Very good second chance romance with some intriguing suspense to complicate matters. Paul and Simone have been an on-again-off-again couple since they were in college. Two years earlier, they split up when Simone refused to accompany Paul on one of his medical mission trips. When Paul discovers that medications from a particular company are contaminated he knows that Simone is the best person to help him.
The book started with a bang as Paul returned to Chicago from Africa to find that the samples he sent to his brother Oliver were stolen, along with the compiled data. Tension increased when two suspicious characters showed up at the restaurant where Paul was meeting Simone. Simone spotted them, and I loved how she handled it. When someone shoots at Paul and Simone as they leave the restaurant, Paul realizes they need to get somewhere safe.
I liked the rekindling of the relationship between Paul and Simone. It is evident from the start that there are still feelings between them. Both are independent and stubborn. We get a good look at the emotions of both of them in the first chapter, as each reflects on what went wrong in the relationship. Each is honest in their self-examinations, but both have trouble communicating their feelings. I had some trouble liking Simone because she was so melodramatic at times. Her volatility and short-fuse irritated me because she had a habit of exploding when she should have shut up and actually listened to what Paul had to say. As they holed up in Paul and Oliver’s house In the Canadian woods, Simone and Paul had the chance to reconnect. It wasn’t long before their old chemistry burned as hot as ever. However, though they admitted they still loved each other, there was still a lack of communication between them. Just as Simone starts to make progress in coming to terms with her fears life throws her a curveball that stirs everything up again. I loved how steady Paul was in his love for Simone, and how determined he was to make their relationship work. I loved his conversation with her father. It took a near-tragedy and an illuminating discussion with her mother for Simone to overcome her fears. I liked that they took time to finally talk to each other and work out their future together. The ending was terrific.
The suspense of the story was good. The subject of big pharma was right out of current headlines, and I enjoyed the way the author handled it. I could feel Paul’s frustration and anger as the problems with the medication became apparent, and his determination to do something about it. The tension as the first set of samples disappeared was magnified by the attack on Simone and Paul. They and Oliver fled to the house in Canada to use the backup samples to reconstruct the results. I liked the realism of the process taking weeks rather than days. I felt the anticipation build as they came closer to their goal. That progress also put them in danger, as those responsible became more desperate to stop them. Paul’s conversation with the drug rep and the attack at the news conference ramped up the tension. The final confrontation was a nail-biter as Paul put himself in the bulls-eye to bring the perp to justice.
This was the first book I have read by this author, but it won’t be the last. I will go back and read the previous books in the series. Simone’s family is fantastic, and I can’t wait to read more about them. I loved their closeness and support of each other, as well as the loving teasing that went on. I especially liked Mingus and his way of getting things done. I look forward to the next book and seeing what happens with the bombshell that their mother dropped at the family dinner.
Author
lynnbrooks
3 years ago
Exhilarating read! REUNITED BY THE BADGE is book three in Deborah Fletcher Mello’s To Serve and Seduce series and the return trip into the Black family’s world did not disappoint! The intrigue rose quickly and carried throughout the book, and even once the main protagonist was dealt with, we got a tidbit of a new mystery that’s going to carry forward into the series going forward that sounds really exciting. Can’t wait for a return trip!
Simone is a character that does not disappoint. Throughout the series she’s been strong-willed and steadfast in her devotion to her family and her ability to live life the way she wants to.
Paul is a character that grabs our attention quickly as the mystery he’s trying to solve heats up and more lives are in danger than ever. He brings a certain softness out in Simone that she doesn’t show for anyone else.
I highly recommend this book to anyone looking to read a fast paced story filled with non-stop action, close-knit family connections and a reuniting of former lovers. You can’t go wrong with any book in the series!
Author
danaburk
3 years ago
Who are Simone, Paul, Tom, Jerry, Mrs. Pippin, Oliver, Armstrong, Davis, Ellington, Parker, Vaughn, and Vivian? How do all of these folks know one another or what are their relationships if they do not know one another? I love Mrs. Pippin! What has gotten Paul into some hot water? What is going on in his mind? What bombshell is dropped on him after he gets off his flight and turns his phone on? Where does Paul end up going? Why? Oh, I love Smone’s mother and father’s senses of humor!!! Who has the relationship with Vivian and what is it exactly? When she shows up at the hospital, what does she try to do? As Paul is gearing up for a press conference, what happens? Why? Read and see what happens and how harrowing things get and for whom.
RECEIVED THIS BOOK AS A GIFT FOR A FAIR/HONEST REVIEW and REVIEWER FOR Bloggin’ With M. Brennan.
Author
becky
3 years ago
Reunited by the Badge is a romantic suspense story by a new-to-me author, Deborah Fletcher Mello. It’s a second chance romance that serves up a healthy dose of danger for its main characters, Simone Black and Dr. Paul Reilly.
