The Professional by Addison Fox

Despite her job as a wedding planner, Violet Richardson doesn't believe a happy-ever-after is in her future. And when she's kidnapped by a killer, she's surprised that rescue comes in the form of her tempting yet irritating neighbor Max Baldwin.  

 

Trying to forget his dark past, Max never meant to take on his attractive neighbor's troubles. But now the bickering pair must outrun a thug who's determined to get his hands on mysterious jewels he thinks are in Violet's possession. And as they race for their lives through Dallas's summer heat, Max and Violet may finally open their eyes to the burning passion they share.

 

Title: The Professional | Series: Dangerous in Dallas #3| Author: Addison Fox | Publisher: Harlequin Romantic Suspense | Genre: Romantic Suspense  | Source: MLM Media Relations | Rating: 3.5

Okay, so I came into this series (Dangerous in Dallas) a little late—The Professional is book number three—so to say that I was a little lost is a bit of a understatement.While a little backstory was provided, I believe I would have connected better with this book if I would have started with book one.

 

Here’s what’s going on. Violet is a successful wedding planner and one of the three owners of Elegance and Lace. While she does everything in her power to give couples their happily ever after, she doesn’t believe one’s in the cards for her. When a creep looking for two priceless rubies kidnaps her, Violet’s shocked to find that Max, the one guy that drives her up the wall, is her rescuer. Now Max and Violet are on the run attempting to flee the man who is after the rubies. As they claw their way out of one dangerous situation after the other, they finally start to give in the attraction they are feeling.

 

Max and Violet both have issues from their pasts that they need to overcome. They also have preconceived notions of each other that they need to work through. So it was interesting watching them deal with their issues while trying to stay alive.

 

There was an attraction between Max and Violet, although they bickered like two little kids from the start of the book and only grew worse as the plot progressed. There were several times that I wanted to put them in time out. It seemed like every time a spark of chemistry presented itself, it was doused by the constant conflict between them. I like a healthy dose of conflict between my characters but this just came off as annoying. They did have their cute moments, but they were very few and far between.

 

If you’re looking for a full out suspense novel, then this is the book for you. The suspense kicks in at the start and doesn’t stop until the very last page. It was action-packed and thoroughly edge-of-your-seat engaging.

 

While I completely enjoyed the suspense, I felt a little lost regarding the origin of it. The catalyst—which was the discovery of three priceless rubies and a faux set of the English Crown jewels that were hidden under the floorboards of their business—started in book one and everything that happened in this book was the fallout of what happened in books one and two.

 

Even though it was a little far-fetched, I would have liked to have seen a bit more about why the Renaissance Stones were so important, and why they had to be spirited out of England.

 

I loved Addison Fox’s House of Steele series, so I was a bit disappointed to discover that this one fell short. I know some of my inability to connect came from missing the previous books, but the characters fell a little flat as well.

 

Overall, the suspense was riveting but this series truly does need to be read in order. I would have liked to have seen less bickering and more chemistry between Max and Violet as well.

Dangerous in Dallas

Silken Threats

Tempting Target

The Professional