Malicious Intent

Author: Lynn H. Blackburn

Series: Defend and Protect #2

Publisher: Revell

Release Date: March 1, 2022

The second book in the Defend and Protect series is even better than the first! Readers are going to absolutely love the story of Gil and Ivy!

It has been years since Ivy Collins has seen Gil Dixon, the first boy she fell in love with. Ivy is now the founder and CEO of Hedera, Inc, designing prosthetics for those in need, which became her passion after her dad lost his arm in a work accident. Gil now works as a U.S. Secret Service Agent who not only protects those in the government, but also works to uncover other crimes. When a case dealing with counterfeit money lands on his desk and takes him to the home of Ivy, who he hasn’t seen in years, they end up in a bigger mess than either of them could have seen coming. Secrets from the past will be brought to light and Gil will have to use all his resources to try and keep Ivy safe and alive while dealing with feelings that never went away.

Lynn Blackburn is getting better with every novel she writes. I’m loving the Defend and Protect series and think Gil and Ivy are my favorite. This story was all I wanted it to be and more. The way Gil and Ivy reconnected after so long and still had feelings for each other that were put to the test with the trouble Ivy found herself in and Gil working to keep her safe while working out the feelings he had for her. Ivy is not only smart but capable, she held her own before Gil came to her rescue and even after that she had moments of protecting him as well. It is a relationship that spans decades and lots of drama that keeps things interesting. The tension was high from the very beginning and kept the pace throughout which made for a great and fun read. It will be hard for the next book to top this one, but I am not going to say impossible, I have learned not to underestimate Blackburn and her ability to surprise me with a story. This is the second in the series and I would recommend reading the first to understand all the characters and how they work together so well. I would also recommend reading the Dive Team series as a few characters from that series show up here as well which was so much fun. I recommend this to readers that love romantic suspense with lots of heart.

I received a complimentary copy of this title from the publisher.  The views and opinions expressed within are my own.