Stowaway
By Becky Barker
Samhain - December 2011
Romantic Suspense
Nick Lamanto didn't know who to turn to in the small Tennessee town. He had been doing a quiet investigation when a fellow officer had been shot. He wasn't sure who he could trust, and how spread out the corruption was in the sheriff department. He just knew he had to get out of town, fast, and stop bleeding from the gunshot, even faster.
Keri Merritt had grown up with overprotective alpha, protect-and-serve, and all those other adjectives, men. She loved her father and brother to pieces, but she avoided dating that type of man. Promising to take care as she escaped to the family cabin for a vacation was easy to make - she had common sense, and would never intentionally endanger herself. But she also needed time to sort out what had happened two years earlier. She needed to remember what had happened on the night of the accident that took her mother's life, and almost her own.
Every step Nick takes only creates more questions. He knows he can't find answers on his own, but he does not want a civilian to get involved. Keri, however, has no intention of being left behind. She would never abet a criminal, and once she was certain Nick hadn't attacked the officer, she wanted to do whatever she could to help. This was her home. Her family. Her community. The more time she spends with Nick, the more she realizes that as attracted as she might be to him, his job puts him in more danger than her dad and brother ever are. She was a simple country girl, and not able to compete with his world. The differences between them seem to grow by the day, and she knows that there could never be anything more than the days they have now.
Stowaway is a fast paced story filled with romance and intrigue. I really enjoyed these two characters and watching as they moved from wary adversaries to partners. Becky Barker deftly portrayed a realistic explanation for Keri to trust Nick, and to work with him. The suspense built throughout the story with surprising twists and turns. There is a vast cast of secondary characters, and I do hope to revisit certain characters again.
Kathy Andrico - KathysReviewCorner.com
FTC Disclaimer: I did receive an ARC directly from Becky Barker. However, this website only posts "good" reviews. If I cannot post a positive review, I notify whoever has provided me with the book/ARC/ebook.