Leah Bryant has a perfect life. Engaged to the local minister, Jacob Davis, in the town of Victory, Florida, Leah spends her spare time running "Soup's On," where she feeds and cares for the local homeless people in the area. When the church board votes to stop funding the charity, Leah's life is thrown into chaos. Leah's passion is fueled by the knowledge of what it was like to be homeless. Jacob's mother, Geraldine found Leah on the streets as a teenager and welcomed her into her own home years ago. For all appearances, Leah has been truly blessed.

The same day Leah learns of the decision from the church board prohibiting the use of the church kitchen to cook for the homeless, Leah meets Jacob's brother, Dean, as he rumbles into town on his Harley. Leah finds herself inexplicably drawn to Dean. Between his muscles and tattoos, there is an intensity that overwhelms Leah, leaving her breathless. Jacob has never had this effect on her.

Dean feels the attraction to Leah also. Her natural goodness and compassion for people are a tonic that feeds his soul. The harder they struggle to stay apart, the more they are drawn together experiencing a passion neither has ever known.

Nevertheless, there is a dark secret that threatens to derail the Davis family just waiting to explode this lover's triangle into a million pieces!

Recommendation:

I don't know about you, but I adore a romance that is filled with magic, especially when it is obvious that the two characters belong together. "Behind the Altar," explodes with sexual tension and sizzles with passionate ardor.

There is just something about a man riding into town on a Harley that gets a woman thinking about romance. Of course, you know he is a bad-boy from the start. He's riding a Harley! With very little imagination, I could picture "Dean," being played by the handsome, Jeffrey "Dean" Morgan, who is the good-looking private investigator, currently playing on the television series, "The Good Wife." I can't help but ponder if P. C. Zick had the same image in mind when she created the character of Dean. One can only hope.

This story revolves around small town America, with all of the incongruities and biases that exist in society on full display. The book is not suitable for younger readers as there is sexual content present. However, I found the love story between Leah and Dean to be real and honest. I thought there was a moral to this love story, about never judging a book by its cover, that was woven throughout the story line, but I will let you be the judge of that.

I look forward to following the life of these characters as they evolve and heal from the tragedies and rewards of true love in the upcoming Behind the Love Series. Book 2, "Behind the Curtain," is the next book in the series.

My Rating:

Character Believability: 4
Flow and Pace: 5
Reader Engagement: 5
Reader Enrichment: 4
Reader Enjoyment: 5
Overall Rate: 4.5 out of 5 ( )