Lawman on the Hunt - Cindi Myers (HI #1649 - July 2016)

Series: Men of Search Team Seven (Book 2)

A lawman and a woman from his past must battle the Colorado wilderness if they're to outwit a terrorist…

Shocked and angry to find his ex-fiancée hooked up with the domestic terrorist he's after, Special Agent Travis Steadman rescues Leah Carlisle -- and then arrests her as an accomplice. But Leah claims leaving him for the terrorist was not the betrayal it seemed. Fleeing into Colorado's mountain wilderness with the ruthless gang in hot pursuit, Travis leads Leah on a grueling trek to safety. Their ordeal leaves him in awe of her strength and resourcefulness -- and quickly sparks rekindled passion. Attraction aside, the sexy lawman knows he has to forget the past and put his trust in Leah. It might be the only way to bring down a killer.

Good second chance romance with plenty of action to keep up the intensity. Travis and his team are preparing to investigate the home of a suspected terrorist when one of the residents returns home. That resident is Leah, ex-fiancee of Travis, and current girlfriend of the terrorist. In the midst of a gun battle with the bad guys, Travis pulls Leah to safety, then arrests her. But not everything is as simple as it looks, and there are things that Travis doesn't know.

Leah has spent the last six months as the prisoner/hostage of the terrorist Duane Braeswood. He gained her cooperation by threatening the lives of those she loved, including Travis. Now that she has a chance to get away, she'll seize it, and hope that along the way she can prove to Travis that she didn't betray him.

The action was constant and intense from the very beginning. Though evidence points to Leah being a part of the terrorist gang, Travis still has trouble believing it of her. When the search of the house is interrupted by the suspects' return, Travis immediately takes steps to protect her, even though she is one of the suspects. They take off into the woods to get away from their pursuers. Though Travis is wary of believing Leah's explanation, he can't deny that it fits what he knows of her far more than her willingly joining Duane and his group. 

Their trek through the woods was exciting and intense. I liked seeing how they worked together to make their escape successful. Since Travis only knew Leah from when they lived in the city, he is constantly surprised by the ease with which she manages in the forest. I really loved her MacGyver moment as she used a gum wrapper and a battery to start a fire. In their brief moments of downtime, Leah was finally able to open up completely about her ordeal. I liked the way that Travis was convinced of her innocence. Both of them realized that their love for each other had never died, but weren't sure how they could make it work in their current circumstances. I liked how it worked out.

The suspense of the story, with the way that Travis and Leah were pursued through the wilderness kept me hooked throughout the story. There were several times when I really wondered how they were going to get to safety. Their teamwork was excellent and I liked seeing them overcome each challenge. The final confrontation with Duane was intense, and while it looked like it was resolved there ends up being some things that are left hanging. I'm looking forward to the next book and seeing how it progresses.

Colorado Crime Scene - Cindi Myers (HI #1645 - June 2016)

Series: Men of Search Team Seven (Book 1)

An undercover agent falls for a beautiful target and could pay the ultimate price…

From his first glimpse of her, Luke Renfro can't forget reporter Morgan Westfield…or anyone she came in contact with. The FBI agent's photographic memory for faces -- and instant attraction to Morgan -- creates trouble for all of them as his team searches for a terrorist in Colorado. And to make matters worse, Luke suspects Morgan's estranged brother may be the target they're looking for. Falling for a criminal's sister could jeopardize his career. And both their lives. Still, resisting the beautiful journalist is almost as impossible as forgetting a face. With the clock ticking, Luke must focus on his assignment in order to protect the innocent -- and have any chance of seeing more of the woman he's falling for.

Good book, fast paced in both the suspense and the romance. Luke is part of a special FBI team whose expertise is facial recognition. They are on the trail of a terrorist group that has been setting off bombs at international biking events. As he searches downtown Denver, he recognizes Morgan as having been in London when a bomb went off there. After stopping her, he discovers that she is a journalist covering the races, but is also looking for her brother, a former racer who has been missing for almost a year.

Luke is caught in a dilemma. He is attracted to Morgan. He understands her worry about her brother, as his own has been missing for several months. But spending time with her is against the rules, because her brother has been seen with one of their suspects. He has to remain focused on the case and not let his growing feelings distract him.

Morgan is determined to find her brother. She knows that he wouldn't do anything to hurt fellow racers, but since his diagnosis he has been a changed man. Her work covering bike races has allowed her to continue her search for him, and she is certain that he is in Denver. Finding out that Scott is a person of interest makes her mad, but she also knows that Luke's help increases her chances of finding him.

I liked seeing the development of their relationship. Both Luke and Morgan find it incredibly easy to talk to each other. Both are strong, independent people, confident in their own abilities. But they are also rather lonely, their careers making it difficult to form lasting relationships. I loved how each of them understood the challenges of the other's job, making it easier to be apart when necessary. There were still rough patches, when Morgan's closeness to the investigation made it impossible for Luke to be with her. As the investigation went on, Luke became very protective also, wanting to keep her safe the way he hadn't been able to protect his brother. Their feelings for each other grew quickly, intensified by the constant feeling of danger. The ending was good, as they admitted their feelings and accepted how fast it had happened.

The suspense was really good. The whole thing takes place over just a few days. The team has their eye on a suspect, who in turn has made a connection with Morgan's brother. Scott suffers from schizophrenia and has had a hard time coping with the diagnosis. He has gotten tangled up with the bad guy, Danny, until he realizes that something isn't right. As Morgan and Luke find and lose Scott a couple times, each occurrence reveals some new information. But there are also the frustrations of never being able to get their hands on their suspect. The final confrontation was really intense. I really liked the way that Luke was able to get Scott involved and how it was Scott that came up with the plan that worked. I loved Morgan's strength of will as she endured what happened, and her confidence that Luke would find her. 

I liked Morgan's brother Scott, and the straightforward way his illness was treated. It felt realistic to me and made me want to root for things to get better for him. There was no miraculous cure at the end, just an honest look at what his future has in store for him.

I'm looking forward to the rest of the series. I'd like to know what happened to Luke's brother and if it has something to do with these same terrorists, though I suspect it does. I also want to see Luke's friend and fellow agent, Travis, get his own story. I really liked him.