Series: Precinct (Book 32)
She cheated death once…But a killer still lurks.
After a gunshot rips streetwise police officer Gina
Galvan from the line of duty, all she wants is to return to the front line and
stop a shooter. But good guy physical therapist Mike Cutler won't back down
from a challenge, or his blazing attraction to Gina. Without a badge or a gun,
Mike is ready to face anyone -- including a killer -- to prove he's every inch
a hero.
One of the nice things about a long-running series is the
chance to see the children from previous books grow up and get stories of their
own. In this case, Mike is the son of Michael Cutler, the hero in Takedown. He
recovered from his injuries and is now a physical therapist who helps others
the way he was helped. He and his best friend Troy have started their own PT
business in one of the rougher areas of Kansas City, not far from police
headquarters. They are struggling a little bit, but are determined to make a
success of it. Mike is charming, generous, and kind-hearted. He will do
anything for those he cares about, even when it puts him in danger.
Gina is a cop with the KCPD. She is small but fierce, thanks
to having to fight every step of her journey to the career she wants. After the
deaths of her parents, she and her siblings were raised by their elderly aunt
and uncle. Gina is protective of them all and is their primary financial
support. She is determined to find a way to move them out of their dangerous
neighborhood, which is why she has applied for a spot in a new SWAT team. Things
look promising until she was shot on the job. If she can't regain her abilities,
her dream will go up in smoke. After six weeks and going through two
therapists, Captain Cutler takes her to Mike.
I loved the development of the relationship between Gina
and Mike. The sparks flew between them from the very beginning. Thanks to his
past, Mike understands Gina's need to push herself. He also knows that it can
be counterproductive, but convincing her isn't going to be easy. I got a little
irritated with Gina at the beginning because of the way she judged Mike without
knowing his history. I loved his patience with her contrariness and that he
wouldn't give up on her. One of my favorite scenes was when he drove her home
and was invited to dinner because he was THE Mike Cutler. It tickled him to
know that she talked about him to her family.
Mike was attracted and intrigued
by Gina from the start, but she was not interested in a relationship. This was
both because of her plans and because of what she saw as their differences. So
Mike stuck with being friends at first as they got to know each other. Mike
also gets involved when trouble comes to Gina's family. I loved his calm and
quiet strength and how he used his connections with KCPD to help them. As Mike
and Gina worked together to get to the bottom of that trouble, and to see if it
was connected to the shootings of several cops, they grew closer. Mike didn't
doubt his feelings for her, but Gina had some blind spots that had to be
overcome. I loved it when she finally saw the light and admitted her feelings
for him.
The suspense of the story was fantastic. There was a rash
of cop shootings, including when Gina and her partner, Derek, were shot during
a domestic violence call. Even though she was on medical leave, Gina could not
let go of the need to investigate. There was also an attack on her family's
house, and Gina's sister's boyfriend added another layer of complications. I
loved seeing Gina's determination to get to the truth. The final confrontation
was intense, and it was Gina's insight and quick thinking that saved the day.
The culprit wasn't too much of a surprise by the end given the things said and
done, but could just as easily been another suspect I had my eye on.
I also enjoyed seeing various other members of the KCPD
and catching up on their lives. It was especially fun to see Mike at the
station where he is well-known by most of the officers. It did make me laugh to
see a grown man of twenty-eight being called "Mikey" by other men. I
liked the obvious love and respect between Mike and his dad.
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