Blurb
Dr. Abigail Westward has been home after two tours of duty in Afghanistan for about two months and shes taken up an unusual hobby. A hobby that has the local sheriff scared stiff: tossing lit dynamite sticks into the still waters of Lost Lake in Montana. After locking her up for twenty-four hours, then a couple weeks later for forty-eight, the sheriff is getting desperate to find a way to combat Doc Abbys explosive habit. He calls in a very special Doc-sitter, Jacob “Smitty” Smith, a fellow soldier of Abbys and the only man who might be able to find out what was really going on with Bandit Creeks doctor.
Smitty is in Bandit Creek for one reason and one reason only. He loves Abby, has from damn near the moment he met her in Afghanistan. Hes stayed at arms length until now because getting involved with anyone while on a combat mission is just plain stupid. But combat is over for both of them and hes waited long enough. He wants her and hell play dirty to get her because he knows shes hurting deep down in a place she doesnt want anyone to see.
Seeing Smitty waiting for her on shore, Abby gives up the dynamite with little or no argument. Its far too much fun to verbally poke at him and the sheriff, until she finds out hes been hired by the town of Bandit Creek to ride herd on her. Shes resistant to the idea right up to the moment someone attempts to shoot her in the middle of town. Now she and Smitty have to figure out who wants to kill her and why before hell go, because if he stays shes not sure shell be able to resist temptation. Smitty is her only weakness. Hes the one man she trusts absolutely, the one man she loves, the one man who knows her terrible secret.
Shes a doctor whos guilty of murder.
Review
In the first book of the Bandit Creek series, small town doctor Abby is suffering from PTSD from her time as a highly skilled Army medic. To blow off steam and to feel better, she lights up dynamite and throws it in the lake.
Smitty belonged to the Special Forces division of the Marines, and he was assigned to Abbys med unit as security detail. They became good friends while fighting for their lives in Afghanistan, so when he shows up out of the blue in her little town, she readily accepts his help. What she didnt expect was for romance to bloom between them or for a mystery military sniper to target her.
Abby is a strong, snarky woman and hides her pain through humor. Smitty is levelheaded, protective, and just the friend she needed.
The story is told only in Abbys POV and in third person, so the reader gets to understand her pain, regret, and self-contempt. I liked Smitty, but I couldnt really connect with him. I didnt feel like I got to know him, so duel POVs wouldve been nice.
The story focuses a lot on PTSD, which doesnt make this a light read. There werent a lot of taglines, so sometimes I didnt know who was speaking. There were also some typos, and Im not talking about the use of British English.
Anyway, the sex scenes were hot. Abby and Smitty made for a great couple.
3 Stars
— If youve read this book, Id love to know what you think of it. Please comment below.