Perilous Trust
(Off the Grid: FBI Trilogy, #1)
#1 New York Times Bestselling Author Barbara Freethy
A Standalone
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Blurb
In PERILOUS TRUST, #1 New York Times Bestselling Author Barbara Freethy brings you the first book in a new romantic suspense series!
OFF THE GRID: An FBI Trilogy offers three breath-stealing books filled with action-packed plot, heart-stopping romance, and page-turning suspense.
It was one dark night that brought Damon Wolfe and Sophie Parker together. They were two tortured souls, looking for escape, and they weren’t supposed to see each other ever again…
Four years later, Sophie’s FBI father, who is also Damon’s mentor, is killed in a suspicious car crash after leaving Sophie a cryptic message to trust no one from the agency. When Damon shows up looking for her, she isn’t sure if he’s friend or enemy, but she knows he could easily rip apart what is left of her heart.
The last thing Damon wants is to get involved with Sophie again. It was hard enough to walk away the first time. But she’s in trouble, her father’s reputation is under attack, and the lives of his fellow agents are at stake if there’s a traitor in their midst.
When someone starts shooting at them, they have no choice but to go on the run and off the grid. Everyone in their world becomes a suspect. They want to uncover the truth, but will it turn out to be the last thing they expect? Proving her father’s innocence might just cost them their hearts…and their lives…
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Review
4 stars!
Perilous Trust is the first book in Barbara Freethy’s new romantic suspense series, Off the Grid: FBI Trilogy. Sophie Parker is an archaeologist who teaches at NYU during the school year and goes on digs during the summers. Sophie’s father, Alan, was the head of the organized crime division of the FBI and was killed in a car accident. Before his death though, he left Sophie cryptic messages and told her to run and trust no one. Now Sophie has to decode his last words before the bad guys catch up to her.
Damon Wolfe works at the FBI and studied under Alan. He met Sophie at the low point of his life and though their encounter was brief she made a lasting impression. They shared one night of intense passion and then he ran. For a moment they were the balm to each other’s grief, and now grieving once again, can they provide comfort as they had before while solving the mystery that threatens Sophie’s life?
From the very beginning, it is easy to get sucked into Perilous Trust. The prologue is gripping and the story is captivating. It was fast passed and entertaining.
Sophie was wonderful. Down-to-earth and always believing the best in people, I liked her instantly. I think her emotions were well placed and I felt what she felt when learning that things are not always what they seem. She was courageous when difficult situations were thrown her way and I loved her determination to get to the bottom of the situation.
Damon was awesome. He’s this super sweet FBI agent that is closed off and understood his reasons for keeping Sophie at a distance. He had bars around his heart and I thought the way his emotions snuck up on him was well done. I could see him falling for Sophie even when he tried to deny their attraction.
The intense pull that connected them the first time they met is still strong when they meet again four years later. It takes time to learn to trust each other and the progression of their relationship is realistic. The banter was entertaining and I loved watching them find common ground as things heated up around them. I liked the way memories pulled them into the past and I felt their emotion.
Full of mysteries and secrets, this book is all very cloak and dagger and so well done. I was left guessing at every turn. I loved how each piece of the puzzle was important and allowed us to figure out the mystery right alongside Damon and Sophie. There was a nice dose of suspense, especially towards the end, and the reveal was surprising and I liked the way everything wrapped up.
Written in third person POV, we got more than one side of the story and I loved getting glimpses into the different characters. I am excited that Bree and Wyatt are getting their own stories. This entertaining ride was just the beginning and I can’t wait for the next book.
*ARC generously provided by the author and InkSlinger PR in exchange for an honest review*
Excerpt
“Why did you run away from your apartment, your friends, your father’s coworkers? Why did you just disappear, Sophie?” Damon asked.
“Because someone killed my dad.”
“It’s possible it was an accident.”
“You don’t believe that any more than I do.”
“Maybe not, but I think something specific spooked you.”
“You mean like the two men I saw going into my apartment building?”
“You saw the men who broke into your apartment?” he asked in surprise.
“I don’t know if they were the ones, but they could have been.”
“What did they look like?”
“Law enforcement, maybe—I don’t know.”
Damon stared back at her, and she could see him running through her words in his head. “Why would you be afraid of law enforcement when your father is FBI?”
“Gut instinct,” she lied, knowing she wouldn’t have been afraid at all if her father hadn’t told her to be. “And it looks like I was right to run. If I’d gone to my apartment, who knows what would have happened?”
His lips drew into a hard line. “Look, Sophie, I want to help you.”
“Why? Why on earth would you want to help me?”
His gaze darkened, and the air sizzled between them as they found themselves back in a place probably neither of them wanted to revisit, but they were there all the same.
“We’re not friends,” she said quickly, needing to break the tension. “We’re not anything. We haven’t seen each other in four years. Why do you care where I am, what I’m doing? Is it because of loyalty to my dad? That has to be it, right? Nothing else could have made you drive all the way up here.”
“I should have called you after that night,” he said.
“I’m not looking for an apology.”
“Aren’t you?”
“No. Maybe. No,” she said, hating to sound so uncertain. “None of that is important now. I have bigger problems.”
“Then let’s talk about now,” he said, relief in his eyes as he changed the subject. “I respected your father. He was a mentor to me. I owe him for that, and I know that he would want me to help you. He trusted me, and I hope you can trust me, too.”
“I don’t know if my father trusted you,” she said, shaking her head.
Surprise and anger flared in his eyes. “Why would you say that?”
“Because he told me not to trust anyone from the bureau, and since you’re an agent, that includes you. Please, just go. Just leave me alone,” she pleaded, desperate to get him out of the cabin before she did something even more stupid—like start to trust him. “I’ll disappear. I’ll go somewhere no one else knows about. You don’t have to worry about me. You’ve done your duty. You came after me. You did that for my dad. Now do something for me—leave me alone. You’ve managed it for four years. You can keep going.”
His mouth tightened. “I’m not leaving you alone. You won’t be safe. You can’t get help from a friend, because you’ll put them in danger, and even if you are very careful, you’ll make a mistake. You don’t know how to stay off the radar, but I do. You’re going to have to trust someone at some point. You’re going to have to put your anger aside and let it be me.”
Before she could answer, she was suddenly hit with a shower of glass from the nearby window.
What the hell had just happened?
Another pane blew out, and something whizzed by her ear.
Damon grabbed her arm and pulled down as a third window exploded.
Someone was shooting at her!
Off The Grid: FBI Trilogy
Perilous Trust (#1)
Releasing – 1 August 2017
Pre-order: Kindle | Paperback
Reckless Whisper (#2)
Desperate Play (#3)
About the Author
Barbara Freethy is a #1 New York Times Bestselling Author of 60 novels ranging from contemporary romance to romantic suspense and women’s fiction. Traditionally published for many years, Barbara opened Fog City Publishing in 2011 and has since sold over 7 million books! Twenty-three of her titles have appeared on the New York Times and USA Today Bestseller Lists, including one title, SUMMER SECRETS, which hit #1 on the NYT. In 2014 Barbara was named the Amazon KDP Bestselling Author of all time! She was also the first Indie writer to sell over a million books on Barnes and Noble.
Known for her emotional and compelling stories of love, family, romance and suspense, Barbara is a six-time finalist and two-time winner in the Romance Writers of America acclaimed RITA contest for her novels DANIEL’S GIFT and THE WAY BACK HOME.
For more information, visit her website at www.barbarafreethy.com
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