4.5* – Maggie Cummings writes really nice characters. Like, really really nice. I want them to be happy. They make my heart squeeze and breathe.
A detective in the Vice squad, Dylan Prescott overhears a few sentences in a bar that lead to a breakthrough in a Major Case investigation, which earns her a place on the team. Briana Logan is the Assistant US Attorney (AUSA) on the case. She’s also the woman Dylan was flirting with yesterday. Neither is looking for a serious relationship. Both agree their career is their priority. But life has a way of making you reconsider those priorities when you meet The One.
I love the forbidden love trope. It’s very exciting and when what makes it impossible is work, I love it even more because no on really gets hurt when the characters can’t resist anymore. Love wins because that’s the way it should be.
Cummings knows how to inject just enough angst to make things interesting but what I like best is the characters’ journey to realizing what they’re feeling is bigger than them. I like that both Dylan and Briana are relatable and very lovable, more complicated than they first seem to be, and as the story unfolds, more layers appear, more complexities, more flaws too, which all contribute to creating characters I can’t help caring about.
The romance is at the forefront here, which totally worked for me, but the police procedural storyline was pretty good too. I guess it helps that Maggie Cummings works in law enforcement in real life and knows what she’s talking about. Everything about the investigation, the police work, the relationships between colleagues rang true.
I’d love it if this turned out to be the first book in a series. There’s real potential for more.
Jude in the Stars 