Series: Bad Boys Undercover (Book 1)
As an elite Alliance agent -- the joint undercover
operation of MI6, the British Secret Intelligence Service, and the CIA -- Ford
Decker lives for the adrenaline. But when he befriends sexy property manager
Shay Alexander in hopes of finding her cousin, a known national security
threat, Ford crosses the line, getting to know her better . . . in bed.
After being burned by her last relationship, Shay wants
to take things slow. Yet she can't keep her hands off the drop-dead gorgeous
hottie who's moved into her apartment building. So when Ford's identity as an
undercover agent is exposed, his betrayal cuts deep. Shay never wants to see
him again, but Ford can't let her go, not when her life is still in danger. He
will sacrifice everything to protect her, then be prepared to walk away from
the only woman he's ever loved, even if it breaks him.
Very good book. Ford is undercover, working on a case for
Alliance. A scientist has gone missing along with some vials of a deadly toxin.
Rumor has it that it will be sold to the highest bidder. Ford is tagged with
watching Shay, cousin to the missing scientist, and property manager of the
building Ford is now living in. But Ford goes further than he should, and gets
much, much closer. Because of a past relationship that went wrong, Shay intends
to be cautious with Ford. But those intentions go right out the window when the
sparks between them burst into flame.
I really liked both Ford and Shay. Shay is pretty
straightforward, doesn't play silly emotional games. She is recovering from one
bad relationship, where the guy lied to her and used her to try to get to her
uncle and his wealth. She likes Ford, and though she is frustrated by his
frequent absences, she understands that his job as an IT specialist calls him
away at a moment's notice. I loved that she isn't a whiner and doesn't try to
inveigle him into a deeper relationship than he's ready for. Her family is
important to her and she worries about her cousin.
Ford is great. He first appeared in Running Hot, as
Ward's partner. Now he is a team leader himself. He likes the new agency, which
isn't as bound up in rules and regulations as his former work with the CIA,
which gives him the freedom to react as he needs to. He is protective, loyal,
frequently sarcastic, and honorable. He's haunted by things that happened on
his last CIA mission and determined that it won't happen again.
The relationship between Ford and Shay has the potential
for disaster from the beginning. Ford wasn't supposed to make contact with her
yet, but the attraction to her is too hard to resist. From the outset, we see
the conflict that Ford is suffering from. She is part of the job, a possible
suspect, and yet he can't stay away from her. He realizes quickly that she
isn't involved and quickly moves into protector mode, worried about her getting
caught up in the middle. I loved seeing them together, with their happiness in
just being able to spend time together. Shay's mistrust of men disappears when
she's around Ford, feeling that he's just what he says he is. Ford gets a
little freaked out by just how much he needs Shay in his life. I loved how
being with her would center him after a difficult op. I was a little bit
surprised that Shay wasn't more suspicious of Ford, especially with his odd
schedule, but he was pretty convincing. I ached for them both when the truth
came out. Ford had fallen so hard for her, but knew that he deserved her anger.
What he didn't know was if she would ever forgive him. Shay was hit with so
much at once that Ford's deception seemed to be an even worse betrayal. It
takes her a while to process everything, and even then she's not sure she can
forgive him. I loved Ford's big moment at the end, especially the vulnerability
that he exposed to her.
The suspense of the story was fantastic. The men and
women of Alliance are determined to stop Trent and his plans to sell the toxin
to the highest bidder. The problem that they have is that each lead they follow
ends up being a dead end or a trap that nearly gets them killed. It quickly
becomes obvious that there is someone on the inside that is helping the bad
guys. So in addition to finding Trent and the toxin, they also have to find the
"mole". There were a couple possibilities and the truth remained hidden
until the end. The build up to the final confrontation was intense and kept me
reading well past my bedtime. I was on the edge of my seat through it as I
wondered how it was going to end.
I loved how Ford's Bravo team worked together. They were
all so different, but each had their own place. I especially liked how much
respect they had for Ford and that they were with him no matter what. I loved
the banter among them all, from the funny to the sarcastic. I'm looking forward
to seeing more of them in later books.
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