Her return to the Big Easy
Makes her a target
A year after her famous mother disappeared during Mardi
Gras, Josette Guillory is back on Bourbon Street. She's looking for answers,
even if that means putting herself at risk. Law enforcement failed her, which
is why she pushes FBI Agent Keenan Carter away -- until their mutual attraction
makes her pull him close. She trusts him with her life, but that doesn't mean
she trusts him with her heart…
A fast-paced book spanning a mere five days that kept me
intrigued from start to finish. Josette hasn't returned to New Orleans since
her mother disappeared during Mardi Gras the previous year. Now she's headed
for her best friend's wedding, with a side of looking for answers.
Keenan is an FBI agent on medical leave after being
injured. He is the best man at the wedding where Josette is the maid of honor. He
first noticed her on the flight to New Orleans, though his attempt at flirting
didn't get him very far. It was when they arrived that they learned of their
connection.
I loved the scenes with Josette, Addison (the bride), and
the other bridesmaids. Friends during college, they are still close, and I enjoyed
their light-hearted reminisces. The wedding preparation scenes in popular New
Orleans locations were terrific, especially with the added excitement of Mardi
Gras. I liked that the reason Josette was there was nicely balanced with the
mystery.
Almost as soon as Josette arrives in New Orleans, rumors circulate
that the missing Isadora will stage a triumphal return. The local detective,
Max, knows nothing about it and cautions Josette not to get her hopes up. When
someone has been missing that long, the outcome is rarely good.
Meanwhile, Josette tries to contact her father, Antoine,
a shrimper on a nearby bayou. She's disturbed by his refusal to see her and
more so by the news he shares with her. Max offers to go with her as moral
support when she plans to visit him. Their trip to Alligator Cove raises more
questions than answers. Mixed in among wedding activities, Josette and Keenan
put their minds to finding out what Antoine is hiding, and when they do, why it
doesn't make sense.
The stakes go up when a woman's body is found floating in
the bayou, and Keenan and Josette run into danger while searching a deserted
cabin. The final confrontation is a nail-biter but leaves one central question
unanswered. Because of the length of time elapsed, the why of the explanation
was no surprise when the resolution came. After all was said and done, it was a
bit anti-climactic, but I still enjoyed it.
I loved seeing the relationship between Keenan and Josette
develop. The sparks of attraction were there from the moment they met, but
doing anything about them didn't seem like a good idea. After the wedding,
Keenan would return to DC, and his job with the FBI, and Josette would return
to Nashville and her successful career as a fashion designer. But Keenan's
protective instincts were aroused and second only to his desire to spend as
much time as possible with Josette.
After a year of dealing with various law
enforcement types, Josette isn't inclined to trust Keenan initially, but it
isn't long before he wins her over. I loved how Keenan was there to support her
however she needed it. Over the time they spent together, their attraction
continued to grow, leading to some very intense kisses and an unexpected deepening
of the feelings growing between them. While the danger they experienced made
them realize they didn't want to be apart, they still needed to figure out how
to make it happen.
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