Series: Cavanaugh Justice (Book 38)Top Secret Deliveries (Book 8)
This Cavanaugh detective guards his ready-made family
Delivering a stranded woman's baby? All in a day's work
for Detective Dugan Cavanaugh. But the new mother is investigative reporter
Toni O'Keefe, who's hot on the trail of the drug cartel Dugan is tracking. Now
with infant Heather and Toni in the cartel's lethal sights, Toni's fragile
trust in Dugan is their only shot to get Cavanaugh justice!
Good book though not as intense as previous books until
the end. The book opened with some excitement as Dugan discovered a woman in
labor as he was leaving Malone's. The woman is wary but accepts his help when
he produces his police credentials. But Dugan doesn't get to stick around as
he's called away to a murder scene just as the ambulance arrives. Later, he's
dismayed to find out that she gave him a fake name, so he has no way to follow
up on her and the baby. Two months later, Dugan is stunned to find the woman in
the Chief of D's office. It turns out that Toni is an investigative reporter
who is doing a story on the same drug cartel that Dugan is working to shut
down. Toni has information that is useful to Dugan's investigation, and Dugan
is ordered to make Toni part of his team.
Sparks flew between Dugan and Toni from the beginning.
There is no doubt about the attraction, but Dugan also has to reconcile his
protectiveness toward Toni with her work as an investigative reporter. Toni is
fiercely independent and doesn't take well to Dugan's restrictions. He's
furious when she puts herself into danger to draw out a cartel member, but she
is determined. I liked seeing how their relationship developed as they worked
together. Dugan is a nice guy with a good heart and love of family. I loved
watching him fall just as hard for baby Heather as he did for Toni. There are
some really sweet scenes with him and the baby. Toni is a bit wary, as Dugan is
nothing like any man she has ever known. It was fun to see her surprise at how
comfortable he is with Heather. There is the usual invitation to one of Andrew's
family parties. It was a nice change to have one where the non-Cavanaugh person
doesn't have to be dragged kicking and screaming, though Toni was a bit
cautious at the beginning. I liked that their growing attraction and feelings
took place over a realistic amount of time. Both were hesitant to vocalize
their feelings, and it took a little outside encouragement to get them past
that hurdle. I loved Dugan's big moment at the end. There is just enough
awkwardness and vulnerability to emphasize how important she is to him.
The suspense of the story was good. Going after the drug
cartel isn't a quick process, and we get a good look at the day-to-day slog of
following leads. The investigation is somewhat personal for Toni and is the
motivating factor for some of the risks she takes. The intensity starts to pick
up when Toni uses herself to draw out a cartel member and gets caught in the
middle of a shootout. This puts a target on her back. The final confrontation
was a nail-biter as Toni found herself at the mercy of a killer. I loved her
"mama bear" reaction and Dugan's timely arrival.
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