The last time he'd seen forensics expert Callista "Callie" MacBride, she was the target of a hit man, and FBI Agent Tom Ryan had been assigned to keep her safe…but he hadn't kept his distance. Now, when every agent in the Four Corners was on the hunt for who killed one of their own, Callie was again in danger. And like before, it was Tom playing protector—while trying to avoid their still-simmering attraction. He knew Callie resented his sudden return, but the haunted look in her eyes told him there was more to the story. And he was right—but the truth rocked him to the core.…
This is a Second Chance Romantic Suspense, and this is the second book in the Kenner County Crime Unit series. I have read the first book in this series before picking up this book, but I think you can read this book as a standalone without any problems. I really enjoyed reading this book and getting to know the characters in this book. The ending leaves things hanging, and I really hate when books do that. I do understand why authors do that.
Series Note: This is book #2 in the Kenner County Crime Unit series. Each book is written by a different author, but there is an ongoing story arc throughout and as such the books must be read in order.
In this installment, forensics expert, Callie McBride, is forced to accept FBI protection in the form of Special Agent Tom Ryan. This wouldn’t be too bad if it weren’t for their shared history and the fact that Tom left Callie high and dry. Can these two get past their animosity before a killer gets to Callie?
Despite one or two errors in continuity, Profile Durango is a solid category romance. Unlike the couple in the first book, Callie and Ryan have definite chemistry and manage to do more in the bedroom that just kiss. The main conflict between them is based on a secret that is so obvious, I’m surprised it took Ryan so long to figure it out, and while their reconciliation is realistic, their romance is in dire need of an epilogue.
In contrast to the romance, the suspense plot is exceedingly weak. There is little to no development in the overall story arc, and the secondary serial killer storyline is superfluous.
The next book, Snowed in with the Boss, is written by Jessica Andersen, whose work I enjoy and I’m hoping that it will take the series to a new level.
This book was so good! The story had gut wrenching grief that made me cry tears for Callie, and Tom. It had action, suspense, and yes it had romance, and love. The way this book ended there could be a part two, that I would defiantly read. Callie had testified against a mobster a few years back. He escaped from prison, and wanted to eliminate all loose ends. The FBI sent Tom as a body guard to protect Callie. Callie, and Tom have a past, and Callie was so cold to Tom. She knew Tom was good at his job, and he would protect her, but how could she keep her heart protected from Tom. Tom had walked away from her once leaving her heart shattered in a million pieces. She didn’t know that all that time that they were apart that Tom still cared for her. Callie had to deal with her grief of a loss before she could feel anything besides anger. Sometimes it takes facing death to realize what’s important in life, and who you want to share your life with. This book is one that I will re read, it was so good. I wished the author would write a part two.
Here is a sample: “You know I’ll do everything in my power to see that nobody hurts you.” He said softly as he reached up to stroke her sleek hair. “I know, but we also both know that if somebody wants me dead badly enough, they’ll find a way to accomplish that.” Her voice trembled slightly and he could feel the beat of her racing heart against his own. He cupped her face and forced her to look up at him. When he’d been injured and in the hospital with a raging fever and facing death, it had been a vision of her eyes that had sustained him. The hope that he’d see her once again had kept him fighting for his life. “Not on my watch.” And even though he knew it was a mistake, he couldn’t help himself. He bent his head and claimed her mouth with his.
Second book in Harlequin Intrigue's "Kenner County Crime Unit" multi-author mini-series. I liked this one better than the first, but as I expected, there are issues with the continuity between books.
In this second book, forensics expert Callie MacBride finds herself in danger once again because of Vincent Del Gardo - head of a Las Vegas crime family who is on the run and believed to be responsible for murdering FBI agent Julie Grainger (which is the overall arc of the series). Callie testified against Del Gardo several years back and helped get him sentenced to jail. During the trial, Callie was under the protection of FBI agent Tom Ryan. The two fell into a relationship and Callie hoped for a future, but Tom - because of his foster child past - was afraid and left Callie.
Now with Del Gardo suspected to be in the area, another killer on the loose the she's helping investigate and after several suspicious incidents, Callie is in danger again and Tom is back to guard her. Both feel the chemistry still between them, but Callie is determined to protect herself this time around. She won't let Tom get to her again.
