like tough-as-toe-shoes heroines, second-chance romance, and page-turning plots, then you’ll love Diane Demetre’s heart-stopping saga.
Praise for Retribution
Winner of the Romance Writers of Australia Emerald Pro Award for Best Unpublished Romance Manuscript, and nominated as a finalist in the ARRA Awards for Favourite Romantic Suspense.
Laurie's Thoughts & Reviews Read More
I really, really liked this book. The story was entertaining, but the characters absolutely made the novel engrossing. Also, I was particularly enamored with the Australian setting; especially with the country scenes, I felt like I was there.
This is a clean romance which I appreciated. Jessie and BJ are honorable, decent people trying to overcome horrors from their pasts. They have stalwart friends who support them and who are supported in return. I also loved Whiskey, BJ’s pet companion. The love BJ has for Whiskey is woven intrinsically throughout every chapter. I highly recommend this suspenseful tale.
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Jessie is hoping to become a prima ballerina but she has issues from her past. BJ is a former soldier who has suffered great loss. When they meet at a yoga class they become great support to one another but when Jessie gets a stalker what will BJ do to keep her safe. This story had a great deal of twists and turns and getting the stalkers POV gave it a spooky feel. Overall a great book that keeps you enthralled to the final page.
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This was a very good book. Fast paced, lots of suspense and surprising twists in the plot. The story was also gripping and emotional in parts.
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Jessie and BJ. The battles they face firstly her demons and then his. The reader not only identifies with the depth of the characters but also the depth of their pain. The line that showed Skip’s horror was “ and when did you last see your mother”. His answer was chilling. Through the pain viewed and acted upon, strength persevered and the love developed between Brad and Jessie eclipes them all. I received an advanced copy of this book and recommend to anyone wanting to be a winner, not a victim.
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A non-stop bundle of thrilling chilling twisted intrigue! A very well executed story that is impossible to put down! The storyline sucks you in taking you on a twisted rollercoaster ride of emotions! Intense, gripping suspense, gritty, raw, exciting, and enjoyable! An amazing must read that will continue to stick with you long after the last page!
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Jessie is an up and coming ballerina. She is on the way to becoming a principal. Someone mugs her and Brad an ex navy seal saves her. There is a lot of suspence and action to keep you interested and wanting to keep reading. I really like that on a book. Diane Demetre tells a good story and I want to read more of her books.
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I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The characters were introduced in such a way that I either loved or hated them, bur knew them well.. The plot was devoid of unnecessary sex & bad language until almost the very end and kept me turning pages & devouring the story until the last paragraph! Would like to explore this author further.
BekaReads Read More
Great book!! Fast paced adventure and read till the end!!
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This book is a grab your attention and hang on till then end. Lots of twists and turns. Quick read and well written.
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Jessie is a ballerina who is competing for the title of principal with her ballet company. Brad is an ex-SAS sniper haunted by the tragic deaths of his wife and child while he was deployed. Brad saved Jessie from a mugging after a yoga class that they take together and a friendship develops. When Jessie’s father has a stroke and her apartment is broken into, Brad accompanies Jessie back to her childhood home and there, their friendship begins to develop into something more. When Jessie’s stalker follows her and her father dies, Brad springs into action to help catch her stalker and even after that, there is a developing storyline with Jessie’s uncle as well. This book, while being labeled as romantic suspense, really had more suspense than romance but I appreciated that. It was fast paced and hard to put down and I wouldn’t mind reading more of these books, especially if the author was to feature some of the other characters: Brad’s friend Ricky and Jessie’s friend Jasmine, Brad’s friend Angel, Jessie’s brother Richard, and even Tabitha–one of the dancers also competing with Jessie for the title of principal.
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I really enjoyed the suspense and mystery in this book. I was fascinated by Brad ‘s story and his character. It was really well written, I loved him. Him and Jessie as a couple worked really well together, the instant chemistry is what I enjoy reading. Great book.
Amazon Read More
Beautiful ballerina meets rugged grief stricken former military man. While dealing with family tragedy, her life is turned upside by a stalker. Friends turned lovers story in the best way.
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A ballerina, a former army guy and a crazy stalker. Poor Jessie is having a hard time trying to go from senior dancer to the principal dancer. First someone tried to mug her but Brad Jordan(bj) saved her from that. Then someone broke in and left a little love letter. And she had to go back home due to her father having a st4oje. Saying it’s been a bad couple days for Miss Jessie is an understatement. Fantastic book. It keeps you sucked into reading and that is something I love about it. It goes from Jessie’s story to the stalker’s narrative giving you a look into his state of mind
Amazon Read More
Once I started this book, I could not put it down! I love when an author writes about real life situations that are difficult subjects and Diane Demetre succeeds at that in fantastic ways. She makes sure that she does her research and it shows. Her characters have depth and grow throughout the book. I received an ARC in exchange for a fair and impartial review. I can’t wait to go buy another book from Demetre. I loved the book and the author!
Amazon Read More
I don’t always have enough time in the day to read and I finished this book in about 4 days, I could NOT put it down! I received an ARC and I cannot wait to get a physical copy of this book.
The characters are relateable and there are so many suspects for the stalker, it’s a real twist to find out who it really is. I love the POV changes and how each character has a distinct voice. This was a great way to kick off my summer reading! I may just have to read it again.
Amazon Read More
I did not expect to like this book as much as I did! There’s romance, sorrow, mystery, thrills, joy – a little bit of everything. I did feel some things about the story were rushed or not given the proper level of detail, but overall, I enjoyed the story. It was a quick read, which is good, because I didn’t want to put it down.
Amazon Read More
Very enjoyable book with a great plot and a splendid cast of characters. BJ is a retired Special Forces soldier with a tragic past and a faithful dog Whiskey. I love any book with a dog! Jesse is a young woman who lives for ballet and becoming principal dancer. Their relationship faces many obstacles to overcome. The plot has a number of twists and turns. The author also examines child abuse and mental illness. I thought the book was extremely well written and would enjoy a follow-up, perhaps starring Jasmine and Ricky. I also have to admit that I really like books about Australia. Highly recommended
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I don’t know what I was expecting to read but this book was exceedingly good. BJ is Broken soul. He left his military career when his wife and son were in an accident. He has been getting by day by day. In his yoga class is Jessie. Jessie is a ballerina working towards the pinnacle position in the ballet company. Everything starts spiraling out of control. She gets a stalker, her father gets sick. BJ is her savior but who will save BJ? After reading this book I want to travel to all the places mentioned in book! Great writing descriptions. One of my favorite parts written is … tears of redemption after they kiss, that was intense. This book is fantastic. It’s exciting and romantic. I loved the heartwarming ending.
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The story was captivating from the beginning and fast-paced in terms of the fact that there are several things happening within a short period of time. I thought the story was well written, the characters are well developed and interesting and overall just an interestingly entertaining read. This is the first book I’ve read by Ms. Demetre but I will take a look at other books by her.
Amazon Read More
A well written story with heart warming characters it covered so many different things that can happen in a person’s life, some I know from personal experience. I look forward to more, this was a pleasure to read. It also had me revisiting Yass a place I have fond memories from a lot of years ago.
Amazon Read More
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It has a bit of everything, drama, love, suspense, thriller and a good storyline set in an Australian country town. The author writes in a very visually descriptive way, which I love. It really brings the story to life. Without giving a spoiler, there’s an interesting underlying story about how different childhood experiences can influence our lives in a positive or negative way – if we let them. Highly recommend this read.
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