Susan F. (scoutmomskf) -
Good book that started with a bang and didn't let up the tension until the end. Kara is a woman on a mission. Two surrogates from the same clinic she used have turned up dead. Kara believes they were murdered and that she is a target also, having acted as a surrogate for her late sister and her husband. She set a trap for the killer and waited in the barn to see if he took the bait. Instead, she gets her widower brother-in-law Deputy Daniel Logan, who arrived to check on her and read her the riot act for putting herself in danger. That danger becomes evident when they discover another dead surrogate left in Kara's house. Daniel has endured enough heartache and doesn't want to lose Kara too. Convincing the headstrong woman to leave the investigation to the police gets nowhere, so Daniel plans to stay close.
The suspense of this story kept me glued to the pages all the way through, while the romance added an extra layer of tension. Kara always had feelings for Daniel, but he was married to her sister, so she buried them deep. She was happy to help them by carrying their baby and heartbroken when Maryanne lost her battle with cancer before little Sadie was born. Meanwhile, Daniel starts to see Kara as more than his sister-in-law.
I enjoyed seeing the development of the relationship between Kara and Daniel. They already know each other well because of his marriage to her sister, but it has been as friends only. But with Kara's determined involvement in the deaths of the surrogates, Daniel finds himself feeling extra protective of her. The stirrings of attraction he feels are even more surprising, and the similar stirrings he sees in her eyes. Because of the intensifying attacks on them, Kara and Daniel try to put those feelings aside as they attempt to discover the truth and stay alive. I loved how protective they were of each other, with Daniel getting a bit frustrated with Kara's tendency to rush into danger. That danger brings the knowledge that life can be short and uncertain into focus and makes them realize they don't want to waste any of it.
The suspense of the story is excellent. From the first pages to the last, I couldn't wait to see how it ended. Convinced that the deaths had something to do with the fertility clinic, Kara tried investigating on her own. Though skeptical at first, Daniel became a believer when a dead surrogate turned up in Kara's house. When he and Kara were shot at, the question was whether it was related to those deaths, or is it someone who has a beef with Daniel? Neighboring rancher, Rizzo, makes no secret of his dislike of Daniel, who is investigating his connection with a militia group. There is also a man who made many threats against the clinic and surrogates because of the death of his daughter. He has the means and motivation to commit the murders. Joining the list of suspects, Kara's ex-boyfriend accuses Daniel of putting her in danger. Every time one of those men would move to the top of my suspect list, something would change my mind. I loved following the efforts of the Mercy Ridge Sheriff's Department to unravel the truth. The final confrontation was a nail-biter as Daniel and Kara faced off against the killer. The ending was great.
As a long-time reader of the author's books, I loved seeing Mason Ryland from the Lawmen of Silver Creek series get a brief mention. It's always fun for me when there are series crossovers. I also liked seeing more of Daniel's brother Barrett from the first book (Her Child to Protect) and getting to know his other brother, Leo, a little. I look forward to reading his book.
The suspense of this story kept me glued to the pages all the way through, while the romance added an extra layer of tension. Kara always had feelings for Daniel, but he was married to her sister, so she buried them deep. She was happy to help them by carrying their baby and heartbroken when Maryanne lost her battle with cancer before little Sadie was born. Meanwhile, Daniel starts to see Kara as more than his sister-in-law.
I enjoyed seeing the development of the relationship between Kara and Daniel. They already know each other well because of his marriage to her sister, but it has been as friends only. But with Kara's determined involvement in the deaths of the surrogates, Daniel finds himself feeling extra protective of her. The stirrings of attraction he feels are even more surprising, and the similar stirrings he sees in her eyes. Because of the intensifying attacks on them, Kara and Daniel try to put those feelings aside as they attempt to discover the truth and stay alive. I loved how protective they were of each other, with Daniel getting a bit frustrated with Kara's tendency to rush into danger. That danger brings the knowledge that life can be short and uncertain into focus and makes them realize they don't want to waste any of it.
The suspense of the story is excellent. From the first pages to the last, I couldn't wait to see how it ended. Convinced that the deaths had something to do with the fertility clinic, Kara tried investigating on her own. Though skeptical at first, Daniel became a believer when a dead surrogate turned up in Kara's house. When he and Kara were shot at, the question was whether it was related to those deaths, or is it someone who has a beef with Daniel? Neighboring rancher, Rizzo, makes no secret of his dislike of Daniel, who is investigating his connection with a militia group. There is also a man who made many threats against the clinic and surrogates because of the death of his daughter. He has the means and motivation to commit the murders. Joining the list of suspects, Kara's ex-boyfriend accuses Daniel of putting her in danger. Every time one of those men would move to the top of my suspect list, something would change my mind. I loved following the efforts of the Mercy Ridge Sheriff's Department to unravel the truth. The final confrontation was a nail-biter as Daniel and Kara faced off against the killer. The ending was great.
As a long-time reader of the author's books, I loved seeing Mason Ryland from the Lawmen of Silver Creek series get a brief mention. It's always fun for me when there are series crossovers. I also liked seeing more of Daniel's brother Barrett from the first book (Her Child to Protect) and getting to know his other brother, Leo, a little. I look forward to reading his book.
