Runaway Heiress

Good book that started with a bang and kept me hooked to the end. When a homeless man that Sadie was helping was murdered, the police were unable to find out who did it. Sadie went to Dark Alley Investigations for help but was shot on her way into the building. Jasper was the investigator assigned to her case. He was determined to solve both mysteries: who killed the homeless man, and who tried to kill Sadie?

This was a story that kept me guessing throughout, both about the attacks and about the mystery surrounding Sadie herself. The first thing Jasper did was to get Sadie back to her Wyoming hideaway to recover. In spite of her excellent security, he wasn’t willing to leave her there alone, so he began his murder investigation remotely. His gut also told him that there was a connection between the two attacks, even if Sadie refused to believe it. The other problem was that he was certain that Sadie was withholding vital information.

Neither Jasper nor Sadie expected the attraction that flared between them. Constant proximity drew them closer together, and the chemistry between them burned hotter. There were several scenes where the heat leapt off the pages. But both Jasper and Sadie had baggage from their pasts that wouldn’t let them consider a future together. Sadie’s issues stemmed from events that have destroyed her trust in men. Jasper was fighting guilty feelings over a relationship that ended badly. These feelings made him resistant to any kind of commitment. There was a lot of hot and cold between them as one or the other pulled back after getting too close. Unexpected complications threw their feelings into further turmoil creating tension between them. It wasn’t until the danger was over that each of them was able to do some soul searching and face their fears. I liked Jasper’s big moment at the end; it was sweet and romantic.

The suspense of the story was good and kept me hooked to the end. The attack that brought Jasper and Sadie together threw his protective instincts into high gear. I could feel his frustration over Sadie’s refusal to tell him what she was hiding. I was very frustrated with her also because holding back put them both in danger. The escalating attacks finally convinced Sadie; unfortunately, she still resisted revealing the whole truth. I was glad to see that once he had a little to go on, Jasper was able to figure out most of the rest. Things got very interesting when Jasper “poked the tiger” in an attempt to make him careless. I was a bit disappointed in Jasper in the hospital scene, as I thought he was careless about Sadie’s safety there. That attack provided an unexpected twist that revealed more about the bad guy’s motivations. The final confrontation was intense, and I was on the edge of my seat until it was finished. I really enjoyed Sadie’s part in it, as she stood up to him.

I liked seeing the part that family played in Jasper and Sadie’s personalities. Jasper’s problems with his uncle were what ultimately brought Jasper to work for DAI. They also drove Jasper’s fear of commitment. It was interesting to see who and what released him from those fears. Sadie’s experience of growing up with a cold, callous drove her in the opposite direction. She was a caring, compassionate woman who found satisfaction in helping the homeless. I loved the scenes when she was with those she helped. I could easily see how much she cared for them.