Lara Lacombe

"A cold case has plagued Detective Julian Aguirre for six years . . . and now he's finally got a lead on he murder he'd vowed to solve. Lily Pushkin remembers the crucial details of her parents' murder but she's not keen to open up, and her music therapist, Ruth Becker, intends to protect her young patient throughout the investigation. So does Julian. Because someone wants Lily to stay quiet, or she - and ruth - will pay the price . . .
The story uniquely threads faith with an unlikely couple and an unsolved crime into an edge-of-your-seat plot. There are several layers to the plot that leave the reader enthralled and shocked as each is revealed. I would highly recommend this book.… (mer)

Good story but relatively light on the suspense. The story was more relationship driven. Oliver is a venture capitalist who spends most of his time traveling the world helping small businesses and countries set up "green" technology. He doesn't do long-term relationships, only short flings with like-minded women. On his infrequent visits home, he has gotten to know Hilary, a waitress at his favorite restaurant. Something about her keeps him coming back.

Hilary has worked at her family's restaurant all her life and continues to do so while working on her degree in International Marketing. She's intrigued by Oliver and interested in hearing about his work. She's also attracted to him but feels he's out of her league.

On one of his trips home, Oliver and Hilary get together after she gets off work. One thing leads to another, and they spend a passionate night together. He leaves on another trip the next day and, over the next few months, thinks of her often but never contacts her. Unsurprisingly, she's not exactly thrilled to see him the next time he shows up at the restaurant. Determined to apologize for his actions, Oliver arrives at the restaurant at closing time to find Hilary injured and unconscious on the floor and her brother missing. His protective instincts aroused, Oliver immediately takes control of the situation. But he and Hilary are surprised when she gets checked out at the hospital - she's pregnant with his baby.

Two things are going on in this book - the development of Oliver and Hilary's relationship and her brother Jeff's disappearance. Most of the page time was spent on the relationship. Oliver initially was a bit of a jerk by not bothering to contact Hilary after their night together. He redeemed himself somewhat by his immediate acceptance of his impending fatherhood. He doesn't jump into a marriage proposal but does make it clear that he intends to be involved in his child's life. Hilary is wary of believing him because of his travel history and how he ghosted her, but she is willing to give him a chance.

One of the things I liked about both characters is that they talked to each other about their expectations. They admitted that their attraction was still strong, and their friendship was too. Both expressed a willingness to see where their relationship might go if they give it a chance. Hilary has one simple request - if they are going to be partners, he can't hold back when something affects them both. Unfortunately, Oliver has been used to making the decisions he feels best for a long time. When he takes action after explicitly promising Hilary he wouldn't, she calls him out on it. I liked that she was strong enough to stand up for herself and her needs. It was satisfying to see Oliver consider her accusations and realize that she was right. I liked seeing him go to her and apologize. Their make-up scene was realistic, especially with Oliver admitting that he's sure to make other mistakes, but they can get through anything together. The epilogue had a fun little twist, though it wasn't much of a surprise.

The suspense of the story was mild. Hilary's brother goes missing during the attack that injures her, and Oliver uses his contacts and family to find out what happened. His two primary cohorts are his brothers Ezra and Dom, the soldier and the FBI agent. They've always been close as triplets, and he naturally turns to them for help. However, once again, he does things his way instead of listening to the advice of those with more experience. That mistake comes home to roost at the end when his overconfidence puts him in mortal danger. He was fortunate to have come out of it as well as he did and hopefully learned his lesson.

I did like Oliver's willingness to help with Jeff's disappearance. I thought he handled the situation's delicacy well and understood Hilary's dad's feelings. I also liked the realism of how Jeff ended up in the position he did. Oliver's conversation with Jeff was well done. There was also an interesting twist that linked Jeff's situation with the issue that has plagued the Coltons throughout the series.… (mer)