Simone and Paul actually get back together much more quickly than I was expecting here–somewhere in the 20% mark, if I remember correctly–but their reunion is far from a sure thing for the bulk of the book. Simone has all kinds of reservations about them being able to make it as a couple this time around, and then fate sends them one heck of a curveball in the second half. Not to mention the people that are actually shooting at them, not once but multiple times in the story…
Yeah, there’s a lot going on there 😉
Simone’s back-and-forth, will she or won’t she tendencies made me a little crazy, as did her out-and-out run (again, apparently–she did similar to Paul in the past) from him that she does at one point. To be honest, she didn’t have me 100% convinced that she’d really be in it for the long haul for sure at the end, but I’m willing to give her the benefit of the doubt, I guess.
Ms Mello did a good job of keeping the reader reading, since her characters seemed to be in danger more often than not. Simone’s very close family also played a pretty big role here, and seeing her siblings and parents give their (often unsolicited) two cents about what was going on was pretty amusing. The plot to a future book is heavily hinted at near the end, and fans of the series will definitely want to pick that one up as soon as it is released.
Reunited by the Badge is the third book in Ms Mello’s To Serve and Seduce miniseries, but it worked just fine as a standalone.
Rating: 3 1/2 stars / C+
I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book.
Author
thatbookjunkie
3 years ago
This book was just so gooooood! Simone and Paul have some issues they need to wade through, and it was exciting to see the navigate them.
The fact that they are opposites make for an even better story. There was more than enough push/pull to keep you riveted until the very end.
The supporting characters are some of the same ones from the previous two books and they do their jobs without overwhelming the plot.
I enjoyed this book, I think you will as well .
Author
katiemettner
3 years ago
This one was just middle of the road for me. I’ve read worse, but I’ve read far better romantic suspense. The romance was barely there and the suspense was missing completely. Paul and Simone are a second chance couple and I’m always a sucker for second chance romances, but this one fell flat. Simone was difficult to like, at best, and when they were together she was either starting a fight or moaning about how he can’t leave her to go do his mission trips. Then they’d hop in bed and everything would be fine for a few more hours. If you’re looking for romance you aren’t going to find it here.
The suspense plot was good. I really liked that part of the story, but the bad guy was revealed so early in the book there wasn’t a lot to hang on for. There were some tense moments in the end, but since you knew who it was, you couldn’t get too worked up about it.
I found the secondary characters to be interesting, especially Mingus and Oliver. I want to know more about them and I also want to find out the information that was left open at the end (Obviously for the next book). However, the excessive amount of exclamation!Points!That!Were!On!Every!Page! will probably keep me from reading another book in this series. By 70% it became so distracting I wanted to give up. The characters were constantly yelling at each other with exclamation points and much of it made little sense because they shouldn’t have been.
All in all, I liked the plot and the idea that drug manufacturers could be poisoning us and we’d never know it. If you like low key romance and suspense mixed with a large family of interesting characters then you’d enjoy Reunited by the Badge.
Very good second chance romance with some intriguing suspense to complicate matters. Paul and Simone have been an on-again-off-again couple since they were in college. Two years earlier, they split up when Simone refused to accompany Paul on one of his medical mission trips. When Paul discovers that medications from a particular company are contaminated he knows that Simone is the best person to help him.
The book started with a bang as Paul returned to Chicago from Africa to find that the samples he sent to his brother Oliver were stolen, along with the compiled data. Tension increased when two suspicious characters showed up at the restaurant where Paul was meeting Simone. Simone spotted them, and I loved how she handled it. When someone shoots at Paul and Simone as they leave the restaurant, Paul realizes they need to get somewhere safe.
I liked the rekindling of the relationship between Paul and Simone. It is evident from the start that there are still feelings between them. Both are independent and stubborn. We get a good look at the emotions of both of them in the first chapter, as each reflects on what went wrong in the relationship. Each is honest in their self-examinations, but both have trouble communicating their feelings. I had some trouble liking Simone because she was so melodramatic at times. Her volatility and short-fuse irritated me because she had a habit of exploding when she should have shut up and actually listened to what Paul had to say. As they holed up in Paul and Oliver’s house In the Canadian woods, Simone and Paul had the chance to reconnect. It wasn’t long before their old chemistry burned as hot as ever. However, though they admitted they still loved each other, there was still a lack of communication between them. Just as Simone starts to make progress in coming to terms with her fears life throws her a curveball that stirs everything up again. I loved how steady Paul was in his love for Simone, and how determined he was to make their relationship work. I loved his conversation with her father. It took a near-tragedy and an illuminating discussion with her mother for Simone to overcome her fears. I liked that they took time to finally talk to each other and work out their future together. The ending was terrific.
The suspense of the story was good. The subject of big pharma was right out of current headlines, and I enjoyed the way the author handled it. I could feel Paul’s frustration and anger as the problems with the medication became apparent, and his determination to do something about it. The tension as the first set of samples disappeared was magnified by the attack on Simone and Paul. They and Oliver fled to the house in Canada to use the backup samples to reconstruct the results. I liked the realism of the process taking weeks rather than days. I felt the anticipation build as they came closer to their goal. That progress also put them in danger, as those responsible became more desperate to stop them. Paul’s conversation with the drug rep and the attack at the news conference ramped up the tension. The final confrontation was a nail-biter as Paul put himself in the bulls-eye to bring the perp to justice.
