Reviewed by Melissa Bradley -5 Roses

Detective Frances ‘Frankie’ Daniels is REALLY having one of those lives. She’s been called on the carpet for fraternizing with the police commissioner’s son-in-law (hey, he told her he was getting a divorce!), and given no option other than to accept a job on small town police force in Purdyville, South Carolina. To a big city girl like Frankie, this is the backwoods of nowhere. But with the choices she’s given-none-she packs her things, and heads to Nowhere, U. S. A. Frankie arrives in Purdeyville, only to see the small house she had rented reduced to ash. Could this get any worse?

Sheriff Matt Webber is stunned when the pretty little woman jumps out of her car and starts ranting and raving, and demanding answers. Deciding to play the good ‘ole boy to the hilt, he lets her go on and on. Only when she starts going on about her new job on the Hicksville police force, Matt’s co-hort, the Fire Marshall, feels he has to give her a heads up. Frankie has just insulted her new boss. Matt’s curious about what brought the pretty little detective to such a small town, but she’s not forth coming with answers. Deciding that he’ll give her the benefit of the doubt, he helps her find a place to stay, and tells her he’ll definitely give her a chance on his force.

Wow! The sparks start to fly from the instant Matt and Frankie meet, and don’t let up for one second. Frankie continually finds herself in situations where she has to be the ‘tough’ broad, but we also get to see the inner turmoil she has going on. Matt senses the soft heart that Frankie has, and doesn’t let her smoking, cussing, and just acting the tough broad turn him off. He’s drawn to Frankie in a way he’s never been drawn to another. We see their relationship develop at the perfect pace, and feel all the emotions with them.

Miss Hughes has penned not only an incredible romance, but a hilarious one as well! I couldn’t wait to turn the pages to see what Frankie would get up to next, and the secondary characters are a definite enhancement to the story line, adding to both the humor and the romance. I thought to myself how will she make us like this heroine? I not only found myself rooting for Frankie, but loving her for the strength she has built through out her life.

This story is a must for not only contemporary fans, but suspense fans as well! This was an all nighter—you won’t be able to put this down, and will definitely find a place for it on your keeper shelf.

Melissa Bradley Love Romances