Series: Montana Hamiltons (Book 6)
Protecting her life will mean betraying her trust
Ainsley Hamilton has always been the responsible one of
the family. As the oldest daughter of presidential candidate Buckmaster
Hamilton, she's also a potential target. For months she's sensed someone
following her. When an expedition to scout locations for a commercial takes a
terrifying turn, she's rescued by a natural-born cowboy who tempts the good
girl to finally let loose.
Sawyer Nash knows just how reckless it is to fall for
someone he's gone undercover to protect. Yet masquerading as an extra on set,
he starts to see beneath Ainsley's controlled facade. And with the election --
and a killer -- drawing closer, Sawyer stands to lose not just his job and his
life but the woman for whom he'd gladly risk both.
Very good book and conclusion to the series. There are three
main stories going on. The one that has been building since the first book,
which is the story of Sarah Hamilton and why she has really "returned from
the dead". Another is specific to this book and is the story of Ainsley
and Sawyer, as is the search for a gang of jewel thieves that may be using the
production company as a cover.
Ainsley is the oldest of the Hamilton girls and has been
the one to watch out for the others after their mother died. She's tried to be
a good example for them. A few years earlier she had felt the need for change,
dropped out of law school and became a location scout for a production company
that makes commercials. For the last several months she has had the feeling
that she's being followed. She doesn't know who or why. When one of her
location searches ends in a landslide, she feels lucky that a cowboy was there
to save her. She finds him incredibly attractive and is tempted to let go of
her good girl ways for a bit.
Sawyer wasn't there by chance. On medical leave from his
job with the FBI, he's bored and willing to help out his old friend Sheriff
Frank Curry when he's asked to protect Ainsley from a potential stalker. He
signs on as an extra for the commercial to give him a reason to be near her. He
doesn't expect to be so fascinated by all the facets of her personality or so
attracted to her physically. He made the mistake of getting involved with a woman
he rescued before and it didn't end well.
I enjoyed the development of their romance. Both of them
are independent, intelligent and loyal to those they care about. There was also
an immediate attraction between them, stronger than either had ever felt
before. Ainsley decides that Sawyer is the perfect person to help her rid
herself of a "problem" and Sawyer has a hard time resisting. And
though he knows he shouldn't get involved, he finds Ainsley too irresistible. There are bumps in their road, though, as Sawyer's ex, also an FBI agent, is there
too, working on the jewel thief case. She isn't happy to see Sawyer with Ainsley
and does several mean-spirited things to keep them apart, at the same time
trying to convince Sawyer to come back to her. When Ainsley finds out the truth
of why Sawyer is there, on top of his connection to Kitzie, she's sure she has
made a mistake. It takes a couple of life threatening events to bring them back
together.
The various suspense threads were fantastic, with quite a
few twists and turns. The stalker situation was intense, with the stalker
getting more and more aggressive. Sawyer is pretty sure he has it figured out,
but until he's certain he doesn't want to get too far from Ainsley. Just when
you think he's got it all wrapped up, it turns out that there is more to the
story. Ainsley's life is endangered even further by a stunt that Kitzie pulls,
and it is a terrifying close call for Sawyer to show up in time to save her.
The jewel thieves case that Kitzie is working on was interesting.
She and her partner had been working it for a while, and she finally feels like
they are getting close. I enjoyed following along as they put the clues
together. Kitzie's independence and competitiveness puts her in danger, and
also risks the resolution of the case. There's a twist to the ending that
infuriates Kitzie and doesn't show her particularly well. She does get a chance
to redeem herself later.
The biggest story, however, has been the story of Sarah
Hamilton. I have gone back and forth on her throughout the series, never quite
sure whether I could trust her. It has come out that before she met and married
Buck, she had been the leader of a revolutionary group called The Prophecy. In
this book we learn more about her disappearance more than twenty years earlier
and what was behind it. Now she is becoming more afraid of what is going to
happen when Buck is elected president. I felt bad for her and her fears of what
would happen when her memories fully returned, and was pretty impressed with
her growing determination discover the truth. Her confrontation with her
ex-lover and current leader was intense and showed just how dangerous he was. The
final scene on election night was truly scary in how possible it could be in
real life.
I also enjoyed following along with Sheriff Frank Curry
and his wife Nettie. He has been such a big part of several series. He is a man
who is always determined to protect the people he serves to the best of his
ability, and will go to any length to do so. But he's also getting a bit burned
out and wants to spend more time with his wife. It was fun to see that he's
also realistic enough to know that a typical retirement is not for him. I loved
the solution that he came up with, and the effect it has on Nettie also.
No comments:
Post a Comment