Series: Linear Tactical (Book 2)
He's fighting for what's right...
She's fighting just to survive...
When former Special Forces soldier Finn Bollinger is asked to help with a deadly government mission, he's up for the task. His job teaching survival skills to civilians at Linear Tactical keeps him sharp, and he can still handle himself in the field.
But the Army damn well didn't teach Finn how to handle Charlotte Devereux. She's back and she's all sorts of bad news.
Charlotte can't change the past. Can't change the choices she made or the fact that they cost her everything. All she can do is endure the fallout. Even if that means putting her future in the hands of Finn, the man who has every right to want to destroy her.
And can in so many more ways than he thinks.
When the undercover mission goes impossibly wrong, they'll all have to depend on Charlotte's strength in order to survive. But everyone has a breaking point...
Fantastic second chance story with the added bonus of some gripping suspense. Charlie and Finn had been high school sweethearts, inseparable until Charlie suddenly decided to marry someone else. Devastated, Finn left town to join the military, later returning home to raise his son. He is one of the founding members of Linear Tactical and has made a good life for himself and his son. He hasn't seen Charlie since the day he begged her not to marry the other man.
Charlie's life is much different now than the one she had growing up. Far from being the town "princess," she works three jobs just to make ends meet. One of those jobs is helping children with learning disabilities, which is what brings her and Finn back together.
I liked both Charlie and Finn. Charlie is stubborn and independent. She accepts the consequences of the choices she made in the past but also has too much pride to let Finn see how desperate she is. She goes to great lengths to hide her circumstances from him. While her first two jobs are done to make the money she needs, the third job is her passion and what she lives for. Nothing makes her happier than working with kids who have learning disabilities and seeing them succeed. I liked the inner strength she displayed as she handled all the curveballs her life had delivered to her. She didn't whine or complain, she buckled down and did what she had to do.
Finn is tough, protective of those he cares about, and occasionally bitter about what had happened with Charlie. I loved the way he dropped everything when he found out about Ethan and threw himself into raising his son. The close relationship between the two was sweet, and I loved Finn's determination to do anything to help Ethan succeed.
I enjoyed the development of the relationship between Finn and Charlie. It started out pretty rough, with Finn's immediate and harsh rejection of Charlie as Ethan's tutor. I understood Finn's suspicion and wariness, as well as Charlie's unhappiness and acceptance. I loved Finn's eventual change of heart as he discovered that Charlie was, in fact, qualified to help Ethan. Underneath the antagonism is also the realization that the chemistry between them is just as strong as ever. Charlie also feels the attraction, and that attraction soon bursts into flame between them. Finn senses that there is something else going on with Charlie and his suspicions are aroused. Charlie is desperate to keep the truth of her circumstances from Finn until she is given no choice. I loved Finn's protectiveness and the way he cared for her. I was a little frustrated with how Charlie allowed her pride to hold her back from telling him everything that was happening in her life. When it became clear that there was more going on than just Charlie's financial problems, Finn's protectiveness went into overdrive. I ached for Finn and his fear for her, and his desperate hope that she would finally trust him. Finn's big moment at the end was fantastic as he found a way around all of her objections. The "epilogue" was great as it became Charlie's turn to go after what she wanted.
The suspense in the story was terrific. In Charlie's job as a bartender, she has found herself dealing with some very unsavory people. One night she stumbles into the middle of a dangerous situation and only quick thinking gets her out of it. However, it isn't long before danger stalks her, and people she knows start dying. Do the papers she found, with symbols like the ones she uses with Ethan, have anything to do with it? At the same time, Finn and the men of Linear Tactical have been approached by their former commanding officer to assist in stopping the sale of sensitive information. As they get closer to unmasking the villain behind it all, they discover an unexpected link between their case and what is happening to Charlie. It all comes to a head with a sting gone wrong and the bad guy getting away. I was on the edge of my seat as an unexpected twist put Charlie at the center of the action and the bad guy went after Charlie for the information he knew she had. Charlie's strength of will was amazing through everything she endured. The tension and fear leapt off the pages as Finn and the others raced to the rescue. The resolution was perfect, capping off this book while leaving one thread dangling as a lead-in to the next book.
The secondary characters, as always, were also wonderful. We see a little more of Finn's partners, especially Aiden. I loved his commitment to the case they were working on and ached for the toll it took on him. I'm looking forward to getting to know him even better when his book comes along. It was great to see more of Zac and Annie, and Annie's assistance to Finn when Charlie collapsed. My favorite, by far, was Ethan. For a kid who had as rough a start in life as he did, he is an amazingly sweet and kind little boy. My heart ached for him and his troubles. The changes in him after Charlie started working with him were fantastic, and I loved the connection that they shared. His relationship with his little friend Jess was sweet and showed how much he was like his daddy. I was astounded what he was able to do at the end and the critical part it played. I'd love to see a book about him when he's all grown up. I liked Jordan Reiss, who was mentioned in Zac's book in relation to the deaths of his wife and child. I liked Charlie's kindness to her, and the way the two women were able to help each other. I hope to see more of her in future books.
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