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Heartbreak Canyon #4
The Sheriff's Surrender
THE LAWMAN'S PROMISE
With his sexy grin and considerable charm, Reese Barnett could make a woman swoon. Neely Madison could attest to that. She'd once been desperately in love with the rugged lawman, but then came the tragedy Reese refused to forgive...and Neely couldn't forget. Now, with a vengeful killer barely a step behind, Neely's life was in Reese's hands.
Neely was the last person Reese wanted to protect, yet he wouldn't let her down. Despite everything, she still meant the world to him. Now he had one more chance to set things right. But would the sheriff's surrender come at the ultimate price?
With his sexy grin and considerable charm, Reese Barnett could make a woman swoon. Neely Madison could attest to that. She'd once been desperately in love with the rugged lawman, but then came the tragedy Reese refused to forgive...and Neely couldn't forget. Now, with a vengeful killer barely a step behind, Neely's life was in Reese's hands.
Neely was the last person Reese wanted to protect, yet he wouldn't let her down. Despite everything, she still meant the world to him. Now he had one more chance to set things right. But would the sheriff's surrender come at the ultimate price?
256 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published April 1, 2001
6 people are currently reading
119 people want to read
About the author
Marilyn Pappano
192 books126 followersAward-winning and bestselling author, international traveler, feted at a Hollywood premiere . . .
All true . . . but my regular life is a whole lot more routine. Deal with the five big puppers who share our house, babysit our grandson, battle the jungle that is our yard, pray for summer in winter and dream of winter in summer, and hunker down at the computer -- that's my real life.
I grew up in Oklahoma and had the fun of living in Georgia, Alabama, California and the Carolinas, thanks to my husband's Navy career. When he retired, we came home to Oklahoma and have lived in the same house for seventeen years. That's a real "Wow!" for someone used to the nomadic military life.
Writing was the perfect career for all that moving. Have computer, will travel. I've set books, or part of them, in every state we've lived in and been inspired by every place I've ever been. I've now written somewhere around 80 books, and I think I've got only about 8,000 stories left to tell.
My biggest hobby is starting new projects -- starting. Not completing. I'm still not done with the cross-stitched Army seal I started when our son joined out of high school. He did tours in Georgia, Colorado, Korea, Italy, Iraq, Afghanistan and Louisiana, and has been out for a few years. So I'm a little slow.
I like to think about getting organized, painting my living room in cool beachy colors, and turning my entire five-acre yard into a garden. I also dream about having every room in my house clean at exactly the same time, but I live by the motto of the woman who taught me to quilt: A clean house is the sign of a bored woman.
And I've never been bored.
All true . . . but my regular life is a whole lot more routine. Deal with the five big puppers who share our house, babysit our grandson, battle the jungle that is our yard, pray for summer in winter and dream of winter in summer, and hunker down at the computer -- that's my real life.
I grew up in Oklahoma and had the fun of living in Georgia, Alabama, California and the Carolinas, thanks to my husband's Navy career. When he retired, we came home to Oklahoma and have lived in the same house for seventeen years. That's a real "Wow!" for someone used to the nomadic military life.
Writing was the perfect career for all that moving. Have computer, will travel. I've set books, or part of them, in every state we've lived in and been inspired by every place I've ever been. I've now written somewhere around 80 books, and I think I've got only about 8,000 stories left to tell.
My biggest hobby is starting new projects -- starting. Not completing. I'm still not done with the cross-stitched Army seal I started when our son joined out of high school. He did tours in Georgia, Colorado, Korea, Italy, Iraq, Afghanistan and Louisiana, and has been out for a few years. So I'm a little slow.
I like to think about getting organized, painting my living room in cool beachy colors, and turning my entire five-acre yard into a garden. I also dream about having every room in my house clean at exactly the same time, but I live by the motto of the woman who taught me to quilt: A clean house is the sign of a bored woman.
And I've never been bored.
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Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews
June 21, 2012
The hero of this story was a deputy, the heroine was a criminal defense attorney and they were together. One day the heroine decided to defend a guy who abused his wife because all the little deputy people went to pick him up, didn't read him his miranda rights, and then decided to give him a little payback by kicking the crap out of him while in custody.
So the heroine gets the guy off, and as they are leaving the courthouse, he MAGICALLY pulls out a gun and shoots his wife, killing her. And the wonderful deputies open fire on him and MAGICALLY also shoot the heroine who was standing well away from him.
Despite the fact that the heroine is shot and dying on the steps of the courthouse, the hero sees this but stands up and leaves her there to die. *She was living with him at this time.*
Now years later the hero still blames HER for killing the other woman, wishes she'd died, and when he finds out that he's been tricked into putting her in hiding because some criminal is trying to kill her, he wishes the guy luck.
So the heroine gets the guy off, and as they are leaving the courthouse, he MAGICALLY pulls out a gun and shoots his wife, killing her. And the wonderful deputies open fire on him and MAGICALLY also shoot the heroine who was standing well away from him.
Despite the fact that the heroine is shot and dying on the steps of the courthouse, the hero sees this but stands up and leaves her there to die. *She was living with him at this time.*
Now years later the hero still blames HER for killing the other woman, wishes she'd died, and when he finds out that he's been tricked into putting her in hiding because some criminal is trying to kill her, he wishes the guy luck.
February 6, 2014
4 stars!!
I had a hard time rating this book because of the hero's actions which led to major angst.I felt that I should be indignant because of what he did but honestly, I kinda gave it a pass since it was consistent with his character.
Reese Barnett is a stubborn, mule-headed, set-in-his-ways, small town sheriff. Nine years ago, he did something unforgivable walking out on the woman he professed to love just when she needed him the most. I know that sounds like your standard hero walk-out, but it's not. It's so not. I'm not going to spoil it for you but it was awful. I'll be honest that most readers might not get past his actions and probably won't forgive him for what he did.
