Tuesday, February 7, 2012

Review: Under the Gun

Under the Gun
Helenkay Dimon
Romantic Suspense
Mystery Men/Book 1
Harlequin/March 16, 2010


Who wanted her dead? That’s what Claire Samson wanted to know. On the run and alone, there was only one man she trusted to find her. Recovery agent Luke Hathaway was the best at locating and saving, and she needed the best if she wanted to live. But the handsome agent who promised salvation had some conditions of his own. If he were to help, she needed to stick close by his side. Very close. And the only thing more dangerous than her current situation was the way Luke made her feel. From the protective look in his green eyes, she could tell he felt the same. But every second that brought them closer together was also ticking toward an explosive confrontation that might tear them apart…

The first book in the Mystery Men series starts out quickly on a suspenseful note, continuing at a fast paced. There is a lot of action packed into this category but there is also a romance that moves right along with the action.

Claire Samson is wanted by the police but they're not the only ones after her. She turns to her former fiancé, Luke Hathaway, supposedly an antiques dealer. Fortunately for Claire, Luke is not into antiques rather he's into guns and knives and his ability with weapons comes in handy. Claire going after Luke but then running away from him confused me. There is some back story on why she broke the engagement but it was thin and didn't make sense considering the heat these two were giving off. It would have made more sense if Luke had broken up with Claire because of the dangers and secrecy of his job.

Luke hasn't forgiven Claire for practically leaving him at the alter two years ago. He's still hurting but being an alpha male, pretends he's over her and simply wants to find out who is out to kill her. What's interesting is that he doesn't take her word that she's innocent of killing her husband. Instead, Luke must see the crime scene and verify that it was impossible for Claire to have committed the murder. I really didn't get why these two would have been together other than the physical attraction. They still loved each other but I didn't get why.

Luke's good friends and coworkers, Adam and Holden, really added depth to the story. I enjoyed the camaraderie these three shared and how both men looked out for Luke. Neither trusted Claire and didn't want Luke to get tangled up with her again. She did win them over but they made her work for it.

The suspense and mystery surrounding the murder are what kept me reading. Claire and Luke do get there HEA but at that point I was ready for more of Adam and Holden. Lucky for me, both men get their own books.

Rating: C+

Mystery Men ~

Under the Gun
Guns and the Girl Next Door
Gunning for Trouble
The Big Gun

3 comments:

  1. I graded this one a bit higher than you did (a B, I think) but yeah - I had issues with Claire's reasoning as well. It just seemed....strained.

    I did really enjoy this whole series. They really fell into my "beach read" category. Action and danger plots with a decent dollop of sizzle on the side.

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  2. Oh, I like the idea of a recovery agent. It's a bit different LOL.

    The mystery sounds good. Too bad the romance was so-so.

    Do you think there's something off with the blurb? I was reading it... and I'm just not feeling it ^_^;

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  3. Leslie I think I have one of these books in my TBR, although I'm not sure which one. I'll have to check it out. Maybe I'll read it for the TBR Challenge.

    Some action sounds good to me at this point. :)

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