Maria "Goose" di Guzman is a Secret Service agent who has
been sent to frigid Mishkawa Island as penance for her
mishandling of a sexual harassment situation. Her official
assignment is to check out park ranger and former Navy SEAL
Rush Guthrie to see if he has a vendetta against the state
governor. There are reports that he may be leading a group
targeting the governor and making threats against him by way
of a pitchfork.
After Goose gets that straightened out, her boss lets her
know she's not coming back yet. There's another matter to
be investigated. It seems that someone in the area has
taken an interest in counterfeiting. During Goose's
investigation, she narrows in two main suspects, who happen
to be in Rush's family - Einnar and Yarrow, who are each
other's step-cousins (by marriage).
Einnar is roughly Rush's age, and he's the typical, hunky,
self-assured guy. Meanwhile, Yarrow is a sullen teenager,
who has a major crush on Einnar. Yarrow spends her time
pining after Einnar, and Goose becomes convinced that they
are somehow involved in the counterfeiting scheme.
To complicate matters, Rush has set his sights on Goose and
is determined to somehow get her to let her guard down. But
what secrets is she hiding? Why is she guarded? And will
Rush still feel the same way about her when he finds out
that she's targeting his family in her investigation?
This book was a flirty read, with a plot that was easy to
follow while not being mind-numbingly boring. Although the
plot involved counterfeiting, supernotes, and foreign trade,
the author was able to make this easy to understand,
although it wasn't a thriller, so it makes sense that this
aspect of the book wasn't highly technical. The secrets
that both Rush and Maria carry with them from their past
were completely unpredictable, and it added to the depths of
their characters.
Secret Service Agent Maria "Goose" di
Guzman knows something about penance. A tragic mistake
forced her to replace the dangerous, impulsive girl she'd
been with someone better, smarter. Someone sexy, cool and
utterly controlled. But one crack in her perfect facade
lands Goose on tiny Mishkwa Island, investigating naked
hippies, frisky moose, and a red hot park ranger who sees
straight through her.
AIM...
When Rush
Guthrie traded in an elite military career to police his
tiny island home town, he got a pretty good deal: a park
ranger's badge, a resurrected conscience, and signed off
life from his MIA sense of humor. A guy couldn't want
anything more. But when Goose turns up--all sexy curves,
sad eyes, and thorny questions--Rush realizes he can want
more. A lot more.
FIRE!
While Goose
pursues the island's deepest secrets, Rush pursues the
brave, funny woman inside all that careful perfection. But
the truths they uncover put everything on the line--life,
death and true love. And they'll only get one shot at all
of it.