On its own, without considering the series connection, I enjoyed this book. Good chemistry between the H/H, and an interesting storyline...which sure isn't as developed as it could have been, but that's what you get with a 212 page book. The book itself kept me reading and I would probably, for an Intrigue book, give it a 4.
But the continuity of the series angle is lacking. The discrepancies weren't horrendous...I've read worse from an Intrigue mini-series, but they were still there and still annoying. They probably wouldn't be so obvious if you read these books spaced apart as they were published. But when you read them back to back, the inconsistencies are more glaring.
There's the fact that in the 1st book, supporting character Ben Parrish isn't shown in a favorable light and set up as a potential bad guy, but in this book that whole vibe is almost entirely missing. Then at the end of the first book, Bree sees a necklace she thinks was the strangulation murder weapon but that fact is nearly missing from this book. At the beginning of this book, Callie and Tom act like it's been years since they last saw each other, yet they were together in the same room several times in the first book. There were a bunch of things like that that just didn't match up. For someone like me who is a big fan of romantic suspense and who pays attention to the details of a story, it's rather annoying. And frustrating because you wonder why the authors couldn't communicate a little more to get things right.
Still, not a bad story and it has me wanting to keep reading the series.
Tom Ryan, the hero, loved and left Callie MacBride before the beginning of the story, something she doesn't forgive easily when he returns to her life. I liked that she remained strong, working through her feelings, instead of turning into a bowl of pudding simply because he'd returned. Her strength didn't take anything away from Tom's presence in the book, making the story even stronger.
My biggest problem with the book is that is genuinely part of its own series within the Harlequin Intrigue Series; normally, this wouldn't be a problem. This book, though, doesn't provide a complete sense of closure. Yes, the romance part is handled well, and - surprise! - Tom and Callie end up together. But the story starts in the middle of a mystery and ends in the middle of another mystery. That kind of series would be better suited to being stand-alone romances, not part of a Harlequin romance series whose titles rotate so often. So while I enjoyed watching Tom and Callie fall in love, I didn't feel the contentment and satisfaction I normally find after reading a good romance, so I couldn't give it a better rating.
I haven't read the previous book (I don't even know how many there are before this one), and I don't know that I'll catch the next one. I'm not too excited about it, knowing that I probably will be left with a cliffhanger after that one too.
I tried, I really tried to read this book from cover to cover. Unfortunately, this second in Harlequin's Kenner County Crime Unit series just didn't do it for me. The plot was the type that normally would attract me: murder of an FBI agent, head of Forensics Unit in danger, old lover comes back to protect her. But...
...the language was too flowery and even stilted, the chemistry just didn't work, and I just began finding excuses to read something else. After the fourth chapter, I gave up. I usually give a book two to three chapters to capture my attention, but I made a sincere effort with this one. No go.
To my mind it harkened back to the bad old days of Harlequin romances, a time that even a readaholic like myself couldn't deal with.
Calli and Tom had been lovers until he up and left a few years ago and now he is back. Tom came back as anFBI boody guard for Callie because Vincent Del Gardo, the head of a crime family, was out of prison and looking for revenge on Callie. Will they become intimate again and will they find Del Gardo to solve the crime. An easy and fun read!
A story that was everything you want in a great Romance Story. Theirs two people that are thrown together again after several years apart. In this story Callie And Tom has to overcome the hurt of losing a child and the hurt Tom left behind after he left for another assignment from the .F.B.I. that caused Callie to hate his guts so much. But what brings them together is the threats to Callie's life from a Mobster that she testified in court and escape from said prison.
5 gold stars for a great story of love lost a life lost and love renewed. And brave woman that is determined to we justice served again by looking for the clues that will bring a bad man back to jail and a mother back to her baby. In all of this Callie and Tom has a second chance at love and family.
A really good book that you can't put down. I read the whole book in one day and had to work as well. The ending kind of leaves you hanging in a way but not a really bad cliffhanger.
Enjoyed this book about Callie MacBride who has a hit man trying to kill her. Enter FBI Agent Tom Ryan who is ordered to protect her but who also has a history with her and left her years earlier. The only thing that I did not like was that the book had no real ending and looks as if it will be ongoing in multiple books to come.