Neely Madison was the woman he walked out on. And her life is in danger and the one person who was tasked to protect her was the one man who broke her heart years ago. The two of them must face not only the threat to Neely's life but their painful history. As they spent more time together, tension and angst mount as questions get answered and revelations come to light about the past.
Anger, sadness, regret...but mostly, anger are just some of the emotions I felt while reading this book. There are plenty of angst. And while I did hate the hero for what he did, I did not hate him per se. I thought the author did a good job of showing the reader why the hero was able to do what he did. As I have mentioned, it was totally consistent with how his character was developed.
That said, I couldn't imagine any woman that went through what Neely did could come out forgive the man who abandoned her but she did. She forgave him. The only thing that gave me comfort was the thought that Reese would now have to spend the rest of his life making up for what he did. And I do believe he will.
The satisfying HEA definitely made up for all the angst. And there's even a nice epilogue. Could have rated this higher but there was one particular scene where But other than that, I really enjoyed it.
Would I recommend this though? Yes and no. If you're looking for a well-written story about two people's second chance at love, and if you can forgive extreme jerk-ish behavior by the hero, then you might end up liking this. But if you have low tolerance for heroes who fuck up and fuck up big time...STAY AWAY because this book won't be good for your blood pressure. Just sayin'. :)
I had a hard time rating this book because of the hero's actions which led to major angst.I felt that I should be indignant because of what he did but honestly, I kinda gave it a pass since it was consistent with his character.
Reese Barnett is a stubborn, mule-headed, set-in-his-ways, small town sheriff. Nine years ago, he did something unforgivable walking out on the woman he professed to love just when she needed him the most. I know that sounds like your standard hero walk-out, but it's not. It's so not. I'm not going to spoil it for you but it was awful. I'll be honest that most readers might not get past his actions and probably won't forgive him for what he did.
Neely Madison was the woman he walked out on. And her life is in danger and the one person who was tasked to protect her was the one man who broke her heart years ago. The two of them must face not only the threat to Neely's life but their painful history. As they spent more time together, tension and angst mount as questions get answered and revelations come to light about the past.
Anger, sadness, regret...but mostly, anger are just some of the emotions I felt while reading this book. There are plenty of angst. And while I did hate the hero for what he did, I did not hate him per se. I thought the author did a good job of showing the reader why the hero was able to do what he did. As I have mentioned, it was totally consistent with how his character was developed.
That said, I couldn't imagine any woman that went through what Neely did could come out forgive the man who abandoned her but she did. She forgave him. The only thing that gave me comfort was the thought that Reese would now have to spend the rest of his life making up for what he did. And I do believe he will.
The satisfying HEA definitely made up for all the angst. And there's even a nice epilogue. Could have rated this higher but there was one particular scene where But other than that, I really enjoyed it.
Would I recommend this though? Yes and no. If you're looking for a well-written story about two people's second chance at love, and if you can forgive extreme jerk-ish behavior by the hero, then you might end up liking this. But if you have low tolerance for heroes who fuck up and fuck up big time...STAY AWAY because this book won't be good for your blood pressure. Just sayin'. :)
December 18, 2014
3.5 stars rounded up.
It's rare that a series romance causes me to think. I freely admit they're mind candy. Something you can start reading after dinner to wind down from a stressful day and finish by bedtime. Often, I honestly have to read my own review to remember if I've read one or not. There are a few that stand out to me, but often the stories and titles jumble together.
I don't think I'm spoiling anything by discussing the main conflict as it's revealed pretty much right off the bat.
The heroine, Neely, was fresh out of law school when she first meets the hero, Reese. Reese is a former pro ball player who threw out his arm and started a new career as a police officer. Both of them are young and fairly idealistic about their careers. This often leads to conflict for the two of them in their romantic life.
Neely is very much of the belief that no one, not even a guilty criminal, should go to jail if the police didn't follow the law in the arrest and in obtaining a confession (she has personal reasons that aren't revealed until later for much of her conviction, and I find it hard to believe she'd never discussed those with the H).
Reese feels like the police are doing their best under often stressful circumstances and is pissed off that a defense lawyer would knowingly defend a guilty person and get them off on a "technicality".
I can see both sides, personally. It's hard to care when some child molester or wife beater is banged up a bit. Every time I see some sicko child abuser on the news I usually say "I hope the guards throw the bastard in the general prison population and turn their backs." I believe most of us have a vicious, unforgiving side when it comes to certain crimes.
However, innocent people do go to jail. There are some police officers who give others a bad name and who have no problem in becoming judge, jury, and executioner. We HAVE to have our system of checks and balances. Criminals have to have their civil rights protected for the sake of us all. Otherwise, it would be chaos and more innocent people would end up in jail. Those laws and procedures are there because of the fact that the police, the judges, the DA, and the defense are all humans and prone to human failure. The system is not a perfect fail-safe, especially when the poor often end up with an overworked, disillusioned public defender and the rich can afford to have a team of top-notch lawyers who can turn black into white. But it's what we have and I believe in it, even if it does sometimes result in the guilty going free. *steps off soapbox*
Anyway, Neely ends up defending a wife beater. He's obviously guilty, but the police beat him up to get the confession and didn't read him his rights (Reese was not involved in that himself). She gets the defendant off because of the cops' bungling. The defendant - in a scenario that seems highly unlikely to me - shoots his wife right on the courthouse steps. Of course the cops shoot back, killing him and "somehow" shoot Neely too - even when she wasn't in the line of fire.
Reese is furious. He hadn't wanted Neely to take that case and now the woman he'd personally sworn to protect from her SOB husband is dead right in front of him. He blames Neely for it all and walks away while she's bleeding on the courthouse steps. Leaves town. Doesn't even check to see if she is dying. OUCH!
