Silent Protector (Verona Bay #3)

by Katie Reus

Blurb:

Some secrets keep you safe…

Adeline Rodriguez left her violent past behind, buried her secrets and started over in Verona Bay. Now a successful co-owner in a local pet grooming business, she’s made a life for herself in this idyllic community, and has real friends. Thanks to her past, the only thing she hasn’t mastered yet is a real relationship. And when circumstances lead her to finally let her guard down with sexy Mac Collins, he completely ghosts her. Her first instinct is to close herself off again, but she decides to confront him instead—and that fateful decision puts her directly in the crosshairs of a killer.

Others can destroy you…

Mac has wanted Adeline since the moment they met, but she made it clear that she didn’t want a relationship. So he kept his distance. When they’re trapped together in a remote cabin, things change between them. But Mac’s past has come back to haunt him, so he pushes her away to protect her. Unfortunately, it’s already too late. Adeline is now a target too. To save her, Mac has no choice except to end the threat. Only then can he try to win over the woman he can’t live without. But winning over the feisty Adeline might prove to be harder than stopping a killer.

Themes: Contemporary

Rating: 4 stars

Heat Rating:

Review:

The craziness of this small town in FL just keeps getting worse and I can tell you I would never want to move to Verona Bay. Katie Reus’s newest romantic suspense series is set in a small but idyllic Florida town that seems to be filled with folks hiding from their pasts and attracting psychotic killers to them. The newest is the story of Adeline and Mac who both have secrets they have hidden and because of it they have pushed one another away despite wanting one another intensely. Adeline Rodriguez moved to the small town of Verona Bay to escape her rocky past and has made her life into something to treasure, opening her business and living a quiet life, but she can’t seem to resist the draw of sexy Mac Collins. Mac has wanted Adeline since he first met her and when he finally gets her to let her guard down enough to agree to a date he is beyond enthusiastic, until his past comes back to haunt him. Mac knows that pushing Adeline away this time will mean he is giving up his shot at the only woman he has ever wanted this much. Adeline however refuses to let him push her away again after she finally lets him in and instead forces her way into the situation he finds himself in, putting her directly into the crosshairs of a dangerous killer. Now not only does Mac have to protect himself and his family, he had to keep Adeline from being hurt as they are forced to hide together. The more time they spend together though the harder it is to deny they their hearts are entwined and they are meant to be together. But the killer is not to be denied and the only thing that will stop him from winning is Adeline and Mac coming together to defeat the bastard. Adeline was an interesting mix of bravery, fear, and steadfastness as she fought hard for her place in Mac’s life and even though it put her in danger she refused to back down and leave him to fight alone. Her kindness and courage made her a perfect mate for Mac and a great addition to his family, a lover and partner that could stand beside him and take some of his burdens. Mac was the typical alpha warrior, trying to push Adeline away in order to protect her, but once he accepted that she wasn’t walking away, despite the danger, he kept her close and showed her the determination and resilience that made him a great man. I loved seeing him interacting with his brothers and the love between them, even when he was being stubborn about trying to take everything on him instead of working as a team. Once he realized he couldn’t do it all himself and started opening up more he became an even better character. The passion between these two was a mix of push and pull and really fun to watch them work out, but once they finally gave in the heat was extraordinary to experience. I really am relishing this series as it progresses and am looking forward to even more suspenseful romance in this little town full of crazies as Reus continues to take us on a ride through their stories. Reus has a sadistic and terrifying skill to bring her readers into the minds of her antagonists and take us into the darkness of their world even as we root for the lovers to succeed in defeating them. I just love this series and hope it continues a long time into the future.