Yuletide Protector - Julie Miller (HI #1462 - Dec 2013)

Series: Precinct: Task Force (Book 6)

As the lone surviving victim who can put her attacker away in prison, heiress Bailey Austin becomes the key to the D.A.'s case against a notorious criminal. As lead detective, Spencer Montgomery must prep her for trial. But he becomes her personal protector when she starts receiving terrifying "gifts" meant to scare her away from testifying.

Spencer is a cop on the fast track to making captain one day, if he can keep his emotions in check. But as the stalker's threats escalate, he can't deny that Bailey has thawed his icy heart. Her courage touches him in ways no other woman has, and reminds him that she's more important to him than any investigation.

Fantastic wrap-up to the Task Force miniseries.   We met Bailey in an earlier series where she and Spencer clashed and again in this series as the victim who didn't end up dead.  Now she is the only one who can identify the rapist and testify against him.  There are a lot of people who aren't sure that she's up to it and fear that she will chicken out.  She's determined to do it and makes sure that Spencer knows it.  With the rapist's accomplice still on the loose Spencer's job is to make sure Bailey stays safe.  When she starts receiving threats it's his job to stop them.  There's an attraction between them that he tries to resist, fearing that it will distract him from protecting her.  Can he protect her and his own heart?

I loved Bailey's courage.  In spite of the terrible trauma she had been through she is determined that she will go through with her testimony and put the rapist away for good.  Thanks to counseling and her own will she has become a stronger and more mature woman.  She's no longer satisfied just being a member of her wealthy family and wants to make her own way in the world.  She is frustrated by the way everyone is convinced that she won't go through with her testimony.  She is with Spencer at the police station when she runs into the rapist and he and his lawyer try to intimidate her.  He makes sure she knows what to do to protect herself and also lets her know to call him if she ever feels nervous or that something is wrong.  When she has to take him up on that offer almost immediately she is surprised by her need for the comfort and security he provides.  I loved the way that she accepts the caring he demonstrates and also tries to return the same to him.  She feels the way he fights what is growing between them and senses that there is something behind it.  The support that she offers him also helps her.  The confidence that he has given her helps her fight back at the end.  

Spencer has kept his emotions bottled up ever since the day he allowed his feelings for a witness blind him to what was happening with her.  She ended up dead and he blames himself.  The changes he sees in Bailey since the rape have made him more aware of her as a woman.  He resists the things he feels for her because he is afraid of failing her.  As the threats against her escalate he becomes more determined to protect her.  I loved seeing how he can't stop himself from getting personally involved, to the point where he is even able to tell her about the woman who died.  His fears are somewhat reduced by her support and understanding of those fears.  I also liked the way that Spencer was so sensitive to Bailey's fears and able to help her through them.  I really liked the way his partner, Nick (Tactical Advantage) sees the changes in Spencer and encourages him to pursue them.  The ending was immensely satisfying as both Spencer and Bailey got exactly what they needed.

I loved the wrap-up of the mystery itself.  The increasing tension as the threats escalated kept me riveted as I waited to see the identity of The Cleaner.  The various pawns that she used were fairly obvious, but their methods were not always apparent at the time.  I liked seeing various members of the task force as they made their appearances and we got a chance to catch up with them.  The final showdown was suitably intense and I was glad to see that my suspicion of The Cleaner's identity was correct.  

Task Force Bride - Julie Miller (HI #1444 - Sept 2013)

Series: Precinct: Task Force (Book 5)

Something about Hope Lockhart fascinated Officer Pike Taylor. The cop and his canine companion had been patrolling the neighborhood around Hope's bridal shop for months, trying to capture the criminal who targeted her. Was it the way she hid her voluptuous beauty beneath a plain Jane exterior?

Hope bore the scars of a troubling past. And despite a profession steeped in romance, she'd never known the love of a man. But when Pike is assigned to protect her by posing as her live-in fiance, his tenderness may give Hope the courage to open her heart for the very first time.

Things are really heating up in the hunt for the Rose Red Rapist.  Coming home from working a wedding Hope sees a white van like the one supposedly used by the rapist.  Later that night she sees the van again, shortly before another victim is found.  When she calls 911 to report the sighting Pike Taylor and his dog Hans are sent to talk to her.  Pike has been trying to get to know her for months and now they are being asked to pose as a couple to draw the killer out.

I loved both Pike and Hope.  Pike has been drawn to Hope since they met and he has been unsuccessful in trying to get to know her.  At first he thought she was just stuck up, but soon realized that she was just very shy.  He has patiently been attempting to get her used to seeing him around.  When he gets the call to interview her because she saw the white van, he arrives in time to protect her from her estranged father.  He is also there when she opens a strange package.  That package and the presence of his dog set off a flashback for Hope and Pike realizes that there is more than shyness behind Hope's skittishness.  When Pike gets assigned to pose as her fiance to be an undercover bodyguard while they try to draw out the killer he sees it as an opportunity to get to know her better.  I loved his patience with Hope and her fears.  Once he knows what is causing them he works very hard to help her overcome them.  He is also getting more deeply involved with her than he expected.  He finds that she is constantly on his mind and he is always thinking of ways to help her.  I loved that Pike isn't the smoothest of men, that he's more comfortable with his dog than he is with most people.  Even though he has some trouble verbalizing his feelings for Hope, he has no problem showing her how he feels.  I loved his rescue of her at the end.