9 years later. Neely, who suffered a great deal of guilt for her part in the woman's death, switched sides and became a DA for a time. A mafia type that she put away has gotten out of prison and is set on killing her. She ends up in Reese's protective custody.
Obviously there are unresolved feelings on both sides and neither have moved on. They've both had a few relationships, but nothing serious. And now that they are forced back together, Reese has to face his failings and his betrayal of the heroine.
Here's where it gets sticky. I do see the evolution of how Reese began to see that he had judged Neely far too harshly and mostly for his own benefit. He had personally convinced the woman who died to testify against her husband in court. She was going to run off and start over, but Reese had promised her he'd keep her safe and that they'd put her husband away. Obviously that didn't work out. So, instead of facing his own guilt for his perceived failure or being angry at his fellow cops for botching the case, he places all the blame on Neely.
Bottom line is, I couldn't forgive him. Even though I think he suffered too (though not as much as the heroine).
The romantic heroes I prefer are always protective of the heroine even when thinking they despise her. They'd have made sure she was okay, personally escorted her to the hospital, etc. Even though they may have still acted like a judgey jerk the entire time. The relationship may have even broken up after that due to all the anger and blame, but the H would never have left the h lying in her own blood! No. Just, NO.
But the book was very engaging, it kept me turning the pages, and it made me think. I had to give the author her dues for that. I was even happy for the heroine that she got her HEA. I think he'll even be good and devoted to her. Of course, she'd given up practicing the type of law that could get her or anyone else killed. She'd already switched to contractual law before the book began (wills, adoptions, etc). So, while I was happy for her and felt the hero did love her, I couldn't forgive him or his cowardice. I don't blame her for doing so, because I think she held a lot of blame toward herself, so it was easier for her to absolve him of blame. But I couldn't let it go. No matter how determined he was to prove his love to her, there are things that just can't be undone. You might forgive the other person for the sake of your own sanity since hatred is such a corrosive emotion, but it doesn't mean you could get past what they did or trust them again. I just don't think I could.
It's rare that a series romance causes me to think. I freely admit they're mind candy. Something you can start reading after dinner to wind down from a stressful day and finish by bedtime. Often, I honestly have to read my own review to remember if I've read one or not. There are a few that stand out to me, but often the stories and titles jumble together.
I don't think I'm spoiling anything by discussing the main conflict as it's revealed pretty much right off the bat.
The heroine, Neely, was fresh out of law school when she first meets the hero, Reese. Reese is a former pro ball player who threw out his arm and started a new career as a police officer. Both of them are young and fairly idealistic about their careers. This often leads to conflict for the two of them in their romantic life.
Neely is very much of the belief that no one, not even a guilty criminal, should go to jail if the police didn't follow the law in the arrest and in obtaining a confession (she has personal reasons that aren't revealed until later for much of her conviction, and I find it hard to believe she'd never discussed those with the H).
Reese feels like the police are doing their best under often stressful circumstances and is pissed off that a defense lawyer would knowingly defend a guilty person and get them off on a "technicality".
I can see both sides, personally. It's hard to care when some child molester or wife beater is banged up a bit. Every time I see some sicko child abuser on the news I usually say "I hope the guards throw the bastard in the general prison population and turn their backs." I believe most of us have a vicious, unforgiving side when it comes to certain crimes.
However, innocent people do go to jail. There are some police officers who give others a bad name and who have no problem in becoming judge, jury, and executioner. We HAVE to have our system of checks and balances. Criminals have to have their civil rights protected for the sake of us all. Otherwise, it would be chaos and more innocent people would end up in jail. Those laws and procedures are there because of the fact that the police, the judges, the DA, and the defense are all humans and prone to human failure. The system is not a perfect fail-safe, especially when the poor often end up with an overworked, disillusioned public defender and the rich can afford to have a team of top-notch lawyers who can turn black into white. But it's what we have and I believe in it, even if it does sometimes result in the guilty going free. *steps off soapbox*
Anyway, Neely ends up defending a wife beater. He's obviously guilty, but the police beat him up to get the confession and didn't read him his rights (Reese was not involved in that himself). She gets the defendant off because of the cops' bungling. The defendant - in a scenario that seems highly unlikely to me - shoots his wife right on the courthouse steps. Of course the cops shoot back, killing him and "somehow" shoot Neely too - even when she wasn't in the line of fire.
Reese is furious. He hadn't wanted Neely to take that case and now the woman he'd personally sworn to protect from her SOB husband is dead right in front of him. He blames Neely for it all and walks away while she's bleeding on the courthouse steps. Leaves town. Doesn't even check to see if she is dying. OUCH!
9 years later. Neely, who suffered a great deal of guilt for her part in the woman's death, switched sides and became a DA for a time. A mafia type that she put away has gotten out of prison and is set on killing her. She ends up in Reese's protective custody.
Obviously there are unresolved feelings on both sides and neither have moved on. They've both had a few relationships, but nothing serious. And now that they are forced back together, Reese has to face his failings and his betrayal of the heroine.
Here's where it gets sticky. I do see the evolution of how Reese began to see that he had judged Neely far too harshly and mostly for his own benefit. He had personally convinced the woman who died to testify against her husband in court. She was going to run off and start over, but Reese had promised her he'd keep her safe and that they'd put her husband away. Obviously that didn't work out. So, instead of facing his own guilt for his perceived failure or being angry at his fellow cops for botching the case, he places all the blame on Neely.
Bottom line is, I couldn't forgive him. Even though I think he suffered too (though not as much as the heroine).
The romantic heroes I prefer are always protective of the heroine even when thinking they despise her. They'd have made sure she was okay, personally escorted her to the hospital, etc. Even though they may have still acted like a judgey jerk the entire time. The relationship may have even broken up after that due to all the anger and blame, but the H would never have left the h lying in her own blood! No. Just, NO.
