Former Navy SEAL Spiro “Romeo” Delgado is six-plus feet
of high-octane charm, and he has two hard and fast rules. One, always come to
the rescue of those in need. And two, never give up his fast and furious
bachelor ways. But when Mia Ennis joins Deep Six Salvage on the hunt for the
Santa Cristina, her mesmerizing blend of brains, beauty, and bravery makes him
question everything he thought he wanted in life.
Mia’s traumatic past has taught her to keep everyone she
meets at arm’s length. But Romeo, with that body that is forever tensed for
action and that dark gaze that tracks her every move, makes her feel safe in a
way she never expected. Yet the secret she carries compels her to keep her
distance—even as the past comes back to haunt them.
A harrowing plane crash ends with Romeo and Mia marooned
on a desert island. When a boatful of men bent on murder drop anchor, Mia
discovers her only hope for survival depends on her letting her guard down
around Romeo. But surrendering to the passion she feels for him might be the
most dangerous thing of all...
Terrific Friends to lovers story as the Deep Six team
moves closer to finding the elusive treasure of the Santa Cristina. As the book
opens, Romeo, Mia, and Doc prepare to return to Wayfarer Island while waiting
for Alex and Mason to search the Spanish Archives for the key to the recently
found code that might reveal its location. They need to collect the newly hired
maritime lawyer who will hopefully protect their interests when they find it.
Romeo and Mia have been striking sparks since she first
arrived on the island but firmly put each other in the friend zone. Romeo's
reputation as a permanent bachelor is well-known, though the reasons behind it
are heartbreaking. He'd love to get involved with Mia, but he believes that she
has relationship written all over her, so he sticks to being friends. Mia doesn't
let anyone get too close. A traumatic past has her convinced that she doesn't
deserve anyone's love. I've loved watching their friendship develop, from their
mutual love of a paranormal author's books to the fun banter and teasing between
them. As time goes on, both Romeo and Mia realize they want more but fear of
ruining their friendship and that the other doesn't feel the same way keeps them
quiet.
The action picks up quickly when the lawyer, Cami,
arrives at the airport, and Doc discovers she's his one-night-stand from the
night before. Doc detests lawyers, and the zingers that fly between the two are
like watching a rapid-fire tennis match. Add in the events of the night before,
and their interactions are full of snark and sarcasm.
Complicating matters, during their flight, an explosion
on board causes Romeo to have to crash land the plane in the ocean. The tension-filled
moments as he struggled to keep control and as they fought to escape the
sinking plane had me glued to the pages. A tiny deserted island gives them
someplace to wait for rescue. They don't know that the explosion was no
accident, and someone is unhappy that their target survived the crash. Though
the reader is privy to the bad guys' plans, our intrepid foursome is clueless,
though the SEALs' instincts warn there may be trouble.
In the meantime, the close call has been a wake-up call
for Romeo and Mia. I loved that they finally admitted their attraction. It was
wonderful to see them opening up to each other. Romeo is stunned to discover
that Mia sees past the SEAL persona and his looks to the inner man, something
nobody else has done. Mia shares her past with Romeo, her guilt over her brother's
illness and death, and that he's the only person she's ever felt safe around. The
chemistry between them is eclipsed only by the depth of feeling that goes with
it, and each of them realizes they may be in a little deeper than expected.
The tension ramps up when the people responsible for the
crash attempt to finish what they started. Going up against a pair of trained
SEALs is never a good idea, and this was no exception. It's not a walk in the
park, though, and there are some nail-bitingly intense moments before they are
safe. It's not over, though, as Romeo ends up in the hospital, and one of the
bad guys is still on the loose.
I had great hopes for the future of Romeo and Mia as they
finally admitted to their feelings. I ended up wanting to shake Mia as she walked
away from Romeo. She was positive that he would see her differently if he knew
everything, so she didn't even try. I hurt for Romeo, who couldn't understand
what happened. I loved his determination not to let her get away and couldn't
wait to see what he would do. But it was Mia who made a discovery that broke
the hold the past had on her. I loved her big moment when she arrived back on
Wayfarer Island and the change it meant for both of them.
The book finished with Mason and Alex revealing what
they'd learned from the deciphered code. But just when they think they can
finally retrieve the treasure, lawyer Cami insists they hold off until she can
finish her research on who gets dibs on the treasure - Deep Six or the Feds. I
ached for the crew, who were so close to their goal but stuck having to wait
even longer. I can't wait to read the next book and see how it all turns out.
I'm also looking forward to the next book and seeing more
of Doc and Cami. The antagonism between them in this book does little to hide
the sparks of attraction. I loved watching their interactions and how they
thrived on their snarky exchanges. They are well-matched in intelligence and
stubbornness, and I enjoyed how they pushed each other.
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