Good book. Overall, I liked the premise. A female marshal working for witness protection has made a good impression on her boss. She has previously guarded woman protectees, but Vince assigns her to a high-profile case protecting a man. She needs to safely get vice detective Dane Beaulieu from Blue Larkspur to Phoenix, where he will testify against his former boss - the police chief who ran a prostitution ring and murdered Dane's partner. She's excited about the chance and ready for the challenge.

Dane is ready to get the trial over with. He's used to being busy, and being confined to a small apartment for months has gotten on his last nerve. Being in witness protection has been a challenge, as he is accustomed to being the one doing the protecting. The last thing he expects is the beautiful young woman who is his latest guard.

From the moment Alexa and Dane meet, the sparks fly between them. Some are sparks of attraction, while others are sparks of antagonism. Alexa makes it clear from the start that she is in charge and expects him to cooperate. Dane says the right things but intends to listen to his own instincts, even if they disagree with hers.

Alexa and Dane are on the lookout for trouble. They expect that Swanson will send people to stop Dane from testifying. Their fears come true when someone in a passing car shoots at them. They escape unharmed, but the shooters get away. Taking evasive action slows their journey, and they must stop for the night. Here is where things start to enter the realm of the unlikely. Dane kisses Alexa, and she responds to him. Not only does this impact her objectivity, but she's also unaware of her surroundings during that kiss. Neither one can stop thinking about it.

That first attack builds up the tension, with our couple looking for a repeat performance. Over the next couple of days, as they make their way toward Phoenix, there are other attempts. However, these were possibly the most inept attackers that could be found to do the job. Even when Dane makes a blockheaded move that gets a gun in his ribs, Alexa gets the drop on the bad guy. Alexa spent an inordinate amount of time on the phone with people who could be compromised instead of relying on her instincts and abilities. The only person I would have trusted was her brother Dom, the FBI agent. I expected more action and mainly got a lot of looking over their shoulders while driving back roads. The biggest excitement was when Vince called in helicopter support and a rapidly ended attack in the courtroom. We never did find out how that happened.

Complicating matters was the attraction between Alexa and Dane. The intelligent thing would be to put it on hold until after the trial, then see where it goes. But no - they hop into bed together on their second night in a hotel room. The bad guys could have broken into the room, and they wouldn't have known they were there until it was too late. I also got frustrated with Alexa, who expected that she would never see Dane again after the trial, despite what they'd shared. "He'll go back to his job and forget about me. Woe is me." Never mind that it was only a nine-hour drive between their homes - doable if you want to continue the relationship. I was more impressed with Dane, who had a better outlook and plan for the future. I liked his arrival in Blue Larkspur and the plans he set in motion.

There is a minor incident dealing with the overarching series theme of the wrongly released criminal Ronald Spence. The Coltons have been trying to catch him and put him back in prison for several books. He appears out of nowhere, intending to attack Alexa and her mother, but gets away when Isa has a medical emergency. Not a surprise since there are still two books to go in the series, and I expect it won't be resolved until the end.

Not my favorite of the series, but I was happy to see Alexa find a love of her own. ( )