meh. This was my least favorite Crouch story. Joe is a terrible hero. The plot was a bit ludicrous even if you suspend belief (it just was too obtuse). ( )

Very good second chance romance combined with intense suspense. The story opens with Joe and the Omega team on the way to a hostage crisis. Joe is the target of some teasing because of his playboy reputation. He mostly ignores it because his mind is taken up with another hostage situation that didn't end well. He is haunted by the thoughts of the people who died and blames himself for not being good enough to save them. This situation turns out much better, and I loved seeing how Joe's mind worked as he talked circles around the bad guys. Joe was surprised to see that one of the hostages was a former girlfriend, one he hasn't been able to forget. He has deep regrets about the way he ended that relationship and wants a chance to apologize and maybe try again.

I liked Joe and Laura, though in this book it took a while for Joe to grow on me. He has a well-deserved reputation as a playboy, and it doesn't seem to bother him at all. He is very wealthy, which gains him a lot of attention from paparazzi, which he attempts to ignore. As the history between Joe and Laura came out, I was really disgusted by the way he broke things off with her and didn't blame her at all for not wanting to see him ever again. But as the book went on, I could see the way he changed and matured, which made me somewhat more sympathetic to him. In spite of his wealth, good looks, and charm, Joe also has some insecurities that he keeps well hidden. I ached for him and his feeling that he wasn't a full member of the Omega team. I liked Laura. She's strong and feisty and can hold her own when dealing with Joe. Unfortunately, she also has her own insecurities that were aggravated by Joe's words six years earlier. She has worked hard to get where she is, an attorney with an excellent reputation. I didn't blame her at all for not wanting anything to do with him when she first saw him again.

I enjoyed the rekindling of Joe and Laura's relationship. I liked his determination to apologize to Laura for being such an idiot, and how he wasn't going to give up. Laura was determined to protect her heart from being crushed again, but she couldn't deny the pull she felt toward him. I liked the fact that, despite her personal feelings toward him, she knew he was innocent of the charges against him. As they worked together to prove Joe's innocence, Laura got a chance to see the man Joe has become. I loved seeing his protectiveness and how he understood her caution. The last chapter was sweet and romantic, as Joe found the perfect way to show Laura that she could let go of her fears.

The suspense of the story was outstanding. There's the quick realization at the beginning that Joe's problems are connected to the case that haunts him. The look inside the mind of the stalker is truly frightening as their obsession with revenge becomes clearer. I did have some moments when I wanted to smack Joe upside the head and ask what he was thinking. The first murder should have made him cautious. When the second had the same MO, he should have been suspicious about going. When the third happened the same way, I wondered how he could be so stupid. I also ached for him as he tried to go it alone, believing that the Omega people would not support him. I loved his stunned shock as first one, then another, and another of his team members stepped up to help. The intensity increased as it became obvious that Laura was the next target. I was on the edge of my seat as they raced to find the stalker before they could strike again. The final confrontation was gripping as Joe pitted his skills against the twisted mind of a psychopath. The action was heart-pounding as I wondered how they would get out of it, and my relief was huge as the Omega team pulled it all together. ( )