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Southbound and Down

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Drew Beckett’s life is a well-curated plan. Small-town to successful Assistant U.S. Attorney, assigned to an above-the-fold case that could eliminate a notorious crime family and put her firmly in line for her ultimate promotion. The last thing she needs is a distraction; like a threat on her life or the seriously lickable dimples on the U.S. Marshal assigned to protect her.

U.S. Marshal Ryann Kincaid is good at her job. She’s also one parking ticket away from another disciplinary action, which would put her write-ups firmly in the “plethora” category. This may or may not be why, only days before she goes wheels up on an off-the-books trip to chase down the “one that got away”, her boss assigned her to babysit an uptight AUSA, with the sexiest legs she’s ever seen coming out of such a lawyerly skirt.

When their safe house is compromised, Drew and Ryann find themselves not just on the run, but on the ultimate run - a Smokey and the Bandit reenactment race. Somewhere between Texarkana and Atlanta, apparently, plans can change …

313 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 6, 2022

62 people are currently reading
192 people want to read

About the author

K.B. Draper

9 books80 followers
In 2008, K.B. Draper discovered a talent for storytelling after drinking a bottle of cheap wine at a Christmas party. One of her equally intoxicated friends said, “You are so freak’n *burp* funny. You should write a book.” The idea stuck and so did a cocktail napkin (in an inappropriate place) but that’s a totally different story. After that, K.B. Draper taught herself to write; which was challenging because she was a bad student and an even worse teacher -- but words started to make sentences, sentences made paragraphs and paragraphs eventually made a story, which came to be her first book, The U-Haul Diary.

The U-Haul Diary is a comedic, loose interpretation (okay, completely one-sided view) of the women she dated who moved in and out of her life (and house). Writing was cheaper than therapy so she continued to tell stories in her stylized rambling humor-- but her second book Close-Up is more of a modern day, will they-won’t they, oh no they didn’t, fantasy series, featuring Kanyon and Daylen, two heroines out to save the world from sin-infused articles and the supernatural bad guys. If you are looking for something a little darker then check out the Demons Series, book 1 Demons Shemons.

K.B. Draper is not a classically trained writer but she fakes it pretty okay and hopefully inspires a few chuckles along the way.

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5 stars
224 (63%)
4 stars
106 (29%)
3 stars
20 (5%)
2 stars
3 (<1%)
1 star
1 (<1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 55 reviews
Profile Image for Simone11.
248 reviews3 followers
November 13, 2022
Amazing!
I enjoyed the storyline, the back and forth banter between the two MCs and their of the charts chemistry very much. Wonderful second characters as well. The book is hilarious at times and I often laughed out loud. So what’s more to love about a book?
Highly recommend.
Would get more than 5 ⭐️ from me.
Profile Image for XR.
1,979 reviews106 followers
October 10, 2022
Hilarious read by Draper!

I love both mains in Drew and Ryann... the chemistry between them is sizzling, their banter is fun and sweet, and they click so nicely in every way which makes seeing them get closer to each other so much sweeter. The supporting cast of characters are just as lovable as our mains too. I’m adding this to my favourites list for sure.
Profile Image for Tory.
392 reviews10 followers
January 22, 2023
Too funny

I loved it! I laughed and laughed. I hope this story will continue? I haven’t read this author before and plan to read more of K.B Draper’s books. I highly recommend this book.
Profile Image for Bree.
65 reviews1 follower
June 21, 2025
Very well written, funny, and suspenseful. Drew is a lawyer assigned a case where she finds herself in danger and in need of the protection of US Marshal Ryann. I loved how their relationship developed, with instant attraction but gradual progression. I also really loved all the action and the side characters. Overall was a very enjoyable read!
Profile Image for AnnMaree Of Oz.
1,510 reviews131 followers
did-not-finish
October 8, 2022
Kindle Unlimited, so recommend others give it a go.

It's just not for me. My funny bone is just a bit different from others, so the madcap antics and motor-mouth zingers, weren't to my taste. But I know many others absolutely will enjoy that. So check it out on KU.
Profile Image for Menestrella.
394 reviews36 followers
February 12, 2023
Southbound and Down is an action-packed novel that will make you laugh and keep you entertained, as if you were at the movies.

