Series:
Sierra's Web (Book 7)
A husband-and-wife disguise…
His only hope for survival.
Only Sierra's Web can prove Joe Hamilton's innocence and
keep him safe. But wrongly accused Joe never expected his hired protection to
be a stunning redheaded spitfire -- posing as his wife on a cross-country
camper vacation! Burning even hotter than the electricity between Joe and
bodyguard McKenna Meredith is the danger at every turn…unless Sierra's Web can
exonerate Joe before his enemies find him.
Terrific book that kept me engaged from start to finish. The
story is fast-paced and intriguing. I loved Joe's unwavering insistence that he
was innocent and willing to do whatever was necessary to prove it.
Joe was the CFO of a large software company when
accusations of fraud cost the company millions of dollars in losses. He was
tried but found not guilty (not innocent) because the prosecution couldn't
prove that he was responsible. Investors lost vast amounts of money, and Joe
has received threats since his release. He hires Sierra's Web to find the evidence
that will prove his innocence and accepts their insistence that he take a
bodyguard to keep him safe.
McKenna has been working as a bodyguard for years. Her
appearance is deceptive, which has proved advantageous in the past - I loved
the story of her "interview" with the head of Sierra's Web. She is
focused and determined. Their cover is that they are a married couple
sightseeing by RV.
The first meeting between Joe and McKenna is awkward. He
is initially skeptical of her qualifications, and McKenna has a long-standing
dislike of wealthy people whose sole focus is on making more money. She is familiar
with his story and doesn't believe he is innocent, though she swears that won't
keep her from doing her job. There is a power struggle between them until they
work out their differences. I liked that Joe trusted her capabilities and agreed
to follow her lead.
There is tension between Joe and McKenna from the start.
Some of it is the question of guilt vs. innocence, and more of it is the
simmering attraction that neither wants to admit. Despite the accusations against
him, Joe is honorable and will never make uninvited advances toward her. Forced
into 24/7 proximity and struggling to stay ahead of those chasing Joe, McKenna's
determined distancing from Joe doesn't last long. I liked seeing them get to
know each other better as little bits of their backstories emerged. We learn
why McKenna has such a problem with rich people and why Joe is so focused on
accumulating wealth.
Their attraction continues to grow, accelerated by the
occasional need to get physically close. Because of their differing lifestyles
and outlooks starting something could only end in heartbreak. But when the case
is over, will they be able to go their separate ways without regret?
The suspense of the story was excellent. Joe has been
trying to figure out who set him up on his own and has accumulated an impressive
amount of meticulously organized information. Even though he gives the
information to the people at Sierra's Web, he ponders the problem himself. It
becomes evident that someone out there doesn't want him unearthing the truth,
and the efforts to find him are intense. It seems they can barely keep one step
ahead of their pursuers, leading them to believe there may be a leak somewhere.
I loved McKenna's solution of a safe place to go and laughed out loud at her
surprise over his method of "hiding." When the final confrontation
came, I wasn't shocked at who it was, but I was surprised by the level of their
hands-on involvement. I liked how it went down - go, McKenna! - and that Joe
was part of it, too.
I loved the ending and the changes that Joe and McKenna
experienced during their time together. I hope they show up in later books, as
I'd love to see how their lives turn out.
I enjoyed the connection between this book and the
author's Shelter Valley series. It's always lovely to catch up on the lives of
past characters.
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