Rafael

The Santiago Brothers #1

by K. Victoria Chase

The last time Detective Genie Green let a man humiliate her was her college sweetheart—never again. Yet, when former high school lothario Rafael Santiago returns to town as the consulting detective on her case, Genie’s rule of never allowing another man to best her is challenged. Can she trust him long enough to solve this case and get the glory?

Rafa can’t seem to outrun his delinquent past. When The Snakes, a criminal organization he used to belong to, begin murdering people from his hometown, he has a chance to right some of his past wrongs. Will arresting the murderers be enough to redeem him, or will a certain beautiful detective pay the ultimate price instead?

A Christian interracial romantic suspense.

Genres: Romance, Romantic Suspense, Interracial Romance, Mystery, Contemporary, Christian, Suspense

188 pages, Paperback

First published August 6, 2012

About the author

K. Victoria Chase is the author of romantic suspense, contemporary romance, and paranormal romance with pen names including Eliza Ellis and Zoë Lane. She's a graduate of Drexel University's MFA in Creative Writing program (2024) and a former co-managing editor for Drexel’s graduate literary magazine, Paper Dragon. She loves editing, HGTV shows, true crime podcasts, and traveling.

Visit K. Victoria Chase at http://www.kvictoriachase.com

Reviews

[Crystal · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a simple, pleasurable read. It lacks the depth and dimension of her latest novel From Across the Divide, but you can see that this author is evolving! The story line is straight-forward, Rafael is a former bad guy turned cop who is assigned to work with Genie Green, the former high school geek turned beautiful detective, on a multiple murder case. Genie's our quintessential hurt woman hiding her vulnerability behind tons of work and a tough façade, while Rafael is a man with a dark past who is trying to make retribution for his previous sins. As expected they initially clash. To top it off, they are the only two people who have what it takes to prevent more murders by undermining an expanding criminal conglomerate.

I wouldn't say there were any major issues with this book, but I would have liked to see less blushing and more witty banter between the two main characters. I would have liked to see Genie punch someone through a window or shoot someone in the face, but that's just because I love a good tough girl! Lastly, though the protagonists' attraction to each other is handled well, I wasn't convinced the couple should be together forever, but eh what do I know. I love the interracial romance angle.

I can't wait to meet Rafael's brothers Alejandro and Ricardo (sexy comes in threes)! Kudos to Chase for writing another great, clean novel! I am quickly becoming a huge fan!

[Petie McCarty · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rafael was a great contemporary romance/romantic suspense with inspirational elements, and the mix was done so seamlessly you never realized you crossed genre lines. The story was written with excellent characterization which leaves you rooting for both the hero and heroine from the beginning -- Rafael, bad boy turned white knight, and Genie trying to prove herself and make her way in a man's world of law enforcement. An excellent dose of intrigue in the form of a scary group of gangland assassins called The Snakes finishes off a suspenseful, high-flying tale and keeps you entertained until the very end. The story will appeal to contemporary romance and inspirational romance fans alike. You can't go wrong with Rafael.

[Suzanne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Detective Genie Green is knee deep in a case that seems to continue to produce victims but no witnesses. If they aren't careful they could have a serial killer on their hands. Rafael flies across the country to consult on this case which he believes could be tied to The Snakes and illegal activity they are involved in in California. When Genie finds out that she is to work with Rafael she is anything but pleased. How did a kid who was nothing but trouble growing up end up in law enforcement? Rafael has to work to earn Genie's trust and discovers that perhaps people do change. The further they get in the case the more dangerous it becomes for the both of them and more than once they find themselves in harm's way. Will Rafael's connection to The Snakes cost him his life or will the price be Genie's life? This is a very fast-paced story with lots of action and it is one I highly recommend reading.

[Carole Towriss · Rating 5 out of 5]

I throughly enjoyed this book. Lots of fast-paced action, great characters. Genie doesn't trust men, since her high-school sweetheart broke her heart, but Victoria manages to pull it off without making it cliché. Rafael is a bad-boy stud without being obnoxious. Their interracial romance just is--no hit-you-over-the-head with it. The crime story was interesting and complex.
I really liked her style and look forward to the next in the series.

[KBeautiful1 · Rating 5 out of 5]

My first Christian romance read and I absolutely loved it.

This story of Rafael (Rafa) and Eugenia (Genie) included Forgiveness, Love, Intrigue, Murder, Gangs. It was not your typical story.

Rafa and Genie found out about the power of Forgiveness and what it means to truly be a Christian. Past mistakes in their lives pretty much ruled their present and threaten to rule their futures. Having to work together on such a dangerous case forced them to rely on God and each other.

I love the fact of their love building slowly, with the tension building between the two it was exciting to read.

Love and Redemption is the premise for this great story and I am looking forward to reading Rafa's brother's story "Alejandro"

[Lacy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rafael, Compton, Genie were all great characters, this is one of those you cannot put down books if you can get past the first 8 pages. Loved it .

