A murder broke her heart
Can her protector heal it?
While she mourns her father's death, psychology professor
Simone Colton is determined to profile his killer. Special Agent Brad Howard
wants her to stay away from the case, but an attack on her life convinces him
that he needs to keep her close. Hidden away in a secluded cabin, Simone and
Brad must confront the desire between them -- and the storm raging outside. Can
they survive a murderer's lethal threats?
At the beginning of this series, Simone Colton's father
and uncle were murdered. Simone, a psychology professor, deals with her grief
by trying to profile his killer. As this book opens, she faces the knowledge
that all of her conclusions had been wrong. In the previous book,
Hidden Target,
the killers were identified and one captured. Simone still feels a burning need
to be involved and eventually talks the FBI agent into letting her help a
little.
Brad understands Simone's need but hesitates over her
involvement. He finally gives in and allows her to watch video interviews with
the suspect in custody. She surprises and impresses him with her insight into
the suspect's attitude and behavior. I liked how Brad's respect motivated him
to use her suggestions.
I liked watching the relationship develop between Simone
and Brad. Sparks of attraction were present from the time they met, though both
tried to ignore them. Simone recently ended a relationship and planned to wait
before getting involved again. Brad mostly gave up on the idea of marriage because
past relationships haven't handled his job well. After discouraging Simone's
involvement in the case for so long, it was fun to see Brad succumb to her
pleas. Time spent together became exercises in self-control as the attraction grew
stronger.
When Simone falls afoul of the suspect's father, it arouses
Brad's protective instincts. After several threats and an attack on her life,
Brad decides the only recourse is to take Simone away from Chicago completely.
I loved their time together in the cabin, as close quarters and no distractions
gave them a chance to get to know each other. Both struggled to maintain their
distance in the face of strengthening attraction and unexpected emotions. The
river scene brought those emotions roaring to the surface along with the desire
to celebrate being alive, though Brad later felt guilty for "taking
advantage" of Simone's vulnerability.
Meanwhile, the suspect still at large receives help from
his buddy's father, enabling him to evade capture. Determined to escape, Leo
takes steps to end the threat that Brad and Simone pose. The tension increases
as Leo waits for his chance, and Brad and Simone have no idea the danger is so
close. The final confrontation had me on the edge of my seat as I watched Brad
go after Leo, followed by Simone, who couldn't remain behind when worried about
his safety. The resolution was a nail-biter with Brad's life at risk.
I ached for both Brad and Simone when it was all over.
Brad allows his fears to push Simone away, leaving her with a broken heart. Simone
struggles to move on while putting on a brave face for her family. I loved the conclusion
as Brad puts his well-earned misery behind him and goes after what he wants. The
depth of his emotions as he faced the woman he loved was the perfect ending.
There was one thread from the story arc left hanging -
the claim on the Colton business. I don't know if this is just something that
fell through the cracks of a multi-author series or if it will show up later
through a different set of Coltons. I guess I'll just have to wait and see.
No comments:
Post a Comment