ARC Review: True to You by Jennifer Ryan

Series:	Montana Heat #2
Pub. Date:	Feb. 27, 2018
Publisher:	Avon
Length:	384 pgs
Source:	Edelweiss

True to You is the second book in the Montana Heat series. I have not read the prequel, Protected by Love, or the first book, Escape to You. I don't think its absolutely necessary to read the earlier books to keep from feeling lost, but there is discussion and maybe some light spoilers about the earlier books in this one.

I have been very curious about areas of the Northwest lately - particularly Montana and the Dakotas. I hope to visit now that I'm living on this side of the country. I wish this book had focused more on the setting, but I understand that the main focus was our romance and the hero's undercover assignment. I was just expecting a little more of that cowboy feel based on the cover.

We meet Dawson King as he is being released from prison on one undercover assignment and going straight into a continuing assignment to get close to the daughter of a drug kingpin known as Iceman. King, who is going by Flash for the majority of the book, has been suffering from the undercover assignments. The loneliness and danger he was in while in prison had to be exhausting, and he comes straight out into a situation where he has to deceive a woman he comes to care for. I liked King and respect the work that he was doing, but I can only imagine the level of difficulty at becoming another person and maintaining the false identity.

Cara Potter has had a sad and difficult life. Her father is absentee because of his life choices, which have invaded her life and seen her hurt in the process. Her mother was a junkie that died early, and she lost the grandparents as a teen. Cara is self-reliant and tough, but she has major trust issues. Given her history, I was a bit surprised at her quest to employ and rehabilitate former felons. 

The relationship between Cara and Dawson was a very slow burn. As Dawson was deceiving Cara about his identity and trying to take down her father, he was hesitant to get involved. So it was up to Cara to go after what she wanted. The attraction was there, but I also felt that it was somewhat generic. I would have liked a little more steam as well.

I really enjoyed the suspense side of the plot, and I think that the twists that were included really helped the storyline. Unfortunately I felt like I got bogged down in the details sometimes and the story just dragged on forever. So I started skimming to get back to the action at times. This also could be part of a reading slump though as my last few reads have all left me feeling the same way, so take my ambivalence with a grain of salt.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book that I received from the publisher, Avon.

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