Susan F. (scoutmomskf) -
Good book with a slow burn romance and interesting suspense element. Davis Black is the youngest of the prominent Chicago family. Unlike many of his family, Davis chose civic involvement instead of joining law enforcement. Davis was recently elected alderman of his district and already had a reputation as a caring and honorable leader. Therefore, he isn't happy when his father, Jerome, the police superintendent, all but orders him to meet with Alexander Balducci, a man suspected of having ties to organized crime.
Neema is an award-winning reporter with the city paper. Her parents own a restaurant where she frequently helps out. She witnesses the meeting between Balducci and Davis and sees a suspicious exchange of what looks like cash. Neema smells a possible story and plans to get close enough to Davis to investigate her suspicions.
I enjoyed the development of the relationship between Davis and Neema. They met briefly the night he met with Balducci, and the sparks between them were immediate. Davis was amusing with his blatant excitement over his upcoming meeting with Neema and her father and his happiness at securing a date with her. Neema, who also feels the sparks, accepts the date with a healthy dose of skepticism and suspicion. During their dinner out, Neema finds her doubts fading as her admiration for Davis grows. As they spend more time together, Neema feels guilty about not telling him about her job. She knows she has to come clean, but finding the right time proves difficult. The longer she waits, the harder it is, and she fears that it could destroy their growing relationship. Davis is obviously smitten, and his enjoyment of her company is evident. He finds it easy to share things with her that he usually doesn't talk about and appreciates her support during some rough times. It all comes crashing down when the truth comes out. I ached for both Neema and Davis. Davis felt betrayed and doubted her feelings for him, while Neema thought all of her fears had come true. Though it took some effort and unsolicited advice from his family, I liked the ending. I especially liked the realism that it wasn't immediately all unicorns and rainbows; instead, it took time and attention to get back to where they were.
The suspense of the story was good, with a lot going on. First, there was the requested meeting with Balducci. Let me say right off that the relationship of the head of the police with a known/suspected criminal struck me as all kinds of wrong. It was explained later, but the optics were terrible. I also hated the way Jerome forced Davis into doing it. I know that Davis has a lot of respect for his father, but I would have had more respect for Davis if he'd refused. Yes, it set up the meeting with Neema, but... Then there were the attacks on Davis, one of which implicated him in a murder. Are the two events connected, or has Davis's political activities angered someone? The final confrontation was a little bit anticlimactic thanks to Davis's dog but satisfying nonetheless. I did not see the twists that went along with that event coming. The book ended with a bit of a cliffhanger, leading into the next book.
I liked seeing the other members of Davis's family and how close they all are. I especially liked how his siblings immediately came to him when he asked for their help. My only exceptions were Davis's father, as previously mentioned, and his sister Simone. In the previous book, Reunited by the Badge, I noted her tendency toward the melodramatic. In this book, she takes it too far in a vicious confrontation with Neema.
Neema is an award-winning reporter with the city paper. Her parents own a restaurant where she frequently helps out. She witnesses the meeting between Balducci and Davis and sees a suspicious exchange of what looks like cash. Neema smells a possible story and plans to get close enough to Davis to investigate her suspicions.
I enjoyed the development of the relationship between Davis and Neema. They met briefly the night he met with Balducci, and the sparks between them were immediate. Davis was amusing with his blatant excitement over his upcoming meeting with Neema and her father and his happiness at securing a date with her. Neema, who also feels the sparks, accepts the date with a healthy dose of skepticism and suspicion. During their dinner out, Neema finds her doubts fading as her admiration for Davis grows. As they spend more time together, Neema feels guilty about not telling him about her job. She knows she has to come clean, but finding the right time proves difficult. The longer she waits, the harder it is, and she fears that it could destroy their growing relationship. Davis is obviously smitten, and his enjoyment of her company is evident. He finds it easy to share things with her that he usually doesn't talk about and appreciates her support during some rough times. It all comes crashing down when the truth comes out. I ached for both Neema and Davis. Davis felt betrayed and doubted her feelings for him, while Neema thought all of her fears had come true. Though it took some effort and unsolicited advice from his family, I liked the ending. I especially liked the realism that it wasn't immediately all unicorns and rainbows; instead, it took time and attention to get back to where they were.
The suspense of the story was good, with a lot going on. First, there was the requested meeting with Balducci. Let me say right off that the relationship of the head of the police with a known/suspected criminal struck me as all kinds of wrong. It was explained later, but the optics were terrible. I also hated the way Jerome forced Davis into doing it. I know that Davis has a lot of respect for his father, but I would have had more respect for Davis if he'd refused. Yes, it set up the meeting with Neema, but... Then there were the attacks on Davis, one of which implicated him in a murder. Are the two events connected, or has Davis's political activities angered someone? The final confrontation was a little bit anticlimactic thanks to Davis's dog but satisfying nonetheless. I did not see the twists that went along with that event coming. The book ended with a bit of a cliffhanger, leading into the next book.
I liked seeing the other members of Davis's family and how close they all are. I especially liked how his siblings immediately came to him when he asked for their help. My only exceptions were Davis's father, as previously mentioned, and his sister Simone. In the previous book, Reunited by the Badge, I noted her tendency toward the melodramatic. In this book, she takes it too far in a vicious confrontation with Neema.
