A Lawman's Justice - Delores Fossen (HI #1581 - Aug 2015)

Series: Sweetwater Ranch (Book 8)

The tip that sends FBI Special Agent Seth Calder to an abandoned warehouse in search of exonerating evidence brings him face-to-face with a familiar adversary. Thorn-in-his-side journalist Shelby Braddock is on her own search for the truth about a decades-old crime. Until they stumble on a crime scene...and end up fighting for their lives. Now, their only hope of survival is to work together. But something even more dangerous is drawing Seth closer to the gorgeous brunette. As he gives in to a passion so strong it can erase the sins of the past, he must evade a relentless killer...and confront a shocking revelation no one could have predicted.

Excellent conclusion to the series. FBI Agent Seth Calder and investigative reporter Shelby Braddock both received phone calls telling them that there was evidence on a case each of them was working on in an abandoned warehouse. What they find is a crime scene, one that has been set up specifically to lure them in. Tazered and kidnapped, they have to work together to escape, and that isn't the end of the trouble.

Seth has been searching for evidence that will clear his stepmother of charges of murder. He's certain she's innocent, and thinks the evidence is out there that will prove it. His stance isn't popular with a lot of people, including Shelby, daughter of the man Jewell is accused of killing. She has been just as vehement in her assertions of Jewell's guilt, until recently. A post on her blog brought up a question that casts some doubt on Jewell's guilt. Suddenly she's the focus of multiple attempts to kill her.

Though turning her protection over to someone else makes the most sense, Seth finds himself unwilling to do so. The sparks of antagonism that have previously been flying between them have turned into sparks of a different kind. I loved seeing Seth get protective of Shelby, even though he was fighting the attraction he felt for her. He kept trying to tell himself it was just part of his job, but it kept getting harder to convince himself. Shelby felt the same heat of attraction, and fought it just as hard, but couldn't help admitting that he was the only one she felt safe with. Shelby's strength of will comes through often, as there are so many times that it seems she can't take any more, but rallies to pursue the next lead. She also has a few lighter moments, such as when she teases him about running out of "clean FBI clothes" after their latest run in with their attackers. I loved seeing the changing family dynamics as Seth and Shelby got closer, continuing the blurring of the old animosities that have occurred in previous books. I loved the scene at the hospital between Seth and Shelby. Seth was pretty funny with his fumbling around, but sweet too. I loved Shelby's reaction.

The suspense and action in this story was non-stop. Whoever was after Shelby was not going to give up easily. As in the previous books, there were multiple suspects, each of whom had ample motive and opportunity. About two-thirds of the way through the book there was a twist that threw everything into confusion. It was interesting to see the effect that had on everyone's suspicions. The final showdown was intense and had me wondering just who all was going to survive to the end of the book. I liked how everything got wrapped up.

Surrendering to the Sheriff - Delores Fossen (HI #1575 - July 2015)

Series: Sweetwater Ranch (Book 7)

"Drop the gun, Sheriff."

Discovering Kendall O'Neal being held at gunpoint at his ranch isn't the homecoming sheriff Aiden Braddock expects. And now Kendall's captors are demanding he destroy evidence in an upcoming trial in exchange for the Texas attorney's life...

And the life of their unborn baby.

Three months ago, Aiden and Kendall gave in to their long-simmering attraction. Now, with a child on the way, the stakes have shot sky-high. But even after he pulls off a daring rescue, Kendall isn't safe. Before long, they find temporary haven in each other's arms--which could be even more dangerous than facing down a killer.

Good book that started with a rush and kept up the tension until the end. Aiden arrives home from work to find attorney Kendall O'Neal in his house, along with two gunmen holding her hostage. In exchange for her life, they want Aiden to destroy evidence in a murder case. Aiden isn't inclined to cooperate until he discovers that Kendall is pregnant with his baby. He knows he has to find a way out of the situation and keep Kendall safe. Even after a hair raising escape, Kendall isn't safe, and Aiden is determined to protect her.

Aiden and Kendall have known each other most of their lives. They were friends as children, until Aiden's father was murdered, presumably by Kendall's half sister. This started years of bad blood between the two families, but didn't diminish the attraction between them when they became adults. Three months earlier they gave in to that attraction, even though they knew it was a mistake. Now Kendall is pregnant and someone is trying to use that information to affect the upcoming murder trial.

The sparks between Kendall and Aiden are fierce, but both try to fight it. Aiden is stunned by the news of Kendall's pregnancy, but is determined to be a part of the baby's life. First he has to find and stop whoever is trying to harm her. He doesn't really trust anyone else to protect her as well as he can, which means keeping her with him. All that togetherness has their attraction getting even more intense. Kendall hadn't planned to tell Aiden about the baby, not wanting the tensions between the families to affect the child. Once he finds out, she's surprised by his determination to be involved. But before they can even think about that issue, they have to figure out who is behind the attacks.

