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Genre: Contemporary Romance, Romance

This RITA® Reader Challenge 2015 review was written by Betsy. This story was nominated for the RITA® in the Mid-Length Contemporary category.

The summary:

Resisting June may be his toughest job

Investigating small-town police corruption has never been on former Marine Sam Rivers’s radar. Still, taking this assignment gives him the opportunity to figure out what’s next after his medical discharge. The task should be a straightforward one. That is, until he meets Deputy June Jones. Almost instantly the warm, sexy woman occupies his thoughts. For a man who craves solitude, suddenly he can’t get enough of her.

He also can’t forget his reason for being in Quincey, North Carolina. As his investigation progresses, it threatens his secret relationship with June. But can he turn his back on all the love and hope she offers?

Here is Betsy's review:

It’s not often that I find myself loving the heroine in a novel more than I love the hero. The best scenario is when I love them both equally flaws and all, knowing that they are perfect for each other. While I did feel the h/h got their deserved happy ending, it wasn’t until the very end that I began to soften for the hero and even then, I felt there should have been more grovelling and a longer time for forgiveness.

The story of Sam and June unfolds through dual POV which is always my favorite. Sam is a former marine who was placed on medical discharge because of a potentially career ending eye injury while on active duty. Sam’s entire identity revolves around the Corps and he is convinced, albeit unrealistically, that he will return one day. In the meantime, Roth, who is a friend and fellow former Marine, asks Sam to join his small police department in Quincey, North Carolina, to help him investigate his staff for possible corruption. Roth arranges for Sam to rent a small cottage on a friend’s property which adjacent to the small cottage June lives in. Sam immediately mistakes June’s Southern hospitality as a come on but Sam makes it clear immediately that he is not looking for a relationship and that he is not staying in Quincey for long. Of course, when these two meet for the first time, they are unaware that they will be working together as well as living next to each other.

June is Quincey’s sweetheart and first female Deputy ever. She is sweet, trusting and kickass and is as comfortable in her sparkly sandals as she in fishing and hunting. June left home to train to be a police officer in Raleigh, N.C. partly to escape her overbearing Preacher father and siblings that constantly take advantage of her kindness.

Unfortunately, events in Raleigh force her to return to Quincey where she seeks support from her family but instead finds immense disapproval from her father, limited access to her mother, siblings that have moved away, and her two best friends in loving relationships. Nevertheless, June is here to stay and truly loves her job as Deputy. She is Sam’s equal in every way and I absolutely adore her.

Sam and June are attracted to one another from the beginning and their proximity to one another both at work and at home fosters their decision to embark on a friends with benefits arrangement. Sam is completely honest in his expectations and I definitely respect him for it. I don’t like that June falls in love with Sam after their first intimate encounter and I like it even less when she decides she wants to change his mind about staying even after he made his intentions clear over and over.

I also became increasingly annoyed with Sam. I understand his personal and professional conflicts but his constant back and forth with June became a bit much and it lasted through the entire book. It was also annoying when Sam insisted on helping/fixing/controlling June’s family issues while at the same time shutting her or anyone else down who tried to help him. I must say that I really enjoyed the backstory of the Police Department and I wish there had been even more mystery and suspense in the story. The many secondary characters were a welcomed distraction from the push and pull of the h/h also. I have not read the previous two novels but found the two couples to be very interesting and I think I will go back and read their stories as well. Overall, it was an enjoyable read but frustrating for me at times.