If You Only Knew

In the third Trust No One contemporary romantic suspense novella (after When I Find You), Brown explores the relationship between mercenaries Rayna Dugan and Ty Whitlock. Rayna has done everything she can to leave behind Ty and their mercenary group, but Ty's past enemies still break into her life, intending to use her as a hostage and force Ty to reveal secret information. But Rayna is no damsel in distress, and she handily fights the physical battle for her safety as well as the emotional battle for Ty's heart. The plot moves quickly through the essential reveals, never keeping anything back for longer than necessary, but the same can't be said about the main characters, who switch between emotional extremes at the slam of a door. Despite the occasional whiplash, Ty and Rayna's relationship conflict is nearly as entertaining as their beatdowns on the bad guys. Agent: Dawn Dowdle, Blue Ridge Literary Agency. (Feb.)