Lethal Temptation by Kaylea Cross the second book in the Rifle Creek, which works well as a standalone tells the story of Detective Avery Dahl and Mason Gallant.
Avery has no desire to entrust her heart to another man, having escaped a marriage that drained her both mentally and physically. She throws herself into her job and avoids romantic entanglements. However, with the upcoming nuptials of one of her relatives, she finds herself in dire need of a date and someone to act as her boyfriend for the weekend of the wedding. Enters Mason Gallant, the last person Avery wanted to spend time with, but left with no choice, she agreed for him to be her fake boyfriend for the weekend.
He had no qualms agreeing to be Avery’s date and fake boyfriend for the duration of the wedding as he developed an interest in her from the moment he laid eyes on her. If only he could get her to acknowledge the chemistry between them.
The more time they spend together, they discovered that what they felt went beyond mere attraction. Despite this, Avery refused to tear down the walls she had erected around her heart. Brick by brick, her walls came down and what started out as a fake became the real thing.
Amidst them getting to know each other, someone is determined to destroy Avery. Mason goes into protective mode to protect the woman he loves, even if it led to the reopening of old wounds.
Not only do the readers get the POVs of Avery and Mason, the author also treated them to the POV of the villain or should I say psycho. While the reader is aware of who is behind the attacks from the start, it never dampened the excitement and the danger.
I enjoyed the romance. Avery and Mason had wonderful chemistry, I enjoyed their interactions and had a wonderful time getting to know them as a couple and as individuals. The romance and the suspense balanced out each other perfectly, and I liked there wasn’t a lot of drama to wade through.
Conclusion/Recommendation
Cross delivered an exciting, fast-paced tale filled with passion, witty banter and danger with an ending that left me feeling satisfied. I am looking forward to the next installment and will pick up the previous book too.
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About Kaylea Cross
New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Kaylea Cross writes edge-of-your-seat military romantic suspense. Her work has won many awards, including the Daphne du Maurier Award of Excellence. A Registered Massage Therapist by trade, Kaylea is also an avid gardener, artist, Civil War buff, Special Ops aficionado, belly dance enthusiast and former nationally-carded softball pitcher. She lives in Vancouver, BC with her husband and family.
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Great review Nadene and I meant to mention before I love your new review evaluation. I love romantic suspense so this is one that’s going on my wish list. Thanks
Thanks Debbie. I hope you get the chance to read it.
Definitely sounds like a hot read!
Most definitely.
Most definitely.
I enjoy interconnected series where each book is a standalone, as I often forget what happened in the previous installments 😉
So true. Especially if the next book in the series is published years after reading the previous book.
I do enjoy a good romantic suspense and like that this works as a standalone. Great review Nadene!
Thanks Kim.
Thanks Kim.
I really like the sound of this one, and it’s so nice when each instalment works as a standalone. Also, I love witty banters, so this romantic suspense is definitely up my alley 😉
I hope you get the chance to read it.
I really like the sound of this one, and it’s so nice when each instalment works as a standalone. Also, I love witty banters, so this romantic suspense is definitely up my alley 😉
Love the review and that steamy cover!
Thanks. I agree the cover is hot.
Love the review and that steamy cover!
Thanks. I agree the cover is hot.
I love the cover?
I am reading this series too and can’t wait for the next one.
Same here.
Oh, that sounds good. I haven’t read this author before but I could see myself liking this one.
I keep seeing this one around and it looks STEAMY.
loved the review; and that cover ,,,,,
Great review I’ve been seeing a lot of this book around I really need to check it out one day. Thank you so much for sharing your awesome post.
Glad you enjoyed it. I thought it was quite good.
Glad you enjoyed it. I thought it was quite good.