Susan F. (scoutmomskf) -
Good combination of suspense and romance. Jazz came to Conard from Miami to look after her teenage niece while Jazz's twin sister, Lily, was away on a business trip. Jazz and Iris have a good relationship, with some lighthearted teasing from Iris about Jazz "smothering" her and Jazz teasing right back. Because it's such a hassle, Jazz rarely corrects anyone when they call her Lily. Jazz gets that "I'm being watched" feeling as the book opens but chalks it up to regular people watching. She and Iris receive a visit from Adam and Sheba, Lily's neighbors across the street. Adam is a former soldier and tells Jazz to trust her instincts.
There are sparks of attraction between Jazz and Adam, but both try to ignore them. Jazz will be going home once Lily returns, so she doesn't want to get involved with anyone. Adam has PTSD and, having seen what it's done to friends' relationships, plans to avoid them altogether. When strange and unsettling gifts show up on the doorstep, followed by threatening letters, Adam steps in and moves in to keep Jazz and Iris safe. I enjoyed seeing the progress of their relationship. Adam and Jazz spend a lot of time together, giving them a chance to get to know one another. Adam does a terrific job of making Jazz feel secure. I liked the domestic scenes they shared, especially the cooking, as keeping busy seemed to make it easier to talk. As the threats intensified, their connection deepened as they worked together to protect Iris and find the stalker before Lily returned home.
As she gets to know him better, Jazz senses that Adam is troubled though he doesn't talk about it. He's haunted by what he's seen and done but only shares with his fellow vets. I loved seeing him begin to trust Jazz enough to share a little of that with her. Adam's biggest fear is Jazz's reaction if she were to witness one of his episodes. When the trouble with the stalker forces Adam to resurrect his old skills, he later withdraws into himself, thinking she would be disgusted. Jazz won my heart when she wouldn't let him hide for long. The scene at his house at the end was terrific. I ached for Adam and his vulnerability and loved how Jazz broke got through to him.
The suspense of the story was good. It was a slow build as the stalker played with Jazz (who he thought was Lily). With a good number of pages devoted to the stalker's viewpoint, we have an inside track of his motivations and intentions. Once Jazz thought about it, she had a good idea of who the stalker was. The tension built as they waited for his next move. The final confrontation was a nail-biter as Jazz headed off alone (she thought) to face him. I loved watching Adam do his thing to protect her, leading to a very satisfying conclusion to the stalker problem.
A few words about Iris: she was a great character. There is just enough temperamental teen to feel natural and a good foil for her aunt's care. I laughed out loud at her attempts to get a puppy and her remarks about Jazz's cooking. I ached for her with the drama with her boyfriend and loved how Adam and Jazz helped her through it.
There are sparks of attraction between Jazz and Adam, but both try to ignore them. Jazz will be going home once Lily returns, so she doesn't want to get involved with anyone. Adam has PTSD and, having seen what it's done to friends' relationships, plans to avoid them altogether. When strange and unsettling gifts show up on the doorstep, followed by threatening letters, Adam steps in and moves in to keep Jazz and Iris safe. I enjoyed seeing the progress of their relationship. Adam and Jazz spend a lot of time together, giving them a chance to get to know one another. Adam does a terrific job of making Jazz feel secure. I liked the domestic scenes they shared, especially the cooking, as keeping busy seemed to make it easier to talk. As the threats intensified, their connection deepened as they worked together to protect Iris and find the stalker before Lily returned home.
As she gets to know him better, Jazz senses that Adam is troubled though he doesn't talk about it. He's haunted by what he's seen and done but only shares with his fellow vets. I loved seeing him begin to trust Jazz enough to share a little of that with her. Adam's biggest fear is Jazz's reaction if she were to witness one of his episodes. When the trouble with the stalker forces Adam to resurrect his old skills, he later withdraws into himself, thinking she would be disgusted. Jazz won my heart when she wouldn't let him hide for long. The scene at his house at the end was terrific. I ached for Adam and his vulnerability and loved how Jazz broke got through to him.
The suspense of the story was good. It was a slow build as the stalker played with Jazz (who he thought was Lily). With a good number of pages devoted to the stalker's viewpoint, we have an inside track of his motivations and intentions. Once Jazz thought about it, she had a good idea of who the stalker was. The tension built as they waited for his next move. The final confrontation was a nail-biter as Jazz headed off alone (she thought) to face him. I loved watching Adam do his thing to protect her, leading to a very satisfying conclusion to the stalker problem.
A few words about Iris: she was a great character. There is just enough temperamental teen to feel natural and a good foil for her aunt's care. I laughed out loud at her attempts to get a puppy and her remarks about Jazz's cooking. I ached for her with the drama with her boyfriend and loved how Adam and Jazz helped her through it.