Drew Beckett, an uptight assistant attorney trying to gather all evidence to bring down once for all the Mendoza family, and an unconventional US Marshall, Ryann Kincaid who gets assigned to protect the attorney? Seems like a movie for sure.

If you like this type of genre, you are in for a treat.

I enjoyed the banter between Drew and Ryann, less the over-the-top humor of Quinton, it was a bit too much for my taste, and I ended up skipping some of his jokes.

What I liked the most was indeed the fast narration and all the events going on in the plot, because there's really a lot going on.

The car races theme is a cherry on top of the cake and damn hot.

And Drew's family? Hilarious... I love grandma Birdie. Had the best of times with her.

I also liked how Drew and Ryann's relationship evolves and how it's not only based on physical attraction. They do communicate and share their past.

Ryann is a force of nature and Drew? There's so much more to her under those attorney's clothes.
Profile Image for Jamie (TheRebelliousReader).
6,858 reviews30 followers
November 7, 2022
4 stars. The humor in this didn’t really work for me but what else is new. Humor in books rarely does for me. But I will say that the scene where Drew’s grandmother, Birdie, meets Ryan and proceeds to tell Ryan to her face that if she were a little bit younger and still flexible she would put it on Ryan I hollered. I loved Grandma Birdie so much.

The writing was really good and this was paced well. It kept me interested and entertained the entire time and I did like Ryan and Drew a lot. Especially Ryan. That woman is a massive flirt and has a dominant streak a mile long. Yes, please. Her and Drew had great chemistry from the get go. I loved their banter and how Drew was trying to keep Ryan at arms length even though she liked her. Throw in a mystery and Ryan and Drew constantly being on the run this was a fun and light hearted adventure. I thoroughly enjoyed it.
Profile Image for Monique S..
Author 12 books56 followers
December 9, 2022
Five plus the same again brightly shining stars!

Southbound and down is the happy marriage between a hilarious romantic comedy and a gripping mystery/thriller, an achievement in itself and really well written to boot. Any more information would be spoilers. You definitely want to read this, trust me!
433 reviews18 followers
June 30, 2023
Fast-paced mafia action with a lot of fun
The near-rogue and totally successful US-Marshal Ryann Kincaid meets her match with seemingly uptight, femme Assistant U.S. Attorney Drew Beckett. When Ryan is assigned to guard Drew from the mafia all hell breaks loose: the two clash, there is a lot of humor, a lot of sizzling attraction and some really fun turns which rock the stereotypes. Great read. I had a lot of fun reading this unexpected book.
5 reviews
October 7, 2022
Read this book

Fantastic read, highly recommended. Good plot, great characters. Well worth a go. Looking forward to the next book by K.B Draper
Profile Image for Sarah.
186 reviews16 followers
January 20, 2023
Pretty damn close to perfect if you ask me!

4.999999 stars. It was really funny, and hella entertaining. I had a hard time putting it down. No drama between the MCs, which I love, but all sorts of shenanigans and drama surrounding them. The .000001 (or whatever) would be because I like everything spelled out for me. There were a few leaps in the story towards the end that I wish actually went into more detail instead of making me use my own brain.
Profile Image for Michelle  Schuler.
922 reviews12 followers
March 17, 2023
Southbound and Down

This is the first book I have read by K.B. Draper and I was impressed and very entertained. There were laugh out loud moments, strong chemistry and fun car chases. This kept me from wanting to put the book down. I will definitely look forward to more books by this author.
Profile Image for Lyn Denison.
Author 15 books60 followers
February 23, 2023
Not my usual but… This was an enjoyable romp and even made me go back a good few years and rewatch the movie associated with the plot. (No spoilers here😀) The writing style was different and quite hilarious in parts. The characters also weren’t your usual and, all in all, it was an entertaining read.
Profile Image for Dotty.
39 reviews
October 8, 2022
This book is full of witty banter. Ryann is hilarious! As is grandma Birdie with her potato guns. An entertaining read.
Profile Image for J H.
526 reviews12 followers
October 31, 2022
Draper's books are always a fun read

SAPPHIC BOOK BINGO: favorite trope, meet-cute, romantic comedy, unusual job, fake relationship, possibly other categories

After a poor first impression, Drew, an AUSA (Assistant United States Attorney), is assigned protection by Ryann, a cocky, rule-bending US Marshall, in order to prosecute a long sought after gang member. After several close calls, they realized that there's a mole leaking out their whereabouts, making Drew even more at risk. While trying to keep her safe, Ryann decided that hiding out at Drew's family property was a good temporary solution. It was there that the two women finally crossed the line with each other. While there, Ryann also bonded very closely with her nutty as a fruitcake grandmother. The danger worsened after they left, and the insider had the gang closing in on them. Read the book to find out how it ended.

