This is my first Linda Howard so I can't make comparisons to earlier books. I have to say that it reminded me a lot of Nora Roberts and in fact had a few eerily similar plot points. The one thing that bothered me is that nothing really happens between the 10%-70% mark. It's most a description of Bo and Morgan sort of dancing around each other but the only time tension shows up is when the author points to it. Otherwise the story doesn't pick up until the romance ramps up and they deal with the "suspense" part. It was decent and I'll probably read more by the author.

Did not finish this because the gender stereotypes and the Morgan's insecurity about his masculinity were insane. I was constantly reading about Morgan asserting his masculinity: how he's manly although he's eating yoghurt, how he doesn't get women because he's a guy guy, and it just goes on and on and on. Goodness. How insecure is he about his gender? The gender stereotyping was also insane. Everything is gendered. There is a thing called 'guy food' -- aka pizza, steak, beer, etc. Really? Even food is gendered? Wow, my mind is boggled, does that mean women can't eat guy food??? I was rolling my eyes so hard reading this. I got really irritated by the time I got to 20%. I really wanted to enjoy this, but eh.

Dull. Not suspenseful. Mildly romantic. Anticlimactic.

I very much enjoyed this book. This has become one of my favorite authors and series. In the world of paramilitary action and adventure, this series puts a strong minded woman in the path of one of the team members for a fun action packed loved story. There are times when that's just what I need to break up my reading material. Enjoyed the book….

And this, ladies and gentlemen, is how you fill a book with nothing but air. Good first 15%, ok last 15%, and nothing in between but words forming sentences that tell nothing at all.
The only mystery here is why I didn't abandon it early on.

Black ops team member Morgan barely survives an attempt on his life by a hired Russian hitman. Having no idea why he was targeted other than it being something he must have seen while fishing that day, Morgan's boss sets a trap for the perpetrator. Morgan is sent to hide out in a small town in WV where he can recover and rehab while they wait for the trap to be sprung.

Bo is not thrilled to be providing shelter for Morgan, but given how pitiful he was on arrival, and the large $$$ being paid to her to do so, she agrees. Naturally romance must follow as well as danger.

Loved this, especially the secondary stories and characters. Stealing the plot every single chance she gets is Tricks, Bo's golden retriever princess diva. Her name is truly descriptive. So do the towns folks and their dramas, especially a divorce drama. I would not mind at all if that town figured again in the author's books.

I give this 4.5 stars actually. In the main plot there were details I as reader picked up on during that day fishing that would have alerted Morgan, given his supposed skills etc., to something being off enough to start digging. But then, there would be no romantic suspense story.