Every Breath You Take by Judith McNaught

They met in paradise: Kate Donovan, the beautiful, self-made Chicago restaurateur, and Mitchell Wyatt, ruthless businessman, scion of the fabulously wealthy Wyatt family--and, as Kate soon learns, a man who won't take no for an answer. During their idyll on the tropical island of Anguilla, Kate and Mitchell lower their defenses and surrender all inhibitions--slowly at first, and then in a rush of emotion unlike anyhting they've ever known.

But their heaven crumbles when Mitchell is summoned home for questioning in the disappearance of his half brother. Amid a media firestorm, he retreats into his world of privilege and power, leaving Kate to question everything she knows about her darkly mysterious lover: Is he in fact the culprit in this high-profile case? What secrets lay buried in his past? What does his future hold--and what are his plans for her?

As Kate struggles to trust the fascinating man who may also be her most formidable foe, the web of intrigue grows ever more complicated--and the result is Judith McNaught's most spellbinding novel yet.


I beg to differ because for me, Perfect is still JM's most spellbinding novel to date. Nevertheless, Every Breath You Take does have JM's classic trademarks of deep characters, unexpected plot lines and unforgettable exchanges.

Mitchell Wyatt discovered that what he had been told about his life had been all a lie when his brother found him. Or rather, the secret that was Mitchell. And the next thing Mitchell knew he had been enfolded into the Wyatt family of Chicago, complete with a grandfather, a great-aunt, a brother, a sister-in-law, and a nephew. This after having been alone all his life and had to answer to questions of whether he was of the Chicago Wyatts. His life changed so much after only a matter of months, and especially because the brother he had just come to know had vanished, that he had to getaway for a while.To Anguilla, where he was building a house.

Where he met Kate Donovan. She was in Anguilla to rest after the death of her father and before she took over the running of his restaurant. At her bestfriend's suggestion, she decided to throw caution to the wind and have a fling in the islands. After all, she had already decided to end her relationship with the man she had been with for four years. She would always come in second to his work since he couldn't even join her in this vacation he payed for because of a high-profile case, a vacation that was even his idea in the first place.

But when her boyfriend found out who she was throwing him over for, Evan Bartlett then told her that Mitchell Wyatt was just using her for his revenge against the Bartletts for their role in what happened to him as a baby. When Kate wanted to talk to Mitchell about all these, she found out that he had already gone. She had no choice but to believe what Evan had told her. It was hard not to when faced with the facts that Mitchell could have very well been lying to her the entire time they had been together.

Mitchell had checked out of their hotel in St Maarten when news of his brother's body being found got to him. But he had waited for Kate to return to him after trusting her to go back to Anguilla to break things up with her lawyer boyfriend--who finally showed up. But she didn't come back and left him waiting in the wharf. The next time they saw each other, only a few days later, she was already engaged to Evan Bartlett. And after that unpleasant encounter, both thought that everything they had in the islands had ended for good.

But they were brought together two and a half years later as Danny, the son Mitchell knew nothing about, was kidnapped. Even though she had made a success out of running her father's restaurant, she still couldn't afford to pay the ransom money being asked for Danny's return. She had no choice but to ask help from Danny's father and risk letting him know about the boy's existence. What she didn't count on was Mitchell wanting to be a father, wanting to be a family, and wanting that family with her.

But I bet you can count on JM to give one heck of a emotional roller-coaster. Again. I read the book in one go so it was clear to see that I enjoyed it. Well, as much as I could enjoy it after I melted into a useless puddle when I read Mitchell say:

"Put your arms around me and wrap us up in magic. I can't do it without you."

I need a man fast and have some hot magic with him. No, give me Mitchell Wyatt any day and I'll have magic. The kidnapping part was reminiscent of one of my most fave and most reread quickie books, Gold Ring of Betrayal. But I love that after that sad episode, Kate and Wyatt were obviously getting back together with a minimum of fuss. After the explanations were said and done, it was evident that they could finally trust each other. It was like a long epilogue--love it!

And it's so nice "visiting" with friends again: the Farrells and the Benedicts were in the book, of course.

This books is, of course, a testament to what Ames said the reason why she doesn't like JM's books: the heroes don't use contraceptives. But thank God for that or we wouldn't have "Daddy Hot!" LOL!

Final verdict: 8.5/10. Must-read, must-have. Picture someone with two thumbs up and silly grin on the face. That's me after reading this book.