Olivia MacKenzie met the other Pips (Samantha, Jane, and
Collins) when they were all children trying to make it
through life in a hospital as they received experimental
treatment for cancer. They relied on pranks and each other
to get through today at a time when tomorrow was uncertain.
Twelve years later they're still best friends and thriving,
alive to attain their life goals. Olivia's goal is to take
down her cold and heartless father who she believes has
stolen millions of dollars through corrupt investing and is
currently running a giant Ponzi scheme. She has the one job
that might get her the proof she needs against her father...
she works for the IRS. Unfortunately, the downturn in the
economy has hit every agency hard. Fearing job cuts, Olivia
has been setting up job interviews. When her interview at a
fancy restaurant with Eric Jorguson ends with her shirt
torn, death threats, and the FBI pouring into the dining
room, Olivia discovers she has inadvertently and
single-handedly ruined a meticulously planned sting
operation. When the FBI and Jorguson try to intimate her she
has one response that sends them running.... I... R...S.
FBI agent Grayson Kincaid is impressed with this woman who
can hold her own with Jorguson, his bodyguard, and a crew of
disappointed FBI agents. He's also instantly attracted and
feeling very protective but his life is complicated and he
can't see her again. When an attempt is made on Olivia's
life everything changes and Grayson is determined to keep
her safe and find the guilty party. Given her job,
Jorguson, and her father, there are a lot of people who want
Olivia dead. Grayson is more than willing to keep her close
until the case is closed, and maybe even longer.
I'm a big fan of romantic suspense, and Julie Garwood's
Heartbreaker has long been at the top of my list of
favorites. Now there is a challenger to that spot on the
list because I loved everything about SWEET TALK. Olivia is
a strong, independent, and smart heroine. She shows no fear
and stands her ground as she uses the IRS to intimidate with
humor and real threat. Grayson is the perfect match for
Olivia; strong and tender, with just a hint of the arrogance
that causes him to push for what he believes is right. He's
not particularly intimidated by the IRS but loves to watch
Olivia scare others. The supporting characters add depth to
the story and I really hope we'll be seeing more of the Pips
in future books. There were multiple suspense elements that
kept me guessing until the very end.
SWEET TALK is definitely a must read!
When FBI agent Grayson Kincaid first encounters Olivia
MacKenzie, she makes quite an impression.
The beautiful, tough, young attorney has stumbled into the
middle of an FBI sting operation and has reduced it to
chaos. Months of surveillance and careful planning down the
drain, Kincaid’s partner is furious and lets Olivia know
that she’s ticked off the wrong guy. After all, he’s FBI.
Olivia isn’t intimidated by his partner’s bullying because
she’s something even scarier . . . she’s IRS.
And working for the IRS isn’t for the faint of heart. She’s
on the trail of an elaborate Ponzi scheme, one that
threatens to ruin the lives of naive and unsuspecting
victims, and one she has personal reasons to be angry
about. But after she asks questions of the wrong people,
her life is suddenly endangered. She’s accustomed to
fighting for the underdog but being vulnerable herself is a
very different story. Smart enough to know when to call for
reinforcements, she contacts Grayson Kincaid.
Together they make an excellent team to fight corruption
but Olivia is also fighting the immediate and intense
attraction she feels for Agent Kincaid, and that may be a
battle she is bound to lose.