Review: Holding Fire

Holding Fire by April Hunt
My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars

New to me author, Ms. Hunt slings me into a world of political intrigue and betrayal. Elle is the proverbial dutiful daughter to her powerful father, a Senator. Intimidated by him, she follows his rules as if they are law, even down to the husband he picked for her. When a life changing event shows Elle just how little she means to both her father and finance, she decided she's had enough. Instead of being the perfect airhead socialite, she puts her nursing degree to good use and volunteers in 3rd world countries. She will make a difference. Unfortunately for her, she may leave her father and ex-fiance behind but they don't agree.

This story kicks off hard and fast with Elle doing the morning after dash after a spectacular night of sex with a stranger. Unlucky for Elle and the stranger, Trey, they were supposed to meet up. Not for the horizontal mambo but for Trey to protect her from threats. When it comes out Trey is supposed to be part of Elle's protection detail, the story hits a hotter sexual tension. Elle's temper is a slow fuse but when she finally hits her limit, she explodes. Exploding Elle is a fun Elle as long as her ire is aimed elsewhere.

The characters in this story are fun. I liked both Trey and Elle. I did find their hang ups to be a little overplayed. As in, I didn't understand why they wanted certain personal information kept quiet. I didn't find it shameful or embarrassing, but then again, I'm a honey badger, not some young single female with self image issues.

The conflicts in this story are well done and tie in nicely together. Ms. Hunt does a good job of starting with one main thread only to split off into to different subplots and then tie it all back together in the end. I liked it. After reading this book, I am definitely on the look out for more Ms. Hunt books. She reminds me of Maya Bank's KGI series. This romantic suspense is recommended to all romance readers.

*provided by Forever & Forever Yours via NetGalley