She’ll do anything to track a killer And he’ll do anything to keep her in line… If PI Kiely Colton must work with FBI agent Cooper Winston, she will. But to solve a cold case, she won’t change her break-the-rules style to accommodate the single father’s by-the-book principles. As the investigation progresses, Kiely finds herself inexplicably attracted to her exacting partner and enchanted by … partner and enchanted by his adorable son. Will a ruthless killer put an end to their possible future before it really begins?
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4 1/2 STARS!
An emotional race against time! With book four in the Colton 911: Grand Rapids series Deborah Fletcher Mello takes the reigns and quickly immerses her reader into a non-stop realm of danger as they try to figure out who has them in their sights … and why. The characters drew me in easily and the storyline was fast paced and exciting. I’m loving this series!
Kiely Colton is as easy to like as all of her siblings have been so far, and seeing her start to melt at the feet of this adorable little boy just endeared her to this reader’s heart even more. She’s confident and self-assured but down-to-earth and approachable.
Cooper is a gentle soul. He’s hard-nosed about following protocol on the job, but he’s putty in the hands of the son he’s been raising on his own since his wife died. Seeing him watch his son fall in love with the first mother-figure he’s ever known is breathtaking.
I highly recommend this book and the entire series to anyone who wants a romance filled with fast paced action and intrigue as the couple comes together and builds a future.
I totally enjoyed this romantic suspense from beginning to end. Cooper Winston is a single dad trying to do everything. He’s working the Revitayou case and trying to raise his 2-year-old son Alfie after his wife died.
Kiely Colton is a private investigator who helps the FBI with their tipline on her downtime. When she gets a tip telling her where the man responsible for her brother’s disappearance might be, she springs into action. She’s no-nonsense and isn’t a huge fan of Cooper Winston, but since he is the agent in charge, she has to do things his way.
It’s on the way to the address the tipster gave them that things go awry. Little Alfie is suddenly in danger, and it’s up to Kiely and Cooper to keep him safe.
Bullets fly and explosions abound, telling Kiely and Cooper they are closer to discovering the secrets of Revitayou and Wes Matthews than they know. All they have to do is stay alive. Trapped in an FBI safe house together with Alfie, you get to see a different side of Kiely. A side even she didn’t know she had. She was a natural-born mother and loves Cooper’s little boy like her own. She quickly discovers she’s falling for Cooper, too, and that was scarier than all the bullets and explosions that came their way.
Often times when reading romantic suspense, the focus is on the suspense and the romance plot falls apart. That was not the case in this book, so I have to give the author kudos for weaving the romance line into the suspense line flawlessly. If you love the Colton series then you don’t want to miss this one! The whole Colton gang is here to help Kiely with her case and some secrets are revealed that will surprise you.
This installment in the series is just what the doctor ordered. It has all the suspense, romance, thrills and sitting on the edge of your seat jaw dropping jaw dropping intrigue.
All of that comes with well written fluidity, the pacing is smooth which results in a beautiful page turner that was worth all my time.
I definitely recommend this book.
Who are Cooper and Kiely? Where are they from? What does each do for a living? Who is Claire Miller? What about Wes Matthews? What do we learn? Who is Alfred? I liked him a lot!! What do we learn about Alfred and Sara? Oh, goodness gracious! From kidnappings to deaths, to attempted murder, and more, this book keeps you on the edge of your seat! I fell in love with certain characters in this story! I shed a few tears as well. Read and see why!
RECEIVED THIS BOOK AS A GIFT from Netgalley FOR A FAIR/HONEST REVIEW and REVIEWER FOR Bloggin’ With M. Brennan.
Sometimes there comes along in a series one story that simply ticks off all the ‘just right for me buttons’. You know the kind. A heroine who is smart, gutsy, can be vulnerable and can change her life plan when the situation merits it. A hero who has gone through the worst life can offer and come out the other side whole but badly bruised, a man who isn’t so wrapped up in the past that he cannot see a different future. An ongoing investigation into a crime that is heating up decidedly at this juncture. And a few twists that I never, ever saw coming to make the story a bit more realistic, more intense, and even more believable. A love between a couple that feels real, acts as an emerging future and isn’t afraid to ask and deal with the tough questions.
