Standoff (Natchez Trace Park Rangers, Book #1) by Patricia Bradley
Sarah Grace's Rating: 4 out of 5 bookmarks

Patricia Bradley is one of those authors that is a bit hit-or-miss for me, but I greatly enjoyed her Memphis Cold Case series, so I decided to give her newest release a shot. And I'm glad I did! Standoff is one wild ride from chapter one.

Summary:

The Natchez Trace National Parkway stretches 444 miles from Nashville to Natchez, the oldest town on the Mississippi River. It's the perfect road for a relaxed pleasure drive. Unfortunately for Luke Fereday, it's also perfect for moving drugs.
Sent to Natchez to infiltrate the organization at the center of the drug ring, Luke arrives too late to a stakeout and discovers the body of his friend, park ranger John Danvers. John's daughter Brooke is determined to investigate her father's murder but soon finds herself the target of a killer who will do anything to silence her.
Luke will have his hands full keeping her safe. But who's going to keep him safe when he realizes he's falling--hard--for the daughter of the man he failed to save?

Brooke Danvers is a very convincing lead character, and I enjoyed following her story. I did find it hard to relate to her at times--whether this was because her character wasn't fleshed out well enough or because we're so dissimilar, I'm not sure. I did find myself empathizing with her, especially as she dealt with the grief over losing her dad. Luke Fereday, Brooke's counterpart, was a great character, and for some reason I found myself liking him as a main character more than I did Brooke. The details of his job were fascinating and I could feel his struggle as he tried to balance his job and his personal life and relationships.

As I said, from chapter one, the story doesn't stop! With dramatic suspense and a plethora of action scenes, I couldn't put this one down until I finished it. Bradley is a veteran writer, and that shows in Standoff. I love her laid-back, yet still engaging writing style. I enjoyed Brooke and Luke's romance, although at times I wanted to slap both characters upside their heads. Honestly, the ex-boyfriend-who-never-stopped-loving-her trope can bug me most times, but I didn't mind it too much in this book. It just worked.

Overall, Standoff is in engaging and suspenseful read that you won't be able to put down! If you love romantic suspense, this one definitely needs to be on your to-read list!




Sarah Grace is a voracious reader, and if it weren’t for this crazy thing called “Life”, she’d be tempted to spend all her days in front of a woodstove, book in one hand, coffee mug in the other. A lover of learning, she finds enjoyment in many things, and has more hobbies than she knows what to do with. When not reading, spending time with her ever-growing family, or buried in a textbook, she can be found painting, playing the piano, producing music and audio dramas, web designing, fangirling with her sisters and friends, or discussing technology with her brothers. Sarah Grace inhabits the State of Great Lakes and wouldn’t want to live anywhere else.


Disclosure: The publisher provided us with a free copy of this book for promotional purposes. A favorable review was not required. This post contains affiliate links.