Julie Miller (3) (1960–)

Terrific friends-to-lovers romance with fast-paced suspense. Lexi is a bright, intuitive criminalist with the KCPD crime lab. As the story begins, she's just been promoted to supervisor of her team and is a little nervous about her ability to do the job. On the other hand, her coworkers are thrilled with her promotion after dealing with her predecessor. Among those who believe in her is K-9 officer Aiden Murphy, a good friend, and pseudo-brother. The problem for Lexi is that her feelings for show more Aiden are anything but sisterly.

Aiden grew up near Lexi and her brother Levi. Thanks to an abusive father and other parental issues, his family life was terrible. When their parents took him in and made him part of their family, it significantly impacted his life. It is a testament to their care and example that he turned out to be the good and honorable man that he is. Aiden is in love with Lexi but is convinced he is no good for her. While his best friend Levi is deployed, Aiden promises to keep her safe - even from himself.

I loved watching the development of Aiden and Lexi's relationship. When Lexi is attacked during a crime scene investigation, Aiden moves into her house, where he and his K-9 Blue can watch over her. They have been friends for a long time, and it shows in the ease of their interactions. I loved watching Aiden take care of her while trying to keep his distance. He doesn't know that Lexi feels the same way about him and is ready to push for more. I ached for her as she ran up against Aiden's fear of losing the only family he has if something goes wrong. I loved her understanding of his feelings and willingness to give him the time he needed but also felt her frustration as she wanted to step things up. The connection between them when she finally broke through his walls was fantastic. Aiden's only worry was Levi's reaction when he came home for the holidays. That scene was hilarious and was the perfect ending for the book.

The story's suspense sucked me in and kept me hooked from start to finish. When Lexi's first case after becoming supervisor goes south because of the attack on her, it creates a bit of self-doubt and the determination to solve the crime as quickly as possible. I loved seeing her mind work and how she motivated her team to give their best. An attack at her home and two more similar murders, with another attack on Lexi, makes the case feel personal. As she unraveled the clues, she made a horrifying discovery. I was glued to the pages during the final confrontation as Lexi walked into a trap and had to fight for her life. I loved the faith that kept Lexi going and how it all worked out. I can't wait for the next book in the series. show less

Fantastic book that started with a rush, and the intensity never let up. The story opens with Luke hurtling down a mountain in Wyoming in an SUV with no brakes and two other SUVs in hot pursuit. When the inevitable happens, and the SUV crashes, two men haul a dazed Luke out of the vehicle. Hearing them talk about putting a bullet in his head leaves him with two options: die or try to escape. So Luke rolls off the side of the road and down a steep drop, sustaining more injuries before show more stumbling away to look for help. He eventually ends up knocking on the door of an isolated cabin.

Ava Wallace (aka author A. L. Baines) moved to her grandparents' cabin from Chicago after surviving a horrific attack that left her scarred and suffering from PTSD. With her big white dog, Maxie, Ava avoids people as much as possible and is not pleased to have a strange man pounding on her door. Doing her best to ignore her anxiety, Ava provides first aid before driving him to the local hospital. Complicating matters, Luke can't remember his name and thinks he is a character from her series, of which he's a huge fan). I loved this scene which was at the same time hilarious and heartbreaking.

Sure he's in danger, Luke convinces Ava to let him stay with her while he tries to recover his memory. Instinct tells Ava he's right, but the last time she helped a strange man, it didn't end well for her. I loved the combination of romance and suspense. As Luke learns more about Ava's past, his admiration for her grows, as do stronger feelings. I loved how he saw past her scars to the strong and resilient woman she is. His unstinting respect goes a long way toward changing Ava's view of herself as damaged goods. Likewise, Ava's growing trust helps Luke face some things from the past that still haunt him. I especially enjoyed the mixing of their real lives with those of the characters in Ava's books. I loved how Luke saw so much of Ava in her character of Willow. The ending was fantastic. I loved their conversation on the cabin's porch, especially Luke's teasing about her book.

The suspense of the story kept me glued to the pages from the start. From Luke's hair-raising trip down the mountain to the final confrontation with the bad guys, I never knew what would happen next. The biggest question was whether Luke would get his memory back before the bad guys caught up with him. Each new memory revealed another puzzle piece and added to the surety that Luke was caught up in something big. The final confrontation was a nail-biter, with Ava caught up in her worst nightmare before Luke's arrival. Luke's comment to "Summon the dragon" was the perfect way to take down the final adversary. show less

Terrific book that grabbed me from the first page. Matt Taylor is a firefighter with the KCFD and played a prominent part in the previous book, Crime Scene Cover-Up. He intrigued me then, as the big, quiet guy who didn't have much to say but was there when needed. As one of four boys adopted into the Taylor family, he followed his adoptive parents into a firefighting career. Part of that is a way to atone for things in his past.

