Wednesday, April 19, 2017

Agent Bride - Beverly Long (HI #1608 - Dec 2015)

Series: Return to Ravesville (Book 2)

Finding an amnesiac bride stranded in a blizzard wasn't how a navy SEAL pictured his homecoming…

Navy SEAL Cal Hollister is stunned when the white flag he sees flapping in a snowstorm turns out to be a veil attached to a beautiful woman. Unconscious and dressed only in a bridal gown, Cal calls her Stormy and carries her to safety. But it isn't long before trouble finds the mysterious bride, and trying to discover her identity puts a target on her back. Using every resource at his disposal, Cal uncovers a sinister plot involving terrorists, a forced marriage -- and that who Stormy really is might get them both killed.

Good book. Cal is on his way home for Thanksgiving after leaving the Navy. He's got a lot on his mind, not the least of which is the snowstorm he's driving through. When he spots a white flag waving in the storm, he's stunned to discover that it is the veil of a woman dressed in a wedding gown and unconscious in the snow. He carries her to safety, only to discover that she can't remember who she is or how she got there. When he witnesses two suspicious looking men searching for her, his protective instincts kick in. He calls her Stormy and is determined to help her figure out who she is.

Stormy has no idea how she ended up where she was, but she's pretty sure that the men looking for her don't have her best interests in mind. Though cautious at first, she trusts her instincts when it comes to Cal and feels safe when she's with him.

The story is fast paced and takes place over just a few days. Cal and Stormy need to figure out who she is and why they are after her. As she begins to get flashes of returning memory, Stormy is certain that there is something big that is going to happy on Saturday. Each memory gives them another clue to follow, which all begin to lead to a local college and an impending political visit. A bit of bad luck puts them both in the hands of the bad guys. The intensity of the confrontation kept me turning the pages, as I anticipated their escape. In an interesting twist, what the bad guys had planned was not what had brought Stormy to the case, but the two were linked. I loved the tension of seeing Cal do his part, while Stormy, memory restored, does hers and worries for his safety. I liked the ending.

The development of their relationship was really fast. Cal has avoided relationships because of his work as a SEAL, but something about Stormy really draws him. He is attracted to her, but because of the wedding gown considers her off limits. Stormy is just as attracted to him and is certain that no one else has a claim on her. Other than some hot kisses, at the beginning they don't have time to pursue what might be between them. I liked seeing them work together. Cal starts out be super protective, for reasons that come out later in the book, but Stormy is good at showing him that she doesn't need to be coddled. I liked seeing her stand up to him when it happened, and loved how he saw his error and changed his ways. It also gave him a chance to open up about his past and what has brought him back to Ravesville. Stormy had realized her feelings for him when he went off to defuse the bomb. I ached for her when she thought he was gone, and enjoyed their big moment at the end.

No comments:

Post a Comment