Linear Tactical's Wyatt Highfield is running for his life
with intel that will break up a human trafficking ring.
The last thing he wants is to bring danger to Nadine
Macfarlane's door. The gentle beauty has been through enough, and has the
scars—physical and emotional—to prove it.
But she's his only option.
Trying to heal from wounds caused by trusting the wrong
person, Nadine has spent the past two years hiding from nearly everyone. The
only exception has been her online relationship with Wyatt. So when they meet
face-to-face by sheer chance, she thinks it's a sign from the universe that it's
time to start living.
Not that it's time to start dying.
As Wyatt's secret comes out, Nadine realizes she has to
face the past in order to save the future.
I first read this story in its novella format in the
anthology
Danger and Desire. Since then, it has been revised and lengthened,
with several scenes added to fill in and clarify some of the action. I loved
that one of those scenes was an expanded beginning, showing how Wyatt got the
item at the center of his trouble. Some of the names and details have been
altered, but it is still a pulse-pounding opening.
Nadine is a virtual personal assistant, enabling her to
maintain her hermit-like life while still making a living. She first appeared
in
Survival Instinct as Chloe's best friend and was rescued from a dire
situation by Wyatt. Since that event, Nadine has worked on healing from the
emotional and physical trauma she experienced. Part of that healing is the
email friendship she enjoys with Wyatt. Wyatt has waited patiently on her
recovery as he longs to spend more time with her.
When Nadine encounters Wyatt at the local farmers'
market, she thinks Fate has brought them together. She's finally ready to let
Wyatt know of her interest in him. But Wyatt is in deep trouble, on the run for
his life, with information crucial to stopping a human trafficking ring. He
dreads bringing danger to her door but desperately needs her help.
I loved this story. It was a tight, gripping tale of
suspense, healing, and romance. I loved how comfortable Nadine and Wyatt were
with each other, talking easily and sharing activities. I felt terrible for
both of them when Nadine told Wyatt of her feelings, and he couldn't respond
the way he wanted to because of the guilt he felt over what he was hiding. When
danger comes calling, Wyatt has to come clean about those secrets. I ached for
Nadine because she had just started to trust her judgment and now wonders if
she was taken for a fool again. I loved how Wyatt worked so hard to show Nadine
what an amazing woman she is. She soon learns that she's much stronger than she
thinks she is, and I loved seeing her blossom under adversity. The ending was
great with love and laughs and happiness.
The suspense of the story was terrific. It began with
Wyatt's meeting with the man with the computer drive and hurtled forward at a breathtaking pace. I
could feel Wyatt's worry about bringing danger to Nadine while dodging the bad
guys at the market and trying to keep the truth from her. That all fell apart
the next morning when she dropped him off at a hotel but then got worried when
he didn't answer her call. I thought she was incredible as she pulled off an
unexpected rescue - loved the pepper spray! - right under the bad guys' noses.
From a house on fire to a chase through the woods, my heart rate never got a
chance to settle. It was great to see the Linear Tactical folks get involved -
a terrific scene at the diner - with their incredible teamwork. The final confrontation
was a nail-biter, especially the last part.
Another added scene came at the end of the book. In the
previous book,
Redwood, Gavin met and fell in love with Lexi Johnson. In the
book Survival Instinct, Lexi's real name was Alexandra Adams, an actress. In
that book, some of her actions were partly responsible for the injuries Nadine
and her friend Chloe suffered. Lexi paid her debt to society for her actions
and has since turned her life around. Nadine knows that to completely move on
with her life, she has to face Lexi. I loved that conversation and the depth of
emotion and understanding it portrayed.
Included at the end of Scout are three bonus epilogues.
All three epilogues take place on the same day but involve different couples.
The first one was originally published as part of
Phoenix and centers around
Girl Riley and Boy Riley. The second was part of
Baby and concerned him and
Quinn, while the third one is new and belongs to Dorian (
Ghost) and Ray. All
three are emotional as each couple receives unexpected and potentially
worrisome news. The last one also had some intense moments with a surprise at
the end. I loved how the Linear Tactical crew worked together to protect Ray's
privacy.
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