Nothing can stop her…from saving two lives.
When she arrives at a murder scene, Deputy Della Howell
is not pleased to find her recent ex already on the job. She'll work the case
with Sheriff Barrett Logan but will keep the secret she's certain Barrett isn't
ready for -- she's pregnant with his child. But as the dueling cops
investigate, familiar sparks reignite between them…just as they fall prey to a
very tenacious killer.
Good start to the new series with a second chance romance.
Barrett is the sheriff of Mercy Ridge, a small town in Texas. Della is a deputy
in Culver Crossing, a neighboring small town. They had a "friends with
benefits" arrangement that worked well for them for a long time. Two
months earlier, Della ended the relationship as she is ready for marriage and
family, and Barrett is adamant he will never marry or have kids of his own. Complicating
matters, Della just discovered that she is pregnant with Barrett's baby.
In the opening scene, Barrett received an anonymous text reporting
a dead body near the border of the two towns. Shortly after he arrives on the
scene, Della arrives, having received an identical text. Neither is
particularly happy to see the other, but they'll work the investigation
together and try to keep their personal issues out of it. That may be easier
said than done. They find one dead body with a knife in his chest at the scene
and one injured woman covered in blood. In addition to being the lover to the
dead man, the woman also is Barrett's estranged mother. Barrett may have
long-standing issues with Alice, but he has difficulty believing her capable of
murder.
Barrett and Della's investigation quickly uncovers
multiple people with the means and motivation to kill the victim. Could it be a
local rancher whose ethics and activities already spawned several
investigations? Perhaps it is the "other woman" who refuses to give
up the man she loves and loudly blames her rival for his affections?
Or maybe the private investigator who is badly
in debt and has questionable ties to another suspect? To make things worse,
someone seems determined to stop Barrett and Della from investigating -
permanently. Multiple attempts on their lives added intensity and kept me glued
to the pages. Twists and turns and tangled threads of leads kept me guessing
until close to the end. The final confrontation was a nail-biter to the end. While
the mystery of the killer was resolved, there are ongoing questions about
another character that will likely continue through the series.
I enjoyed seeing the progress of the relationship between
Barrett and Della. Caught on the horns of a dilemma, Della knows she needs to
tell Barrett about the baby, but she doesn't know how he'll take it. Barrett's
issues have roots deep in his past. Twenty years earlier, Alice walked out on
her three sons and her husband. Barrett's father killed himself, with Barrett
finding his body. Though his grandfather moved in to raise the boys, Barrett
also felt responsible for them. Though they turned out well, Barrett believes
he would be a terrible father. Della didn't want to end her relationship with
Barrett, but she saw no other way to achieve the future she wanted. This
pregnancy was not her preferred way of doing things, but there was no doubt she
wanted this baby no matter how Barrett reacted.
Barrett's reaction impressed me. There were no angry
words or accusations, just a little bit of stunned surprise. I liked his
acceptance and growing pleasure in his impending fatherhood, with the scene at
Della's ultrasound being especially moving. Della's pregnancy brought out a
very protective side to Barrett, who tried to balance his protectiveness with respect
for her abilities as a cop. The requirements of the case make it difficult for
them to address their issues, but it quickly becomes evident that the
attraction between them is as strong as ever. While Della knew the depth of her
feelings for Barrett, it took him a while to realize his. I loved the ending
and seeing him all-in on his new future.
A big part of this book was also the relationship of
Alice with her sons, especially Barrett. He understandably feels a great deal
of anger and resentment over her actions even twenty years later. It amazed me
that he could put those feelings aside and treat her objectively while investigating
the murder. He also spent far more time in her company, and I sensed a slight
softening in his attitude by the end of the book. It was easy to see that Alice
regretted her past actions and did not expect forgiveness. Her efforts at the
end demonstrated her love for Barrett and added to his changing feelings for
her.
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