The killer she can't escape . . .
The heartbreak she can't forget . . .
The one man who can stop them both.
When Samantha Fairchild witnesses a murder in the wine cellar of the restaurant where she works, the Harvard-bound law student becomes the next target of a professional assassin. Desperate for protection the authorities won't provide, Sam seeks help from Vivi Angelino, an investigative reporter who recruits her brother, Zach, to protect Samantha. A Special Forces vet with the scars to prove he's equally fearless and flawed, Zach takes the job, despite the fact that he and Sam once shared a lusty interlude that ended when he left for war and disappeared from her life. Now, as they crack a conspiracy that leads to Boston's darkest corners, Sam and Zach must face their fears, desires, and doubts, before a hired killer gets a second shot...
Three years ago, Samantha was living in the same building as her best friend Vivi Angelino, and at a party she met her brother Zach, home for a short relief before going back into action as an Army Ranger. Two and a half weeks of passion and laughter followed, but when she told him she loved him, he left without a word. Zach sure didn’t know what to do. But on the long flight to his next secret mission, he made up his mind. He loved her as well, and would ask her to wait for him. His best friend just heard he was going to be a father of twins, so that was another thing to celebrate. But two days later, his best friend was killed in action. And Zach was determined Samantha would not go through that grief. She would soon enough forget about him and find someone else. He loved his job, and would not give it up for a wife and family. Not yet.
But faith intervened. Zach got badly injured on his last mission and lost some of the soldiers under his command. Not willing to get a deskjob, he quit the army. But since then he is restless, he lost his eye and got turned down for a job with their cousins security firm. And now his sister Vivi has the mad scheme to start their own security firm, the Guardian Angelinos. She could sure use Zach, and their cousins. Marc, a former FBI-agent, Gideon, a spook, and JP, a police officer with the Boston PD.
Samantha’s life has also changed a lot in the last three years. When she was sixteen, she was also the witness to a murder, and her testimony convicted a man. Years later, the real murderer came forward with a confession, but it is still not easy to get the wrongfully convicted man free. She quits her job, and joins a foundation that cares for these cases. It took a while to get Billy free, but they did it. Billy sure didn’t hold a grudge against Samantha, and they are good friends at the moment. But the case also shone a light on the Boston PD, making some heads role for the bad investigation and the set up of Billy.
So, now Samantha has witnessed another murder, the Boston PD doesn’t care at all that she is in danger from the assassin. They lost some friends thanks to her. Samantha also has lost all faith in herself. Will she ever be able to accuse another man of being the murderer she saw? But she is so scared, she needs to go somewhere safe. So she thinks of her old friend Vivi, and le message, and Zach who invites her over. He sure is willing to continue their relationship. If only he wasn’t so scarred and ugly (which is only in his own mind). He scares Samantha half to death, accosting her outside the apartment building. And he hurt her so badly three years ago, never calling, writing, or sending a postcard. She really doesn’t want to risk that again. But she really has no other choice but to accept Zach as her bodyguard. And Zach promises to keep his hands of her, and to keep her safe.
But somehow, the murderer always seems to find them, and try to kill her again …
A nice book, which never really got scary or on the edge of my seat exciting, and I was a bit disappointed by that. A lot happens, and a lot of original storylines were told. I was just hoping for some more suspense in this romantic suspense book.
Still, I did like Sam, for standing up for herself, for changing her life so radically. She has just been accepted in Harvard Law School, so she can be of even more good to the foundation. And now she has been set up.
It took me a while longer to like Zach. He had such a big hangup about his face and eyepatch, and that she could never look at him without pity. It took until he explained more about his behavior to warm up to him, and that took half the book! He has lots and lots of issues in his life, never feeling at home with his family. And he sure has no idea how to handle love when it falls in his lap.
So, I really liked the plot, I just couldn’t feel the suspense. The writing style is very fluent and easy to read. I am looking forward to reading more about the cousins. There were a few unrealistic things though, I really couldn’t believe them.
6,5 stars.
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