Tuesday, November 8, 2016

Kentucky Confidential - Paula Graves (HI #1668 - Oct 2016)

Series: Campbell Cove Academy (Book 1)

The return of the wife he thought was lost and a baby he never knew existed will make this a Christmas to remember…

Captain Connor McGinnis has seen a ghost. Staring at a surveillance photo of a Kaziri immigrant, there can be no mistaking that the starkly beautiful -- and visibly pregnant -- woman in a head scarf is his wife, Risa. The woman he presumed was dead after her plane crashed into the ocean.

Risa McGinnis, relocated by the CIA when they learned of a price on her head, has settled into the guise of a widowed immigrant. Confronting Connor again resurrects sweet memories and a burning passion. But until this unknown enemy is captured, Risa must focus more on Connor's protection than on their attraction. After all, the strength of her marriage -- and the safety of her baby -- depends on it…

Good book, with terrific suspense and a love that has to find its way back after a nearly unforgivable deception. Connor is working an operation with his new employer when he sees a very familiar face in some surveillance footage. How is it possible that the wife who died in a plane crash is working in a restaurant in Cincinnati?

Risa had been an operative for the CIA, even after she and Connor were married. When the CIA learned she had a price on her head, they faked her death and put her to work undercover in an immigrant community. She hadn't been happy about deceiving Connor, but believed her handler when he said it was for her husband's safety. She's stunned when he shows up at the restaurant, just as she has seen a face that looks familiar. They agree to meet later to talk.

Connor shows up at her apartment building just in time to save her from the men who were following her. Though angry at her deception, he is still protective of her and their unborn child and he takes her back to his surveillance apartment to hide. There they are met by Quinn, Connor's boss, who "suggests" that it would be a good idea to get Risa out of town until they can find out who is after her and why.

This begins several days of intense action. They arrive at the safe house, but it isn't long before it becomes obvious that it isn't so safe after all. Risa and Connor set out on their own, being very careful who they trust and how much they reveal. They become more certain that it is something out of Risa's past cases that is behind their trouble. The difficulty is trying to figure out which one. It seems that with every new bit of information they uncover, the pool of suspects gets larger instead of smaller, until a connection is finally made. Who is behind it is a shock to them, and the problem then becomes keeping safe until they can do something about it. I loved seeing characters from previous books as they become part of the circle that Connor and Risa can trust. I especially enjoyed seeing Cooper and his wife. The rescue scene was especially fun, with Cooper's loss of a bet with his wife and the assistance of the local sheriff. The final confrontation at the hospital, while not too intense, was very well done. I really enjoyed the face off between the senator and the Homeland Security guy. It definitely left the impression that we'll be seeing more of them both.

The reunion of Connor and Risa was also very well done. It was clear that Risa had done what she thought she had to, but that the decision wasn't an easy one. Being close to Connor again just reminded her of what she had lost when she went into hiding. I liked that she understood his anger and was still hopeful that they could rescue their marriage. Connor was happy that Risa is alive, but he's having a really hard time getting past the fact that she had let him believe that she was dead. I liked that Connor was proud of her and her work, and confident in her ability to take care of herself, even though he just wanted to protect her. I loved seeing them talk out their issues and decide how to proceed based on their feelings. The epilogue was pretty sweet.

No comments:

Post a Comment