It takes a specialized task force to bring down the most notorious criminals, FBI agents with the guts to go for the glory, and the smarts to know what rules to break—for justice and for love . . . Avery Coppola is a woman on the run—not from the law, but from the lawless. Her ex-husband, mafia boss Dante Coppola, never forgets or forgives, especially since Avery stole incriminating files from … incriminating files from him. For now, she’s found sanctuary in the North Country of New Hampshire, working as a waitress to support herself and her
ten-year-old sister. But not only are Dante’s men on her trail, so is the FBI . . .
Special Agent Vincent Modena is at the end of his rope. After a year-long attempt to infiltrate the Coppola organization, his only chance to ensnare the crime lord now lies with the ex-wife. After locating her,
Vincent makes contact, unafraid to use his good looks to capture Avery’s attention. But she turns the tables on him with an intoxicating combination of innocent beauty . . . and the mind-blowing skills of a stone-cold killer.
On the run from Dante’s hit men, Avery takes Vincent on a wild ride of danger and deceit, hiding a secret that could destroy Vincent’s trust in her—and in himself . . .
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Caught By You by Kris Rafferty
Secret Agents #1
This introduction of a new series had many slowly exposed secrets that the heroine keeps close to her chest…or should I say on her fingers? Avery Toner Coppola is the ex-wife of a mobster who is in hiding with her younger sister. She knows that there is a hit out on her and she needs to run again. When Agent Vincent Modena is sent in to talk her into taking FBI protection in exchange for files she stole from her husband…well…all she can think about is her younger sister and keeping her safe.
This is an action-packed story with a heroine unable to trust anyone but herself and a hero with his own trust issues. It is a story of ruthlessness and revenge. There is romance of the slow burn variety but with plenty of chemistry between Vincent and Avery. The FBI team seems a bit unbelievable with Jack being the lead of the team after having his cover so recently blown – he seems to want justice at any cost – where was his handler? Cynthia, the profiler, really didn’t seem to belong on the team but perhaps she and Agent Gilroy (and even Jack) are merely mentioned rather superficially so they will be able to have stories of their own in the future.
I really admired Avery’s commitment to her sister, her physical and mental strength and her willingness to do whatever it took to achieve the goals she set for herself. I liked the relationship between Vincent and Avery though Avery kept pulling fast ones and Vincent should have figured her out a bit sooner, perhaps? I liked the rings (read the book) and the legend of The Stinger and…enjoyed the story. I look forward to reading the second book in the series when it comes out.
Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Books – Lyrical Press – Liaison for the ARC – This is my honest review.
4 Stars
Avery Coppola is the daughter of a crime boss and the ex wife of his successor. She went on the run from him with her baby sister. Dante says she stle information from him and the FBI have heard these rumours. She may just give them the “in” they need.
Vincent has been under the radar for over a year trying to bring down Dante Coppola. But he has now been sent to schmooze, seduce or otherwise get to know Avery and grab the information she has. But he didn’t plan on being drawn to the ex-mob wife and her cute as a button sister. But there is more to Avery than being a mob wife. She made her ex-husbands “associates” train her and she had wreaked her own kind of justice on those she held responsible for her parents deaths. But she may have been misinformed and there may just be some stragglers, who are just as keen to take her out!
Great rollercoaster ride! Avery is a complicated and conflicted character – good girl at heart but with the skills of an assassin! Her sister is cuteness personified but oh so grown up when it comes to following orders to keep them safe. Vincent is a great alpha male protector but he recognises skills when he sees them! Can’t wait for the next!
A little too brutal and unrealistic for me… Too much insta-love!
This story was a triple treat for me starting with the author’s voice and style to tell a story. It was flowing, smooth, and engaging, it pulled me into the story and held my interest throughout. The storytelling was intense and sharp mixed with a little drizzle of delightfully dry humor, and sort of delicate, graceful, lightness like life itself is.
The suspense and the whole high-speed chase, the case the FBI is working on is a twisted twine of lies, doubts, and mistrust. Nothing is as it seems to be, the truth is an evasive abstract character in the tale, the one that is impossible to catch. The action is at times brutal, at times breathtaking, and always fierce.
Avery Coppola and Special Agent Vincent Modena had a chemistry that was off the charts. They clicked, they got each other, they saw the true self in each other despite all the lies and half-truths, the misguided loyalty and fears. The bond between them was tight from the start, the attraction was burning hot as well, yet the mental tie was as big of a force as the physical one was.
Avery had so much to lose, the things she had had to face, she had had to do, to learn just to protect herself and her sister were heartbreaking. Yet she owned it like a true queen, like a survivor who knows she did what she had to even though not all of it was completely above the law. She is fierce, smart, capable, a true heroine, and I admired her.
From the first moment, Vincent had seen Avery’s picture he had felt a kindred spirit towards her. The first face to face meeting confirmed that she was everything he thought she would be. I loved Vincent’s ability to put himself completely into the situation, and his willingness to protect Avery, even if she didn’t need it, no matter what.
Fantastic, intense, sharp romantic suspense from a new author to me, and I am enamored with the characters, with the perplexing case, and with the smooth yet fierce storytelling.
~ Five Spoons!