This was the first book I have read by this author, but it won’t be the last. I will go back and read the previous books in the series. Simone’s family is fantastic, and I can’t wait to read more about them. I loved their closeness and support of each other, as well as the loving teasing that went on. I especially liked Mingus and his way of getting things done. I look forward to the next book and seeing what happens with the bombshell that their mother dropped at the family dinner.
Exhilarating read! REUNITED BY THE BADGE is book three in Deborah Fletcher Mello’s To Serve and Seduce series and the return trip into the Black family’s world did not disappoint! The intrigue rose quickly and carried throughout the book, and even once the main protagonist was dealt with, we got a tidbit of a new mystery that’s going to carry forward into the series going forward that sounds really exciting. Can’t wait for a return trip!
Simone is a character that does not disappoint. Throughout the series she’s been strong-willed and steadfast in her devotion to her family and her ability to live life the way she wants to.
Paul is a character that grabs our attention quickly as the mystery he’s trying to solve heats up and more lives are in danger than ever. He brings a certain softness out in Simone that she doesn’t show for anyone else.
I highly recommend this book to anyone looking to read a fast paced story filled with non-stop action, close-knit family connections and a reuniting of former lovers. You can’t go wrong with any book in the series!
Who are Simone, Paul, Tom, Jerry, Mrs. Pippin, Oliver, Armstrong, Davis, Ellington, Parker, Vaughn, and Vivian? How do all of these folks know one another or what are their relationships if they do not know one another? I love Mrs. Pippin! What has gotten Paul into some hot water? What is going on in his mind? What bombshell is dropped on him after he gets off his flight and turns his phone on? Where does Paul end up going? Why? Oh, I love Smone’s mother and father’s senses of humor!!! Who has the relationship with Vivian and what is it exactly? When she shows up at the hospital, what does she try to do? As Paul is gearing up for a press conference, what happens? Why? Read and see what happens and how harrowing things get and for whom.
RECEIVED THIS BOOK AS A GIFT FOR A FAIR/HONEST REVIEW and REVIEWER FOR Bloggin’ With M. Brennan.
Reunited by the Badge is a romantic suspense story by a new-to-me author, Deborah Fletcher Mello. It’s a second chance romance that serves up a healthy dose of danger for its main characters, Simone Black and Dr. Paul Reilly.
Simone and Paul actually get back together much more quickly than I was expecting here–somewhere in the 20% mark, if I remember correctly–but their reunion is far from a sure thing for the bulk of the book. Simone has all kinds of reservations about them being able to make it as a couple this time around, and then fate sends them one heck of a curveball in the second half. Not to mention the people that are actually shooting at them, not once but multiple times in the story…
Yeah, there’s a lot going on there 😉
Simone’s back-and-forth, will she or won’t she tendencies made me a little crazy, as did her out-and-out run (again, apparently–she did similar to Paul in the past) from him that she does at one point. To be honest, she didn’t have me 100% convinced that she’d really be in it for the long haul for sure at the end, but I’m willing to give her the benefit of the doubt, I guess.
Ms Mello did a good job of keeping the reader reading, since her characters seemed to be in danger more often than not. Simone’s very close family also played a pretty big role here, and seeing her siblings and parents give their (often unsolicited) two cents about what was going on was pretty amusing. The plot to a future book is heavily hinted at near the end, and fans of the series will definitely want to pick that one up as soon as it is released.
Reunited by the Badge is the third book in Ms Mello’s To Serve and Seduce miniseries, but it worked just fine as a standalone.
Rating: 3 1/2 stars / C+
I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book.
This book was just so gooooood! Simone and Paul have some issues they need to wade through, and it was exciting to see the navigate them.
The fact that they are opposites make for an even better story. There was more than enough push/pull to keep you riveted until the very end.
The supporting characters are some of the same ones from the previous two books and they do their jobs without overwhelming the plot.
I enjoyed this book, I think you will as well .
This one was just middle of the road for me. I’ve read worse, but I’ve read far better romantic suspense. The romance was barely there and the suspense was missing completely. Paul and Simone are a second chance couple and I’m always a sucker for second chance romances, but this one fell flat. Simone was difficult to like, at best, and when they were together she was either starting a fight or moaning about how he can’t leave her to go do his mission trips. Then they’d hop in bed and everything would be fine for a few more hours. If you’re looking for romance you aren’t going to find it here.
The suspense plot was good. I really liked that part of the story, but the bad guy was revealed so early in the book there wasn’t a lot to hang on for. There were some tense moments in the end, but since you knew who it was, you couldn’t get too worked up about it.
I found the secondary characters to be interesting, especially Mingus and Oliver. I want to know more about them and I also want to find out the information that was left open at the end (Obviously for the next book). However, the excessive amount of exclamation!Points!That!Were!On!Every!Page! will probably keep me from reading another book in this series. By 70% it became so distracting I wanted to give up. The characters were constantly yelling at each other with exclamation points and much of it made little sense because they shouldn’t have been.
All in all, I liked the plot and the idea that drug manufacturers could be poisoning us and we’d never know it. If you like low key romance and suspense mixed with a large family of interesting characters then you’d enjoy Reunited by the Badge.