Holden by Delores Fossen Series: The Lawmen of Silver Creek Ranch #10
Published by Harlequin Intrigue
Publication Date: February 21st 2017
Genres: Romantic Suspense
Pages: 288
Source: Publisher
Format: eARC
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Disclaimer: I voluntarily reviewed a copy of this book. All opinions stated are solely mine.
When a baby goes mising, a Texas marshal and a woman from his past discover there’s a whole lot more behind this kidnapping
Holden Ryland certainly didn’t become a marshal just to end up busting his ex, Nicky Hart, for taking files from Conceptions Fertility Clinic. But only Nicky knows just what was really stolen: a newborn being held for ransom. A newborn who is kin to both her and Holden. The missing boy is only the start of a mystery that snakes through Texas, winding its way through their families. Bad blood may linger between them, but Holden can protect his nephew back at the Silver Creek Ranch. If they can lay their past to rest to rescue this child, is it possible for them to have a future together?
Review
Delores Fossen has become a must read author for me and this book highlights why. HOLDEN is a very engrossing story filled with fast-paced, non-stop action and intrigue, babies and the possibility of a rekindled romance.
Nicky Hart is an investigative journalist whose single-minded quest for a story has called her ethics into question over time. However the story she’s working on at the moment is explosive and very personal and she needs all the help she can get to get to the bottom of it, without losing her life.
Holden Ryland doesn’t have good memories of his past with Nicky but he’s a lawman first and will keep Nicky alive or die trying, especially as her investigation hits really close to home and she has really bad people determined to silence her before she exposes them.
This book has it all: shootouts, kidnappings, ransom demands, an unending stream of henchmen, babies and a second chance at love. This is the tenth book in the series and can be read as a standalone, but the characters have played minor roles in other books in the series, which lay the foundation for their book and Nicky and Holden’s past is only alluded to in this story. The focus is on the present and urgent need to uncover the mastermind behind the illegal activities carried out at a renowned fertility clinic and the impact of those activities on their families.
As determined as Nicky and Holden are to get solve this mystery, the perpetrator is just as determined to keep them from solving it and what’s a few gunfights and kidnappings and even murder, as long as the scheme is kept secret?
If you enjoy lots of action in your books with almost no downtime, then this is the book for you! My only issue and a minor one at that, is that Nicky and Holden’s renewed relationship was a side-note in this story and I really didn’t get a feel for them as a couple. Nicky’s role in the previous book and it effect on Holden’s family was huge enough that it should have been a big part of their story but it took a back seat to the action here.
This was still a very enjoyable story and I’m looking forward to more in the series.
About Delores Fossen
When Delores Fossen was a child, she used to sneak around and collect fingerprints, hair strands and fibers left by family members and guests. At age eight, she solved a crime. Well, sort of. When someone nibbled off the ear of her chocolate Easter bunny , she searched for clues and soon discovered that her sister had chocolate bunny breath. With that "case closed," Delores believed she’d discovered her calling--she wanted to be a Texas Ranger or FBI agent. But after realizing that she just wouldn't be very good at chasing down bad guys, she opted for a slightly different career path--she creates fictional cowboy cops and other law enforcement officers. Writing romantic suspense is something she enjoys immensely, and it has earned her the Romantic Times Reviewers Choice and Booksellers Best Awards, and she was a finalist for the prestigious Rita.
Married to an Air Force colonel and the mother of four children, Delores has lived in England and all over the U.S. She’s had a variety of careers and jobs: an Air Force captain, a special ed teacher and a rehab counselor. None was as fun or challenging as the time she’s spent as a stay-at-home mom. She still collects fingerprints, hair strands and fibers every time she dusts or vacuums, which isn’t very often.
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