Genres: Romantic Suspense
Published by Sourcebooks Casablanca
Released on November 3, 2015
Pages: 352
Format: eARC
Source: Publisher
I read the prequel for the series as part of the Way of the Warrior anthology and loved the idea of a family of law enforcement brothers in a romantic suspense series. Did someone yell ‘Come and get it’? Yeah, I was eager when this first in the series came up telling the youngest Dawson brother’s romance.
Kyle has been butting heads with his dad since he can remember. Everyone else worships the great Sheriff Mac Dawson. Kyle can’t stand the idea of it all and takes his need to serve and protect into the FBI and away from Sheriff Mac’s bailiwick. Kyle carries a chip on his shoulder and smarts off and does his lone wolf thing once too often down at the New Orleans field office and gets hit with a forced leave of absence and a transfer. Right back where he started or close enough.
Three years ago Abby Morrow crushed Kyle Dawson’s heart and forced him away. She had her reasons, but now wonders if they were worth the fact that she still hasn’t gotten over him. She works for the Sheriff’s office for his dad and with his brothers mostly as a cyber cop taking side jobs to investigate things on line. This latest on-line investigation for a wealthy business firm exposes the fact that someone is running a human trafficking ring and her brother in law’s international security firm is somehow involved. She barely has a moment to decide on a course of action when her sister is taken and she is threatened if the files are not handed over quickly. She can’t handle it alone and has to turn to the last man who should want to help her the way she treated him.
Kyle never got over Abby’s inexplicable rejection and now here she is in dire straights and danger swirling around her. Kyle takes it as his chance to not only keep Abby and her family out of danger, but maybe get an explanation and a second chance. And maybe not just with Abby. Coming home was hard, but also a good thing. Returning to supportive family and working on Abby’s case brings them all together again.
Meanwhile, those who can’t have Abby sharing what she knows and destroying a lucrative illegal business are not afraid to take care of the problem. Permanently.
So, I’m on the fence about this one. I enjoyed the previous story with Kyle’s brother. But this one was only moderately enjoyable. The investigation and the cat and mouse stuff going on with the professional crooks and hired assassins was intense stuff. It was neat that she was a cyber crimes cop and he was an FBI agent.
I was enjoying it until the moment of learning that Kyle and Abby had been in love and together for months until she pushes him away and says she can’t marry him because she doesn’t love him.
My enjoyment instantly soured.
Not another one of those ‘I had a perfectly legit reason for crushing your heart and lying to you. I was scared we’d turn into my father and my mother who had a bad marriage so I made the call. Sorry about your luck for loving me.’ But sigh, it was. Teeth officially are on edge now.
I kept reading because I did love all the other elements of the story, I loved Kyle’s character, the investigation and danger, and the Dawson brothers together are a treat not to be miss. Fun peek in with the first couple and the set up for the next pair after this one.
But then the real zinger came. She kept a second truth from him. Now this is the one that crossed a line for me and destroyed most of my enjoyment of the story. This is the one that made the whole thing feel contrived and just so much drama.
For the life of me, I don’t understand how people can keep such a thing from the one they love. Abby’s secret was Kyle’s truth to know, too.
View Spoiler »Because I didn’t buy the reasoning, I didn’t connect with Abby or the re-starting romance.
So, the romance was a bust for me. But getting some good cops and bad guys action, seeing Kyle going after the bad guys with his brothers at his back, and getting to see Kyle and Mac work out their differences. All that was to the good.
Would I continue with this series? Absolutely. We got two more Dawson brothers who need some loving.
I know for others that hiding important secrets and lying is just all part of the delicious drama mix so I can still easily recommend it even if the romance wasn’t my cup of tea. Romantic suspense lovers who likes some spice, danger, and a full cast of hot and handsome law enforcement brothers might want to try this one.
My thanks to Sourcebooks Casablanca for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
Romance Roundabout #384 RS
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I have this book, but I haven’t read it yet. I loved her Transplanted Tales series.
I just tried her in the anthology so I’ll have to check out her other series. I liked how she wrote this one and the earlier novella.
Awe I love second chance romances. Thanks for the great review!
You bet! Always a pleasure to share with other book lovers, Debbie!
Mmmm, I think I would have hated her and it would have spoiled the book for me… But maybe the next will be better – with a real, solid, good-sense reason for conflict !
I’m hoping so. I liked the gal in the earlier novella and I like the author’s writing so definitely willing to give book two a chance.
I’m trying to pick through a few Sourcebooks Casa titles to read in January. I’m hesitant because I’ve had a bad time with the last 4 that I read from them. I know every author is different, so maybe I will get one that is great. I’ll wait to see what you think of the next book for this one though. Great review!
It’s tough when you get four in a row that don’t do it for you. I don’t blame you for being cautious, Lekeisha. My favorite Sourcebooks authors are Paige Tyler for both her PNRomSusp series, Rosanne Bittner’s Western Sagas, Carolyn Browns’ humorous modern cowboy romances, Sharon Sala’s small town contemporaries, but there are also several that I’ve only tried once that were okay, too. I think I’ll end up liking this series with a different heroine.
OH yeah, I don’t like secrets like that too. It’s so cowardly and selfish.
I honestly don’t remember my review for this! Gasp! I think I need a cup of joe to get my brain going
LOL! And that is what got me started writing up reviews- my brain would go blank when someone asked me what I thought of a book I read.
Yeah the secrets stuff just gets to me. I can tolerate other things that people find irritating, but that one is one of my hot points- lack of communication and trust with someone you claim to love.
oh this sounds interesting!! But there are certain secrets like this one that can detract my enjoyment of a story just because I am all about being upfront and honest especially when it comes to someone you care for.
Exactly! Honesty is huge. I loved the overall story, but breaking the guys heart and hiding stuff just frustrates me and gets me angry to be honest.
And now I am so freaking glad I skipped this one for review. I hate that storyline with a passion. Thanks for the heads up, Sophia!
Oy, I got to the second secret and I was just boiling. The first one, was irritating because- communication and trust, just do it for the love of Mike, but the second secret, uh uh, you pushed me too far. Good call on missing this one. Jump in at book two especially if its the brother and the attorney. His story line sounds fun. He really screwed up and got this gal mad at him. Let the fireworks commence. LOL
I did not like that spoiler, arghh
Yeah, I got pretty upset by the time secret two came out. Grrr.