Cracked: Prelude to Passion

When Calli lost her husband, Raine, she thought her world was over. Years later, she’s still receiving mysterious visits from his ghost that leave her with scorching memories and a melancholy heart. However when Raine’s biological mother shows up looking for him, Calli is baffled at this new person. She gets the feeling that she’s being followed and feels that her visits from Raine will soon come to an end. However when Quinn, a detective, shows up at her door and informs her that he’s her dead husband’s twin brother, Callie realizes that something more complicated is going on.

Quinn is stunned to find out that he was adopted, and more surprisingly, that he had a twin brother. An officer for the DEA, Quinn couldn’t be more different from Raine. When he learns that his twin brother is also the murder victim in a major drug deal, Quinn knows that he’ll have to work overtime to get to the bottom of the case. Yet will his connection to Calli, the woman of his sensuous dreams, become destroyed by the truth of his brother’s double life?

With intriguing twists, and a surprise ending Prelude to Passion is an interesting story of lust, greed, murder and unexpected romance. While I found the story imaginative in its plotline, the overall execution wasn’t too thrilling and I found myself disappointed in the one-dimensional aspects of the characters. I liked the ways the characters eventually connected, however some scenes, particularly the love story, seemed forced and not essential to the overall storyline. However, Calli’s pain at losing her husband is very real, and her dreams were sad in that they left her lonely. It was good to see her happiness return and, given Quinn’s longing for love, their connection was nice. Overall, Ms. Storm provides an emotional tale of betrayal and explores what people who are desperate will do to survive, particularly when connected to the dangers of drug use.

Reviewed by: Jacque