Series:
Vengeance in Texas (Book 4)
"YOU NEED TO TRUST ME."
Dora Martin had escaped her past, been given a second chance. She wasn't
going to waste it. A good education, a job she loved-all she had to do
was stay on the straight and narrow. That meant no more disastrous
relationships. No more men, period. Not even the oh-so-appealing Mark
Flynn.
FBI Agent Mark Flynn is in Vengeance, Texas, to help solve three brutal
murders. Dora Martin was a source of information, that's all. Instead,
he couldn't stop thinking about her. But the gentle, gray-eyed beauty is
hiding a secret that might solve the murders-or get her killed. He
won't let that happen. For his case-and his heart-he will protect
her....
Fantastic conclusion to the series. I really liked both Dora and Mark. Dora is an older heroine who has finally started to overcome some poor choices made in her youth. Her older brother and sister pulled her out of her downward spiral and gave her the opportunity to start a new life. In spite of that rescue, and living in the same town, she hasn't gotten close to her sister Melinda. She hasn't pushed for a relationship because she doesn't want her bad past to taint her sister's stellar reputation at the college and in town. Dora made the decision when she went back to school that she was going to concentrate on school and not get involved with any men. When she met Mark there was an immediate attraction between the two, but she insisted that there would be friendship only. I really liked the way that she had worked so hard to overcome her past. I thought that she had an incredible amount of inner strength to be able to have come so far without any bitterness. I really enjoyed her developing relationship with Mark. Even though she kept telling herself not to get involved her connection to him was just too strong. One of the things I loved about her was how well she understood him. She also didn't want her past to affect him and tried to keep it a secret from him. When all her secrets came out she was sure it would be the end of everything.
Mark was a really interesting man. As a young man his intelligence and abilities earned him an invitation from the FBI to work for them as a profiler. He has an uncanny way of being able to get inside a criminal's mind to be able to figure out who they are and what motivates them. But because of this he feels a constant darkness in his soul that makes him keep people at an emotional distance. He first got to know Dora because he thought she would be a good source of information. He didn't expect thoughts of her to be constantly with him, even when working on the case. He soon found himself wanting to spend time with her that had nothing to do with his work and everything to do with the way she made him feel. She was the first person who seemed to understand the way his mind worked and to be able to pull him away from the darkness. For all of the growing feelings he had for her he sensed that she had secrets that she wouldn't share with him. When those secrets came out he felt betrayed at first then he became really worried that those secrets could cost her her life.
I really loved seeing the way that Mark's mind worked and how it saw things so clearly. In spite of the fact that no one else believed his theory, he kept after it. The suspense as the story built to the conclusion kept me turning the pages just as fast as I could read. While there was no doubt that the story would end well, the journey was definitely a heart pounding one. There was one fascinating thing about this book in that Dora's older brother Micah starred in his own book (Mercenary's Perfect Mission) that was just as intense as this one.
Series:
Vengeance in Texas (Book 3)
KEEP THE DAUGHTER OF YOUR ENEMY CLOSER
Kindergarten teacher Willa Merris has never wanted her father's lavish
lifestyle. But when he's murdered, she becomes the executor of his
estate. To add insult to injury, Gabe Dawson-her father's
nemesis-informs her that she's on the brink of financial collapse. Willa
doesn't trust him-or herself...not to run her hands over his chiseled
physique.
Billionaire Gabe Dawson still remembers the gawky teenager Willa was.
But that awkward girl is now a sultry, beautiful woman. Gabe knows he
should keep his distance, but he can't, especially when peril is in hot
pursuit. Now he'll risk his own life to protect the woman he's
dangerously falling for....
Very good book with the action starting from the beginning and not letting up atall. Willa is a kindergarten teacher who tried to stay as far away from her father's political life as she could. When he is murdered she becomes executor of his estate and is also named to finish out her father's term as senator. Then she is visited by Gabe who is a former friend of the family who later became her father's archnemesis in business who tells her that her father's business is in financial trouble. To top it all off someone has been breaking into her home and is apparently trying to kill her.
I really liked both Willa and Gabe. As a teenager Willa had a massive crush on Gabe. Now he has come to her rescue and the attraction is still there. She isn't sure at first if she should trust him, but it doesn't take long for him to win her over. I really loved her strength of will. Besides dealing with all the stuff from her father's death, she is also recovering from being raped by a family friend. I loved the way that she immediately feels safe with him. I also really enjoyed the way that she now takes the opportunity to move out of her father's shadow and become her own person. She also makes the decision to go after what she wants, which is Gabe. Besides the physical attraction, which is intense, she also discovers that she likes him and those feelings only grow. She wants more with him but she doesn't know what to make of his relationship with his ex-wife.
