This was a random book I picked up at the library one day when I was bored...though I really didn't need to take out any books considering how many are in my TBR pile. But it caught my eye and I thought it looked interesting, though I'd never read the author before and knew nothing about her. So I was pleasantly surprised when I enjoyed it a lot!
One Way Out is about two people, Cassie and Alex, who both love to dig for dinosaur bones. But one, Alex, is a university accredited Ph.D. and the other, Cassie, is one who does it on her own. Over they years, they've had numerous contentious clashes. Alex thinks Cassie is a gold digger, just out to sell artifacts and make loads of money. And all Cassie wants is a little respect for doing the work she loves.
When Cassie discovers what she believes is an intact baby tyrannosaurus skeleton, she knows it's the find of a lifetime. But if she wants the scientific community to accept the find, she will have to make nice with Alex to get him to validate the skeleton. So they put aside their differences to work together. Then things start happening...someone wants the baby t-rex for themselves. And they'll do anything to get it, like stealing it. Alex and Cassie vow to get it back, and in the process they must face the sizzling chemistry they've tried to ignore for years.
The thing that caught my eye about this book at first was the archaeology aspect because it's something that interests me. And I enjoyed that aspect of the book a lot. It was interesting, and I liked how Albert wrote about the contrast between the scientists and those who freelance.
Another thing I liked about this book was the dynamic between Cassie and Alex. When the story starts, there's an honest animosity between them. There's definitely some sizzling chemistry, but they truly don't like each other. It's a rather atypical dynamic. And Albert did a great job having them get to know each other and to see beneath the layers to find the real people beneath.
I just found this book to be a very quick, engaging read. It's got great pacing and never dragged at all. I enjoyed the characters, the romance, and the plot. I probably would have given it a five if climax hadn't been just a bit anti-climactic. I expected a bit more of a showdown (though I did love who the antagonist turned out to be). I also thought the relationship could have been a little more solidified at the end.
Still, this was a good romantic suspense book and if I come across other books by Michele Albert, I'll definitely pick them up!
note: this book, and Albert's other books, are all minorly connected - they share some common characters - but can apparently be read as stand-alones