Two people whose dangerous pasts are never far behind… Will their secrets catch up to them? Stranded in small-town Texas, desperate to keep her daughter from her serial-killer ex, Faith Thomas must rely on covert operative Léon Royce. But he, too, is on the run, hiding his real identity and denying his real attraction to Faith. Protecting her and Zoe becomes his mission…one he’ll risk his … mission…one he’ll risk his life–and heart–for.
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When Faith Thomas’ ex filed for sole custody of their daughter, Zoe, she knew she had to run to make sure he never got her. A serial killer is not good father material. On top of that, her home had been ransacked and seeing something disturbing in the paper, she just has to go. Settling in a small town in Texas, Faith got a job in a library where she often brought Zoe with her. Zoe was so cute when she helped customers at the library – acting like an adult employee. She was actually quite good at it. But Faith was terrified when she saw a man talking to her daughter. In Leon’s job as a covert operative, he was always reading people, so when he saw Faith’s fear, he wanted to help her. He didn’t care if it meant blowing his cover.
Both Léon and Faith hid their true identities and pasts, but as their relationship grew the need to hide lessened. I almost stopped reading after the first few pages about the ex because he was so creepy but I’m glad I didn’t. I really liked the characters (other than the ex), especially Faith and Léon! And Zoe was so cute but she did complicate things for them. How can you make a 7-year-old understand she can’t contact anybody from her past because her father might find them?
As I closed the book, I thought Oh. My. God. I loved this fast-paced romantic suspense and highly recommend it.
Faith Thomas had divorced her husband Burke, and while things were tense, Faith had not expected Burke to file for full custody. She fled to Carder, Texas, with her seven year-old daughter Zoe, in fear of being discovered. When her home and ransacked and upon seeing some disturbing news in the local paper, Faith knows she has to disappear permanently: Burke will not take no for an answer. Faith works in the library, often bringing her daughter, and when she sees Zoe talking with a stranger, Faith panics, which doesn’t escape Léon Royce’s vigilant eyes. He had been chatting amicably with Zoe, but he senses that Faith needs help, which he can provide. Léon understands only too well the need to become invisible: that’s what he’s been doing for several years in Texas, while working for the CTC, Covert Technology Confidential.
From the very first pages, it’s easy to understand Faith’s terror: Burke is one scary dude! I admit I thought that the heroine’s ex being a psychopathic serial killer was a bit of overkill – if you will pardon the pun – but I liked how it contributed to make us see another facet of Faith’s personality. Léon also has quite an unusual past, and I found it interesting that, apart from Zoe, most characters wear masks: they all hide their true identity in one way or another, for various reasons. The romance between Faith and Léon progressed surprisingly realistically, and Zoe came across as remarkably normal. I appreciated how Robin Perini chose to portray how Zoe related to both her parents as well as Léon.
LAST STAND IN TEXAS is a fast-paced romantic suspense, with a complex storyline and quite a bit of drama. The action never stops, and although it is book 10 in the Carder Texas Connections, it stands perfectly on its own. It’s heavy on the suspense, there are a few deaths but nothing gory, and I enjoyed that while the attraction between Faith and Léon was palpable and real, it never got in the way of the plot.