Susan F. (scoutmomskf) -
Another outstanding book from Julie Miller. I've been intrigued by Gray, the quiet, intense criminalist, since the first book in the series. He's one of my favorite kind of heroes - a US Marine who has gone on to further serve after leaving the Corps. He earned my respect with his resilience in dealing with his injuries from the war, though he still has some confidence issues thanks to his ex-fiancée.
The story opens as he works with his physical therapist, Allie. Former military herself, she has a talent for knowing when to push him and when to back off. She also has some unique exercises for him. Gray and Allie are friends and neighbors, as well as patient and therapist, and frequently carpool going to or from therapy. Neither is ready to admit the sparks of attraction are becoming more obvious by the day. On this day, Gray backs her up when she has issues with a pushy coworker. They head home with plans to share some takeout. But when Allie enters her apartment, she's horrified to find it vandalized with the words PAYBACK painted in blood on the walls. Gray immediately takes charge, calling in his friends at the KCPD Crime Lab.
This begins a terrifying roller coaster of attacks that bring back memories of one of the worst times in Allie's life - the gaslighting and eventual attempted murder by a scorned boyfriend. But how is this possible if Noah is still locked up in the brig in South Carolina? Each new attack raises more questions about who is behind the terrorizing actions. By about 75% of the way through, I was sure I knew who the culprit was, only to have the author add an unexpected twist that proved me wrong. The final confrontation had me glued to the pages until it was over. I especially loved seeing how Allie's confidence that Gray had her back enabled her to participate in her own rescue.
I loved watching the development of the relationship between Gray and Allie. They started as patient/therapist and neighbors, gradually moving on to friends. Gray recognizes his attraction to her but resists doing anything about it because of his ex-fiancée's reaction to his injuries. Allie hesitates to get involved in another relationship after the disaster of her last one. Gray's protective instincts are aroused when the attacks on Allie begin, and I loved seeing his sensitivity as he took care of her. Staying in Gray's apartment with him allows Allie to show him how she feels. I loved how she saw the whole man, whether he used a wheelchair, prosthetics, or nothing.
Seeing both admit to their trust issues and realize they are rusty in reading signals was encouraging. This brings forth the acknowledgment of their growing feelings for each other and that they must articulate them to prevent confusion or misunderstandings. I enjoyed seeing the respect they had for each other and their abilities. I loved Allie's strength and independence and her occasional need to lean on Gray's strength - "He seemed to understand that just because she could handle almost anything on her own, she didn't always want to." The ending was fantastic, and I look forward to seeing more of them in future books.
I loved seeing more of the previous characters from the series. The crime lab team and their teamwork and support are a big part of this series. I especially enjoyed seeing how Gray's coworkers saw, commented on and teased him about the changes they see in him after he gets to know Allie. I also loved how they all had his back during the attacks and investigation. I loved seeing an appearance by Aidan and his K-9 Blue, who I loved in their book (K-9 Patrol).
The story opens as he works with his physical therapist, Allie. Former military herself, she has a talent for knowing when to push him and when to back off. She also has some unique exercises for him. Gray and Allie are friends and neighbors, as well as patient and therapist, and frequently carpool going to or from therapy. Neither is ready to admit the sparks of attraction are becoming more obvious by the day. On this day, Gray backs her up when she has issues with a pushy coworker. They head home with plans to share some takeout. But when Allie enters her apartment, she's horrified to find it vandalized with the words PAYBACK painted in blood on the walls. Gray immediately takes charge, calling in his friends at the KCPD Crime Lab.
This begins a terrifying roller coaster of attacks that bring back memories of one of the worst times in Allie's life - the gaslighting and eventual attempted murder by a scorned boyfriend. But how is this possible if Noah is still locked up in the brig in South Carolina? Each new attack raises more questions about who is behind the terrorizing actions. By about 75% of the way through, I was sure I knew who the culprit was, only to have the author add an unexpected twist that proved me wrong. The final confrontation had me glued to the pages until it was over. I especially loved seeing how Allie's confidence that Gray had her back enabled her to participate in her own rescue.
I loved watching the development of the relationship between Gray and Allie. They started as patient/therapist and neighbors, gradually moving on to friends. Gray recognizes his attraction to her but resists doing anything about it because of his ex-fiancée's reaction to his injuries. Allie hesitates to get involved in another relationship after the disaster of her last one. Gray's protective instincts are aroused when the attacks on Allie begin, and I loved seeing his sensitivity as he took care of her. Staying in Gray's apartment with him allows Allie to show him how she feels. I loved how she saw the whole man, whether he used a wheelchair, prosthetics, or nothing.
Seeing both admit to their trust issues and realize they are rusty in reading signals was encouraging. This brings forth the acknowledgment of their growing feelings for each other and that they must articulate them to prevent confusion or misunderstandings. I enjoyed seeing the respect they had for each other and their abilities. I loved Allie's strength and independence and her occasional need to lean on Gray's strength - "He seemed to understand that just because she could handle almost anything on her own, she didn't always want to." The ending was fantastic, and I look forward to seeing more of them in future books.
I loved seeing more of the previous characters from the series. The crime lab team and their teamwork and support are a big part of this series. I especially enjoyed seeing how Gray's coworkers saw, commented on and teased him about the changes they see in him after he gets to know Allie. I also loved how they all had his back during the attacks and investigation. I loved seeing an appearance by Aidan and his K-9 Blue, who I loved in their book (K-9 Patrol).
