Series: Declan's Defenders (Book 1)
Wrong place, wrong time.
Right man for the job.
Declan O'Neill's US Marines career is over, but nothing
can stop him from saving lives. When he starts an organization that aims to
help people who can't defend themselves, his first client is a woman desperate
for answers. Grace Lawrence knows something happened to her roommate, and she's
certain she can trust Declan to uncover the truth…though she wonders if she can
trust herself with a soldier like Declan.
Fantastic start to the new series. Declan is a Marine who
was dishonorably discharged for disobeying orders, losing the career he loved.
He was wandering around DC with all his worldly possessions in his backpack and
less than one hundred dollars to his name. He was a little bit depressed over
his lack of prospects and too ashamed to go home under those conditions. While
waiting to cross the street, Declan witnessed an attempted kidnapping, and
being the type of man he is, immediately jumped into action. Declan may have
been dishonorably discharged, but a lack of honor was not his problem. I was on
the edge of my seat as he took on the kidnappers single-handed, then had to
endure unpleasant attention from the police. Fortunately, the woman he rescued
stepped in and cleared him of blame before offering him a job. Charlie was a
very wealthy woman who wanted to form a group that would help those who can't
be helped through regular channels. I liked the way that Charlie could see the
good man at Declan's core.
Grace was a young woman trying to get her life back
together after divorcing an abusive husband. She did not expect to get caught
up in a kidnapping attempt and end up with the hero's backpack and no way to
find him. To make matters worse, she arrived home from an aborted job interview
to discover that her roommate was missing. After searching all night, Grace was
stunned to see her rescuer at her rescheduled interview. Her future employer
immediately assigned Declan to help Grace find out what happened to Riley.
The action is nearly nonstop, as the events of the book
take place over only two or three days. Declan and Grace pull out all the stops
to find Riley, but they aren't the only ones looking. There were several
nerve-wracking situations as Declan and Grace searched for clues to Riley's
disappearance. Declan had to call on all of his skills to keep Grace safe. The
more that they uncovered, the more apparent it became that Riley was involved
in something very dangerous. That involvement put Grace in the middle of a
deadly hostage situation. The timely arrival of Declan's recon team and another
player helped Declan even the odds. The final confrontation was intense, and I
loved seeing Grace take an active role in her own rescue. While the initial
mystery of Riley's disappearance was solved, there are still unanswered
questions. Who was behind the attempts to steal the information that Riley was
working on? What happened to the man who broke into Grace's apartment? Is there
a link between the attack on Charlie and Riley's project. I also have the
feeling that there was more to Declan's failed mission and discharge than he
knows.
I enjoyed the development of the relationship between
Declan and Grace. The chemistry between them was evident though both tried to
ignore it at first. Declan felt unworthy of Grace because of his situation, and
Grace was wary of risking her heart again. I liked Declan's protectiveness and
how Grace's strength and determination drew him to her. I also liked Grace's
belief in Declan's goodness, and that he'd had a good reason for what he did.
The sparks between them flared hot in reaction to the danger they were in,
deepening the connection they felt. I loved the way that they acknowledged the
potential of what was growing between them rather than experiencing
"insta-love."
I liked the introduction to the other members of Declan's
team. From the small bit of the story of their failed mission, it was easy to
see that they all have a great deal of respect for Declan. I loved seeing their
teamwork both then and during the final confrontation. Each of them is unique
and I'm looking forward to reading their stories, starting with Mac and Riley.
No comments:
Post a Comment