Foster once again delivers unique but lovable characters. Alice knows she is different but she is determined to live her life. I liked that she kept going instead of allowing the awful things that had happened to her to take over. Reese is one of those big, lovable guys you can't help but like. Complete with a visit from one of Foster's previous heroes, Bare It All was engaging from start to finish. ( )

Detective Reese Bareden thinks he knows what makes women tick, but his ever-elusive neighbor keeps him guessing like no other. Is his goal to unmask Alice’s secrets? Or protect her from a dangerous new threat? One thing is certain: their chemistry is a time bomb waiting to explode. And with no one to trust but each other, Reese and Alice are soon drawn into a deadly maze of corruption, intrigue and desire.

You may remember Alice from Trace of Fever, where she was a scared, downtrodden secretary forced to work for a Human Trafficker. Alice has grown into a intelligent and practical women, but she has a calm, no nonsense approach and her love for cash. I love it when Reese say’s “Eyes up here Alice” every time she is side tracked by staring at his body. I also love her vulnerability that she shows towards Reese and Trace. Alice faces down more human traffickers, all the while revealing her past to Reese, trying not to betray Trace and finally getting a female friend in Pepper. Another great book by Ms. Foster.

10 out of 10 ( )

DNF

If the romance genre is a brick wall, I'm the idiot who keeps banging her head against it, hoping for a different outcome.

I think I came close this time, this was definitely not the same, tired formula I've read in romances thus far. No misunderstandings or contrived conflict.

Reece is of the greek-god-perfection variety - although he sounds blond, so maybe the viking-god-perfection variety. (Hellooo Thor!) He isn't damaged or stupid either, which just makes it better, of course. Alice would have normally irritated the fool out of me - she's the damaged one, but the author tempers her wounded bird with courage and well, one TSTL moment but the plot sort of hinged on it. Still, better than most of the romances I've read. Ok, all of them.

But the plot involved the sex trade and human trafficking and it didn't feel right using that as the basis for a romance plot. It certainly wasn't treated lightly or with disrespect; it just didn't feel right to use something so foul and obscene as the backdrop for a love story.

Also, the author switched POV between several characters, which is fine - she did it well - but she included the POV of the criminal and I really don't want to know what's going on inside the criminal's head. She doesn't dive too deep, it's kept pretty surface level, but I'd have just been happier without it.

This came as close as I've ever found to a romance I enjoyed, but not quite there. Eventually I'll forget about the futility of head-banging the brick wall, and I'll try another romance, but probably not for awhile yet. ( )

I’ve read these books out of order, first reading Getting Rowdy. I was so intrigued by the characters and relationships that I went back to read these first two books, in order.

Out of the three books out so far in this series, this one is definitely my favorite when it came to the various threats and the characters involved. Detective Reese Baredon had rescued a very excitable puppy. Living in the same apartment building is Alice, who so keeps to herself that she barely even says hi to him, and he’s definitely interested in her. It’s Cash, his puppy, that broke the ice when he needed someone to dog sit while he worked the case in the prior book. Now with his apartment a crime scene—again last book—she offers to let him stay with her. Everyone knows Alice is scared of something and is highly vigilant; it takes a while for Reese to learn her story which involves human trafficking.

All of the characters met in the last book play a role in this one and this time instead of just the characters carrying the story, so does the plot and the threat. And apparently a new character in this book has his own story from a prior series. My only criticism of the story is the amount of sex. A heck of a lot more than I wanted to read about.

Reading these in order definitely is better than jumping around as relationships and history are important to the next book(s). ( )