Things I loved about the book: the 70s through current pop culture references, that it was tied so much to a movie from my younger years - "Smokey and the Bandit," that there was a snarky and witty MC, fun banter, and potato guns. I always look forward to work by Draper, and would love more sequels with her characters.
Profile Image for RA Young.
321 reviews6 followers
December 8, 2022
Action packed and lots of laughs

Part action, part romcom, this read was impossible to put down. I'd not have minded a little more character development for Ryann but really, the book was very well written.
I'll be following this author for sure.
214 reviews
January 7, 2023
4.5 Rounded up to 5. This book was so much fun, two intelligent protagonists with great banter, a hilarious grandma Birdie thrown in, lots of action and hilarity. First book by K.B. Draper but will be looking into her backlist and new releases!
Profile Image for Chrisjen.
120 reviews
June 9, 2023
The book does what I think it set out to do- War and Peace it is not- but it was an enjoyable few hours spent reading.

This was a ridiculously implausible story about a US Marshal and an Assist. US Attorney who are forced into close quarters because the Marshal must protect the AUSA. Normally when reading crime and justice related books I get hung up on accuracy as they tend to take themselves pretty seriously and tend to go for the edgy/gritty feel. This book doesn't do that at all- it was so out there that and OTT I could just enjoy how stupidly amusing it all was. Some Hot Fuzz mixed with The Heat vibes along with a healthy dose of Riggs from Lethal Weapon - but make it hella gay.

It leans hard into the humor and banter, sometimes a little too hard and sometimes the jokes didn't always land, but it had me grinning a good portion of the time. Sometimes there was a little too much banter going on that made it a little difficult to track.

The author's note at the start claims that "This is Kris Bryant's fault." Whatever the backstory there- I'm glad for it.
205 reviews2 followers
May 17, 2024
Shades of Stephanie Plum

Ryann Kincaid, a wayward U. S. Marshal and one of the main characters in K.B. Draper’s Southbound and Down, will summon images of author Janet Evanovich and her character Stephanie Plum, a fumbling, fallible bounty hunter.

If you’ve read Evanovich, you’ll enjoy Draper, who writes in a similar outrageously funny and fast style and crafts a Grandma character much like Stephanie’s Grandma Mazur.

Kudos to Draper, though, because I enjoyed Ryann — and her protectee, Assistant U.S. Attorney Drew Beckett — as especially engaging, interesting, intelligent, emotional, and overall well-developed characters.

Follow Ryann and Drew as they work together to sort out and outrun the bad guys while trying to stay focused on their mission rather than each other.

You’ll laugh out loud at the creative, “off-book” ways Ryann apprehends her targets and likewise at the antics and comments of ornery Grandma Birdie.
Profile Image for Issy Waldrom.
Author 10 books55 followers
September 24, 2023
If you've read any other of Draper's books, then you'll know exactly what to expect here. Attitude, sass, humour, and strong woman who carry the story along proudly. Ryann is good at her job, while she may not exactly stick to the rules, and Drew is also good at her job, though she very much does stick to the rules. Opposites, perhaps, but the attraction between the two is undeniable, and their interactions cute and hilarious. This story's plot charges it way through, with both antics and danger, and it's just play fun to read. The mystery of the case is well crafted and definitely wraps up satisfyingly. The ending of the book is great, and still had me laughing.