But the book was very engaging, it kept me turning the pages, and it made me think. I had to give the author her dues for that. I was even happy for the heroine that she got her HEA. I think he'll even be good and devoted to her. Of course, she'd given up practicing the type of law that could get her or anyone else killed. She'd already switched to contractual law before the book began (wills, adoptions, etc). So, while I was happy for her and felt the hero did love her, I couldn't forgive him or his cowardice. I don't blame her for doing so, because I think she held a lot of blame toward herself, so it was easier for her to absolve him of blame. But I couldn't let it go. No matter how determined he was to prove his love to her, there are things that just can't be undone. You might forgive the other person for the sake of your own sanity since hatred is such a corrosive emotion, but it doesn't mean you could get past what they did or trust them again. I just don't think I could.
April 30, 2022
Reece the dumbass and Neely the forgiving fool.
I have to say that I did enjoy the angst in this one because Neely was pretty great in the first half. Of course by the end of the book she was too much of a 'turn the other cheek' kinda girl than I can respect personally.
One thing I like about MP's second chance romances, is that they don't revolve around misunderstandings. The H really was a class act bastard and he has to redeem himself from that.
Now the redemption part was a bit of a let down because Neely is all set to forgive as soon as he's ready to admit he was wrong. So the follow through was lacking.
-sigh-
When Neely and Reece met, he was a cop and she was a defense attorney. Reece wasn't a fan of Neelys job, with a cops prejudice against the lawyers who get the criminals off. But they were supposedly deeply in love.
-until-
(SPOILERS BELOW)
Neely gets a scummy guy off because the cops messed up the arrest and the guy turns around and kills the girlfriend he had been abusing on the courtroom steps. Neely gets shot (not by accident) by another cop and is lying on the steps bleeding as well as the dying girlfriend.
Reece sees her lying there scared and bleeding and he turns away and never sees her again for 9 bloody years!
He thinks it's all her fault because she got her client off. She is dedicated to the law and believes that the only way it will work is with equal representation. The end does not justify the means.
Reece leaves town and not long after so does Neely because she is persecuted by his old cop buddies who are basically crooked cops.
There's a crazy bastard out to kill her for her prosecuting him when she was working for the crown and she needs a place to hide out. She turns to a cousin of Reece's for help and he asks Reece for help in turn.
So for 9 years Reece has been enjoying being a sheriff in a small town and dipping his wick in the local waters. Neely has also moved on and had relationships but we don't get to hear about any of them except the one poor guy she practically jilted because she's still hung up on Reece.
We get to meet one of Reece's ex flings and another wannabe OW. So Neely gets her face rubbed in Reece's past but we don't get the satisfaction of him meeting any of her past lovers. This sort of imbalance ALWAYS sticks in my craw! And then there's the damn 9 years.
BUT, Neely is so plain speaking to Reece about what she thinks of his lack of honour, loyalty and his weak, diseased view of the justice system. She tells him that he's a coward and well... he is.
He was such a man child that he couldn't take any blame on himself or his cop buddies. ALL THE BLAME is Neely's.
There's a couple people who side with Neely and tell him he's a selfish idiot, so he gradually starts to rethink it all. And by about 60% in he's changing his view point and seeing how wrong he was.
BUT that doesn't change the fact that he left her bleeding from a gun shot wound and never checked up on her again. It doesn't change the fact that it took him almost a decade to come to his senses. And it doesn't change the fact that he's blithely lived his life without Neely while her life has generally sucked ass. She did have men she enjoyed but she was forced to change to corporate law to save her life.
This is what removed another star from the story for me;
His old crooked cop buddies tried to murder Neely not once, but twice. They actually bated her to come to her office that they had set to turn into an inferno once she was locked in. Fortunately she wasn't very trusting by then and escaped. But there was never any justice. They were never arrested. I gotta say, this bothered me more than anything Reece did or didn't do.
SO the bad guy is shot dead along with his various cohorts, and it's HEA time. And HEA that will be in the town where Reece has been getting busy with the local OWs for 9 damn years, in a house where he did all the busy-ness.
So here's my stars;
minus 1 for 9 wasted years and him not looking into her this whole time. Basically too much time.
minus 1 for the imbalance of power between his happy lifestyle and her fighting for her life.
minus 1 for her taking him back as soon as he pulls his head outta his ass. ... he needed to crawl!
minus 1 for adding the crap about the other cops trying to murder her and not going to jail for it.
plus 1 for her plain speaking set downs.
So I was going to give this 2 or 3 stars... but the math just doesn't work in the author's favour.
Safety is meh
I have to say that I did enjoy the angst in this one because Neely was pretty great in the first half. Of course by the end of the book she was too much of a 'turn the other cheek' kinda girl than I can respect personally.
One thing I like about MP's second chance romances, is that they don't revolve around misunderstandings. The H really was a class act bastard and he has to redeem himself from that.
Now the redemption part was a bit of a let down because Neely is all set to forgive as soon as he's ready to admit he was wrong. So the follow through was lacking.
-sigh-
When Neely and Reece met, he was a cop and she was a defense attorney. Reece wasn't a fan of Neelys job, with a cops prejudice against the lawyers who get the criminals off. But they were supposedly deeply in love.
-until-
(SPOILERS BELOW)
Neely gets a scummy guy off because the cops messed up the arrest and the guy turns around and kills the girlfriend he had been abusing on the courtroom steps. Neely gets shot (not by accident) by another cop and is lying on the steps bleeding as well as the dying girlfriend.
Reece sees her lying there scared and bleeding and he turns away and never sees her again for 9 bloody years!
He thinks it's all her fault because she got her client off. She is dedicated to the law and believes that the only way it will work is with equal representation. The end does not justify the means.
Reece leaves town and not long after so does Neely because she is persecuted by his old cop buddies who are basically crooked cops.
