One woman, two men in love with her, and a serial killer. What could possibly go wrong?
Adelia Lindstrom Bremen seems to have it all: Wealth, beauty, perfect twin children, two men in love with her, and a career she loves. But, beneath the veneer of success and prosperity lies disappointment, tragedy, and unending lies. Her parents were murdered, her marriage ended in a custody battle, and she is swept up in a love triangle. Now she has discovered the existence of a half-sister who wants nothing to do with her.
The only thing that could make matters worse is if she were to become the target of a serial killer—that’s about to happen.
Excerpt
FBI Training Facility
Quantico, VA
The fall day felt unseasonably hot, given the time of year. Like blood pooling from an open wound, David Weiss felt a stain of sweat darken his shirt. He squinted into the sun. The blazing yellow ball burned with the intensity of a jet engine flame-out. The trees, festooned with colorful foliage, had begun to change into what would become the reds of autumn. David adjusted his electronic shooting earmuffs as he watched his roommate Preston Lee Taylor prepare to take his turn on the shooting range for his pistol qualification course.
David observed a herd of whitetail deer grazing within a few feet of the target range. He found it baffling that they were oblivious to the repetitive gunfire that echoed in deafening succession. Quantico’s wildlife were off-limits to hunters. What he found inexplicable was how the deer knew they were safe.
A beep sounded, announcing the beginning of stage one. Preston heard “Shooter ready?” followed by a brief pause, and then, “Stand by.” Another beep indicated Preston was free to fire.
David watched Preston go through all four stages of the marksmanship test. In a matter of minutes, he had emptied fifty rounds into the Q target at various distances. He scored ninety-eight percent, which was to be expected from a rural Georgia farm boy who had learned how to shoot before he was old enough to wear long pants.
The instructor gave Preston a thumbs up. “Nice job, Preston. Congratulations.”
“Thank you, sir.” Preston turned and faced David, winking. “You’re up buddy. Let’s see you top that.”
“Man, Press, you sure laid down the gauntlet. We’ll have to see what we can do to wipe that smirk off your face.”
David walked to the twenty-five yard starting position and laid down in the dirt prone on his stomach with his arms extended, ready to begin. The beep sounded. David fired off six rounds, then repositioned himself kneeling behind the barricade. At the sound of the second beep, he fired three rounds one-handed from his strong side. Without hesitation, he stood and fired six more then switched hands and shot three more, ejected the spent magazine, reloaded, then holstered his weapon. The entire exercise took less than a minute fifteen seconds.
He waited, his mind already focused on his next phase. When he heard the command, he ran from the twenty-five-yard line to the fifteen, drew his weapon, and fired two rounds at the target with the six seconds allowed. He waited for the next command, and then fired four strings of two rounds in three seconds. The last stage prepared agents to return fire under stressful conditions up-close. David moved to the five yard line, fired five rounds with his strong hand, then quick as lightning, ejected the magazine and reloaded, firing off five rounds with his weak hand, unloaded the clip and holstered the empty Glock, his qualification complete.
David could see the hanging Q bottle at the end of the target range riddled with bullet holes, and that he hadn’t missed his mark. He took a deep breath as he waited for his score. When he heard the instructor whistle and say, “One hundred percent, nice work,” he had to fight the shit-eating grin that threatened to engulf his face. He turned and walked back to Preston. Preston stood with his head cocked to one side, his lips curled with amusement. “Well, I’ll be hog-tied. Damn, if the Yeshiva boy didn’t do it again. You sure you didn’t serve with the IDF before coming here?”
“Nope. Just lucky, I guess.”
“Luck? Like Hell, luck has nothing to do with it. Come on Robocop, let’s go grab some grub, I’m starving.”
David ate slowly, wondering if the unpalatable food held any nutrients while Preston pushed his plate away having polished off his burger in record time.
“So, what are you going to do about that woman? What’s her name, Dahlia?” Preston persisted in returning to the conversation that David had tried to avoid.
“Her name’s Adelia, and there’s nothing for me to do.”
“Man, you rescued her children from that nut case sister-in-law of hers. You risked your life saving those kidnapped kids. She owes you.”
“Press, she doesn’t owe me a thing. I’m the one that fell in love with a married woman. Those kids are more important than our relationship. Besides, if it wasn’t for the success of the rescue mission to Cuba I wouldn’t have been recruited by the FBI. The way I see it, it all worked out for the best.”