I found all of that and more in Agent by Her Side, the fourth title in the Colton 911: Grand Rapids series by Harlequin Romantic Suspense. It’s possible that I’ve read Deborah Fletcher Mello’s work before – after all, I read a ton of various Harlequin lines. Yet, this one story sold me to finding more, searching out her backlist, diving a bit deeper. Funny how sometimes just one story can do that for a reader.
You might think that I haven’t told you much about the actual book – Agent by Her Side – Oh, but I have just in the description of the hero and heroine… add in an adorable, mischievous little toddler and you have a wonderfully complete picture of Kiely, Cooper, and little Alfie. This time around the villains are particularly vile and disgusting, with a twist that I didn’t see coming at all. Now, if I search my memory I know there was a mention of this possibility early on, but it was never reintroduced until that revealing scene… took me by surprise in a way that I love within a Romantic Suspense story. It’s that type of storytelling that will always grab my attention and have me begging for more.
When you just finished a story and your immediate gut reaction is to start a re-read right now in case you missed nuances, details the first time (even though you desperately need to get caught up on the entire series)… well, that’s when I know I’ve a winner in my hands.
I hope you’ll check out Agent by Her Side for yourself. It’s an incredible romantic journey.
I own a Kindle edition of Agent by Her Side.
I have become kinda in love with the Colton 911 series with the different authors to give it flavor. In this one I was introduced to a new author to me whom gives us a special agent. PI Kiely and FBI Cooper must work together even though there is some bucking about it at first. You find out Cooper is a good guy right away because of how great a job he is doing as a single dad. His son will steal your heart so be careful. The balance is a good one in this with the suspense that has intrigue along side the romance too. They have a killer to go after that will have them using all their wits for sure. This one gave me a taste of this author which will have me keeping my eye out again.
Good book with a nice blend of romance and suspense. Kiely is a PI with her family’s business, Colton Investigations. She has a reputation for getting the job done, and also for pushing the envelope of legality. This has put her at odds with Cooper Winston, a by-the-book FBI agent. Because of her family’s excellent reputation, they frequently work with local law enforcement, including the FBI. She currently assists with a case that also has a personal connection for her. When a tip comes in that she thinks is legit, she wants to follow up on it immediately – alone. Cooper, the lead agent on the case, disagrees.
Cooper is skeptical about the tip, but doesn’t want her to follow up on it by herself and insists on going with her. Kiely irritates him with her disregard for the rules, but he doesn’t want her to be in danger. Before they can leave to check it out, Cooper receives a call from his son’s daycare that little Alfie is missing. Cooper and Kiely rescue him through a fortuitous series of events, but Cooper is injured in the process. Cooper is a single dad, and Alfie is his world. Because the boy may still be in danger, Kiely steps in to help protect him and also take care of Cooper.
I loved the development of the relationship between Cooper and Kiely. Together 24/7, each of them discovers a different side of the other. Kiely sees that the cold, rigid FBI agent is also a warm, relaxed, and loving father. Cooper finds that the go-for-broke PI has an unexpected soft side that connects quickly with his son. There are several terrific scenes as he and Kiely get to know each other, and show them becoming a temporary family. Neither expected the sparks of attraction that flew between them. Cooper didn’t think that he’d be drawn to another woman after his wife’s death, but can’t deny his growing feelings for Kiely. Kiely was wary of love because of things she had seen in her parents’ marriage. I enjoyed seeing Kiely discover new facets of herself and laughed at her family’s reactions. It was nice to see that both Cooper and Kiely were upfront about their feelings. There’s an event at the end that solidifies those feelings. Cooper’s support and understanding as Kiely dealt with the aftermath was awesome.
