Review: Conditions

CONDITIONS by Skye Mueller

Fiction, Romantic Suspense, steamy

4****

Blurb: Being married to a thief had one definitive upside—financial security for her sister’s medical expenses. Up until acupuncturist Summer Halley experiences pregnancy loss while on a heist, she was willing to overlook the immorality of her husband’s crimes. But the miscarriage elicits broken vows and sacrificed money, a perfect combination for the FBI to exploit.
Forced to assume the role of informant in her ex-husband’s realm, Summer also faces the undeniable tension building between her and Agent Liam Reyes, her handler on the case. As she reconciles the choices surrounding her past, Summer concedes to cooperating with Reyes, even when he reveals his own conflicted feelings. Just as Summer and Reyes stop seeing each other as adversaries, a new target threatens their tentative trust while the truth about her sister’s deception is exposed.

THOUGHTS: This was an interesting romance with a definite twist. Summer Halley was once married to a man who was building a crime empire. She even works for him on occasion, trying not to let what she does get to her. After all, she needs the money for her sister who has cancer. But when she loses her baby due to an accident during a crime gone wrong, the marriage falls apart and she divorces him. Fast forward a year and she has her own small acupuncture clinic and is living a quiet life. Then Agent Liam Reyes pushes his way into her life. For a chance at immunity for her own past crimes, the FBI wants her to entrap her ex. As he lays out her options, Summer realizes that she has no options and agrees to help them. But getting back with her ex isn’t easy, and the longer she works with Liam, the more she realizes that her ex was bad for her in more ways than one. As their feelings for each other grow, Liam and Summer turn from enemies to lovers.

Summer is a good character with a lot of issues. I will note a trigger here about her losing the baby and occasional talk about her angel baby (a term I love). It’s a thick theme throughout the story. Add in her sister’s cancer (and some other issues) and you have a character with a lot of baggage. Liam isn’t exactly free of baggage either. Which makes interesting conflicts on multiple sides.

The story was a little slow for me at first, but definitely picked up by the end and there were several scenes between Liam and Summer that will have you reaching for a cold drink and a fan. I did think the ending with the ex was a touch of a letdown, but overall a decent read.

For those who like their suspense spicy.