Sandy M’s review of Lone Rider by Lauren Bach
Romantic Suspense released by Grand Central 1 Nov 01

Wow, talk about someone disappearing off the face of the planet. I had no idea Ms. Bach hadn’t written a book since 2005 and no information is really available on her anymore on the Internet. Some friends mentioned her books to me, how well they liked her writing. So when I came across Lone Rider a couple of months ago, I set it out to read it, finally getting to it recently. Had no idea it would lead me into a search for author details that can’t be found.  UPDATE: Discovered from a commenter here that she is now writing as Cate Noble.

Which is really too bad because Ms. Bach is quite a storyteller. A gripping storyline, strong characters, and villainous scum kept the story moving at a nice pace. This is one of those nightmare stories when the heroine is minding her own business, needing help on the highway, and the next thing she knows she’s been kidnapped by a gang of badass killers. The initial man who stopped is the one who protects her when possible, keeps the real nasties away from her as much as he can. Her fear is palpable every time the ring leader and his arrogant second hand even look her way. What the reader finds out early, that he is an undercover FBI agent, is something Tess doesn’t know until much later in the story.

Dallas is caught in his own nightmare when he fails to remove Tess from the danger he’s brought to her. He can tell her who he is and put his mission in jeopardy or he can continue to protect her to save numerous young women whose lives hang in the balance. The fact he’s basically given up his own life over the last two years to infiltrate this gang is what saves them both for as long as possible. But when all hell breaks loose, Dallas knows he can really only trust himself to keep Tess safe until the trial that will set them both free.

This is a solid story of danger and a real hero who lives what he believes. He’s lost a lot in life as officers of the law do at times, so he wants to make what he has left count. Tess is one strong lady, keeping her head during the most frightening time of her life. She is confused and torn, though, when it comes to Dallas. She knows he’s protecting her but how can she let that matter when the man is a criminal.  Growing feelings for one another catch them off guard, but it’s also what helps keep them alive when they’re on the run in the second half of the book.

I look forward to reading more of Ms. Bach’s stories as I come across them in the TBR pile. This one was a pleasant surprise.

Grade: B

Summary:
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A woman in desperate need of rescue… A deserted stretch of highway, a young woman stranded in a fancy car, and the sound of motorcycles in the black night….Tess Marsh’s cross-country trip ends all too suddenly when Dallas Haynes finds her. From his sexy bedroom eyes to his black leather jacket and dusty jeans, he spells trouble, but so does the nasty-looking biker gang that surrounds them. Within minutes, Tess is on the back of Dallas’s Harley, and at the mercy of a man who breaks through all of her defenses and makes her want him — good or bad, right or wrong.
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An unlikely savior in leather and jeans… Dallas’s mission doesn’t need another complication, yet from the moment he sees her he wants her with a rough, hungry passion that can hurt them both. Claiming her and abducting her is the only way to protect her from the gang. Then all hell breaks loose, and Dallas and Tess are on the run with no place to hide – except in each other’s arms.
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No excerpt available.