As this book opens, Matt smells smoke in his apartment building. show more He tracks the source to his neighbor, Corie, who holds a smoking pan in her hand. Matt insists on disposing of the pan then following her back to her apartment to ensure the fire is out. While there, he notices something suspicious about the fire and plans to follow up on it. He also meets Corie's young son, Evan. Matt sees that both Corie and Evan are wary of him.

Corie and Evan moved to Kansas City after she divorced her abusive husband. While he was in prison for arson, she changed their names and moved them across the state. Fear is difficult to overcome, and Corie remains cautious around men and very protective of Evan.

I loved how sensitive Matt was to Corie's discomfort. Previously, he always made sure to keep a respectful distance, and he continued to do so the day of the fire. He also made sure that Corie and Evan knew they could call on him for help. When another fire at the building throws suspicion on Evan, Matt is torn over what to believe. He remembers his own troubled childhood, but his instincts tell him that there may be another explanation.

I loved seeing the relationship develop between Matt and Corie. Corie intrigues Matt from the beginning, but he's a bit on the shy side and awkward around women. Most don't know how to handle his quiet intensity, but he and Corie form a connection. I loved how she quickly began to trust him. There was a terrific scene where she asked him to watch Evan when she had to work unexpectedly. Knowing that Corie trusted him to take care of her son meant a lot to Matt. It also opened him up to some serious teasing from his family. Along with the growing trust, sparks of attraction frequently flared between them. I loved watching the changes in Corie as Matt's care makes her willing to risk her heart again. I also liked how Corie helped Matt let go of his past and believe that he's worthy of love, too. The ending was great.

The suspense was terrific, too. Matt's fire unit experiences a great deal of frustration as there is a rash of fires, many of them resulting from arson. One such fire draws the attention of the KCPD side of the Taylor family as it may be linked to organized crime. Matt also notices a similarity to the fires at his apartment building, adding to his suspicions. His protective instincts flare up when Corie is harassed at work, resulting in an intense scene when Matt shows up. An unexpected twist shows that the danger to Corie is closer than anyone suspected. I loved seeing various members of the Taylor clan rally around her and Evan, both in support and protection. The final confrontation was a nail-biter as Corie came face-to-face with her worst nightmare. The rescue was great, as Matt received help from an unexpected source and gained access to the building in an unusual way. show less

Julie Miller always provides a gripping tale, and this was no exception. Not only is the suspense edge-of-the-seat intense, but the hero and heroine are almost too awesome for words. Both Burke and Hazel are in their early 50s, have been through painful divorces, and have jobs that take up a lot of their time.

Burke is the head of KCPD's K-9 unit, involved in training as well as regular patrol duties. He joined the KCPD after leaving the military and likes what he does. His canine partner is show more a German Shepherd Dog named Gunny. Burke is loved and respected by the other officers he works with. I loved the way that some of the younger guys called him "old man" and yet, would do anything for him. Burke has been on his own for a lot of years, ever since divorcing the wife who cheated on him whenever he deployed.

Hazel is a veterinarian who also takes care of the KCPD's K-9 officers. Her husband went to prison for fraud, and for trying to have her killed when she wouldn't refuse to testify against him. Hazel raised her two daughters on her own while running a successful vet practice. She has avoided dating in the sixteen years since her divorce, reluctant to trust her judgment when it comes to relationships. She has a small, three-legged dog named Cleo, who has a crush on Burke's Gunny.

The action starts early and never really lets up. Hazel has been receiving creepy letters, and when she shows Burke the latest one, his protective instincts are aroused. Those instincts prove to be accurate when she also receives explosive material in the mail, and later that day, her daughter's car blows up. Burke is determined to keep Hazel and her girls safe. The tension ramps up as the attacks escalate, and they race to figure out who is behind them. There were several possibilities, and I waffled among them with each new attack. The final confrontation was a nail-biter and surprised me with who it was.

I loved the development of the relationship between Burke and Hazel. One of the benefits of a "mature" relationship is that the protagonists are past the more angsty dramas found in younger couples. Burke and Hazel had been friends/coworkers for about five years. They are comfortable with each other. Hazel gets a bit of a shock when her daughter starts going on about how hot Burke is, and that he has been flirting with Hazel and checking her out. Hazel has been oblivious to it, but now that it's been pointed out, she can't help checking him out, too. I loved how patient Burke was as Hazel learned to trust herself again. I loved her surprise as she found out that he has cared for her almost since they met. There are some adorable scenes between the two of them, and some fun ones too. I especially enjoyed the family sleepover after the bar scene. I loved the ending as Hazel finally realized that she deserved to be happy. show less