Review: Roped In by L.P. Dover (Armed & Dangerous #2)


Note: This ARC was provided by Red Coat PR via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Blake Evans left behind his life in North Carolina to take over the ranch in Wyoming left to him by his late grandfather. He's still one of the best undercover cops in the country, but he also enjoys being the city-born and now countrified cowboy that he's become. When he's asked to keep watch and protect a famous country singer, he isn't thrilled. He automatically assumes that Hadley Rivers is nothing more than a spoiled diva who expects everyone else to cater to her needs. But the threats to Hadley's safety are very much real and she's nowhere near what Blake thought she would be. Soon enough, their feelings toward each other grow, but so does the danger waiting for Hadley, because while they may think it's safe for her to come out, Blake will be wishing that he had kept her roped in for as long as he could before it's too late.

Roped In is the second Armed & Dangerous novel from bestselling author L.P. Dover and is a book that, like the one before it, can be absolutely read as a standalone. Undercover cop slash rancher Blake Evans was briefly introduced in No Limit as he took the first step in moving from North Carolina to Wyoming. Here, we initially find him enjoying life on his ranch before he's roped in--pun intended--to play babysitter--of the armed & dangerous (yes, pun intended again) variety--to Hadley Rivers, a country singer who has a stalker that's killed her bodyguard and injured her boyfriend. There's a twist to the whole boyfriend angle, but I won't get into it here so that I can keep this review as spoiler-free as possible. Blake and Hadley don't start off on the best of terms, but they quickly develop a far more relaxed relationship.

This book was full of surprises, some of which threw me for a loop. Just when you think the story is going in one direction, it suddenly goes down another path you never saw coming. I pretty much figured out that things weren't as hunky-dory as I would have expected when I realized that there was still a fair amount of reading to be done. What happened next kept me on the edge of my seat and I found myself joining Hadley in wondering how soon Blake could come in to save the day. I may have been sorta right in guessing who the bad guy was in the first book, but I was at a loss here, pinning the blame on one person and then switching it around later on and still ending up wrong. I actually like it when that happens, because then it shows that it's possible for an author to catch me off-guard and is able to keep me on my proverbial toes.

With all the excitement I've shown for the mystery suspense part of the story, let's not forget that there's an actual love story that occurs between Blake and Hadley. It's hard not to like this tale of an undercover cop turned cowboy and superstar country singer who fall in love with each other. There's a levity in their relationship that I appreciated, especially since the circumstances of their lives intersecting is no laughing matter. Being in Wyoming provides both of them a kind of peace that they don't exactly find on a regular basis with their occupations and they find that and much more with each other. Suffice it to say that I loved this book as much as I did its predecessor and I've become a fan of the Armed & Dangerous series. The books can be read separately from one another but go read both anyway! Roped In receives 4.5 stars. ♥

Date Read: 27 November 2015

Learn more about L.P. Dover

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