There's a crazy bastard out to kill her for her prosecuting him when she was working for the crown and she needs a place to hide out. She turns to a cousin of Reece's for help and he asks Reece for help in turn.
So for 9 years Reece has been enjoying being a sheriff in a small town and dipping his wick in the local waters. Neely has also moved on and had relationships but we don't get to hear about any of them except the one poor guy she practically jilted because she's still hung up on Reece.
We get to meet one of Reece's ex flings and another wannabe OW. So Neely gets her face rubbed in Reece's past but we don't get the satisfaction of him meeting any of her past lovers. This sort of imbalance ALWAYS sticks in my craw! And then there's the damn 9 years.
BUT, Neely is so plain speaking to Reece about what she thinks of his lack of honour, loyalty and his weak, diseased view of the justice system. She tells him that he's a coward and well... he is.
He was such a man child that he couldn't take any blame on himself or his cop buddies. ALL THE BLAME is Neely's.
There's a couple people who side with Neely and tell him he's a selfish idiot, so he gradually starts to rethink it all. And by about 60% in he's changing his view point and seeing how wrong he was.
BUT that doesn't change the fact that he left her bleeding from a gun shot wound and never checked up on her again. It doesn't change the fact that it took him almost a decade to come to his senses. And it doesn't change the fact that he's blithely lived his life without Neely while her life has generally sucked ass. She did have men she enjoyed but she was forced to change to corporate law to save her life.
This is what removed another star from the story for me;
His old crooked cop buddies tried to murder Neely not once, but twice. They actually bated her to come to her office that they had set to turn into an inferno once she was locked in. Fortunately she wasn't very trusting by then and escaped. But there was never any justice. They were never arrested. I gotta say, this bothered me more than anything Reece did or didn't do.
SO the bad guy is shot dead along with his various cohorts, and it's HEA time. And HEA that will be in the town where Reece has been getting busy with the local OWs for 9 damn years, in a house where he did all the busy-ness.
So here's my stars;
minus 1 for 9 wasted years and him not looking into her this whole time. Basically too much time.
minus 1 for the imbalance of power between his happy lifestyle and her fighting for her life.
minus 1 for her taking him back as soon as he pulls his head outta his ass. ... he needed to crawl!
minus 1 for adding the crap about the other cops trying to murder her and not going to jail for it.
plus 1 for her plain speaking set downs.
So I was going to give this 2 or 3 stars... but the math just doesn't work in the author's favour.
Safety is meh
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 8, 2022
Another almost rage read, much closer than Pappano’s Intimate Enemy’s.
No amount of guilt, and he’s incredibly remorseful when he learns the truth about their history, can make up for how he treated her in the past—when she needed him most.
She should have moved on to a better, safer, happier life.
2 he’s just not forgivable stars.
No amount of guilt, and he’s incredibly remorseful when he learns the truth about their history, can make up for how he treated her in the past—when she needed him most.
She should have moved on to a better, safer, happier life.
2 he’s just not forgivable stars.
December 28, 2015
Couldn't get past the hero's actions towards the heroine.
Arsehole hero.
Stupid heroine.
Had no idea why she even loved him after everything he had done. Never felt he was sorry. Yes there was some guilt but there was nothing in his actions that made me think he was trying to make it up to her.
Arsehole hero.
Stupid heroine.
Had no idea why she even loved him after everything he had done. Never felt he was sorry. Yes there was some guilt but there was nothing in his actions that made me think he was trying to make it up to her.
October 4, 2012
The hero of this book was just....just....just....oh, I have no words!
If he were a real life person I would beat him up on the spot.Him and his mussings ruined the book for me. :(
If he were a real life person I would beat him up on the spot.Him and his mussings ruined the book for me. :(
July 5, 2021
I would warn *attention spoilers* but this is an old book. The premise is that a sheriff in a small community in Texas is asked by his cousin, a cop, to hide a woman because a criminal is after her to kill her. When he sees her he’s angry, no furious, because she was he lover nine years ago. She was a defense attorney who got a violent man off on technicalities. The deputies were remiss in their job when they arrested him. When the husband saw his wife after his release he shot and killed her in front of the cops. He was shot and killed and the defense attorney was shot in the arm and left bleeding in the dirt in front of the courthouse. Her lover, the deputy sheriff, left her lying there. He abandoned her and had not seen her in nine years. Throughout the book you see how he comes to understand the damage he has done by that. I never bought it. The author is very good at storytelling but this one was a tough one. Also the deputies who had shot her had continued to try to kill her for showing their stupidity. They ran her out of town. When the book ended there was nothing done to any of them they were just not part of the story anymore. That, and his abysmal treatment of her, made me want to give it zero stars but the writing is very good.
October 30, 2021
*** Book Q & A***
* How did the book make you feel?: I loved the setup and the initial angst in this book. I was excited for the epic grovel when the H realized he did wrong, instead all we got was his slow realization and her doing most of the work to bring them back together. I feel like it was an epic missed opportunity.
* How do you feel about how the story was told?: most of the book is the H really despising the h, the h feeling profound guilt, and the H slowly realizing he overreacted. He had left the h when she needed him the most and he never really atoned for it imho.
* What did you think about the main characters?: I liked the h. She was very pragmatic and level-headed. I really, really felt for her. The H was so horrible to her and blamed everything on her, including the murders’ actions. I felt the H was a coward, though he had some redeeming aspects. I wanted a grand gesture and we never got one.
* Which parts of the book stood out to you?: I loved the angst at the beginning of the story. I was perplexed at the action scenes. To be a sheriff, the H wasn’t very strategic and he almost got his undersheriff, himself, and the h killed at the very end!
* What themes/tropes did you detect in the story?: second chance romance, rejected h
* What did you think about the ending?: I liked the HEA, but I really wish the H would’ve made the effort and made some overt gestures. Instead he basked in the h’s easy forgiveness. She had pined for him the whole time, even told him that, and he only said “sorry for everything” once.
