In less than a week he’ll be dead…
Unless she can save him.
The poison Coulter McKendrick was injected with during a
commando raid will kill him in six days. Dr. Marena Dash is Colt’s only chance
to live. Though Colt devastated Marena when he left her, she’s determined to
find the antidote to save him. And with the criminals behind the biotoxin on
their trail, Colt and Marena must put their past behind them to stay alive.
Good second chance story mixed with riveting suspense. The
story opens as Colt is on a mission for the security company he works for,
looking for information about arms trafficking. When he overhears something
about auctioning a biotoxin, the mission quickly changes. Colt is injected with
the drug when his team is attacked, leaving him only six days to live. Any hope
of living rests in the hands of his ex-fiancée, Marina, if he can get to her in
time.
Three years earlier, Colt abruptly ended his engagement
with biochemist Marena without explanation, then disappeared from her life, leaving
her devastated. Colt is the last person she expects or wants to find on her
doorstep. He doesn't get a warm reception until he collapses at her feet,
burning up with fever. She may still be hurt and angry, but she doesn't want
him dead. As soon as she hears the details of the biotoxin, she springs into action
to find the antidote to save him.
It won't be easy. Marena has been away from her former job
for a long time but still has contacts in the business. Knowing that her
formula was redesigned as a weapon gives her further motivation. The tension
remains high throughout the book as Marena and Colt scramble to assemble
everything they need. At the same time, the toxin continues to work its way
through Colt's body, causing debilitating effects. I loved Marena's
determination and her refusal to let Colt give up.
Unlike many other suspense stories, we know who is behind
the attack on Colt and why. However, trust is in short supply, and there are
some interesting twists as the story plays out. They agree on the need to find
Colt and retrieve the information he took before the auction takes place. I
could feel their frustration as their quarry stayed one step ahead.
I was on the edge of my seat as zero hour drew closer. Marena
gets some unexpected help, enabling her to make faster progress on the antidote.
Colt's condition worsens rapidly, leading her to take extreme measures. As readers,
we can see the bad guys closing in, and the tension ramps up quickly. The final
confrontation was intense, with surprising revelations and rapidly changing players.
The resolution was a nail-biter, and I loved how it went down.
I enjoyed the rekindling of the relationship between
Marena and Colt. Neither of them had stopped loving the other, but Marena was
wary of trusting Colt with her heart again. Colt knows he made a mistake leaving
her and is determined to mend their relationship. He finally confesses why he
broke their engagement, and while I understood his reasons, his execution was
faulty. He would have done much better talking to her about it first. The
crisis brings them closer, though they do nothing about it until after everything
is done. Even then, Colt holds back, determined to earn her trust first.
Fortunately, he gets a kick in the pants that moves him along. Marena has also
been holding back and gets a push from an unexpected source. I loved the
ending. Colt was adorably flustered but managed to say what he needed to say. I
loved Marena's response.
There are some interesting family dynamics in this book
that play essential roles. Love, loss, and stubbornness create situations that
have long-term consequences. I liked how the crisis brought people together and
forced reevaluations of old arguments. Colt's parents and grandfather had a lot
to overcome, but their love for Colt brought them together in the end. Marena's
father's protectiveness was understandable if a little over-the-top, but even
he could change. I liked Marina's brother, Lucas, and hope there will be a book
for him - something about a woman named Alexa...
My only quibble with the book is that thirty-three years old is unrealistically young for a retired full colonel. It typically takes 21 to 23 years of service to reach the rank of Colonel. Colt would have most likely been a major at that age. Most military retirements only happen after you've put in twenty years of service (medical retirements not included).
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