She'd bring down a criminal
With or without his lawyer's help.
Deputy Lori Cabrera is shocked to discover that a
powerful local businessman is a front for a drug-trafficking ring tucked away
in her own rural Georgia community. It figures his defense attorney is none
other than the distractingly handsome Simon Wingate. Can Lori convince Simon
his client is guilty as sin? If she can, the big-city attorney could be putting
more than his heart on the line to see that justice is served.
Good combination of romance and suspense. Lori is a deputy
sheriff in Pine Bluff, the hometown she returned to after a stint in the army. The
oldest of seven, Lori moved out of the family home into the house she inherited
from her aunt when she realized she needed some space from her family. She is
also a little frustrated at work when the men she trains end up senior to her,
even though she's better qualified. When she picks up a terrified young girl
late one night, she immediately suspects a new resident.
Samuel Coulter moved to Pine Bluff from Miami and set up
a Reptile Refuge, popular with tourists and teenagers. Something about the man
doesn't sit right with Lori. She's even more suspicious when one of her
sister's friends gets involved with an employee there. However, she has no
proof of any wrongdoing and runs afoul of Samuel's lawyer when she tries to get
a search warrant.
Big-city lawyer Simon Wingate came to Pine Bluff to help
his grandfather with his practice. The timing worked well because Simon was
encouraged to take some time off from his Atlanta firm after getting into some
trouble there. He's not exactly thrilled to be out in the boonies, so he jumps
when Samuel hires him. He quickly regrets his decision.
Lori and Simon get off to a rough start when he objects to
her request for a search warrant. Despite her attraction to him, Lori bluntly
tars Simon with the same brush as Samuel. I felt bad for Simon, who was just as
attracted to Lori but couldn't get her to see past her dislike of Samuel to
look at him as himself. Lori refuses to give up trying to get Simon to see his
client as dangerous and finds herself spending more time with him. Their
interactions span from antagonistic to flirty, with some serious sparks thrown
in for good measure. I liked watching their relationship develop despite being
on opposite sides of the issue, though it doesn't take long for Lori to get
through to Simon. But even if he kicks Samuel to the curb, what about his plans
to leave Pine Bluff as soon as possible? Lori's roots run deep in Pine Bluff. I
loved the ending. Simon's protectiveness reveals his feelings for Lori. It was
sweet to see how he needed to see her safe even though he knew and supported
her capabilities. His big moment at the end was terrific.
The suspense of the story kept me hooked from start to
finish. Samuel Colter gave me the creeps from the moment he showed up, and I
fully understood Lori's point of view. The incidents with the teenage girls put
him on Lori's radar, and she wasn't going to let go. Meanwhile, the things that
Samuel required of Simon began to grate on him and raise his suspicions. I
loved the conversations Simon had with both Lori and the sheriff. I laughed to
see them talk about Samuel and their suspicions while adhering to the letter of
the law and ethics. Combined with the sheriff receiving a visit from a former
coworker at the DEA, the truth about Samuel's activities became evident. I
loved both parts of the final confrontation. The scene in Simon's office kept
me hooked as Samuel walked right into the trap but required some extra "attention"
from Simon before it was all over. The second part had me glued to the pages as
Lori got her chance to check out the Reptile Refuge. Intense action made the resolution
even more satisfying.
With or without his lawyer's help.
No comments:
Post a Comment