Jane Godman

I loved this exciting wolf shifter romantic suspense novel by Jane Godman! Godman did such a great job of ratcheting up the tension with the plot of the killer on the loose. Each chapter left me in suspense, with little clues dropped along the way, but still with enough twists that I was left guessing until the very end. Just excellent writing on the thriller end of things.

And the romance/shifter element to the novel was just as well done. I love how much Godman delved into werewolf lore and gave us plenty of time with our Hero and heroine in both their wolf and human forms. Attention to backstory was nicely handled as well. Just an all-around excellent book.

Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book from the author.… (més)

Fantastic mix of romance and suspense in the second book of this series. Abigail made her first appearance at the end of the first book, Family Defender. She is the daughter of the man at the head of the ReVitaYou vitamin scam, though she parted ways with him long ago. She discovered some horrifying information about the vitamin and took it to Colton Investigations. They were initially suspicious of her, suspecting that she might be involved in her father's scam. As this book opens, Abigail learns that her plans to adopt her foster daughter, Maya, are held up due to accusations against her. Terrified that she could lose her daughter, Abigail goes to Griffin Colton for help.

Griffin is the Colton brother that isn't a Colton by blood. Adopted by them after his mother's death, Griffin has never felt like he fits in with the family. It's not that they treat him any differently, it's just the way he sees himself. Remembering his own experiences, Griffin became an adoption attorney and has one of the state's best reputations. His kindness and compassion are evident from the beginning.

I enjoyed seeing the relationship between Abigail and Griffin develop. Griffin is wary of Abigail because of her father, and she senses his distrust. But Griffin can also see the depth of love Abigail has for Maya and steps up to help. From the start, the accusations against Abigail make little sense. First, she is accused of tampering with a study she's in charge of, then being mixed up in ReVitaYou, and finally suspected of murdering her boss. Through it all, Griffin is by her side as they try to get to the bottom of the accusations. I loved how Griffin stepped up to foster Maya when CPS wanted to take her away from Abigail. There were some fantastic scenes with Griffin and Maya that had me laughing out loud. It didn't take long for both Abigail and Maya to find a place in Griffin's heart.

There was also no denying Griffin and Abigail's attraction and how quickly it turned to love. The love between them also affected Griffin's relationship with his family, and I loved seeing those changes. They were most apparent during the hospital scene and how easily Griffin accepted their help. The only real issue that came up was Griffin's insecurity over trusting his feelings, but Abigail's love overcame those. I loved the ending and seeing how happy they are.

The suspense of the story was great. The Coltons' initial suspicion was understandable given Abigail's profession, but they also quickly realized that she was a victim, not a suspect. I liked how Griffin was immediately suspicious of the actions taken against Abigail, finding their timing suspicious. Some interesting connections turned up linking the accusations to the ReVitaYou investigation, adding to the questions they already had. The intensity ramped up when someone attacked Abigail and threatened Maya. I wasn't surprised by who it was, but the motivation had some surprising elements to it. The final confrontation was terrifying for Griffin and Abigail and had me on the edge of my seat until it was over. The book finished with one sibling's plan to infiltrate the money side of ReVitaYou as a lead-in to the next book.… (més)

A good mix of suspense and second chance romance. Four years after breaking up, Everett and Alyssa were brought together when they became co-guardians of a baby girl. Everett believes that her parents' deaths were suspicious, and threats against baby Kennedy soon prove him right.

I enjoyed the rekindling of the relationship between Everett and Alyssa. As it turned out, neither got over their breakup, with subsequent attempts at relationships never measuring up to the memories of what they had. Neither was blameless in the breakup, with events from the past affecting their relationship. Alyssa lost her father when he was stabbed to death. Her fear of Everett getting hurt in his job as an FBI agent exacerbated her fear of losing someone she loved. At the same time, Everett is wracked with guilt over something that happened in his previous job, and he keeps tight control over his emotions because of it. Thrown together to raise baby Kennedy, I loved seeing them adjust to being instant parents while at the same time trying to figure out their own relationship.

