Friday, March 13, 2026

Big Sky Showdown - Juno Rushdan (HI #2338 - Feb 2026)

Series: Ironside Protection Services (Book 3)
 
Can he break a deadly standoff and save her from a mysterious stalker?
 
After a violent assault by a shadowy stalker, Kimi Wheeler is forced to turn to Takoda Yazzie -- the man she secretly loves. Haunted by his past, the Ironside Protection Services investigator has vowed to stay far away from his best friend's sister. But when a disappearance close to home tracks deeper danger to Kimi's door, Takoda's only mission is to keep Kimi from vanishing next. Ignoring their intense desire will take everything they have…even as Takoda and Kimi race toward a terrifying face-off with a killer.
 
Excellent suspense combined with a little sister/brother's best friend romance. Kimi is a former rodeo rider who left the circuit to become a nurse after her brother died in the war. The story opens as she walks home from the grocery store, feeling like she's being watched - again. Then she is attacked by someone trying to take her purse. Without any proof of her stalker, Kimi bites the bullet and asks Jacy's best friend, Takoda, from Ironside Protection Services, for help. Takoda promised Jacy he would watch over Kimi after his friend's death on their deployment. He blames himself for Jacy's death and will do anything to keep his promise.
 
This book kept me hooked from start to finish, thanks to the intense action and suspense and the developing relationship between Takoda and Kimi. He and Kimi have an uncomfortable history. Shortly after Jacy's death, their mutual grief, combined with a little too much alcohol, led to an explosive kiss. Takoda pulled away from her, avoiding contact whenever possible. Years earlier, Jacy had told him Kimi was off-limits, and Takoda tried to keep that promise despite his attraction to her. Meanwhile, Kimi has been secretly in love with him for a long time, and his distance hurts. Thrown together while they investigate, the attraction becomes harder to resist. I enjoyed seeing Kimi break through Takoda's walls and loved his confession at the end.
 
The suspense was fantastic. Starting with the puzzle of who is following Kimi and why, to the attacks, and then her father going missing, the twists and turns kept me guessing right to the end. The growing intensity as they closed in on the truth kept me glued to the pages, leading to a nail-biter of a final confrontation. The surprise revelation at the end was not what I expected, but I loved it. 


No comments:

Post a Comment