Series:
Cowboy State Lawmen: Duty and Honor (Book 3)
He once promised to protect her
Now he'll face the devil to keep his vow.
Rip Lockwood, former Marine Special Forces and president
of the Iron Warriors motorcycle club, swore to protect Deputy Ashley Russo
years ago. When she targets her brother's killer -- the dangerous leader of a
rival club -- he fulfills his promise. Their undercover ruse exposes a drug
operation…and an unexpected attraction. And they'll risk everything to bring a
murderous crime ring to justice.
Terrific book that drew me into the suspense quickly and
kept me hooked until the end. Rip and Ashley are connected by a tragic event
that happened years ago. Ashley blames Rip, and he accepts the guilt. Now a
deputy, Ashley is determined to bring her brother's killer to justice. Rip left
the Marine Corps to take over leadership of the local motorcycle club and finds
out about Ashley's plans.
Rip and Ashley have been at odds ever since her brother's
murder. However, Rip has never forgotten his vow to protect her and is
determined to keep her safe. This entails attempting to rein in her plans (not
happening) or going along with her. Sometimes, I wanted to shake her because of
the risks she took. The scene at the bar had me on the edge of my seat as she
walked into the lion's den. The consequences of that excursion led to a
rollercoaster of action that kept me glued to the pages until the end. The
twists kept me guessing what would happen next, all the way to the nail-biter
of an ending.
I enjoyed seeing Ashley and Rip's relationship develop.
Underneath the antagonism and guilt is a strong attraction neither wants to
admit. They've managed in the past by avoiding each other. Now that they spend
so much time together, those sparks are more difficult to ignore. Trust grows
between them, and their feelings grow stronger, but there are obstacles, too. Rip
believes a relationship between the president of a motorcycle club and a deputy
would be detrimental to her career, plus the after-effects of their actions
make it impossible for Rip to remain there. I loved the resolution and the neat
little twist at the end.
My only complaint with the book is that Harlequin editors
consistently neglect the proper capitalization of the word Marine when
referring to a member of the United States Marine Corps.
No comments:
Post a Comment