Sometimes the deepest scars are the ones that can't be
seen.
Single mom Peyton Ward works hard to make ends meet. At
Linear Tactical she's surrounded by heroes on a regular basis...but none of
them are hers. She thought she'd found one in Linear's silent partner, and
country music superstar, Cade Conner.
She was wrong.
Unintended wounds still cut as deep.
Cade may not work day to day operations at Linear, but he
takes the mission of the company he helped create--teaching survival and
self-defense skills to the people who need them most--seriously. And finding
out he's wounded Peyton in the worst way possible weighs on him.
So when danger closes in on her, he will damn well be by
her side, making sure they survive so he can right his personal wrongs.
He might not have been a Special Forces soldier, but Cade
Conner knows how to fight. And Peyton is a woman worth fighting for.
I loved this book. The series gets better with each
installment. Peyton has been a character hovering in the background during the
earlier books, with her adorable daughter Jess getting far more page time. I
had a feeling that Peyton's story would be an interesting one when it was her
turn, and I was right.
Peyton and Cade knew each other in high school when she
was a freshman, and he was a senior. Both were involved in the high school's
arts program, Cade on the music side, and Peyton on the film side. Peyton did
her best to keep a low profile because she wasn't in that high school's
district, and had pretty much lied her way in. She saw the arts program as her
only way out of her abusive family life. Cade knew the truth but kept her
secret. He graduated and went off to Nashville to pursue his singing career,
while Peyton continued her efforts. By the time she graduated, she had won a
full scholarship to a London film school. A few weeks after she graduated from
high school, her car broke down, and she took refuge in Cade's lake cabin. He
showed up and the attraction they'd fought for years became too much. There
were consequences to that night together, but miscommunication and outside
interference kept them apart, leaving each believing that the other had turned
their back.
Five years later, Cade returns to Oak Grove for a visit and
runs into Peyton, the woman he's never been able to forget. Something in that
encounter seems off, and it takes some effort for him to track down Peyton and
find out why. Peyton is terrified to see Cade, afraid of him finding out what
she hid all these years. I was impressed by Cade's determination to get to the
bottom of the mystery, and his patience and kindness as he tried to get through
to Peyton. I ached for Peyton, who truly believed that he had turned his back
on her when she needed him most. I loved that, once she understood what
happened, she didn't keep the truth from him. Cade's reaction was priceless, and
I loved seeing his joy in the news.
I thoroughly enjoyed the development of the relationship
between Peyton and Cade. There was no doubt that the attraction and feelings
between them were just as strong as they'd been before. Cade is determined to
show Peyton that she and Jess belong in his life. It was sweet to see how well
he still understood her and the confidence he had in her. His insistence that
she be in charge of his music video and documentary gave her confidence quite a
boost, once she believed it was really happening. I loved watching her bloom,
especially standing up to the guy who always put her down. I also adored the
scene in the bar during the girls' night out, as he and the LT guys watched
their ladies have fun, though it didn't take long for Cade to stake his claim. It
was easy to see that Cade was all-in, but Peyton was still a bit wary. She
wasn't sure if Cade wanted her, as well as Jess, and was hesitant to fully
trust him with her heart. It took two brushes with death for her to finally
accept the truth. The ending was fantastic.
Peyton's daughter Jess has been one of my favorite
characters throughout the series, and I loved getting to know her even better.
She is an adorable mixture of little girl and teenager/young adult. Her relationship
with Peyton is fantastic, and the love they share leaps off the page. I loved
her stated intention of becoming the "Empress of the Elementary
School" and her apparent confidence in her ability to do so. I loved
watching her wrap Cade around her little fingers, and laughed out loud at their
bonding over bad choices. Her friendship with Finn's son Ethan is as strong as
ever. I love Ethan's protectiveness toward Jess, even more so since the events
in the previous book. Ethan totally stole my heart with his man-to-man talk
with Cade at the end, and I loved how seriously Cade treated Ethan's concerns.
I can't wait to see the two of them grow up.
This wouldn't be a Linear Tactical book without danger
coming to the main characters. In this book, the threat comes from two
directions. Cade has picked up a stalker, one that has escalated from nuisance
attacks to something more dangerous. He and his security team have tried to
find out who it is, but the stalker seems to stay one step ahead of them. It is
disturbing to realize that the stalker seems to know far more of the inside
workings of Cade's life than any of them are comfortable with. As the story
went on, I had several suspects in mind, but it took me almost to the end to
figure out who it was. The final confrontation was terrifying, as the stalker
seemed utterly convinced of the necessity of his actions. The second danger
focused on Peyton. Five years earlier, her stepfather had nearly killed her and
went to prison. Unfortunately, she and her mother learn that Dennis will be
released early from prison. Though there is a restraining order to keep him
away from them, we all know how that usually works out. When Peyton is
attacked, there are questions about whether it is Dennis. Peyton's mother, an alcoholic,
believes it is, but there is no evidence. I was on the edge of my seat when
Dennis made his move, as there were so many things that could go wrong. I loved
Peyton's ability to keep a cool head, and Jess's quick thinking also helped.
The deciding factor was the help from an unexpected source, which surprised
both Peyton and me. Another surprise was the connection between the two dangers.
I always love the secondary characters. As always, the LT
members wander in and out of the book as needed, and have our characters' backs
in times of trouble. I liked seeing more of Baby in this book and loved the
close friendship between him and Cade. I liked how he gave Cade a kick in the
seat when he needed it. I enjoy his self-deprecating humor, his way with the ladies,
and have the feeling that there is something important going on with him. I
liked seeing more of Girl Riley and loved her support of Peyton. I liked the
way she tore into Cade at the beginning. I can't wait for her story because I
think she has some trouble ahead of her from a few hints that were dropped along
the way. I liked Peyton's mother and felt terrible for her, as her fears of her
ex created deeper problems with her alcoholism. I was impressed that she held
it together as well as she did during the final confrontation. But it was
Cade's Aunt Cecilia that had the most significant secondary role, in my
opinion. I did not like her at all at the start of the book. She came across as
a snob, cold, and without an ounce of human kindness in her soul. I hated the
way she treated Peyton, even more so as her role in keeping Peyton and Cade
apart was revealed. She grew on me a little during the scene at the gas station
and redeemed herself at the end.
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