A child brought them together
And led them into a brutal world...
Social worker January Colton agrees to partner with
Detective Sean Stafford -- but only on her terms. She'll help him catch a
killer, but only if he can protect the little girl in her care. Once she
realizes that Sean is just as committed to keeping the child safe, their
connection slowly develops into something fiery...and dangerous. But with a
deadly network determined to finish off this "family unit," Sean will
have to do whatever it takes to keep them safe.
Terrific start to the new series. January Colton, a
social worker specializing in children with special needs, is about to go on a
long-needed vacation when she gets a call from her boss. A little girl, found
at a murder scene, doesn't respond to the detective who found her. Detective
Sean Stafford needs to a) find out who she is and b) discover what she saw. She
may need protection from the killer.
I loved the first meeting between Sean and January. It
takes her about five minutes to figure out what the problem is - little Maya is
deaf. Sean is chagrined at having missed something so obvious, and January has
a little too much fun jerking his chain about it. But both agree that Maya
could be in danger. As a certified foster parent, January takes charge of Maya,
while Sean arranges protection. When that protection fails, Sean takes it
personally and takes over their safety by moving them into his apartment.
There is one significant drawback to that plan - the attraction
that simmers between Sean and January. After a tragedy involving his former
partner, Sean closed himself off from relationships of any kind. Meanwhile, January
tries to resist because she "doesn't have time" for men in her life. There
are some sweet scenes as the adorable Maya cracks the walls around these two
stubborn adults' hearts. Sean's attempt to learn sign language touches January's
heart, and the two grow closer in their efforts to unlock the mystery surrounding
the little girl. The interactions between them are fun, flirty, and occasionally
intense as their feelings for each other grow. A dangerous confrontation causes
them to realize the depth of their feelings for each other. Sean's big moment doesn't
go quite as planned, though the expected outcome is pretty obvious.
The suspense of the story was excellent and kept me hooked
just as much as the romance did. Little Maya appears to be a key element in Sean's
search for the murderer if they can only find out if she saw anything. The
attempt on Maya and January at the beginning was a wake-up call, and Sean's
protectiveness kicked in. I could feel his frustration as his investigation
went nowhere. A shocking twist broke the case open. Stubborn January put
herself at the center of a trap to catch the bad guy that nearly went very
wrong. The confrontation had me on the edge of my seat until it was over. The
ending was a complete shock and likely sets up the story arc for the rest of the
series. I'm glad I already have the next book!
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