I liked both Everett and Alyssa. Alyssa won my heart when she immediately accepted the responsibility of raising Kennedy. She's understandably nervous about being with Everett but will do whatever necessary for the baby. Everett also got points when he stepped up in spite of his doubts. I loved seeing how their care for Kennedy brought them together. An added four years of experience and maturity helped move their relationship along. I especially liked seeing Alyssa's attitude toward Everett's job change as she experienced his protectiveness toward her and Kennedy. Everett was a slightly harder nut to crack, but it wasn't long before his control over his emotions began to slip. I ached for him when he finally opened up to Alyssa about what had caused his withdrawal and loved her support of him. I liked the sparks that flew between them, the feeling of family that both felt immediately, and how they combined to show them that they belonged together.

The suspense of the story was terrific. We first met Sean and Delilah Dodd, and his sister Claudia, in Caught in the Crossfire, where they were caught and arrested for cattle rustling and murder. This book begins with the deaths of Sean and Delilah and Everett's suspicions about it. While Sean and Delilah earned their arrest in the previous book, this book showed that there were at least a few redeeming qualities about them. These traits added to Everett's questions and motivated his investigation. Things became more complicated when he and Alyssa began receiving threats against Kennedy's life and attempts on theirs. There was a steady increase in the tension with each threat or attack and Everett's determination to put an end to them. Suspicion as to who was behind them came quickly, but the problem was finding the evidence. The final confrontation was intense. Everett and Alyssa's cool heads kept me on the edge of my seat as I waited to see how they were going to handle it. I loved Everett's quick thinking and how it all turned out.… (més)

Good second chance romance combined with a riveting mystery. A year and a half earlier, Vincente and Beth had had an intense on-again-off-again relationship. Then she disappeared without a word, leaving no trace of where she'd gone. Events from an earlier book made Vincente believe that she was dead (see Covert Kisses). He is stunned when police investigation reveals that she is alive. I enjoyed his cloak and dagger efforts to find her after being told that she is in hiding.

Beth had left Stillwater after receiving threats against her life and those of the people she cared for. It wasn't until after she was gone that she discovered she was pregnant, and at that point, she didn't dare contact Vincente. The stress she was under created some severe problems for her that she has just begun to overcome. Having Vincente show up at her door both thrilled and terrified her.

I liked the rekindling of Beth and Vincente's relationship. Previously it had been a very stormy one, but in the past eighteen months, both of them had changed. Vincente had been very much a lone wolf, holding himself at a distance from everyone. His experience with relationships was influenced by his volatile and selfish mother. But through the previous two books, he had become closer and more open with his brothers, showing him that love isn't all bad. Beth had also done a lot of growing up once she realized that she had another person to take care of. Her battle with depression had also made her stronger emotionally. When Vincente confronted Beth about her disappearance and hiding of his daughter, she didn't try to deny anything but faced up to what she had done and her reasons for it. I loved how Vincente immediately fell under little Lia's spell. I loved seeing the three of them become a family so quickly. The attraction between Beth and Vincente is just as strong as it had been before, but now there is an extra depth to it. It was great to see them learn more about each other outside of the physical connection. It didn't take long for Beth to see past Vincente's confident exterior to the vulnerabilities that he kept hidden from everyone else. I also liked how Vincente admired how Beth overcame her difficulties, and how he saw her strength of will as they dealt with the murderer. Though Beth realized her feelings first, I enjoyed Vincente's "aha" moment more. It took nearly losing her for Vincente to take that final step. I loved his big moment at the end. It was romantic and sweetly vulnerable. The epilogue was a good wrapup.

The suspense of the story was terrific. I ached for Beth and her memories of what had happened on that climb. I completely understood her fear when the threats began and how she wanted to protect Vincente. Once he got involved and they included Laurie in the process, things began to happen quickly. I was hooked from the start and completely invested in finding out who was behind it. There were multiple possibilities, and each attack seemed to point to someone else. I didn't suspect the true culprit until near the end, and the motive was completely off my radar. The final confrontation was intense, with several twists before it was all over.… (més)