Southbound and Down is a story that takes you for a highly enjoyable ride, and it really is a great read, from start to finish.
Profile Image for Milena.
417 reviews
November 14, 2022
Awesomely hilarious & sweet

I laughed out loud throughout the whole book! Ryann is a US Marshal that likes to capture fugitives in hilarious ways thinks outside the box to do so.
Enter AUSA Drew and her wanting to put the Mendozas behind bars. Drew’s life is threatened so her boss Mack decides that Drew needs 24/7 protection. So Ryann is convinced to help out and laughs abound. Oh, I forgot to mention that Ryann and Drew first meet on the courthouse steps. Drew asks Ryann a question and Ryann can’t help, but help her go on a chase. What kind of chase you ask? Read the awesome story that I’m still chuckling over especially the ending! Loved it!
Profile Image for Gosia.
190 reviews
May 12, 2023
That was so refreshing! A good crime-mystery story, funny characters, a plat you can try to solve yourself, jokes, family, family support, vulnerability... Oh, and the two main characters are lesbians, but seriously, who cares? Not this book! So refreshing to read a book with queer characters where their queerness is not the main story, or even their romance isn't. Yes, we know what's gonna happen, and maybe that's even better because we can focus on the crime-mystery plot and being detectives! I love such books, so thumbs up!
Profile Image for Patricia.
550 reviews12 followers
December 30, 2022
Such an entertaining read

The kind of story that would made me sit in front of a TV engrossed by the action and actually enjoy it. I really liked everything about it, including the farfetchedness of some situations. Exactly because of it hahah.

My only problem with the story is because I'm still recovering from a sore throat and every time I laughed I couldn't stop the coughing fit that ensued. So worth it, though...

The friction between MC were just the best, but sometimes I wish I could beat some sense into Drew. By the way, her family is awesome #teamBirdie.

Even Quinton I liked, even though I didn't get 95% of what he was saying. I wonder if it the language barrier – no matter how fluent you are there's always something you won't get at some point –, or if it was the sheer gibberish he kept talking LOL, which unfortunately I'm not well versed.
211 reviews3 followers
January 7, 2023
This book has it all.

I was hesitant to get this book when I first read the blurb but I'm so glad that I did. If you enjoy action and adventure, tangled with a bit of who dunnit, sprinkled with laugh out loud humor then wrapped in a bundle of romance, this is a book for you. I couldn't wait to see how the next plot twist came into play. It kept me turning the page. I look forward to reading more from this author.
87 reviews1 follower
January 29, 2023
Fun, fun, fun

OMG This book was so much fun. Slow burn, good girls on the run, romance with straight laced, buttoned up DA, Drew, being protected by wild child US Marshal, Ryann. Their arguments & chemistry is fantastic. Throw in Drew’s admin, drag queen extraordinaire, Quinton, (who I so want to go bar hoping with) and Drew’s wild & crazy grandma, and I couldn’t put this book down, or stop laughing. Such a fun read. I’m hoping for more books from this author.
Profile Image for Carolyn G. Manuel.
1,070 reviews
January 30, 2023
An absolute hoot!

This hi jinks comedy romance is hilarious. Drew Beckett is a US attorney in Dallas with her future planned and only work in her life. When a case against a crime family puts her in the crosshairs, sexy US Marshal Ryann Kincaid is assigned to keep her safe until court. When the criminals keep finding them, they go on the road to Drew’s family ranch. A wild ride and one funny moment after another.
Profile Image for Aqualoon.
39 reviews10 followers
April 13, 2023
I wasn't sure about this book, but after reading the author's note I had a feeling I would enjoy it. I'm only fifty pages in and I've had to switch books because I've been laughing and smiling too much. Normally, not a bad thing, but when you're reading in the office it isn't ideal.

So, once I finish this book I'm going to go down the list of K.B. Draper's list of books and read them all. Making note to read them at home and find something else to read during office hours.
Profile Image for Julie Kilo.
52 reviews2 followers
October 10, 2022
When the dedication is “This is Kris Bryant’s fault” you need to read this book, when you haven’t even finished the ebook and you order the paperback, you know it’s a keeper!
Ryan is bad ass and needs her own reality TV show and Drew is the lawyer I would call when I get in shit!
Read this book and love it!
58 reviews2 followers
October 22, 2022
Bandit 2 is better than the movie

I know I laughed through the original Smoky and the Bandit movie. But this book has such descriptions of characters that are laugh out loud fun. They run from and with the law. It has exploding potato guns, a car chase and steamy conversations. Loved the characters, the busy plot and light hearted read.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 55 reviews

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