I liked seeing how they got closer as they worked on discovering the attacker. Each has their own beliefs about who the murderer really is, which frequently puts them at cross purposes. Thanks to the attacks, and the reactions of their families to the news, Kendall and Aiden find themselves leaning on each other. It isn't too long before they realize that what they feel is more than just physical, and that their love is more important than anything else. 

The mystery behind the attacks is one that wasn't easy to figure out. There were multiple suspects, each one having the motivation to influence how the trial goes. The attacks were intense and kept me wondering what was going to happen next, and when were they finally going to get a break in the case. Throughout the series, emotions have run hot on whether or not Jewell killed Whitt. With each book, more information comes to light, but the conclusion isn't clear yet. I'm really looking forward to the final book and getting the truth.

Reining in Justice - Delores Fossen (HI #1557 - Apr 2015)

Series: Sweetwater Ranch (Book 6)

"Someone's trying to break in."

A frantic 911 call sends Sweetwater Springs deputy Reed Caldwell racing to the home of his ex-wife. But the kidnappers didn't come for Addison. Their target was her two-month-old adopted daughter. Except she isn't adopted. And Reed is the father. Now he has to grapple with the shock of sudden parenthood while finding a safe haven for Addison and their baby girl. With desire reigniting -- and the threats against mother and child escalating -- the Texas lawman will do whatever it takes to protect the woman he loves. And the child who needs them both.

Excellent book, once again with action grabbing my attention from the first page. As deputy, Reed is the one to respond when a call comes in from his ex-wife. He arrived at her house to find her tied up and someone attempting to kidnap her daughter. After foiling the attempt, Reed is stunned to find out that the baby girl is actually his, born via a surrogate. And that surrogacy seems to be at the root of the trouble that has come to Addison.

Addison and Reed had divorced when Reed could no longer handle Addison's willingness to do anything, including put her own well-being in danger, in order to have a baby. Reed also had misgivings about his ability to be a good father given his own background. Finding Addison and Emily in danger reminds Reed that he had never stopped loving her.

Addison feels guilty that she used the last of their embryos without telling Reed, but she can't really regret something that gave her the baby she'd wanted. Now that he knows about Emily, Addison knows that she can't keep them apart, nor does she want to. The question is how well can she deal with seeing the man she never stopped loving?

The heat between Addison and Reed is obvious from the beginning, and the stresses of the danger they are in only magnifies it. Reed is determined to protect Addison and Emily and soon realizes that letting them back out of his life isn't going to happen. I really enjoyed seeing Reed overcome his fears of fatherhood and really connect with little Emily. Addison is equally determined to protect her daughter, and hates that she has brought such danger to Reed's doorstep. Thrown together as they are, both Reed and Addison are reminded of the good things about their marriage.

The suspense of the story was fantastic. Even though it is part of the Sweetwater Ranch series, there isn't anything more than a passing reference to the continuing storyline of the McKinnon murder trial. However, it does connect with the books that dealt with a baby farm racket (Kidnapping in Kendall County, Cowboy Behind the Badge). From the beginning Addison and Emily are in danger and the question is from who and why? They quickly discover that it has something to do with the surrogate and the firm who set it up, but the who is much less clear. It seems like every time they get a lead it only confuses the issue. There are multiple suspects, any of whom could be the culprit. The action and danger continued to build in intensity until the final confrontation. I have to admit, I was surprised by who was behind it.

The Deputy's Redemption - Delores Fossen (HI #1551 - Mar 2015)

Series: Sweetwater Ranch (Book 5)

The woman fleeing a cold-blooded killer is no stranger to Deputy Colt McKinnon. Fourteen years ago, Elise Nichols was the love of his life. Now she's back in Sweetwater Springs -- to be the star witness in an upcoming murder trial that could tear the Texas lawman's family apart.

With her explosive revelations certain to rock the town, Elise didn't expect to be welcomed home with open arms. Certainly not by the cowboy with the badge who once meant everything to her. But after being run off the road and shot at, she has no choice but to trust him. Even more dangerous is the desire that's reigniting, making Elise yearn for something she may not live to see.

Very good story that had me hooked from the beginning. Elise has come back to Sweetwater Springs for two reasons. First, to renovate the ranch she inherited and start to raise cutting horses. And second, as the witness in the upcoming murder trial of Jewell McKinnon. She wasn't expecting a welcoming committee, but neither was she expecting to be run off the road and shot at.

Colt knew that Elise was back in town, but wasn't looking forward to seeing her again. They had been friends as kids and sweethearts as teens, but she couldn't wait to leave town for the city. Now she's back with evidence that could clear his mother of murder charges, but put his father in jail instead. Finding her running for her life puts him front and center to protect her.

Colt and Elise's first meeting was pretty rocky. Elise was convinced that he was the one who had been trying to kill her, and Colt was sure that Elise was setting him and his family up for trouble about the trial. It quickly became obvious that they were both wrong. Colt is determined to keep her safe while at the same time both try to resist the attraction that has flared up between them again.

I loved seeing the relationship that built between them. It started with mutual distrust, but an attraction that they couldn't deny. Both of them knew that giving in to it would be a very bad idea, but with Colt working to protect her it was only a matter of time. Once they got past the initial wariness, the heat between them continued to build. Colt knows that he shouldn't get involved with Elise because of her upcoming part in the trial, but his heart tells him that he has no choice. Elise is sure that whatever memories are locked inside her head will make it impossible for them to be together. I loved how the building trust between them made it easier for them to work together to find out who was targeting them. I also liked seeing that even Colt's family members made keeping her safe one of their priorities, even though she may be working against their father.

The suspense and action in the book were fantastic. There were multiple possibilities as to who was trying to have Elise killed and why, and each one had just as good a motive as the next. From the first attack on Elise to the final confrontation it was impossible to decide who had the better chance. There was the man who had been renting her property and his unhappiness about the way she ended his tenancy. There was also the woman and her brother who were angry at Elise because of the results of the background investigation she did on them. And there was also the fact that she was going to testify in a controversial murder trial. I really liked the way that Elise insisted on being involved in all aspects of the investigation and wouldn't just stay back where it was safe. 

I liked the fact that each book in the series can stand alone, with its individual mystery solved by the end. I also liked that each one adds to the series mystery of who is actually responsible for the death of the missing man. I loved how each book has some new bit of information come out, building on each new book. By the end of this book I had a suspect in mind for the murder and I'm looking forward to seeing if I'm right.

Kidnapping in Kendall County - Delores Fossen (HI #1534 - Dec 2014)

Series: Sweetwater Ranch (Book 4)

"Did you come here to kill me?"

The beautiful blonde armed with a Beretta is someone FBI agent Austin Duran knows only too well. Rosalie McKinnon was engaged to his best friend, who died on a mission gone south. But the desperate mother isn't there for revenge…she's looking for her abducted infant daughter. And she just blew his cover.

Rosalie's future is again in the hands of the rogue Texan lawman who's on an unofficial mission to find his own kidnapped nephew. With a relentless adversary in hot pursuit -- and unwelcome desire igniting -- Rosalie has to trust Austin. Her baby's life depends on it…

Good book with plenty of action to keep me turning the pages. Throughout the series, Rosalie has been searching for her kidnapped baby. Even though she's a nurse, not law enforcement, she found a way to infiltrate one of the baby farms. She's hoping to find out what happened to her baby. She drugs one of the guards, takes his gun, and goes to confront the head of security, hoping to force information from him. What she finds is Austin, her late fiance's partner, acting on his own to find his kidnapped nephew.

Rosalie has blamed Austin for the events that resulted in her fiance's death, but revenge is the last thing on her mind. Unfortunately, her actions have blown his cover and put both of them in danger. The person behind the baby stealing ring wants both of them dead and will do anything to make it happen. Austin is determined to protect Rosalie, while at the same time finding both missing children.

Austin had been drawn to Rosalie even when she was engaged to his partner, but being an honorable man he did nothing about it. Being with her now has the attraction flaring back to life. He still feels guilty over Eli's death, and that contributes to his determination to keep her safe. What he doesn't expect is for the attraction to be reciprocated. Rosalie isn't happy about her attraction to Austin, but she can't stop it. Being so close to him, she quickly realizes that her fiance's death wasn't his fault, and that there is a lot more to him than she had suspected. 

One of the things I enjoyed about their relationship is the way that they worked together. Rosalie is a strong and capable woman who is determined to do whatever it takes to find her child. She isn't the type to sit back and let someone else to all the work. I loved watching her stand up to Austin and refuse to be left behind in safety. She's also smart and is determined to stay involved. Austin wants to find both missing children, but he wants to keep Rosalie safe. Her insistence on being involved frustrates him as it goes against all his protective instincts, but he can't deny her the opportunity. I loved seeing them be able to move on from the past and be able to look at a future together.

The suspense itself was very good. Austin and Rosalie had to work to stay one step ahead of the men who were trying to kill them. There were several suspects in the kidnapping ring, each of whom was blaming the other. The information that Austin and Rosalie uncovered could apply to any of them. Things got really intense the closer they got to finding Rosalie's daughter, and the final confrontation was nerve wracking.