Hope was a woman with a past that had scarred her physically and emotionally.  She runs her bridal shop and works hard at giving women the weddings of their dreams, but she is far too wary to get involved herself.  The fear that all the women feel because of the rapist/killer intensifies for her when she sees him clearly enough to make her a target.  The officer assigned to take her statement is none other than Pike with his dog Hans.  Hope is wary of Pike but terrified of Hans, having been attacked by dogs as a child.  When she offers to become bait in a trap to catch the rapist, Pike and Hans are assigned to be her protection, with Pike posing as her fiance.  Forced into close proximity, Hope discovers that Pike is a kind and patient man who is willing to help her overcome her fears.  I loved the way she came to trust him enough to tell him about her past.  This freed her enough that she was able to relax around Pike as they got to know each other better.  She was also able to accept his help in conquering her fear of Hans.  It was a slow process, but portrayed realistically.  I loved her confidence that Pike would save her when she was captured.  She also showed her strength and her survivor skills while she was waiting for that rescue.  Her confident ability to share her feelings with Pike was the perfect ending.

The capture of the rapist was well done.  It was the person I thought it was, though I did have a couple moments of doubt earlier in the book.  We still don't know the identity of his accomplice, though I do have a couple of suspects in mind.  I expect we'll find that out in the next book.

Assumed Identity - Julie Miller (HI #1427 - June 2013)

Series: Precinct: Task Force (Book 4)

"Kansas City Hero"
Scarred inside and out by a past he can't remember, Jake Lonergan doesn't know if he's a heroic undercover DEA agent or the hit man who killed him and assumed his identity. While he is determined to remain in the shadows, it's Robin Carter and her baby girl who force him back into the light. When the gorgeous single mom is attacked, Jake comes to her rescue...and finds it impossible to walk away from this fragile little family. Now, with a dangerous stalker determined to get his hands on the only woman who got away, protecting Robin and her daughter becomes Jake's priority. But with his memories still in question, Jake fears what will happen when the bad guy comes calling. Can he prove he's the good guy Robin is convinced he must be?

Very good book.  Robin is the single mother of a baby girl.  She owns the flower shop in the area where the Red Rose Rapist has been active.  When she works late one night she is attacked on the way to her car.  She is saved by Jake who had been passing by and heard her scream.  While Jake is glad he was able to help, he just wants to go back to his quiet life staying out of everyone's way.

I liked Robin a lot.  She is a successful business owner who has become a single mother by adopting a little girl.  As important as she feels her business is little Emma is her number one priority.  When Jake rescues her Robin's greatest concern is making sure that Emma is safe.  At first she is afraid of Jake, until she realizes that he was helping her.  She found herself trusting him in spite of his frequent assertions that he is not a nice man.  I really loved the way that, even after he explained his memory loss and nightmares, she insisted that he was a good man and she had nothing to fear from him.  Her faith in him was just what he needed.

Jake was fantastic.  He had been shot in the head two years earlier and as a result had no memories from before that.  He suffers from nightmares where he is caught in a fire and shooting at people.  He has a bag with IDs in multiple names and has no idea if he is one of the good guys or a bad guy.  As a result he keeps himself separate from people, not allowing himself to get involved for fear of hurting someone.  When he comes to Robin's rescue there is something about her and her daughter that keeps him coming back to her.  He tries so hard to convince her that she should stay away from him but his inner nice guy keeps showing through.  I especially loved his interactions with the baby.  He was so afraid of her at the beginning, sure that he would hurt her.  By the end of the book he was so comfortable with her that he could care for her without breaking a sweat.  I also liked how the mystery of his identity was a concern of his all the way through and how that mystery was solved in the end.

I also really liked the brief appearances of characters from previous books, and the chance to catch up on their lives.  I loved seeing Pike and Hans and really hope that he will have his own story soon - maybe with Robin's friend Hope?

Tactical Advantage - Julie Miller (HI #1408 - Mar 2013)

Series: Precinct: Task Force (Book 3)

HIS ONLY JOB WAS TO PROTECT HER-NOT GET HER INTO BED

When his coinvestigator was attacked just moments after Detective Nick Fensom left the scene, he swore he'd never let her get hurt again. Thanks to their tense relationship, criminologist Annie Hermann wasn't happy to have Nick as her newly appointed protector. And although Nick couldn't blame her, being together 24/7 caused him to see Annie in a whole new light. Before long, he couldn't stop picturing the beautiful brunette wrapped up in his arms-and in his sheets. But allowing unfamiliar feelings to get in the way of the job was completely unprofessional...especially once Annie discovered the evidence that could cost her her life. 

