My Review:
This was an absolutely fabulous book. While the story wasn't necessarily anything really new (i.e. bad boy falls in love as a teenager, but leaves his love so that he doesn't hurt her in the long run), I thoroughly enjoyed this version of it and was highly entertained by reading this book!
Chase grew up the abused son of an alcoholic father. One night when he was 18, he left without a trace and without a word to his girlfriend, Lily. She was heartbroken and never understood what happened. Now Lily is a teacher. Leaving school, she comes upon 3 men threatening and beating her 13 yo student. When she stands up for him, she becomes a target until a man comes roaring into the parking lot and scares her attackers away. That man is Chase whom she hasn't seen in 10 years.
Now Chase is a police officer working for a special task force and he's hot on the tail of a gang when they lead him right to Lily. Now she's completely embroiled in the danger of his case.
I loved Lily. She's scared to death, but still maintains her feistiness and crazy courage in the face of maniacal gang members and a really irate, although incredibly sexy, ex-boyfriend. I liked how she never backed down from Chase even when her heart was breaking and her legs were shaking. She's tough and deserves his love. They're a good mix, whether he realizes or not. And, damn, I wanted to shake him and his stubbornness because he's so wrong about him and Lily working. He doesn't see himself as a good man because he saw how his father abused his mother whom he supposedly loved.
Add to that, this book is fabulous on the suspense side. Lots of high-stakes danger, really evil bad guys (super-creepy spider tattoo guy), and it kept me guessing how the author was going to resolve it all till the very end. Overall this was a fabulous book and definitely one that reminds me why I LOVE to read! Perfect entertainment and escape!