[Kim Huey · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked the story - but a couple of grammatical errors really got on my nerves. I would blame the editor for that. Anyone can make a mistake, or spellcheck can correct to the wrong word. This was the second book I have read by this author, and I plan to read more. I would have given 4 stars if not for the spelling and grammar errors. It is refreshing to have a clean romance between two strong yet flawed characters.

[Birdia Chapman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great Read!

It kept me in suspense! Santiago and Genie, I loved, they deserved their story! I will read all the books in the series! Forgiveness works every time, starting over and believing in the goodness of The God you serve worked for this couple in spite of!

[Meka♥books · Rating 4 out of 5]

I stumbled on this book by mistake and was glad I did. I was captivated by Rafael & Genie who went to high school together but hung out with different crowds. Rafael was a bad boy & Genie the “church” girl. As adults, they have not seen each other since HS and are now both detectives working the same case as temporary partners. They soon discover how each has changed or stayed the same.

Due to the Christian undertones which are by no means over bearing in my opinion, there is no love making scenes or graphic sexual innuendos. There is however light-hearted flirting & kissing. Surprisingly, I was not disappointed. I found the story was written well enough were the reader felt the connection between the main characters.

Because both characters are trying to escape baggage from their past, the story takes you on a roller coaster ride of emotions: suspense, forgiveness, acceptance, jealousy, & love.

A couple negatives: there was no Epilogue to find out about how Rafael & Genie’s blooming relationship finishes out (I am hoping the next two books will shed some light), and some parts of the book fell a bit flat to me. Other than that, this is a good and easy read focusing on storyline and not sex- a pleasant suprise. :-)

[Bennita · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was just OK. It started off good, but I didn't feel a connection between the H/h. Genie and Rafael went to the same high school and both ended up detectives, working on a case together. Genie was overly hostile towards him, which would have made more sense if they were exes or if maybe she had a crush on him in the past that he never returned, but they barely knew each other in school and she acted like he stood her up at the prom. I'm not fond of heroines that are angry and purposely try to push the hero away. It makes them less likable to me. Genie had a bad past relationship, which explains some of her anger, but it felt over the top. I also would have liked to see more of a romantic buildup. They didn't even kiss until 66% of the way through, so I found myself skimming- a lot. I felt the story focused more on solving murders than the romance. They only kissed twice and never went on a date or had a quiet night together. The only time they were alone was on a stakeout or in an office at work. I just didn't feel the relationship was believable. The secondary plot was decent, but I needed more romance.

[Nancy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the second time I've read a book out of sequence...and I'm happy to say that this trilogy is not a continuous story but rather each book is about the redemption of each brother and their return to their family and church. The story line is well-weaved complete with tension, twists and romance. As these are Christian novels, the romance is not trashy but truly about 2 people falling in love.

Each brother turned into bad boys when their father cheated on their mother and then left them...he had no contact. The boys, who were at tender ages, go mixed up in bad stuff and their mother had to resort to tough love and many prayers in the hopes of saving her boys. They were each shipped off to a different part of the country to live with family.

Each turned their life around eventually, the 2 books I've read they got into law enforcement (ironic considering how bad they were) and returned to God and their mother for forgiveness. This series is truly heart warming and action packed. Highly recommend reading them.

[Cynthia · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received this book as a giveaway from Goodreads. When the bad guys don't get away and the young go down the right path and do good things with there lives. When Rafael returns home to help with an investigation in his hometown that matching the bad things that are happening in San Diego he ends up working with a detective that was a high school crush, which she didn't know, because he was the school bad guy and she was the good girl of the class and he left right after graduation. He got into some trouble but got caught and had help from an officer who put him on the right path and he ended up becoming a detective himself. But they have to catch a couple of killers and let the past go away. 4 people are dead because they were in the wrong place at the wrong time and were taken out. But they went after the wrong cops and with inside info and a lot of leg work they knock down both coast of the same gang.

[Lin ( Nerdy Bookworm) · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm extremely surprised at all the good reviews this book got. I managed to finish this book, but it was really out of curiosity as to how bad or boring it could get.  There are so many things that go on in this book which took away from the main storyline. I don't feel like we got to witness enough of the relationship buildup to make me invested in the couple( Rafeal and Genie). First, it starts out kind of slow. Not much happens but there does seem to be something building. There seemed to be a lot of scene or character details that weren’t relevant and left me skimming certain parts to get to the story underneath.Overall, This is the first time reading a novel by this author and definitely the last.

