Knight's Redemption (Sanctuary Falls #3)

Katie Reus

Blurb:

They met while he was undercover…

While working undercover, Cormac Knight fell for the wrong woman. Then he was forced to leave without a word in the middle of the night to keep them both safe. Even though he hasn’t contacted her since, she still haunts his dreams. When fate gives him a second chance, he’s determined to make things right—even if that means her starting a new life without him.

Then he left her behind…

Daniela has never forgiven Cormac for leaving the way he did. But she’s got problems of her own. She’s been trying to make a clean break from her criminal family for years, and now time is running out. When he suddenly appears out of nowhere and offers a way out, she cautiously takes the lifeline. Unfortunately, the chemistry between them is still off the charts. And if they’re not careful, that connection could get them and everyone they love killed.

Themes: Contemporary

Rating: 4.25 stars

Heat Rating:

Review:

When we first got a peek into the world of the Knights we knew that these folks were going to blow us away as they took us on their romantic adventures, but honestly as we get to see more and more of their family dynamics, the love, and the danger they not only live with, but seem to pursue, I hope this series continues for a long time. Katie Reus has been one of my favorite accidental finds ever since I stumbled across one of her Red Stone series over a decade ago and the more she writes, the more I look to devour. This new series began with a story about the first of the Knight siblings but I truly hope it continues for much longer in this fun and mysterious small town filled with characters that never fail to have us laughing and falling in love. Cormac and Daniela’s story began years ago and was sadly interrupted when their lives had to diverge for her safety and his work, but when she comes back into his life unexpectedly he refuses to walk away again and I am here for it. With this story all of the Knight siblings are now paired off but I’m hoping the series will continue and we will get to see more of these hilarious and talented operators and their friends in action.

Cormac Knight once fell in love with Daniela Ruiz while undercover, but when the time came he had to leave her behind for her safety and it was the worst mistake of his life and his biggest regret. Daniela never forgot, or forgave, the man that left her abruptly but she has long suspected he wasn’t entirely what he seemed, especially considering who her family is. Now she has killed a man and finds herself deeply inmeshed in a dangerous game to get herself free from the family that has for too long dictated the dangerous world she lived in and Cormac has returned to insert himself into her life once again. Daniela isn’t willing to trust him with her heart again, but she knows that he can not only protect her but also help her accomplish the one goal she has in life—bringing down her father. Racing against time and enemies, Cormac and his family are working to help Daniela to stay alive and get out from under the dangers she faces, but soon long buried secrets are uncovered and even darker perils come to light, leaving them all wondering if they can really win. But the most important question to Cormac remains can he keep the woman he loves alive long enough to convince her to give him a second chance?

I truly loved seeing Cormac finally get his chance to reunite with Daniela because we could see in previous stories that he was not happy and that he was upset by something even though he was refusing to share what or why with his siblings until they stumbled across her picture in an investigation. He was one of my favorite characters and I knew that when we finally got his story it was going to be one that we loved because he was the type of guy that I would love to have as a partner myself—loyal, loving, protective, supportive, brave, and sweet. He knows that he screwed up with Daniela the first time, but he is unwilling to leave her hanging in the breeze without the protection she needs even knowing she may not be willing to forgive him, and that in my mind is the true measure of a man and a partner. Daniela is a bit of a wild card in the beginning, a woman that stands out from her family as the only one with any kind of moral code, ethics, or you know, emotions. A family filled with killers, criminals, and sociopaths that seem to have no issue with killing friends and associates, placing family in jeopardy or using them just to get a leg up in their criminal enterprise, but she refused to ben a knee and instead has made it her mission to bring them to justice. I enjoyed getting to know Daniela and seeing her in action as she integrated with the Knight family and their associates, instead finding her people on the right side of the moral line (even if they aren’t always fully on the legal side of the codes). Dani is smart, slick, sassy, loving, strong, and bold even to her own detriment at times but she is also smart enough to ask for help and to accept it when it is offered by the right people. They truly were well matched and once they admitted that their love and blending of lives was perfectly done.

My favorite kind of hero is one that some might consider just this side of the morally gray line of things, but in this life we often have to blur those lines in order to protect those that need protection and that we love. I loved watching Cormac and Dani find their way back to one another and kicking metaphorical and actual butt as they managed to get through the dangers all around them and bring her family enterprise down once and for all. There were so many twists and turns as they navigated the dangers coming at them from all sides and they learned secrets that had been buried for far too long, but in the end the greatest part was that they found their love again. Cormac is the perfect broken hero, trying to find his way back to redeeming himself with the woman he hurt and proving himself to her, but also making sure that she is safe at all costs. Dani never imagined she’d see Cormac again, but when he does return she is willing to use his expertise to get free from her family and start her life over, but she doesn’t ever imagine giving her heart to him again. Thankfully they both find a way to forgive and open their hearts to love again, because while safety and security are important the one goal to strive for in life is a deep and fulfilling love to support us as we live that life. The passion that is apparent between these two, whether in the present or when we get glimpses of their past, is one of those sparks that we know will settle into a beautiful and endearing fire to burn all through their lives. I am hoping to see more of Dani and Cormac, along with all of the Knight siblings again, but if this was the end it was a beautiful one and Katie gave us everything we could have hoped for.

*eARC provided by author for the purpose of an honest and unbiased review. No compensation was provided.