Lost in Little Havana by Caridad Pineiro
1st book in the South Beach Security series. Harlequin Intrigue. Romantic suspense.
Detective Trey Gonzales is investigating a human trafficking ring when is partner is killed. Detective Roni Lopez is brought in to help the investigation but she is also keeping secrets. First, that she’s been in love with Trey for years, and second, that she’s working to find the dirty cop that is leaking secrets. As the investigation goes deeper, the danger mounts and Roni can’t help but fall deeper in love.

Intriguing and suspenseful with a dark underground world of crime that Trey and Roni must infiltrate and survive. Trust and family mingle with police protection and night clubs of South Beach.
Not sure I liked that she had to dress a specific way to work undercover, but it was understandable. ( )

Good book that starts with a rush and keeps up the intensity to the very end. As the book opened, we had three Miami cops undercover at a Miami club. Trey and his partner Doug were there watching for drug activity and trying to contact their confidential informants. Roni is there investigating the disappearance of two young college women. Things begin to go sideways when Roni witnesses Doug talking to her suspect, and he is later killed under suspicious circumstances.

Trey received a tip from his CI about women being trafficked, so he and Doug went to check it out. Trey felt something strange was happening, and Doug's actions added to that feeling. In the ensuing shootout, Doug was killed, and Trey was injured. While in the hospital, Trey discovers that Internal Affairs is investigating Doug.

Roni, who is best friends with Trey's sister and has been friends with the family for years, is asked to help IA with their investigation. The thought makes her uncomfortable, but she agrees, mainly to ensure they don't suspect Trey. Telling him is not an option, but keeping it secret eats at her because she had a crush on him as a teen, and those feelings have grown in the years since then.

I liked watching the development of the relationship between Trey and Roni. Trey had always looked at her as his little sister's friend, but that had changed since the shooting. He's a little freaked out by his sudden attraction to her and does his best to keep it under wraps. When Trey asks Roni to help investigate Doug's death, she's happy to help. This throws them together, and it isn't long before the sparks between them grow stronger. I liked how Trey was protective of Roni while still respecting her abilities as a cop. But their budding relationship hits a bump in the road when Trey learns of Roni's work with IA, and he wonders if he can trust her. I ached for them both as they faced this issue. I liked seeing them overcome this obstacle and realize the importance of their feelings. I loved the role reversal at the end.

The suspense of the story kept me hooked from start to finish. I could feel Trey's anguish at Doug's death and his rock-solid belief that Doug was innocent of any wrongdoing. As he and Roni began investigating, they quickly realized they didn't know who they could trust. The deeper they dug, the more complex the case became. Dead witnesses, a growing number of suspects, and attacks meant to stop their investigation kept me glued to the pages as the book progressed. An unexpected twist sent the investigation in a slightly different direction, and a nail-biting confrontation brought it to a fantastic conclusion.

#netgalley ( )