Laura C’s review of Run the Risk (Love Undercover, Book 1) by Lori Foster
Romantic Suspense published by HQN 25 Sep 12

A great number of authors these days seem to be producing books at warp speed. At one level, that is great because you can read more of your favorite authors’ work faster. But it’s been my experience that whenever those authors I adore go from producing a book every nine-to-twelve months to producing a book every two-to-four months, the books suffer. Sadly, I think this is going to be the last Lori Foster for me for a while.

I had to force myself to finish this book just so I could review it, and that never used to happen to me with a Lori Foster! I don’t find the characters engaging and the plot has a hole the size of Montana in it.

Logan Riske is investigating Rowdy Yates. (Right there, things started to go wrong for me—Rowdy Yates? Really? The Clint Eastwood character from Rawhide? And yes, I know I am showing my age, but I really had a hard time with that one.)  So he starts by keeping tabs on the only person he is sure knows Rowdy: Rowdy’s sister, Pepper.

Pepper is hiding everything about herself. Not just her name, but even her body. She doesn’t go so far as to wear a fat suit, but just about. And yet, she’s only moved one county over from the guy who wants to kill her. The apartment building she lives in is owned by her brother, but no one knows that. He also has access to a whole bunch of other stuff not under his name, so there’s no reason, if he wanted to keep her safe, that he couldn’t simply move her to another state or even another country. But he doesn’t.

SPOILER ALERT: Highlight text to see where the book completely went off the rails for me.

Pepper wants to sleep with Logan, but she still doesn’t trust him, so she won’t even let him see her body and insists upon having sex in the dark, fully clothed, and without letting his hands touch her anywhere. Yes, her body is just that amazing. So astonishing that he would immediately recognize her in any other situation should he get a chance to see or touch her. The WTFery is completely out there. I mean, I thought maybe she was not letting him see her because she had some really recognizable tattoo or something, but no, it’s just her amazingness.
So, anyway, the bad guys are really bad, the good guys are fabulous and wonderful, and everything is just…bland. I love me some romantic suspense, but there isn’t much suspenseful here. We are given the upcoming romances of both Rowdy and Logan’s partner as teasers and Logan’s partner actually seems like kind of an interesting guy. Maybe I’ll read that one.

Grade: D

Summary:

When Detective Logan Riske goes undercover to find Pepper Yates, a potential link to his best friend’s unsolved murder, he vows to gain her cooperation by any means necessary. But the elusive beauty is more suspicious—and in far more danger—than he expected. And the last thing Logan needs is to start caring for her….

Pepper has spent years dodging the corrupt club owner who will stop at nothing to keep her silenced. She can trust no one, not even the handsome new “construction worker” who’s moved in next door. The heat between them is undeniable. But will surrendering to passion bring her the safety she so desires—or will her feelings for Logan draw them both into a killer’s crosshairs?

Read an excerpt.