* What is your impression of the author?: This was my first read by this author and I enjoyed the writing style.
* How did the book make you feel?: I loved the setup and the initial angst in this book. I was excited for the epic grovel when the H realized he did wrong, instead all we got was his slow realization and her doing most of the work to bring them back together. I feel like it was an epic missed opportunity.
* How do you feel about how the story was told?: most of the book is the H really despising the h, the h feeling profound guilt, and the H slowly realizing he overreacted. He had left the h when she needed him the most and he never really atoned for it imho.
* What did you think about the main characters?: I liked the h. She was very pragmatic and level-headed. I really, really felt for her. The H was so horrible to her and blamed everything on her, including the murders’ actions. I felt the H was a coward, though he had some redeeming aspects. I wanted a grand gesture and we never got one.
* Which parts of the book stood out to you?: I loved the angst at the beginning of the story. I was perplexed at the action scenes. To be a sheriff, the H wasn’t very strategic and he almost got his undersheriff, himself, and the h killed at the very end!
* What themes/tropes did you detect in the story?: second chance romance, rejected h
* What did you think about the ending?: I liked the HEA, but I really wish the H would’ve made the effort and made some overt gestures. Instead he basked in the h’s easy forgiveness. She had pined for him the whole time, even told him that, and he only said “sorry for everything” once.
* What is your impression of the author?: This was my first read by this author and I enjoyed the writing style.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 29, 2016
I liked this one. I've read many reviews and discussions on this one and was prepared to hate it. Did I mention that 1-2 star reviews often intrigue me - sometimes I have to read to see for myself.
H had been a famous baseball player - adored by fans and women. After he was injured and couldn't play anymore, he worked in corrupt sheriff's office as rookie cop. h is public defender with a troubled past (why she became a lawyer and specifically a public defender). H/h met and fell in love.
During a domestic abuse case, H arrested the victim's husband and h defended him. The victim was shot by abusive husband. h seriously wounded at the same time. H walked away from her, did not help her and did not visit her in the hospital. Years later, h is threatened and is in protective custody and H must hide her.
The author does a great job of unraveling the complicated relationship, beliefs, ideologies, guilt and layers that led to the H walking away to the eventual understanding and reconciliation. The H has a couple of OMG moments that show his own guilt, lack of understanding, and feelings about his injury that ruined his early career that influenced his actions, anger and resentment. I still think he was a tad weak - but I didn't hate him like I thought I would. 3 stars.
H had been a famous baseball player - adored by fans and women. After he was injured and couldn't play anymore, he worked in corrupt sheriff's office as rookie cop. h is public defender with a troubled past (why she became a lawyer and specifically a public defender). H/h met and fell in love.
During a domestic abuse case, H arrested the victim's husband and h defended him. The victim was shot by abusive husband. h seriously wounded at the same time. H walked away from her, did not help her and did not visit her in the hospital. Years later, h is threatened and is in protective custody and H must hide her.
The author does a great job of unraveling the complicated relationship, beliefs, ideologies, guilt and layers that led to the H walking away to the eventual understanding and reconciliation. The H has a couple of OMG moments that show his own guilt, lack of understanding, and feelings about his injury that ruined his early career that influenced his actions, anger and resentment. I still think he was a tad weak - but I didn't hate him like I thought I would. 3 stars.
November 14, 2012
i had heard about this book on one of my amazon fora, and decided to read it, to see if the hero had betrayed the heroine as badly as other readers seemed to think. to make a long story short--yes, he did, but he eventually redeemed himself, though he did not grovel nearly long enough.
November 21, 2019
So much angst in that story, and I loved it!
It wasn't an easy ride... The hero wasn't likable at all. Reese was too resentlful and what he did to Neely 9 years ago was awful. Like, just horrible! She was not a one night stand, but a woman he has been living with for 1 year, a woman he was supposed to love. Yes, Judy but Neely?
I really hated him. And I hoped Neely would have made him grovel more. He was too unforgiving and she was too forgiving lol, that was my main concern... As soon as he realizes he wronged her, instead of a proper grovel and her making it a little hard for him, he keeps her at a distance again and hurts her one more time with his coldness. Jeez, Reese! He was lucky she was ready for him, after everything he did to her...
But the story was good. No instalust. Of course, they were still in love with each love, Reese was just trying to deny it. But when he finally "surrenders" lool, it is great!
4 stars!
It wasn't an easy ride... The hero wasn't likable at all. Reese was too resentlful and what he did to Neely 9 years ago was awful. Like, just horrible! She was not a one night stand, but a woman he has been living with for 1 year, a woman he was supposed to love. Yes, Judy but Neely?
I really hated him. And I hoped Neely would have made him grovel more. He was too unforgiving and she was too forgiving lol, that was my main concern... As soon as he realizes he wronged her, instead of a proper grovel and her making it a little hard for him, he keeps her at a distance again and hurts her one more time with his coldness. Jeez, Reese! He was lucky she was ready for him, after everything he did to her...
But the story was good. No instalust. Of course, they were still in love with each love, Reese was just trying to deny it. But when he finally "surrenders" lool, it is great!
4 stars!
April 8, 2018
I found it too difficult to like the hero. Knowing what I know about the law, people's rights and police corruption I could not relate to him at all. I know people do horrible things and should be punished but the end should never justify the means and that he, a sheriff thought that it was oke is horrible. And then he has the balls to blame her for doing her job and doing her job well.
She is a lawyer, hired to defend a man's rights and not to judge his actions. His buddies dropped the ball not her and to blame her for what they did was just despicable.
And her for carrying a torch for this human waste of a man. No. Why? I don't get it. She was an independent woman that got herself through law school and was supportive to her whole family and she couldn't raise the bar a little more for the man she choose to pine over? Really? And 9 years? Nobody that screws you over is worth 9 years of asking what ifs. Just no.
