While at a job interview, Olivia MacKenzie lands in the middle of an FBI sting operation. This is where she meets FBI Agent Grayson Kincaid who is instantly smitten with her. Olivia doesn't plan to get involved with Grayson. She is busy trying to bring down her father who is stealing millions from unsuspecting investors. She was also sick as a child; and believes her illness will someday come back and kill her. Olivia doesn't want Grayson to suffer if she gets sick again. She is willing to give him up so he does not suffer in the future.
This is Julie Garwood's tenth romantic suspense story. I enjoyed the mystery portion of the story. Someone wants Olivia dead and Grayson is determined to keep her safe. There were several suspects, including some of Olivia's family, who may want her dead. I enjoyed guessing who was behind the attempt on Olivia's life. The romance portion of the story didn't work for me. Grayson seems determined to start a relationship with Olivia, then he wouldn't call her for several days...sometimes weeks. What drove me nuts was the fact that Olivia put up with it and didn't call him on it. I also didn't like that Olivia was willing to give up Grayson for his own good. She didn't want to marry him, only to suddenly die and leave him a widower. I hate that trope and thought authors were no longer using it.
Overall, I loved the mystery/suspense, but the romance fell flat for me. My rating: 4 Stars.
When Olivia was young, she had a terminal disease. She and the other 'Pips' became fast friends and have remained so as they grew into adulthood. Three of them are in remission and one is doing ok as long as she gets blood transfusions regularly. But being so sick, Olivia's family pretty much think her frail and don't take time for her. She considers her aunt her most closest family.
What Olivia would like more than anything is to take down her father. She believes him corrupt and her goal is to bring him and his schemes down like a tower of cards. She becomes IRS and with her skill and smarts, she just needs to find the right person to investigate to get her foot in the door. Right now, no one is saying anything she can use against her father.
When she is assaulted at a job interview by a man believing Olivia is wired, the FBI is called in. Grayson Kincaid can't keep his eyes off of Olivia and reaches out to do more questioning over the weekend. By the end of their questioning, they are crazy for one another.
Then, someone who knows Olivia has been trying to infiltrate her father's business begins to threaten and target her life. Can Grayson keep her safe while she tries to reach her goal? Their chemistry sizzles and their dialogue is very entertaining. However, the romance far exceeds the suspense by this best-selling author. I did find the book enjoyable, even though I didn't find myself heavily invested in the outcome. It would be a great beach read!
There are so many pieces to this story & they all fit together like pieces of a puzzle - almost too well. Our heroine has survived childhood cancer (& ignored by her family) with her three best friends, & they all keep in touch. She has grown up to work for the IRS & vows to bring down her father, who is running a gigantic Ponzi scheme. She is also a children's advocate, which is very nice, because the hero has custody of his nine year old nephew (who, of course, needs her help) The hero works for the FBI, also trying to get the bad guys, but once OLivia & Grayson meet, sparks fly, & they can't keep their hands off of each other. Some of the secondary characters are more intersting, & I'm sure Ms. Garwood will be using them in her future stories (its that obvious). It all works out in the end; all the pieces fit together quite neatly - almost too neatly. I prefer her historical romances.