Gabe was great. He was older than Willa and noticed her as a teenager, but was aware enough of the age difference that he worked very hard to to let it show. He was also intimidated by the difference in their circumstances that he would never do anything about it. I loved the way he came to her rescue and that he went into protector mode. He still felt that he was not good enough for her but was drawn to her anyway. I really loved everything he did for her and how it showed how much he cared. He also did a wonderful job of supporting her in her activities and showing her what she was capable of.
The mystery of his ex-wife's kidnapping and the murders goes on. I have some suspicions about the kidnapping and I can't wait to see how it plays out. The mystery of who was attacking Willa and why was well done, though not entirely a surprise. I'm looking forward to the rest of the series.
Series:
Vengeance in Texas (Book 2)
"You still push every one of my buttons."
Not long after Eliza Harvey-Reed got married, her husband David's
infidelity proved she married the wrong brother. But was Brandon Reed,
her old high-school flame, the right one? Now Eliza's back in their
hometown of Vengeance, Texas. And when she first lays eyes on Brandon,
it's obvious the heat between them is as all-consuming as ever.
Brandon Reed's still furious that Eliza married his brother. Even more
frustrating is that he can't help being drawn to her like a moth to a
flame. But when David is murdered, Eliza tops the suspect list. Now
Brandon must help clear her name before the real killer destroys his
second chance at true love....
Good book. Eliza and David arrive in Vengeance because she is doing a birthday party for her brother. They are going to stay with David's brother Brandon, who Eliza had been in love with as a teenager. When they see each other again the attraction flares back to life, stronger than ever. David has been acting strangely, as if he's afraid of something. He also disappears, then is seen with two different women. When he turns up dead Eliza is suspected of killing him. There is also someone leaving her threatening notes, Brandon's father has escaped from prison, and someone seems to be trying to kill her. Both Eliza and Brandon have some issues that initially drove them apart and may keep them apart now. Eliza's father died while she was in high school and she saw her mother fall apart. That caused her to shy away from strong emotions such as her feelings for Brandon. It was one of the reasons she went a little wild as a teenager which caused Brandon to pull away from her. Brandon's father had been abusive to him and David. Brandon was the one who testified against his father and helped put him in prison. He always felt guilty for not being able to protect his brother better. Now he has added the guilt he feels about his attraction to Eliza. He also avoids getting close to women because he feels it is safer that way. He thinks that he has a good chance of turning out like his father and doesn't want to take the chance of hurting someone. He and Eliza spend a lot of time in this book poking at each other's psyches. The culmination of the mystery of who was after Eliza had a couple of unexpected twists but was well done.
Series:
Vengeance in Texas (Book 1)
"Watch over my baby."
As the mother of a newborn, Suzy Burris is accustomed to sleepless
nights. But tonight, she's waiting up for her husband, Peter, to tell
him she wants a divorce. Instead, she learns he's been murdered. And the
sexy detective who's just delivered the shocking news is asking
questions indicating she's a suspect.
When Detective Nick Jeffries left Houston for the sleepy town of
Vengeance, Texas, he hoped to leave behind the city's grisly homicides.
The latest triple murder to hit his desk nixes that idea. Being
attracted to the widow of one of the victims is the last thing he needs.
But when Suzy and her baby are threatened, he'll risk all to keep them
from a killer's crosshairs….
Good book. I liked both Suzy and Nick. Suzy felt that her marriage has been over for a long time. Her husband has been keeping secrets, is withdrawn and hardly ever home and she's had enough. She is ready to ask him for a divorce when she learns he's been murdered. The detective who comes to tell her also has a lot of questions for her. At first she is angry with him for treating her like a suspect, but when they move on from that she realizes that she is attracted to him. As they work together to try to find out who murdered her husband that attraction only gets stronger. Nick suspects Suzy of the murder at first, but soon realizes she had nothing to do with it. He is disturbed by his attraction to her but tries to ignore it as he works to find the killer. The more he and Suzy find out about her husband the more they realize that this is a bigger mystery than they thought. Nick's feelings for Suzy grow quickly and he works to protect her and her son and sister. There are several interesting plot twists and I'm looking forward to seeing how the series goes on.
