Once upon a time, Eden and Owen were childhood sweethearts who planned to spend their whole lives together. Then one day Owen vanished without a word. Ten years later he came back and, despite herself, Eden was drawn to him and they ended up in bed again, only for her to discover that her dad had been dying of a heart attack and trying to call her while she was with Owen.

It's now 6 months later, and Eden's still walking around like an open wound. She works for a law office that's investigating whether the recent fires in the area were an inside job, and the top arson suspect immediately jumps out at her: Owen. He's one of the firefighters who's been battling the fires, and despite the grief, anger, and guilt that Owen's presence churns up, everything in Eden rebels against the idea that he could be the one behind those fires. Still, she has a job to do.

Meanwhile, there's definitely an arsonist running around, and he has his sights set on Owen. If he can't get to the man directly, hurting him indirectly via Eden, the woman he loves, is certainly an option.

The is one of the freebies I got at Book Bonanza 2019 - it's signed by the author and I think was included in everyone's goodie bag. It's the third book in a series and I hadn't read the first two, but that didn't seem to make too much of a difference beyond the moments when it was obvious I was meeting the leads of one of the previous books. Also, I never got an explanation for why a bunch of billionaire brothers were pretending to be regular guys while absolutely no one batted an eyelash over it. Billionaire firefighter, regularly risking his life to fight fires just so, I don't know, he wouldn't have to wallow in billionaire ennui?

Right from the start, this book didn't really appeal to me. Too repetitive and melodramatic, and while I realize that Eden was still grieving for her father, she didn't read like the supposedly strong woman she was supposed to be. Also, it didn't feel at all like she knew how to do her job, and it was mind-boggling how long it took her to admit to her boss that she had an enormous conflict of interest. And after she told her boss...she went and made it worse by having sex with Owen, the guy who was considered the prime arson suspect.

Considering how distracted Eden was by her grief, guilt, and lust for Owen, it should have been easy for the villain and his henchmen to kill her, but they were stupid too. It sounded like this villain has at least been around since the second book and maybe since the beginning of the series, and I have no idea how he's managed to avoid being caught. He's the sort who'd definitely cackle evilly on the sidelines.

I considered DNFing this at one point and probably should have. Well, I finished it, but I don't plan on seeking out any more by this author.

(Original review posted on A Library Girl's Familiar Diversions.) ( )

3.75 stars

I love this author and have read just about everything she has written. However, this book fell short for me. I couldn't connect with the characters for some reason.

The book had a lot of suspense and heartache but something just didn't work for me. Still a nice addition to this series. ( )

Melody Anne is fierce when it comes to family. Whether it be touching our hearts with the Andersen clan or tempting the senses with the Forbes brood, love and loyalty play a key role. Like every other Anne enthusiast I adore the Andersens, but I have to say I'm in awe of these bad boy Forbes brothers. They prove that no family is perfect, but love can make it through even the toughest of situations. Owen is a tale of broken hearts, hidden agendas and second chances. Young love morphs into adult suspicion and two hearts may never be the same. Haunted by heartache. Stalked by danger. Can the boy that ran away reclaim the life he left behind? Eden and Owen are a force to be reckoned with. ( )

Good combination of second chance romance and suspense. The story opened with the teenage Owen and Eden happy with their relationship and plans for the future. That happiness came crashing down when Owen received a phone call and left town without so much as a goodbye to Eden, much less an explanation as to why he left. Ten years later he returned to town, older, wiser, and determined to win Eden back. Eden was crushed when he left and never really got over it. Determined to protect her heart, she tried to avoid him during the time since he came back. Finally, determined to get him out of her system once and for all, she showed up at his house, where their inflammatory chemistry took over. But her life was turned upside down once again, as her father died while she was with Owen, leaving her with wracking guilt that she could have saved him if she hadn't been with Owen.

Six months later Eden was still trying to get her life back on an even keel. She had lost her mother as a child, then Owen left, then her father died. But Owen's return stirred up so many feelings that she didn't want to deal with. She tried hard to convince herself that she was over him, but lying to herself was never her way. Now things were going from bad to worse. There was an arsonist setting fires around town and in the hills, threatening the very existence of the town. Eden has been tagged to do some interviews of some possible suspects (not sure why someone from a lawyer's office is doing arson investigation work). Investigators believe that the fires may be an inside job, and Owen's recent return puts him on the list. She found it hard to believe, but she also didn't know him well any longer.

Owen refused to give up on his feelings for Eden. He took every opportunity to put himself in her path, but the fires weren't helping. Being a firefighter was a huge part of who he was. When it was him versus the fire, it didn't matter how much money he had in the bank, or if people like him, just defeat the fire. I ached for him as he lost friends and coworkers, and loved his determination to see it stopped.

I liked the rekindling of the relationship between Eden and Owen. The chemistry between them was always there, with Owen all for it and Eden trying to resist. I felt bad for Owen when he was suspected of being the arsonist, especially with Eden being the one to investigate. I liked that Eden's common sense made her realize that there was no way that Owen would be involved. Working together to find the truth gave them the chance to get to know each other again. The biggest obstacle was Eden's reluctance to trust Owen again. I loved how Owen's protectiveness kicked in as the arsonist focused on them. There were some beautiful moments between the two of them as Owen took care of Eden, and Eden supported Owen against the suspicions of his involvement. I also loved how she was there for him when the losses got to him. The rebuilding of their relationship had some ups and downs. I loved seeing them open up about their pasts, their mistakes, and what the future might hold. But Eden especially had difficulty believing that happiness was within her reach. Her fears caused her to pull back several times, and I wanted to shake her each time. Owen had amazing patience with her. I loved how he was able to wait until she worked through her feelings and realized that they belonged together. The ending was both fun and emotional. His gift to his fiancée was amazing, and I loved how it showed how well he understood her. The scene at the wedding reception was sweet, moving, and heart-wrenching at the same time.

The suspense of the story was great. Even though I haven't (yet) read the first two books, there was enough background given that I didn't feel lost. There was the feeling that the fires were part of something bigger, and the ending confirmed it. The suspense began early as some events were shown through the eyes of the bad guy, whose issues with Owen and Eden put them in extreme danger. The escalation of the attacks against them had me on the edge of my seat throughout the book. I loved Eden's strength of will and presence of mind during the confrontation at the end, along with Owen's understandable reactions. I liked the lead-in to the next book and can't wait for Declan's story. ( )

Owen is book 3 in the Undercover Billionaire Series and this is Owen and Eden’s story, this maybe part of a series but it certainly can be read as a stand-alone although I do believe you will get more out of this book if you have read the previous books.
Owen is a second chance love story but don’t make the mistake of thinking this is just a romance it’s not it’s full of romance, suspense with just the right mix of heartbreak and angst.
A second chance love story that’s well written, fast paced and easy to read book with characters you can’t help loving. Once again Melody Anne gives us another billionaire to fall in love with. ( )