“Even if you’re right, I hate to see you pining away for her. I know you invited her to graduation, so tell me again why she isn’t coming?”
“I told you she has to be in California to meet with her attorney. I’ll say it again, buddy, she begged me not to join the FBI. She knew that once I did it would be impossible for us to continue our relationship. She’s not the kind of woman who can be alone all of the time. She’s lost too much in her life, her marriage, her parents, and the godfather that she trusted. Loving me would mean facing the possibility of loss every day. I made the choice.”
“Was it worth it?”
David tried not to remember what loving Adelia felt like. “Yeah, I don’t regret a minute of what we shared. She’s something special. I don’t expect to ever feel that way again.” David’s gaze dropped to his hands that rested on the table. He felt the discomfort that comes from laying bare one’s soul.
“Man, you’ve got it bad...”
“I’m a big boy, I’ll get over it. Come on, let’s hit the gym. We should be celebrating.”
Professional Reviews
Onlinebookclub.org
As Belle Ami’s book One More Time is Not Enough opens, Adelia Lindstrom Breman’s life is getting back to normal. After a previous book’s traumatic episode involving an ugly divorce, a horrifying family secret exposed, and the endangerment of her children, Adelia is taking control and putting her life back together. She’s got big ideas for the future of her parents’ environmental trust, and she plans to reach out to her half-sister, of whose existence Adelia has only just learned. What is more, there are now two attractive and eligible men vying for her attention: David, the hero who rescued her children, and Miles, the wealthy ex-husband who wants her back. Adelia’s world might be complicated, but it’s headed in the right direction at last.
Meanwhile, David has joined the FBI, and his first case involves the murders of several scientists who have made their skepticism of man-made climate change public knowledge. David and his new FBI partner Cass lead the international manhunt, hoping for a big break that will finally put them one step ahead of their murderer. When Adelia announces a new direction for her inherited trust, David fears she may have just made herself a target for this new predator.
One More Time is Not Enough is categorized as crime/thriller novel, but it also bridges into the romance genre. Both the hunt for the killer and the development of several romantic relationships feature prominently in this third novel of the author’s The Only One series. The fact that it is the third novel in a series does hurt the book a little. While it can be read as a standalone, I found that doing so renders the beginning a bit confusing. The backstory concerning previous plot elements and previously-established characters is present, but reading about it from this vantage feels like playing catch-up. For example, I had no idea if I was supposed to like or trust Miles Bremen. The facts of his role in prior dramas were reviewed, but I felt like I had no frame of reference concerning his alleged change of heart. As the book continues, these dilemmas are usually resolved, but the beginning suffers a bit. There are also a few editing errors: occasional sentence fragments, subject/verb disagreements, and redundant phrases like “self-perpetuate itself”.
The plot is suitably complex and detailed. There is a sense of convenient coincidence at times; the characters and plot elements seem a little too interconnected. However, each plot line ends up being one strand in what becomes a beautiful tapestry. The romance angle is definitely geared toward adults. There is graphic language and sex throughout the book. As sweet and passionate as these relationships were, I wish the author had spent more time really developing the details. Several of the characters were “in love” very suddenly, and it occasionally made some of them seem a little fickle as their interests switched around without the appearance of deliberation.
I rate this book 3 out of 4 stars. Between the occasional editing errors, the elaboration that I missed in the development of the various romantic relationships, and the abundance of coincidence in the major plot line, I feel as though I can’t offer the book the maximum rating. At the same time, this is still definitely an enjoyable read and generally well-executed. I would recommend Belle Ami’s One More Time is Not Enough to adults looking for a steamy romance with a gripping plot.
Amazon Customer
One More Time is Not Enough is the third in a series. But it's a stand alone book. This is the first book by this author I've read. It's well plotted with some very well drawn interesting characters and a high tension that kept me reading.
If you don't like explicit sex, prepare to do some skipping. If you do like it, you'll find plenty to keep you entertained.
It's hard to make a likeable villain you root for, but Bel Amie accomplished it. In amongst the tension of a serial killer on the loose, there are some truly lovely romantic scenes. I hope to see more of Cass and David.
Amazon Customer
This was an awesome romance filled with exciting suspense. Belle Ami builds interesting worlds and gives the reader a peek into them from the inner workings of the FBI to how environmental terrorism sometimes works. The love/sex scenes within the book are well developed and steamy. All in all, I highly recommend this well-plotted, interesting romance.
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