Officer Off Limit
4 Stars

Daniel Chase, a skilled hostage negotiator with a reputation as a ladies' man, has finally met the woman of his dreams. Unfortunately, she is also his mentor's estranged daughter and has recently been jilted by her fiancé. Is this true love or simply a rebound romance?

A delightful romance despite the heroine's unfortunate name - Story Brooks? Really? Who thought that was a good idea?

But I digress...

Daniel and Story are wonderful together and in this particular case, the insta-love trope actually works well as Bailey manages to pack a great deal of plot and characterization into a relatively short novelette.

Both Daniel and Story are likable and have well-developed backstories that establish a strong foundation for their relationship. The fact that Story calls Daniel out on some of his more alpha-male possessive tendencies and also reacts like a mature adult to issues that arise regarding his past make her even more appealing.

In addition to their intense physical attraction and delightful banter, there is also a strong emotional bond that grows stronger as Daniel and Story spend more time together.

The final twists at the end add an extra layer of intensity to the otherwise straightforward contemporary romance themes.

All in all, a fun read and look forward to Brent and Hayden's love-hate relationship next. ( )

Liked this. The big letdown is the ridiculous coincidences towards the end. It makes for a tidy fulfilment of the story, but really, even we fanciful romantic types have to have the plot lines a little less of a joke. The characters and their growth into a relationship are not a joke. They were done well.

Narrator Alice Chapman was a pleasant surprise. Don't think I've heard her before, which is saying a lot.

Story (yes, that is her name and it's a pretty good name believe it or not except when it is combined with her last name, Brooks, which is a bit too much mockery for me Ms Bailey!) and Daniel create sparks from the beginning. ( )

More like 2.5 stars, because it's written fairly well. I was expecting more story and less sex, so I was a little disappointed. ( )

4 stars

Another solid book from this author. She is one of the best at dirty talking men and writing steam that could melt your kindle.

This wasn't my favorite of this author. I really need more than a HFN, especially in this case, because I wanted more to connect me with these characters. ( )

Although I am not a fan of "insta love" or the big dramatic conflict/twist near end of the book, I really liked this book. Story and Daniel know they shouldn't be together right now. The timing and situation is all wrong. Story , recently dumped by her fiancee, is only in NYC while her sick father recovers from a heart attack. Daniel, tortured by his past, likes his relationships with women to be brief and fun. To top it all off, Daniel's boss and father figure is Story's dad. By the time Story's dad warns Daniel to stay away from his daughter, he's already head over heels drawn to her. The tension richly drawn and wholly believable. Tessa Bailey has a great way of making the reader feel what her characters are feeling, and introducing rich secondary characters without detracting from the main couple. Tessa Bailey is now and forever on my "must preorder" list. ( )