Series:
Deep Six (Book 6)
Dalton “Doc” Simmons is having one helluva week. First,
archaic laws have kept him and his partners at Deep Six Salvage from recovering
the sunken treasure they've been after since bugging out of the Navy. Second,
an approaching hurricane threatens to scatter the legendary riches across the
bottom of the ocean. And third, Deep Six's feisty, flirty attorney, Camilla D'
Angelo, has just landed on Wayfarer Island, and she represents everything he
can't stand...and everything he can't help but want.
One look at Doc and Cami knew she'd met the man of her
dreams. The medical doctor-turned Navy SEAL-turned treasure hunter has it all
-- brawn and brains. The problem? He doesn't like her. In fact, no man has ever
given her so much crap. But something tells Cami there's more to his
bad-tempered brooding than meets the eye.
As the storm closes in, so does a boat full of dangerous
men bent on claiming the centuries-old treasure for themselves...and killing
everyone on Wayfarer Island. Doc must keep Cami close if he wants to keep her
alive. But all that proximity turns up the heat on the chemistry bubbling
between them. For Cami, it's more than a fight for her life, it's a fight for
Doc's heart. If they survive, can she convince him to let go of his past for a
chance at a future with her?
Terrific conclusion to the Deep Six series. Though it is
possible to read this as a standalone, the earlier books make it possible to
understand everything these men and their ladies have gone through before
reaching this point. The treasure of the Santa Cristina was finally located in
the previous book; now, they need to retrieve it. However, to raise and keep
the treasure, they need the help of crack property lawyer Cami D'Angelo, a
circumstance that sticks in the craw of Dalton "Doc" Simmons.
Doc and Cami met when she first arrived in the Keys, and
the sparks between them were instant. They almost had a night together, but
Doc's drinking and emotional baggage held him back. Then they discovered that
Cami was the lawyer working for Deep Six and their dispute with the state over
the treasure. Doc hates lawyers with a passion, and Cami never mixes business
with pleasure, so those sparks have nowhere to go. They've spent the last six
months arguing and sniping at each other, their underlying attraction growing daily.
Doc is a widower who believes that he has had his one
true love. The thought of loving another woman fills him with dread and guilt.
But he can't ignore Cami and the way she makes him feel. Doc is also what I
think of as the big brother of the group. He's always there with a word of
advice or support, not just for his teammates but for the women, too. I ached
for Doc in this book and previous ones when he's had to use deadly force.
Taking someone's life weighs on his heart and soul, and it takes an
understanding Cami to help him deal with those feelings.
Cami is a tough-as-nails lawyer with a spine of steel.
She worked hard to find a way for the team to keep their treasure. She has a
well-developed sense of right and wrong, thanks mainly to her life as a
mobster's daughter. I love her independence and ability to give as good as she
gets. She fits in well with the other residents of Wayfarer Island.
I enjoyed watching the relationship develop between Doc
and Cami. The chemistry between them is off the charts though neither is
willing to admit it out loud. Seeing them exchange barbs, feeding off each
other's wit and sarcasm, was great fun. When the approaching hurricane forces
them into close proximity, the barriers between them start to come down. With
her job there nearly at an end, Cami is ready to forget her rule about mixing
business and pleasure. But Doc resists acknowledging his feelings, hanging onto
his grief, and fighting every step of the way. There was a time near the end
when I wondered if they would ever find their way together. I liked Cami's
determination not to accept less than what she deserves, and I was happy to see
Doc finally come to his senses (with a bit of help).
The suspense of the story was fantastic. With a hurricane
bore-sighted on Wayfarer Island, the team needs to get the treasure off the
ocean floor and safely stored. Otherwise, it could be spread over miles. They
get most of it up and taken to Key West while a few remain behind to raise the
rest. But the hurricane arrives too quickly for them to evacuate, so they must
ride out the storm on the island. They are unaware of a group of thieves determined
to relieve them of the treasure until the men show up on the island. Some
intense moments in the confrontation between our guys and the intruders kept me
glued to the pages until it was all over. I loved how it turned out though it
added some complications to their lives.
There was a secondary romance between Uncle John and
Dana, the government official sent to monitor the raising of the treasure. It
was sweet to see these two find each other, and I loved watching them take care
of each other.
The epilogue was terrific. I loved catching up with each
couple a few months after the events of the book. Each of them has made their
dreams come true, and I loved the tail end and their acknowledgment of the team
member who started them on their journey.
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