She is a lawyer, hired to defend a man's rights and not to judge his actions. His buddies dropped the ball not her and to blame her for what they did was just despicable.
And her for carrying a torch for this human waste of a man. No. Why? I don't get it. She was an independent woman that got herself through law school and was supportive to her whole family and she couldn't raise the bar a little more for the man she choose to pine over? Really? And 9 years? Nobody that screws you over is worth 9 years of asking what ifs. Just no.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 14, 2015
Worst hero.
He lets his police basically do what they want, harass ex's, beat up suspects and oh yeah try to kill his girlfriend....twice.
He was and probably still is a pig, he hoped the heroine died and she still thought his shit didn't stink , for a supposedly intelligent woman she must have been dickmatized because he had no redeeming characteristics that I could see.
He lets his police basically do what they want, harass ex's, beat up suspects and oh yeah try to kill his girlfriend....twice.
He was and probably still is a pig, he hoped the heroine died and she still thought his shit didn't stink , for a supposedly intelligent woman she must have been dickmatized because he had no redeeming characteristics that I could see.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 22, 2024
One of the worst male characters ever. Maybe the worst.
And the book should have been angsty but it was not.
To be angsty a story must have this requisites.
- wronged heroine because of misunderstanding/ wrongdoing of op / accidents/ abuses.
- the heroine must be in an impossible situation where she has to endure something bad and has no chance to get free of it ( ie, blackmail, debts)
- the hero must understand his mistakes. He has to grovel.
Here we have a heroine who was with the hero for one year, he swears he loves her and it’s forever, then he dumps her when she’s at her lowest. His excuses are, she helped a criminal to be free, so he killed his wife that the hero, a cop, was protecting.
So.
The heroine is not the criminal sister, or friend, and she didn’t help him escape. She was his solicitor, and she did what she had to do to give him a fair chance. The hero and his gang of cops arrested him, beat him to a pulp and force him to confess so they made it possible for the heroine to annul the arrest. It was not valid for the hero’s and his gang of cops fault. But he blamed the heroine and when she was shot by one of his thugs and not accidentally, as the man admitted afterwards, he left her there to bleed and he never came back to visit her.
Nine years later he’s still awful to her.
He thinks she’s the devil because she was defending the man who abused his wife, but the truth is that he’s the typical evil cop, one of those who use the law to beat, abuse, threaten people as they want.
To me there was never a fault for the heroine , her only fault was to forgive him and take him back because she was just a solicitor and she was doing her job well, which is much more than can be said for the hero. He’s just a hangman, an executioner, even less respectable than a mob boss.
He should be a mafia boss, but he’s not good enough for that.
A mafia boss knows he’s evil and doesn’t pretend he is doing the right thing. He doesn’t blame other people and doesn’t think he’s better than them. The hero thinks he’s better than other people and what is worst, that he’s above the law, since he arrested the man, let him be beaten and abused, then expected the heroine to be as shady as himself, not doing her job properly, and afterwards he’s got the gall to tell her he doesn’t respect her.
This was what disturbed me the most.
That the author would like to feed us the idea that what the hero and his thugs did was right because the man was a criminal.
This is what those cops who beat, abuse, and even kill suspects or criminals do.
They are worse than criminals.
Because criminals don’t pretend they are good people.
He even think that if someone is unfairly accused and maybe murdered well, sometimes it happens.
I was appalled by the abomination that was this male character.
He’s the typical evil cop, but the author, instead of pitting him on the right side, that is with the evil ones, she would like us to think he’s too good to be true, too pure for the heroine who was only doing her job.
This was more unacceptable than everything he did to the heroine.
This is why I didn’t find it angsty. Because the heroine was in front to no choice at all.
She should have never taken into consideration to go back with such a shady, amoral, inhumane person. She did, which makes her a loser, a woman who likes to be abused and who likes to be with a man who acts against the law. At least next time go with a MC member, or with a mafia boss. They are not hypocrites.
Laws exist so people can be treated fairly, otherwise we are back to 1700. No fair process, no human rights no nothing.
I’m not defending criminals because they deserve to be punished but they deserve to be treated fairly by those who represent the law so we can differentiate what is an just treatment and what isn’t, otherwise they are all at the same level.
Unacceptable for the moral distortion it offers.
The male character was the worst ever. And the heroine feeling guilty for doing her job properly is disgusting.
Let’s go back to lynching or stoning then, why not.
And the book should have been angsty but it was not.
To be angsty a story must have this requisites.
- wronged heroine because of misunderstanding/ wrongdoing of op / accidents/ abuses.
- the heroine must be in an impossible situation where she has to endure something bad and has no chance to get free of it ( ie, blackmail, debts)
- the hero must understand his mistakes. He has to grovel.
Here we have a heroine who was with the hero for one year, he swears he loves her and it’s forever, then he dumps her when she’s at her lowest. His excuses are, she helped a criminal to be free, so he killed his wife that the hero, a cop, was protecting.
So.
The heroine is not the criminal sister, or friend, and she didn’t help him escape. She was his solicitor, and she did what she had to do to give him a fair chance. The hero and his gang of cops arrested him, beat him to a pulp and force him to confess so they made it possible for the heroine to annul the arrest. It was not valid for the hero’s and his gang of cops fault. But he blamed the heroine and when she was shot by one of his thugs and not accidentally, as the man admitted afterwards, he left her there to bleed and he never came back to visit her.
Nine years later he’s still awful to her.
He thinks she’s the devil because she was defending the man who abused his wife, but the truth is that he’s the typical evil cop, one of those who use the law to beat, abuse, threaten people as they want.
To me there was never a fault for the heroine , her only fault was to forgive him and take him back because she was just a solicitor and she was doing her job well, which is much more than can be said for the hero. He’s just a hangman, an executioner, even less respectable than a mob boss.
