One man wants her dead.
Another will do anything to protect her.
Firefighter Kenzie Hughes never thought saving lives
would make her a target. When someone rigs her car and sexy Stephen Galway
offers to be her bodyguard, the flames of danger burn red-hot. Stephen lost his
fiancée to violence years ago, but he can't resist Kenzie. Can he keep Kenzie
safe and out of his arms when they're forced to confront what they fear most?
Beautiful balance of romance and suspense. I read this
book in one sitting, unable to put it down until I finished it. The all-too-believable
premise gave the story an extra layer of realism. Kenzie, a female firefighter,
is stuck on administrative leave while being sued by a recent victim. The man
claims that she screwed up his rescue because she was a woman trying to do a
man's job. While on leave, she works as a waitress at Philly's Escape Club, whose
owner helps off-duty law enforcement and first responders, as well as those let
down by standard justice. After work one night, her car won't start, and a
firefighter coworker calls his brother Stephen to help.
Stephen is a man mired in grief and guilt. Three years
earlier, his fiancée was murdered while leaving her work at the local community
center. Angry that the man who shot her was found not guilty of her murder,
Stephen deals with his grief by haunting the area where she died and photographing
the criminal activity that takes place, and sending anonymous tips to the cops.
He can't imagine ever being interested in giving his heart to another woman.
When Stephen arrives to tow Kenzie's car, he also notices
her suitcases in it. When he finds out she's essentially homeless while her
apartment building undergoes fumigation, he offers her the camper he lives in
behind his garage. Kenzie, whose second love behind firefighting is cars,
offers to help Stephen around the garage when she's not at the Escape Club. As
they work together and bond over their love of cars, Kenzie's determination and
ability to still laugh draws him in. His growing attraction and feelings for
her surprise him, and he fights hard against admitting them. Kenzie tries to
resist falling for the man who is clearly not ready to move on, but it's a losing
battle. I loved seeing Stephen's walls crumble the more time he spent with her.
Giving in to the attraction complicates matters, especially when Kenzie tells
Stephen how she feels. I ached for both of them as Stephen froze when his fear
of losing her kept him from saying anything back, and Kenzie felt her heart break
when he just stood there. I loved seeing him realize his mistake and rush to
fix it. He gets a slight assist from both Grant and Jason, but it's his
emotional confession that wins the day. An unexpected interruption delays the
rest of their big moment, but it is sweet and touching when it comes.
The suspense of the story kept me hooked from start to
finish. The irrational behavior of Kenzie's accuser kept me glued to the pages
as I waited to see what he would do next. Just when things started to look up,
Murtagh began a new campaign of intimidation while hiding his involvement. I
loved Kenzie's strength of will as she refused to give in. The escalating
attacks led to a terrifying final confrontation. Kenzie's calmness in the face of
danger showed her strength as a firefighter. The resolution was heartbreaking
but not unexpected.
One of the other things I enjoyed about this book was
seeing Kenzie and Stephen's bonding over cars. From his surprise at her talents
to her appreciation of his skill, you could feel their love of classic cars. I
loved their joy at test driving the Camaro at the race track and seeing the
buyer's over-the-moon happiness when he picked it up. I liked how working on
the cars provided Kenzie with stress relief and how she even liked helping with
the office work. I foresee a lot of happy together time for them in Stephen's
garage. 
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