A touching and suspenseful story with two caring people who were fortunate enough to find each other.

After serving 10 years of his life in prison, Cameron can only hope he’ll find somebody who will truly love and accept him. Fortunately, Hunter might just be the right man. Now they just have to survive long enough to catch the real criminals.

I really enjoyed this detective story about Hunter Donovan, Assistant State Attorney, trying to take drugs off the street, and Cam Pierce, the man he fell instantly in love with. I loved how the author managed to weave Cam’s initial arrest 10 years ago with the current drug and corruption problem taking place. There’s also a bit of a mystery trying to determine who is causing trouble within the department.

Cam is such a touching character. Although the last decade has been extremely rough for him, he’s still such a sweetheart. He looks for ways to bring beauty to the world with his landscaping. He’s so helpful to the elderly couple that own the diner where he works. I thought the author did a wonderful job making sure we adored him, felt his pain, but also saw him as a man who desperately wants to move on with his life. I liked that he had real reasons for doubting that Hunter would stick around, but he never did anything stupid to try to intentionally drive Hunter away. Having served in the Marines, Hunter was a very strong character who wanted to make the world a better place. However, he finally realized that he wasn’t finding time to take care of himself.

This slow-burn romance had Hunter and Cam spending quite a bit of time together getting to know each other before moving their relationship to the next level. The steamy scenes were extremely well done. You could really feel the heat between these two. I adored Hunter’s dad, and it was nice to see Matt and Julian from the first story since they run the halfway-house that Cam is staying in.

Although it’s part of a series, it isn’t necessary to read the first story, but I found it very enjoyable and would recommend it.

Originally reviewed for The Romance Reviews. Complimentary copy provided by author/publisher for an honest review.

BLURB

After surviving ten years in prison, Cameron Pierce is attempting to put the past behind him. He tries to adjust to his newfound freedom with a place at the halfway house and a job. But one lesson he learned in prison keeps him guarded: hope is a dangerous thing.

Hunter Donovan, Assistant State Attorney, is a man of justice who loves a challenge. After a lifetime of putting his career first, a milestone brings him to a harsh realization—he’s lonely.

Hunter’s world changes when he meets Cam. The wary young man intrigues him and awakens a desire unlike anything he’s ever experienced. When Cam’s past resurfaces and threatens to rip them apart, their budding relationship is challenged and Cam’s hope for a future begins to dim.

These outside forces hunting Cam will stop at nothing to send him back to prison. But they’ll have to get past Hunter first.

———-
NOTE: Word count: 111,200. This story is a romantic suspense/mystery novel and the second installment in The Men of Halfway House series. Although characters reappear from book one, this story can be read as a stand-alone.