Series: To Serve and Seduce (Book 3)
A megacorporation starts killing patients…
And two exes must reunite to save lives!
When he discovers his patients' lives are threatened, Dr.
Paul Reilly can turn to only one person: Simone Black. She will have his back,
even if they don't agree on much else. But as the former lovers work together
to track down the evildoers who are tampering with medications, they rediscover
unexpected feelings for one another…even as an enemy wants to silence them
permanently.
Very good second chance romance with some intriguing
suspense to complicate matters. Paul and Simone have been an on-again-off-again
couple since they were in college. Two years earlier, they split up when Simone
refused to accompany Paul on one of his medical mission trips. When Paul
discovers that medications from a particular company are contaminated he knows
that Simone is the best person to help him.
The book started with a bang as Paul returned to Chicago
from Africa to find that the samples he sent to his brother Oliver were stolen,
along with the compiled data. Tension increased when two suspicious characters
showed up at the restaurant where Paul was meeting Simone. Simone spotted them,
and I loved how she handled it. When someone shoots at Paul and Simone as they
leave the restaurant, Paul realizes they need to get somewhere safe.
I liked the rekindling of the relationship between Paul
and Simone. It is evident from the start that there are still feelings between them.
Both are independent and stubborn. We get a good look at the emotions of both
of them in the first chapter, as each reflects on what went wrong in the
relationship. Each is honest in their self-examinations, but both have trouble
communicating their feelings. I had some trouble liking Simone because she was
so melodramatic at times. Her volatility and short-fuse irritated me because
she had a habit of exploding when she should have shut up and actually listened
to what Paul had to say. As they holed up in Paul and Oliver's house In the
Canadian woods, Simone and Paul had the chance to reconnect. It wasn't long
before their old chemistry burned as hot as ever. However, though they admitted
they still loved each other, there was still a lack of communication between
them. Just as Simone starts to make progress in coming to terms with her fears
life throws her a curveball that stirs everything up again. I loved how steady
Paul was in his love for Simone, and how determined he was to make their relationship
work. I loved his conversation with her father. It took a near-tragedy and an
illuminating discussion with her mother for Simone to overcome her fears. I
liked that they took time to finally talk to each other and work out their
future together. The ending was terrific.
The suspense of the story was good. The subject of big
pharma was right out of current headlines, and I enjoyed the way the author
handled it. I could feel Paul's frustration and anger as the problems with the
medication became apparent, and his determination to do something about it. The
tension as the first set of samples disappeared was magnified by the attack on
Simone and Paul. They and Oliver fled to the house in Canada to use the backup
samples to reconstruct the results. I liked the realism of the process taking
weeks rather than days. I felt the anticipation build as they came closer to
their goal. That progress also put them in danger, as those responsible became
more desperate to stop them. Paul's conversation with the drug rep and the attack
at the news conference ramped up the tension. The final confrontation was a nail-biter
as Paul put himself in the bulls-eye to bring the perp to justice.
This was the first book I have read by this author, but
it won't be the last. I will go back and read the previous books in the series.
Simone's family is fantastic, and I can't wait to read more about them. I loved
their closeness and support of each other, as well as the loving teasing that
went on. I especially liked Mingus and his way of getting things done. I look
forward to the next book and seeing what happens with the bombshell that their
mother dropped at the family dinner.
