Susan F. (scoutmomskf) -
Good start to the new series, with a good combination of suspense and second chance romance. Gemma is in Witness Protection after surviving a serial killer's attack. That protection disappears when the killer discovers Gemma's location. The book opens with a bang as Gemma arrives home to find that her house was broken into. Just as she's ready to call for help, Sheriff Kellan Slater comes to deliver the news of her compromised location. Gemma and Kellan have a troubled past, but she knows she can trust him to keep her safe.
A year earlier, Gemma was a profiler working to identify a serial killer. A confrontation with the killer resulted in the deaths of a sheriff and deputy, and Gemma's wounding. She blames herself for the deaths, as the serial killer turned out to be an intern working with her, and she never connected him with the killer. To make matters worse, the sheriff who died was Kellan's father. Gemma and Kellan were involved at the time, and Kellan is torn between blaming her and blaming himself for not arriving in time to protect his father or her.
I enjoyed the rekindling of the relationship between Gemma and Kellan. They are wary around each other at first, as the past isn't far from their minds, but it's also clear that the feelings between them are as strong as ever. Kellan is determined to keep things professional since getting distracted by Gemma could get them both killed. However, good intentions didn't last long in the face of intense chemistry. The attraction between them built even in the midst of the danger, with a few pretty steamy moments in the rare downtimes. Both of them needed to overcome the events of the past before they could look to a future, and facing down those who wished them harm gave them the chance to do so. The ending was great as both admitted their feelings and put the past behind them.
The suspense and action were intense and almost nonstop. The opening pages had Gemma discovering her safe house was compromised, Kellan arriving to tell her that the serial killer knew where she was, and the two of them surviving being shot at and her house being blown up behind them. The serial killer, Eric, spent a good part of the book taunting them with his nearness and ability to attack them at will. There were also hints that the deaths of Kellan's father and the deputy were not all that they seemed. Add in a couple of Federal Marshals whose ethics were in doubt, and Kellan had trouble knowing who he could trust. There were several situations when Kellan and Gemma were in danger that could have been avoided if Kellan had listened to the instincts that told him that he shouldn't do what he did. The resolution came at the end of several twists and turns that kept them guessing. While most questions were resolved, there is one thread that was left hanging. Presumably, it will be answered either in the next book or will carry through the series and be resolved at the end of it.
A year earlier, Gemma was a profiler working to identify a serial killer. A confrontation with the killer resulted in the deaths of a sheriff and deputy, and Gemma's wounding. She blames herself for the deaths, as the serial killer turned out to be an intern working with her, and she never connected him with the killer. To make matters worse, the sheriff who died was Kellan's father. Gemma and Kellan were involved at the time, and Kellan is torn between blaming her and blaming himself for not arriving in time to protect his father or her.
I enjoyed the rekindling of the relationship between Gemma and Kellan. They are wary around each other at first, as the past isn't far from their minds, but it's also clear that the feelings between them are as strong as ever. Kellan is determined to keep things professional since getting distracted by Gemma could get them both killed. However, good intentions didn't last long in the face of intense chemistry. The attraction between them built even in the midst of the danger, with a few pretty steamy moments in the rare downtimes. Both of them needed to overcome the events of the past before they could look to a future, and facing down those who wished them harm gave them the chance to do so. The ending was great as both admitted their feelings and put the past behind them.
The suspense and action were intense and almost nonstop. The opening pages had Gemma discovering her safe house was compromised, Kellan arriving to tell her that the serial killer knew where she was, and the two of them surviving being shot at and her house being blown up behind them. The serial killer, Eric, spent a good part of the book taunting them with his nearness and ability to attack them at will. There were also hints that the deaths of Kellan's father and the deputy were not all that they seemed. Add in a couple of Federal Marshals whose ethics were in doubt, and Kellan had trouble knowing who he could trust. There were several situations when Kellan and Gemma were in danger that could have been avoided if Kellan had listened to the instincts that told him that he shouldn't do what he did. The resolution came at the end of several twists and turns that kept them guessing. While most questions were resolved, there is one thread that was left hanging. Presumably, it will be answered either in the next book or will carry through the series and be resolved at the end of it.