Very good book.  The search is continuing for the Rose Red Rapist and this time it is Annie who has been threatened.  As the crime scene investigator for the task force she is the one who gets called out when there has been another incident.  She was attacked while looking for evidence and the evidence was stolen.  Nick felt guilty because he had not been close enough to protect her and swore it wouldn't happen again.  

I really liked both Nick and Annie.  They have been sniping at each other from the beginning of their time on the task force.  She doesn't understand his constant teasing and comments, not knowing when he is serious or not.  Annie has led a very quiet life for the last ten years, ever since her parents died in an accident.  She was briefly engaged but the man tried to change her into something she wasn't.  Now she keeps to herself and concentrates on work to protect herself from further loss.  On this night something changes between her and Nick and she isn't quite sure what to do about it.  She also gets exposed to his family, a boisterous friendly group that is unlike anything she has ever known.  She isn't sure she needs the constant protection that Nick is insisting on, but she can't change his mind.  It doesn't take long for those previously snippy confrontations to turn into something quite different.  I really enjoyed seeing the way that Annie's mind works and how well she and Nick ended up working together.  I also liked the way that the more time she spent with him and his family the more she learned about herself.

Nick is a great hero.  It was kind of nice to see a hero that isn't more than six feet tall.  He is part of a large family that is big on caring for each other.  He has always been protective of them and now that protectiveness has been extended to Annie.  As he spends time with her he begins to realize that his previous attitude had been covering up an attraction he didn't know he felt.  When she is attacked his guilty feelings cause him to insist on protecting her 24/7.  While he feels better being with her for her safety it is also causing him to be somewhat distracted, especially once he kissed her the first time.  I loved watching him learn more about her and see the shy woman behind the excellent investigator.  There was a lot more sensitivity to him than appeared at the beginning and I really liked seeing it come out.  I also loved the way that his partner teased him about his growing attachment to Annie.  I really liked Nick's attitude toward Annie's ex-fiance when he met the guy and how much Annie enjoyed it.

The action in the book was great and definitely kept me turning the pages.  There are more clues to the identity of the Rapist and the Cleaner.  I am looking forward to the rest of the series and finding out who the bad guys are - especially if my suspicion is correct.

Immortal Heart - Julie Miller (Love Spell - Feb 1997)

Series: Lady Tech (Book 1)

BJ Kincaid was woman of contrasts. She was a computer wiz who sought comfort from teddy bears and her poodle, a child genius who'd never known adult love, a loner who secretly yearned for acceptance. Then a security leak threatened her job at LadyTech-and unexplained blackouts threatened her sanity-until the very mysterious Brodie Maxwell came to investigate.

With each new encounter, BJ discovered a man who matched her, paradox for paradox. Beneath his scarred exterior and his brusque, distant manner lay a warm and tender lover, and behind his unwillingness to open up was a man who longed for intimate contact. Most baffling of all, Brodie seemed a crusader, yet he claimed that the woman who loved him was fated to meet an evil end.

Doomed by an ancient curse or blessed by timeless love, BJ knew this was the man for her, and she vowed nothing would stop her from freeing his...Immortal Heart

Very good book.  I have had this one on my TBR for a long time and finally decided it was time to read it.  Brodie is a medieval knight who pissed off a sorcerer.  This sorcerer condemned Brodie to immortality, never being able to marry and have children and fated to tragically lose anyone he came to love.  Fast forward 800 years.  Brodie had served in the Marines with the late husband of one of BJ's coworkers.  When BJ started having problems with blackouts and stolen computer problems Emma asked Brodie to come and investigate.  Brodie is a big man, scarred from all the battles he has fought in.  He can be very intimidating, but he is also a true knight - chivalrous and caring.  He immediately senses that there is true evil at work and has to find a way to protect BJ while he investigates.  I loved the way that he was always there with what she needed, whether it was comfort or a boot in the rear.  He also found that he cared for her far more than any other woman he had ever known which terrified him for her safety.  BJ was a genius who had been isolated since she was a small child.  She was never given the chance to make friends or have boyfriends.  Her people skills are not the greatest but she would really like a chance to be normal.  When she started having the blackouts she feared for her sanity.  At first she wasn't happy to have Brodie with her 24/7 but soon came to realize that he was completely on her side.  She also trusted him quickly when he was able to pull her from the blackouts.  I loved their interactions as they got to know each other.  I liked the way that BJ was able to see the man under the scarred warrior and the way that Brodie was able to open up to BJ.  There were some interesting twists to the plot, but I was right about the identity of the bad guy.  I absolutely LOVED the final chapter.  I will have to find and read the other two related books.