Wyoming Mountain Murder (Cowboy State Lawmen, 4)

A fantastic, fast-paced, and action-filled book I read in one sitting. Charlie owns USD (Underground Self Defense), a gym that teaches self-defense to women. Charlie also has a lesser-known activity of helping women escape their abusers. It is a cause near and dear to her heart for heartbreaking reasons, and those reasons left her with a deep-seated distrust of cops. As the book opens, Charlie gets a call from one of her clients, Haley, who says her cop husband, Seth, is going to kill her. Charlie races to Haley's rescue, only to find the kitchen spattered with blood and no sign of Haley. No sooner does Charlie leave the home to search for Haley than the house explodes. She escapes before the fire department arrives and asks her ATF agent cousin, Rocco, for help. Rocco is tied up with work and sends his friend Detective Brian Bradshaw to her, warning him about Charlie's attitude. Brian first met Charlie a year earlier and was immediately taken by her beauty and feistiness. Unfortunately for him, Charlie won't give him the time of day, no matter how hard he tries. So, when Rocco asks Brian for help, he can't say yes fast enough. But nothing prepares him for what she has to say. Charlie remembers Brian very well. He's the only man who has stirred her emotions in years, but trusting him doesn't come easily. She isn't happy to see him show up at her house, but she realizes she needs the help. There are some tense moments when Brian learns that a fellow officer is the suspected murderer, but when someone shoots at her house, he is determined to keep her safe. Brian is very protective of Charlie, but she isn't someone who can sit back and let him do it all. Because of her trust issues, she isn't exactly upfront about her plans and gets into some risky situations. The deeper they get into their investigation, the more complicated it becomes. There were unexpected twists, players who weren't what they seemed, and a final confrontation that could have easily gone sideways. I enjoyed seeing the relationship develop between Charlie and Brian. Because of his feelings for her, Brian does an excellent job of not pushing too hard and lets his actions speak for themselves. I loved seeing him let her barbs roll off his back because he knew he had the patience to wait for her to trust him. I knew he was getting closer when she shared her past with him. Their chemistry was intense, and here again, Brian practiced patience, waiting for Charlie to be ready for more than a fling. However, they have to survive to have the relationship he wants. I loved the ending and Brian's surprise for her.

After the first three books in the Cowboy State Lawmen series I definitely had my curiosity piqued about what was going on between the icy Charlie and Brian, who’s had a few POV chapters in past books. So I was very excited to find out that this is their book! While this entry from the author leans more heavily into the romance, it still had enough suspense and action to keep me on the edge of my seat. Though it’s the fourth in a series, it can easily be read as a standalone. “Who could you possibly send?” “Someone who’d be on your side. That’s what you need.” She groaned at the lack of a name. “I need to know.” “Bradshaw,” he gritted out. “What? Is this a sick joke?” Brian Bradshaw was one of them. “He’s a cop.” Ever since Charlie’s dad murdered her mom in front of her, Charlie hasn’t truly trusted anyone, especially not the police. After all, it was her father’s fellow cops that turned a blind eye to his abuse. It’s not surprising that, years later, she chose to run a self-defense school that specializes in helping women learn to protect themselves. When Haley, one of her clients – in more ways than one – disappears after a frightening phone call, it feels like history is repeating itself – that her cop husband has murdered her and the Laramie cops are covering it up. The only person she can ask for help is her cousin but since he’s out of town he sends the last person she wants to see – Brian, a Laramie cop who’s been on loan to the joint task force her cousin works with. And also the only man who seems to be willing to put in the time to break down her walls – and the only man she seems to want to. With allegations of a police force that’s rotten to the core and a possible murder on their hands, can Charlie trust Brian enough to find out what happened to Haley before the same thing happens to her? Charlie’s an interesting character. She’s prickly and stand-offish, for good reason. She keeps her distance from people – even her cousin – because she’s afraid they’ll disappoint her. She prefers to rely on herself rather than others, only calling in her cousin when it’s obvious she’s in way over her head. And even in her daily life she works ridiculous hours at her gym. Besides her childhood, she has other reasons – illicit reasons – for keeping her distance from law enforcement. Charlie already distrusted Brian because he was a cop, but it’s his continuous niceness – his aw-shucksness even in the face of her outright rudeness – that cements it. When Brian offered to teach classes at her gym, she rudely rebuffed him, but his kind attitude to her never changed. And even worse? A magical evening at a charity ball nearly a year ago nearly singed them both with their chemistry. While it’s made Brian more determined than ever to win Charlie’s trust, it’s just another reason for her why she needs to avoid him. <b...