Title: Hearts Under Seige
Series: N/A
Author: Natalie J. Damschroder
Genre: Romance
Blurb: Brady Fitzpatrick has spent a decade burying the pain of a broken heart while working for SIEGE, an information-gathering spy agency. That it kept him away from his family as well as his best friend Molly has been an unfortunate side effect. But when his brother, also an agent, is killed during a foreign op, Brady is drawn into a web of intrigue that threatens the lives of everyone he loves…
Molly Byrnes has loved Brady forever. As his best friend and a de facto member of the Fitzpatrick family, she holds them together in their crushing grief. But as a member SIEGE’s ground team, she doesn’t buy the official line about Brady’s brother’s “accidental” death and launches her own investigation—only to uncover a shocking secret that she and Brady must get to the bottom of before their target finds them.
Tangled emotions land them in bed together, opening Brady’s eyes to the incredible, fearless woman who’s been there for him all his life. But after a lifetime of disappointment, how can Molly trust the possibility of a future with him…or if they can count on any future at all?
Thoughts: This was an absolutely amazing book. What first drew me in was the whole ‘best friend’ angle of it, so I was a bit surprised when Brady winds up falling for his brother’s fiancé in the very beginning. Granted, when he first sees her, he’s unaware of that fact, but I hated to see the whole dynamics around that – but so well done and with such likeable characters, that I just had to keep going! Part of me wanted to tell Molly to get over him and find someone else, since she has been pining away for far too long, but on the other you keep hoping that Brady will eventually open up his eyes to see right in front of him!
With equal amounts of romance and intrigue, this is definitely one that will capture your attention and leave you hungry to finish the book! What really captured me – other than the characters – was the author’s sense of timing. The author really took her time with it – the story wasn’t rushed, and she really took the time to allow these characters to work through their changing emotions. At the same time, she still managed to keep things interesting and keep your attention.
I did feel a little conflicted regarding the persons behind all the intrigue – I wanted to find the villain a little closer to home, but I guess I can’t complain – it wasn’t so patently obvious that it hurt the storyline either. All in all, I really have nothing but praise for this book!
Rate: A
