Contemporary Romance published by Berkley 19 Jul 22
I don’t know if this is true for others, but, as I get older, I don’t retain and remember the stories that came before in a series. Though I did do this backward, I read this one and then went back and reread the series, because I only had vague memories of how some of the characters from the past met their HEAs.
The best part of the reread was meeting Isabel when she was a naive, idealistic young woman heading off for college. I loved how she viewed every man she met as either a potential match for one of her sisters or was sighing in lust over them.
Isabel has certainly changed in many ways from the young Isabel, but in other ways she’s still scatterbrained and gets lost in her head and is definitely a bad driver, as Michael Buchanan discovers to his cost. Michael has always been the Navy SEAL on the periphery of the earlier stories, so he and Isabel are a match that does not appear to be made in heaven at first glance, but stranger things have been known to happen.
There is enough intrigue to require all the family FBI agents to put on their collective FBI hats and tug on all their connections to try to unravel the gordian knot. Can you imagine being so engrossed that you walk miles and end up in a gun battle in a seedy neighborhood? An impromptu karaoke night at the local pub with her graduating college friends and Isabel goes viral and suddenly talent scouts and the most famous name in music is knocking at her door. Despite being such an airhead – and let’s not talk about her driving prowess – we have a character who intrigues, makes you laugh, and has you rooting for her throughout the book.
Michael, of course, is in denial about Isabel, but yet he follows her, offering her his protection, and watches awed as she charms everyone she comes in contact with. Of course, being a typical male, Michael is in total denial only until he hears from his brothers that Isabel is visiting a friend on the West Coast. Convinced that she’s going to marry this friend, Michael rushes to her rescue, only to find out that the friend is proposing to another woman.
I really enjoyed this romance. While there is sexual chemistry between the characters, I really enjoyed the pace and romance that seems to be missing from so many romantic adventures lately. I believe there may actually be some Buchanan siblings who still need stories told and I’m sure there are untold FBI agents and partners that also could be featured in a romance or two. I would love for the author to give us more stories in this series.
Grade: A
Summary:
Grace Isabel MacKenna has a hundred things to do today. Killing someone isn’t one of them. It is supposed to be a quick visit to Boston for the Buchanan anniversary party, then on to Scotland to collect an inheritance. She checks into her hotel and then decides to go for a brisk walk. But after getting lost, she ends up with a wounded man stumbling into her arms—and his shooter coming after them both. When she fires back in self-defense, she doesn’t expect him to drop dead. After Isabel endures an interrogation by police, she is free to go, thanks to the Buchanans dispatching former Navy SEAL and now lawyer Michael Buchanan to assist her.
Isabel knows she should be grateful for Michael’s help, but since she’s harbored an extreme dislike for him for years, gratitude is difficult to muster. Michael has appointed himself her de facto guardian, and she’s stuck with him despite their constant bickering and sizzling attraction. Even when Isabel goes to Scotland to claim her inheritance, Michael follows her—but he isn’t the only thing she can’t shake. Mysterious threats against Isabel surface, and before they can deal with their growing feelings for each other, Michael and Isabel must first survive.
No excerpt available.
Other books in this series:
