Series: Adair Affairs (Book 3)
A pretend boyfriend, a murder and a lost heir -- just
another day for the Adair family…
What harm could there be pretending a sexy FBI agent is
her boyfriend? Plenty, socialite Landry Adair discovers when she must work with
Derek Winchester to locate the missing Adair heir. Pretend hugs, pretend
kisses, and before she knows it, their sizzling attraction is dangerously real!
But as Landry and Derek race to uncover family secrets --
possibly her father's murderer -- more danger arises. Coming close to the truth
draws out a killer desperate to get the two out of the way. Only then does
Landry realize she's more warrior than society princess…and she'll fight tooth
and nail for a real chance at love!
Very good book, with excellent blend of romance and suspense. Derek Winchester, who was a secondary character in the Adair Legacy series, has been asked by his former boss to help her niece and nephews find their missing half-brother. After leaving the Secret Service, Derek became an FBI agent, working to find missing persons. In order to maintain a low profile for his investigation, Derek is supposed to pretend to be Landry's boyfriend.
Landry is known for being a wealthy socialite, but there's really much more to her. Right now she's dealing with grief over her father's murder and her mother's possible connection to it. There's also the possibility that the cousin she's known all her life may actually be her half-brother. When her aunt sends Derek to them to help get at the truth, Landry is determined to be there every step of the way and nothing he says is going to stop her.
While Derek would rather work alone, he agrees he's going to need Landry's help. As they work together to follow the trail to the truth, they begin to get to know each other. Derek sees that there are many sides to Landry, some that even her family doesn't seem to see. At the same time, Landry is impressed by Derek's passion for his work, but also senses that there is something about it that is troubling him. During the time that they spend together searching for clues and pretending to be a couple, their feelings being to change from pretend to real.
But it isn't all hearts and butterflies, as both Derek and Landry have issues that occasionally cause them to butt heads. Derek is a bit on the brooding side, especially when it comes to the last case he had been working on. It is still unresolved and it is eating at him. Because of it, he occasionally acts like a jerk to Landry. Fortunately, she isn't one to sit back and take it and has no trouble calling him on it. Equally as good, he can usually admit it when she does and they do a good job of talking things out. Landry has her own issues, brought on by the way she was treated by her mother. It has affected her confidence in many ways, but Derek's attentions go a long way toward repairing some of those issues. The chemistry between them is also quite hot, and their love scenes are both steamy and tender. I loved seeing the way that the relationship progressed and grew.
The suspense of the story was very good. There were three main issues running through the book. First is the murder of Landry's father, who did it and why. That question is there throughout, but not much progress is made on the answer. Second is the question of the missing Adair heir. In the previous book it had been suggested that Noah Scott, the man they believe is their cousin, is actually their missing brother. A great deal of the book is taken up with the search for clues that will prove it one way or another. Landry and her brothers don't want to believe that their aunt could be capable of doing such a thing, but as the investigation goes on, evidence is piling up. The conclusion isn't a surprise, but I enjoyed the search. The third, and most intense, is the missing person case that Derek had been working on. He blames himself that the girl hasn't been found, and even though he is supposedly on leave from it, he can't stop thinking about it. It's shown through the story that the fault actually isn't his, that he is being set up. The intensity increased as the real perp became more desperate, and the final confrontation was really good. I'm looking forward to the next book to see the murder finally solved. I have a suspicion about who did it, and I can't wait to see if I'm right.
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