[ThaOverComer · Rating 2 out of 5]

This has got to be the most 'Churchy' book I've read since 'Love Dare'. I thought this was a romance book. No...more like a biter, disgruntled black woman who blames God for her misfortune. After what went down 3 years ago...she should have BEEN over that. Definitely gives Christians a bad name as being bland and indoctrinated. There was no steam for romance whatsoever. Instead of drooling over her hot co-worker, she fantasize about her lack of attendance in church and believes shes unworthy of blessings. This had the foundation to be a great murder mystery romance novel. Definitely missed the mark.

[Beth · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed a lot of things about this book. The writing was technically good, the characters were well developed, the romance was sweet, the interracial relationship felt natural and fresh, and faith was interwoven into the story without being preachy. However, there were several jarring plot inconsistencies and improbabilities that I found distracting. For example, once someone is admitted to a hospital, the doctor doesn't suddenly tell them they are free to leave. And being farsighted (and the author actually wrote nearsighted, I believe) is not caused by reading. Finally, sometimes I felt the storyline became a little tedious. But overall I enjoyed this.

[Vondetta Carter · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great Read..Rafael Santiago, is a Detective who was a bad boy through out his life in High School. However, he turned his life around. Now he is home to Va nd here to work with locals to solve several murders. He also is home and reunited with a mother he thinks will never forgive him. Genie Green is a detective with the Springfield VA police dept. She knows Rafael from back in the day. She thought he never noticed her. She was wrong.
However, a murderer is on the lose. Will Rafael be able to reconcile his past with his upcoming future? Will these two find happiness with each other? or will Rafael lose more than his heart? Great read, I look forward to other stories from this author.

[Celeste · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rafael and Genie a true test of faith

This story of action, redemption and love was just what the doctor ordered. Organized crime is a serious matter and so to be able to capture the Essence of what it means to be involved in such an intricate affair is spell binding. From the onset you want to know more. It's interesting how faith had a part in Rafael and Genie story. You are definitely rooting for them on many levels. As a first time reader of Ms Chase, I say job well done.

[Joyce M. H. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Enjoyed Rafael And Eugenia's story, loved the mixture of mystery and christian aspect.
Rafe and Genie made a really nice couple. Loved the bad boy effect of Rafe. Glad that Rafe was able to turn his life around and became a detective and worked with the police before actually becoming a cop.
Glad Rafe and his mom made their way back to each other.
Sad that Cera had to die. At first I thought that Franco or Compton was actually leaks.

Now on to read about Alejandro.

[Lauri Tribbey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Suspense and intrigue

This was my first time reading this author. I found the interesting. It had character's that had depth. The story was compelling,contemporary to current events and suspenseful. Genie is her departments best homicide detective, who is working multiple homicide. Santiago is cop from California looking for a connection between the murders in Virginia and a gang called the Snakes. Genie and Santiago's path cross in this nail bitter.

[Kim · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a good cop book. The suspense around the case had me turning the pages for more. Rafael and Genie had a good partnership but beyond that I didn't real feel the man woman relationship. I wish they would have had some adult time together away from the case that would have strengthened their relationship before they declared they loved one another. Other than that a solid story.

[Lynn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Genie has murders piling up in her district in Virginia. In walks in Rafael Santiago a detective from San Diego to act as consultant on her case. But she always works alone and doesn't want or need his help. He has been gone a long time and now he has returned and he is on the right side on the law.

[Renee · Rating 3 out of 5]

This had the potential of being a great story. I felt it focused more on the case than the relationship between Rafael and Genie. The hostility Genie had towards Rafael was not believable, they barely knew each other in the past. The didn't spend much time together, in my opinion, to develop the relationship. I will try the next book in the series.

[Keishua · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great

I love the storyline. I wish that the story would have told a little more about Rafael and Eugenia's life after the case was solved. I would have loved to have read about the actual wedding. I love the book. I will definitely read about the next brother.

[Brenda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rafael's story was great. Trouble maker, gang banger turned good guy cop. The first of the Santiago brothers to return home years after being sent away to family members. A mother's tough love. A new author for me and I really loved The Santiago Brothers stories.

[V. Rena · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good book

Enjoyed reading this book. It was clean with only a few kissing scenes. Good chemistry between the lead characters. My first time reading something from this author, so I will be reading her books.

[Authoress Nikqua · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great!

This was a new to me author, and I was not disappointed at all. I enjoyed reading this book from start to finish. I loved how Genie and Rafa love developed. It was definitely a enemy to lover story. Lol. Great job, and I look forward to reading more of this author’s work.

[La · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this read, simple with a little suspense. I most appreciated his growth and relationship wih God.

[TJ · Rating 2 out of 5]

The magic wasn't there for me. It didn't have any passion at all. I thought this was supposed to be a romance novel yet there was nothing romantic about it. The premise was good but I needed more...

[Joshirl · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a book about Redemption. I really enjoyed this book, the characters were both flawed and looking for someone to believe in them, and they found each other.

[Anika · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great Christian Romance/suspense