Stealing Taffy

Fun conclusion to the Bigler series. Taffy made her first appearance in the opening book of the series, Cheri on Top. She was Cheri’s bitchy, manipulative, and criminal sister, who was notorious for her sheer selfishness. At the beginning of this book, she has just finished ten weeks of court-ordered rehab, where she made an impressive voyage of self-discovery. Taffy was determined to turn over a new leaf, make amends for her past mistakes, and avoid temptation. Those intentions were waylaid; however, when a rerouted flight threw her together with an impossible-to-resist and scorching man. Taffy gave herself the gift of a last hurrah with this man, never expecting to see him again.

Dante is a special agent with the DEA. His previous undercover assignment went so well that it has been extended, much to his dismay. Dante is a city boy from New York, and the South is not his cup of tea. His encounter with Taffy was the distraction that he needed but left him with a far more memorable experience than he expected. Desperate to forget about her, he threw himself into his work.

I really liked both Taffy and Dante. Taffy had quite the challenge ahead of her. She has to find a job and perform her community service hours to satisfy the conditions of her probation. She also had to make amends to the people she’d wronged, a list that grew longer rather than shorter, as she took those steps. I loved her dedication to that mission, and her determination to carry it out, no matter how painful it was to her. I ached for her and the pain and frustration she felt as she tried to find both a job and a place to volunteer. Her encounter with Candy (I Want Candy) provided both, in a heartwarming scene of forgiveness. Throughout the book, Taffy’s struggles were realistic and believable. I loved seeing her overcome them and become someone she could be proud of.

Dante has some challenges of his own. Events from his past put him in a downward spiral that took a great deal of effort to break out of and required a fair amount of diligence to maintain. His memories of the night with Taffy were a distraction that he didn’t need. His current assignment was an offshoot of the previous one and had the entire taskforce stumped trying to find the local connection. His interactions with his coworkers were fun, especially when it came to his relationship with Taffy.

Fate wasn’t done with Taffy and Dante. Dante was stunned to find Taffy right under his nose, and not sure if he was happy about it or not. Taffy was equally unhappy to discover her lapse in judgment was not relegated to her past. But neither could deny the sparks that flew between them. They couldn’t stay away from each other and quickly discovered they had a deeper connection than just the physical one. I loved the time they spent together and how each was able to share their pasts. The similarities they shared made it much easier for them to understand each other, and that understanding quickly deepened their feelings for each other. Dante’s care, understanding, and patience were sweet, as he provided the support she needed, but also space when she wanted it. His growing feelings for her also created a bigger problem, because someone in his position was forbidden to keep company with someone with her record. I loved seeing Taffy grow more confident in her new life, thanks to Dante’s support. I loved how her feelings for him grew as she learned more about the man he was. The protectiveness they felt for each other was sweet, as they tried to do what was best for the other. I ached for the tough spot they were in, faced with the prospect of having to give each other up. The ending was perhaps a little to neatly wrapped up, but I loved it anyway. The epilogue was fantastic. Dante’s big moment was sweet and romantic and perfect.

Fern was my favorite secondary character. I ached for her and everything she had been through, making her wary and cynical. I loved how she and Taffy were matched up, with Taffy’s sweet but determined nature running up against Fern’s defensive snark. It was great to see Taffy break through Fern’s walls with her southern steel and gentle understanding. The two of them have some laugh-out-loud moments as well as some heartbreakingly emotional ones. The scene at the hairdresser really got to me. Their growing trust became very important when they had to work together to escape life-threatening danger at the end.

The bit of suspense from the case that Dante worked was good without overshadowing the relationship. I liked Dante’s confidence in his belief of a local connection in spite of the others’ skepticism. I liked the connection between Dante and Fern, and the background of their relationship. He was certain that she knew something that would help, but he was also protective enough not to push. The tension ramped up when the bad guy spooked, and Taffy and Fern were in the wrong place at the wrong time. I was impressed with Fern’s presence of mind and loved how she and Taffy saved themselves in an exciting and funny confrontation.