He should be a mafia boss, but he’s not good enough for that.
A mafia boss knows he’s evil and doesn’t pretend he is doing the right thing. He doesn’t blame other people and doesn’t think he’s better than them. The hero thinks he’s better than other people and what is worst, that he’s above the law, since he arrested the man, let him be beaten and abused, then expected the heroine to be as shady as himself, not doing her job properly, and afterwards he’s got the gall to tell her he doesn’t respect her.
This was what disturbed me the most.
That the author would like to feed us the idea that what the hero and his thugs did was right because the man was a criminal.
This is what those cops who beat, abuse, and even kill suspects or criminals do.
They are worse than criminals.
Because criminals don’t pretend they are good people.
He even think that if someone is unfairly accused and maybe murdered well, sometimes it happens.
I was appalled by the abomination that was this male character.
He’s the typical evil cop, but the author, instead of pitting him on the right side, that is with the evil ones, she would like us to think he’s too good to be true, too pure for the heroine who was only doing her job.
This was more unacceptable than everything he did to the heroine.
This is why I didn’t find it angsty. Because the heroine was in front to no choice at all.
She should have never taken into consideration to go back with such a shady, amoral, inhumane person. She did, which makes her a loser, a woman who likes to be abused and who likes to be with a man who acts against the law. At least next time go with a MC member, or with a mafia boss. They are not hypocrites.
Laws exist so people can be treated fairly, otherwise we are back to 1700. No fair process, no human rights no nothing.
I’m not defending criminals because they deserve to be punished but they deserve to be treated fairly by those who represent the law so we can differentiate what is an just treatment and what isn’t, otherwise they are all at the same level.
Unacceptable for the moral distortion it offers.
The male character was the worst ever. And the heroine feeling guilty for doing her job properly is disgusting.
Let’s go back to lynching or stoning then, why not.
March 14, 2022
I get where a lot of readers frustrations are coming from. The H needed to blame someone so he used the h to make himself feel better, even after he discovered the truth. Completely inexcusable, but I get it - this happens a lot. The h was a great character, but gave in too quickly.
You do see the H’s remorse and guilt for his actions, but there still needed to be a grand gesture to make up for everything he did.
You do see the H’s remorse and guilt for his actions, but there still needed to be a grand gesture to make up for everything he did.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 20, 2021
The sheriff's surrender
I really was looking forward to this one, maybe i built it up in my head but it was boring, the story line was ok and the action when it happened was good, but most of the book was them bickering and then feeling guilty when they realised the other side had a point of view. Not what i hoped for but ok overall.
I really was looking forward to this one, maybe i built it up in my head but it was boring, the story line was ok and the action when it happened was good, but most of the book was them bickering and then feeling guilty when they realised the other side had a point of view. Not what i hoped for but ok overall.
March 20, 2023
After nine years of blaming the heroine the H meets her again forced by his cousin and circumstances.
He discovers how much he misjudged her and is trying to redeem himself. I’m not sure how his past behavior was compatible with his proclaimed love. The heroine had martyr complex. All in all I didn’t find the story believable but I appreciated the angst.
He discovers how much he misjudged her and is trying to redeem himself. I’m not sure how his past behavior was compatible with his proclaimed love. The heroine had martyr complex. All in all I didn’t find the story believable but I appreciated the angst.
March 23, 2020
Was just alright
November 11, 2020
3.5 kindle.
November 13, 2024
A convoluted story where a sheriff never checks his facts.
May 21, 2016
3.5 stars
This book has a reputation, which was actually why I got it - rubbernecking, reader style. :D
Basic plot - H keeps h hidden and thus safe, from ex con who has issues with the fact she put him away for 5 years.
Obstacle - H/h were item 9 years previously when a disagreement about what constitutes justice had him leaving her bleeding on the courthouse steps. As betrayals go, that's a doozy, and while I can understand the concept of forgiveness, trust is something else, and the feeling that when the going gets tough, the pseudo-alpha is going to be hightailing it out of there to save face...eh...no. Ahm thinking acquaintances with benefits at best.
The h...well, I think at some point a few self-defense lessons, etc., would have been in order. Also, when someone is trying to kill you, wanting to go out in public is rather dumb. Granted, she did have reservations about going to a nearby city for a movie but...
The H...I get the feeling he likes to think of himself as an alpha, but really, he gave up his alpha card when he left town rather than check on his girlfriend because he was offended at her having issues with dirty cops. Did he necessarily belong in jail himself? Eh...not really. That said, just how blind can you be? How many excuses can you make?
This book has a reputation, which was actually why I got it - rubbernecking, reader style. :D
Basic plot - H keeps h hidden and thus safe, from ex con who has issues with the fact she put him away for 5 years.
Obstacle - H/h were item 9 years previously when a disagreement about what constitutes justice had him leaving her bleeding on the courthouse steps. As betrayals go, that's a doozy, and while I can understand the concept of forgiveness, trust is something else, and the feeling that when the going gets tough, the pseudo-alpha is going to be hightailing it out of there to save face...eh...no. Ahm thinking acquaintances with benefits at best.
The h...well, I think at some point a few self-defense lessons, etc., would have been in order. Also, when someone is trying to kill you, wanting to go out in public is rather dumb. Granted, she did have reservations about going to a nearby city for a movie but...
The H...I get the feeling he likes to think of himself as an alpha, but really, he gave up his alpha card when he left town rather than check on his girlfriend because he was offended at her having issues with dirty cops. Did he necessarily belong in jail himself? Eh...not really. That said, just how blind can you be? How many excuses can you make?
February 24, 2015
3.5 stars!!
September 22, 2025
Lotta grit and angst!
January 3, 2015
really loved the developing story line and would love to read about his undersheriff
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