The suspense of the story was terrific. The book starts with a rush when Alfie is kidnapped and maintains the intensity throughout. Both the FBI and Colton Investigations are determined to find their quarry. Alfie’s kidnapping adds a new set of questions as they try to figure out its connection to the case. As Cooper and Kiely delve deeper into their search, the attacks on them intensify. The final confrontation with the kidnapper was a nail-biter with a satisfactory conclusion. However, an unexpected twist showed that the danger wasn’t over yet. This one had me glued to the pages (and up way too late) as Kiely faced a frightening foe. Some progress is made in the overall investigation, leaving me ready for the next book and whatever happens there.
Colton 911: Agent By Her Side by Deborah Fletcher Mello is the fourth book in the Colton 911: Grand Rapids Harlequin Romantic Suspense series. The protagonists are Private Investigator Kiely Colton and FBI Special Agent Cooper Winston. They have both been trying to track down the leader of a pyramid scheme. When an event occurs that forces the two of them to work together, bullets, explosions, and sparks start to fly.
Both Kiely and Cooper are likeable, but very different characters and seemed an unlikely pair. Their flaws and virtues came through and they were definitely someone you could root for. Both had clear goals that influenced the plot and had believable motivations. The secondary characters were not quite as well developed, but they did enhance the story rather than overwhelming it. The world-building was good. Kiely’s change in priorities seemed to come too quickly and would have been more believable if it had happened over the course of multiple books. Unfortunately, not all of the case is resolved in this book. There are a few steamy scenes in the book.
Overall, this was an enjoyable and entertaining romantic suspense with plenty of action. Additionally, the author did a good job of meshing the romance and the suspense without either suffering. My 3.5 star rating is rounded up to 4 stars. If you are a fan of romantic suspense, then you may want to check this one out. I am looking forward to reading the next book in the series.
HARLEQUIN – Romance (U.S. & Canada) and Deborah Fletcher Mello provided a complimentary digital ARC of this novel via NetGalley. This is my honest review. Opinions are mine alone and are not biased in any way.
Kiely Colton works as a private investigator in the family business, Colton Investigations. She sometimes helps out the city police and the FBI. Kiely and her family have been heavily involved in the investigation into a company called RevitaYou. This company has been selling a product that is supposed to have the person using it become more youthful. Due to the fact the poison ricin is used in manufacturing RevitaYou people have been dying. On top of this the officials in this company have been scamming investors. The company officials have taken the money and run. Kiely is working the tip line for this case for the FBI when she gets what she feels is a credible tip about the whereabouts of Wes Matthews, one of the company officials. The agent in charge of this investigation, Cooper Winston doesn’t agree with Kiely that the tip is reliable. He insists on being Kiely’s backup though when she informs him that she is going to check out the tip. Before they can get out of the FBI building Cooper gets a call from his toddler son Alfi’s daycare that Alfie has been kidnapped. That takes priority. After spending time at the daycare and with no clues as to where Alfi is Kiely and Cooper decide to check out the location the tipster gave them. When they get there they hear a child crying and Cooper heads to the door. Things don’t go 100% as planned there. Neither Kiely or Cooper feel confident that Alfi will stay safe when the woman at this location eludes the police.
Special Agent Cooper Winston is a single dad. His wife Sara died giving birth to their son Alfi. His son means the world to Cooper. When he is kidnapped Cooper is devastated. Having Kiely Colton there with him giving support makes a big difference. Cooper never thought he would get involved with another woman after his wife’s death. There’s something special about Kiely though. Plus Alfi loves her and his son has never warmed up to anyone like he has with Kiely. They both are working hard to solve the case and keep Alfi safe.
Colton 911: Agent By Her Side by Deborah Fletcher Mello is book #4 in the Harlequin series Colton 911: Grand Rapids. I have really been enjoying this series. This book isn’t my favorite but it is a nice addition to the series. It has an interesting plot. Alfi is a really cute kid. The overall arc of solving the RevitaYou case progresses in this book. There is a really big surprise in this one. I am looking forward to the next book in the series Colton 911: In Hot Pursuit by Geri Krotow.