Series:
Coltons of Colorado (Book 11)
A cyberstalker is terrorizing her…
And the threats are escalating.
The threatening texts Kayla St. James is receiving insist
she knows where something is hidden. Terrified, she confides in her boss,
rancher Jasper Colton. Though Jasper's father sent her dad to prison, Kayla's
only option is to trust him. But as the terror campaign intensifies, Kayla
begins to care for Jasper despite her misgivings. Can two former enemies unite
to take down a vicious stalker?
Terrific combination of romance and suspense. Kayla and
Jasper have a complicated relationship. She works for him on the ranch he owns
with his sister. She was hired after her family's ranch was foreclosed on due
to her father being sent to prison, and Jasper's father was the judge who did
it. Kayla maintains that her dad was innocent, especially as Judge Colton was
later found to be corrupt. Kayla harbors a deep resentment toward the Coltons
because of it, while Jasper feels guilty because of his father's actions.
Matters become complicated when Kayla begins receiving
threatening texts. Those texts insist she knows where something is hidden, but
she has no idea what they are talking about. She initially tries to blow them
off as pranks. Jasper witnesses her reaction when a particularly threatening
message arrives and finally convinces her to tell him about it. Jasper's
protective instincts kick in as he insists on helping her.
I enjoyed watching the relationship develop between Kayla
and Jasper. The attraction is there from the beginning, which frustrates Kayla.
How can she be attracted to the man she considers her family's enemy? She copes
by avoiding him whenever possible. For Jasper, Kayla is an employee and,
therefore, off-limits. Kayla is reluctant when Jasper insists she moves into
his house for her protection but gives in after another text. Jasper was sweet
with his attempts to care for her, while Kayla's stubborn independence made her
fight what she was afraid to accept. As she became more comfortable around him,
her snappy comebacks to his comments were fun to see.
The more time they spent together, the stronger their attraction,
and the deeper the feelings grew. I was slightly disappointed in Jasper's
reluctance to expose his feelings to his family, especially since they all
suspected the truth. Kayla knew the truth of her feelings but believed that
Jasper wouldn't be interested in anything permanent with the daughter of a
convict. I ached for Jasper when he planned a surprise for Kayla, and her
stubborn pride took it the wrong way. It takes a little time apart and some
self-examination for Kayla to realize that just because she can do things
herself doesn't mean she has to. I loved the ending and seeing them look forward
to a future together.
The suspense was excellent. The disturbing texts that
turn threatening indicate that someone believes that Kayla has information the
texter wants. You can feel her fear as the tone of the texts escalates. Once
she involves Jasper, who in turn involves several of his siblings, the
intensity builds. It doesn't take long to figure out that it has something to
do with Kayla's father. Unexpected revelations expose a different side of her
father and answer the question posed by the texter. There are a couple of
intense confrontations and an unexpected twist to the ending. A sighting of the
series' archenemy, Ronald Spence, adds another layer of strain to the story.
I loved seeing more of the Colton family and the progress
of the previous relationships. The Thanksgiving and Christmas party
get-togethers showcased the family's closeness, from teasing encounters to
unquestioning support. There was a sweet scene between Colton matriarch Isa and
the police chief that also had me laughing out loud at the family's reactions.
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