Hard Target - Barb Han (HI #1549 - Feb 2015)

Series: Campbells of Creek Bend (Book 3)

She was trouble the size of Texas, but he'd cross every line to keep her safe

Border patrol agent Reed Campbell knew when he found a blonde beauty hiding out in a crate of guns smuggled into Texas she'd be nothing but trouble. Emily Baker claims she was kidnapped, beaten and held hostage by Mexico's most elusive drug lord, a man Reed's desperate to bring down. But the sexy cowboy has been betrayed before, so trusting a stranger -- no matter how strong their attraction -- isn't easy. Still, determined to protect her, he takes her on the run, risking his life time after time. Suddenly, the man who doesn't do feelings is in big trouble. Keeping Emily alive is a problem. Keeping his hands to himself becomes nearly impossible.

Action packed conclusion to the series. Emily had been on vacation in Mexico when she was kidnapped. Beaten and threatened, when she saw an opportunity she ran, and found herself hiding on a ship headed for the US. Reed found her there, hiding in a crate of guns being smuggled into Texas. He was suspicious of her claims at first, but when it became obvious that someone was after her he was determined to keep her safe. 

Both Reed and Emily have some trust issues that make the beginning of their relationship a little rough. Emily has been alone for a long time, able to depend only on herself. Her childhood had been difficult, with a father that deserted the family and a mother that joined a cult looking for the love she craved. Emily had learned early that she couldn't count on anyone else. But with the trouble she's in now, she has to trust that Reed can protect her. I loved her independence, and that she didn't just sit back and let Reed take over once she decided to trust him. She was determined to be an active part in the whole situation. She hadn't counted on the attraction she felt for Reed and the way that attraction grew into love. She doesn't feel that she's good enough for a man like him, and that there's no future in dreaming of one. 

Reed has trouble trusting anyone outside his family any more. A year earlier he had been shot and left for dead by a fellow agent who had been working for the bad guys. To make it worse, his fiancee had been sleeping with the man. So when he first meets Emily he's reluctant to believe her story, especially when he senses she's hiding something. When they are attacked after talking to another agent, Emily finally opens up about everything that had happened and what she heard. It isn't long before Reed discovers that what happened to Emily is connected to what had happened to him. Now he's determined to keep her safe, which means keeping her with him at all times. Emily's strength and independence are attractive to him and suddenly he's feeling things he's never felt before. He's not sure if he can trust himself since he was so wrong before. I loved seeing both of them realize how important it was to grab on to their feelings and take the chance for happiness.

The suspense part of the story was fantastic. With the rise in crimes that have to do with computers and finance, the premise of the story was quite believable. Emily's emotions during the kidnapping and her fear when she couldn't give them what they wanted was easy to feel as I read. What she went through to escape kept me turning the pages as I waited to see if she would be found by the good guys or the bad guys. From the time she and Reed were attacked on the road until the final confrontation I was on pins and needles. I could understand Reed's frustrations as they never knew who they could trust. I loved seeing his brothers, Luke and Nick, as they served as backup for Reed. The scene at the hospital, then again with the final takedown, show just how close the brothers are. 

Gut Instinct - Barb Han (HI #1542 - Jan 2015)

Series: Campbells of Creek Bend (Book 2)

Reunited…by a murderer

FBI agent Luke Campbell has never been more determined to catch the serial killer who's eluded him for two years. Because this time the monster is after Julie, the ex he walked out on when he returned from Iraq, emotionally scarred and burdened by a secret. Now Luke will do anything -- even risk his life -- to protect Julie and regain her trust.

But it's a tense race against time. Defying FBI rules, Luke keeps Julie by his side throughout a harrowing chase. Once they're finally at a safe house, it's clear to him that the passion they once shared hasn't cooled. Can Luke redeem himself and keep evil away from the woman he refuses to let go of again?

Very good book. There was excellent action and suspense along with emotions and memories that had to be dealt with before Luke and Julie could hope for a new future together. Luke and Julie had been divorced for three years. When he returned from the war he was an emotional mess and pushed her away until there was no hope for their marriage. Now she's being threatened by the serial killer he's been chasing for two years. Keeping her safe is his priority, and if he can earn her trust and love again he'll count that as a win.

Julie was stunned to find Luke is the agent in charge of her case. She hasn't seen him since he walked away from their marriage, leaving her heartbroken. Though she's tried to move on, seeing him again makes her realize that her love for him had never died. What she  remembers is her failure to help him, as he kept all his pain inside and refused to share his burdens. Now, forced together by circumstances, does she want to risk her heart again? Luke seems to have undergone some crucial changes, but will he push her away again?

When Luke returned from the war he was suffering from PTSD and survivor's guilt. He couldn't and wouldn't talk about what had happened with her or anyone else. He felt he was too broken to inflict himself on Julie and walked away from his marriage. He's never forgotten what he gave up, and when she ends up as the target of the killer he's been chasing he is determined to keep her safe. 

It's obvious from the beginning that the feelings Luke and Julie had for each other are still there. They even admit it to themselves, but both are wary of getting involved again. Julie still feels the pain of the way that Luke withdrew and is reluctant to believe that he won't do it again. For Luke, when he walked away from Julie he realized that he had lost everything important to him. It finally drove him to get the help he needed, and he is doing better. Though hard for him at first, he starts to tell Julie what had been going on with him, and discovers that he actually feels better after doing so. Both agree that they've changed too much to go back to the way they were, but they are interested in seeing if they can move forward together. I really loved seeing them together. Julie still sees through to Luke's inner turmoil, but now has the courage and confidence to push him to share. Luke has finally accepted that sharing his fears doesn't make him weak, but can actually make him stronger. He sees that his past actions hurt her badly and that he has to earn her trust. I liked the realism of his suffering, and that it doesn't miraculously go away as soon as he's back with Julie. The descriptions of his continued issues as he deals with the killer made it clear it would be an ongoing issue.

The action and suspense of the story were page turners from the beginning. Luke has been working on the case for two years and has been frustrated by the lack of progress. The killer is scary smart and has been meticulous in not leaving anything behind that might lead back to him. That all ends when Julie happens on the scene of his latest murder before he is finished. He knows he has to eliminate her, and makes sure she knows that he's after her. Once Luke is on the scene, it's one thing after another as the killer seems to know what they're going to do before they do. I loved seeing each step as they began the journey to identifying him. Things got really intense as things escalated and the killer got more desperate to take out Julie and Luke. The final confrontation with him was terrifying as Luke threw himself into making sure Julie was safe. The epilogue was a pretty sweet wrap up to the book.