Book Review: Reunited With the P.I. by Anna J. Stewart

RATING: 5 out of 5 Stars

I had high praise in my previous review for the first book in Anna J. Stewart’s Honor Bound trilogy “More Than a Lawman” and it continues in book two “REUNITED WITH THE P.I. I got immediately sucked into each story and the lives of all the characters. The overall arc that ties all three books together, the suspense plot of each individual book and the main romance in each book flows seamlessly throughout the entire book in this author’s capable hands.

Reunited with the P.I. is a second chance romantic suspense. I feel the trilogy does need to be read in order even with each book focusing on a different H/h and suspense plot because there is a strong overall plot arc between the three heroines and their pasts that is prevalent in each book.

Simone Armstrong is a driven Assistant District Attorney nicknamed “The Avenging Angel” due to the fact that she does not lose and she always wears all white. She is about to go to trial, when she is notified that the witness that her whole case is built on has disappeared. She no longer knows who she can trust in her office. She knows she has to get outside help from a private investigator and the one she wants has major problems with her. She helped put his brother in prison and he is her ex-husband.

Vince Sutton is an ex-Marine, P.I. and now owns and runs his own sports bar and restaurant The Brass Eagle. The last person he expects to come to him with an appeal for help is his ex-wife. After the problems on his last case, he wants to tell her no, but she makes him a deal he can’t refuse. Even with the three year separation, Vince has never gotten over Simone. As he and Simone get drawn further into her present case and he finds out about the threats from a cold case, he vows to protect her, whether she wants it or not.

Simone is as complex a heroine as Eden was in the first book. Simone is driven to put as many bad guys away as possible to make up for her past guilt that she still carries. She does not let anyone in because she is afraid they will be hurt and she does not know how to handle not being in complete control of any situation. Vince comes from an abusive background and also has to deal with what he saw during the war. These two were so realistically written and the author did a great job of bringing them back together at an authentic pace while keeping the suspense growing and the sexual tension high.

I am really looking forward to reading the finale to this trilogy. Ms. Stewart knows how to write romantic suspense that pulls you in and brings you back for more!

Book Review: More Than a Lawman by Anna J. Stewart

more-than-a-lawman

RATING: 5 out of 5 Stars

Even though I read everything, Romantic Suspense is my favorite genre and when I find a great book and/or author to follow in this genre I shout it from the rooftops for my fellow readers. Here is MORE THAN A LAWMAN! The first book in the Honor Bound trilogy by new to me author Anna J. Stewart from Harlequin. Shouting from the rooftops!!!

This first book focuses on Eden St. Claire, who is a crime writer and a blogger dedicated to catching all killers, but especially serial killers after the death of one of her best friends, Chloe at the age of nine. Her remaining friends, Simon, now a prosecutor and Allie, now a criminal psychologist have all dealt with the trauma in differing ways. Eden has never forgiven herself for something she didn’t do the night Chloe disappeared.

Cole Delaney is a detective and was best friends with Eden’s brother growing up and has always cared about Eden. He wants Eden, but she has never wanted to be anything but best friends. When Eden’s blog “Eden On Ice” once again focuses attention on the serial killer known as the Iceman, Eden barely survives an attack and it will take all of Cole’s understanding and love to protect her from herself.

This book starts off with an amazing first scene and just keeps getting more intense from there. The plot has an original premise and keeps the twists and turns coming. The main Iceman plot is resolved along with the romance between Cole and Eden, but there is the trilogy plot of Chloe’s killer resurfacing which is carried over into the next book.

Eden’s reasons for not becoming involved with anyone and why she seems to have a death wish are so well written. She is an extremely complex character that even as you become exasperated with her, you understand her. Cole and Eden’s romance is well integrated into the plot and I feel was handled in a very realistic way. This romantic suspense worked on every level.

I can’t wait to get Ms. Stewart’s next installment of this trilogy!

Written for and posted first on The Romance Reviews.com.