At Any Cost by Mandy Baxter Pages: 352
Published by Zebra on May 31, 2016
Series: U.S. Marshals #4
Genres: adult, contemporary, Romance, Suspense
Source: eARC from Publisher
Fast, cunning, and driven, he'll do whatever it takes to nail the most violent federal perps. But she is the one danger he'll never see coming…
She can't remember when she wasn't afraid. She can't go to the police. And "Olivia Gallagher" is only a day away from fleeing her Idaho wilderness life before biker gang leader Joel Meecum finally catches up with her. So keeping her rugged new neighbor at arm's length is the only safe play. Until Livy can't resist one last hungry chance to feel alive…
For U.S. Marshal Nick Brady, taking his vacation next door to Meecum's ex-girlfriend seemed the smartest way to find him. But suddenly, nothing is making sense. How could this feisty, straight-talking brunette ever get mixed up with Meecum's brutal crew? And why is he breaking his oath and getting so close that all he wants is to keep her safe? Now as the clock ticks, Nick and Livy's only chance at escape may be the one they can't survive…
At Any Cost is the fourth book in the adult romantic suspense/thriller series called the U.S. Marshals,by Mandy Baxter. I have not had the pleasure of reading any of the first three books, but after reading At Any Cost I know that is something I must change immediately. I really enjoyed this book. And can I first start with something unconventional that I enjoyed? I really appreciate the fact that the guy on the front cover of this book has a shirt on. I know, I know…just hear me out. I love a shirtless guy as much as the next lady (or guy) but I am getting sick of seeing them all the time on the cover of books. I think it sends the wrong message. Like the book doesn’t have much substance. And so many times, I think that is sad and just plain wrong. I might be in the minority on this one, but I much prefer a cover with the cover models clothed. Because the focus of the story is not about a shirtless guy. There is a lot going on in At Any Cost. There is a big crime ring, a mystery, tons of action, and yes a romance. But the romance is not the only thing there is. Ok, shirtless guy rant over. (Go ahead and shame me in the comments…I can take it, I promise. ;p )
At Any Cost is a book that I particularly enjoyed. I have been reading a few books along the men in some kind of service lately, and I have been loving them this year, but this one felt different. Nick is set on hating, or even exposing and turning in, this criminal’s ex-girlfriend that he has been searching for forever, so it was certainly a slow build between the two of them. Nick had a lot of preconceived notions about Olivia that he was not too quick to let go of. And strangely enough, I loved that. I really liked watching their exchanges evolve and grow.
I really, really loved Olivia. Lately, I have been enjoying the guy characters more than the female characters in the stories I have been reading, but here Olivia took the cake. She is just so real and cool. I loved that she was an Olympic level skier when she was younger. And I loved how sweet she is. She took Nick, and me, by surprise. The plot of At Any Cost is a fast paced one. There is always something going on. Nick kept driving things forward until they all came to a head, because he just cannot sit back and follow orders. I found that to be both funny and infuriating about him.
Bottom line: At Any Cost is a high action suspense, that is a gripping read. I could not put this book down. I loved watching Nick and Olivia together, mostly because of how surprised Nick was about the whole thing. Olivia turned his world upside down, and for a guy as stubborn as Nick, I really liked that. Fans of action/thrillers and slow burn romances will enjoy the U.S. Marshall’s series. Please excuse me while I run and grab books 1-3 to read.
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