BOOK REVIEW
Tempted by the Badge follows the misadventures of Joanna Barnes, the straitlaced schoolteacher who gets accused of sexually assaulting one of her pupils and the investigations of the private investigator, Mingus Black whose job it is to find the evidence to clear her name.
The romance - π
From the moment these two met on the page, there was never any doubt that they would get together. Their attraction to each other was obvious the moment they clapped eyes on each other. And Mingus believed she was innocent so there really was no conflict. The only thing that kept them apart were the accusations levelled against her and his dogged need to investigate and clear her name.
So the romance was pretty easy and sweet. Mingus was a stand-up guy and her rock to lean on when things got too much for her to cope. I did wonder, though, for a guy that was billed as the rebel of the Black family, Mingus never broke any rules when it came to his relationship with Joanna. I mean they didn't even share a first kiss until almost 60% into the story.
The suspense - π‘π‘
I was pretty intrigued by the premise of a female teacher being accused of sexual deviancy. The story line was solid and hooked me from the first chapter. Things heated up quickly as the rug was pulled from under Joanna's feet. The story line flowed steadily and felt realistic.
However, things took an unrealistic turn when Joanna did something stupid. Then members of the Black family had to step in and like the wave of a magical wand she got away with her actions without any repercussions. A similar 'wave of the wand' situation happened when Mingus confronted the villains at the end of the story with more Blacks coming to the rescue, making it all kind of anti-climactic for me. Where was the black moment?
The family - πͺ
The Black family reminds me a lot about the Reagans from the Blue Bloods TV series. I love stories with characters that have a strong family background and in this story the Blacks provide the foundation from which everything works. Mingus has a great relationship with his siblings and parents. In contrast, Joanna is an only child and her relationship with her mother is strained. So it was great to see the contract between the Blacks and the Barnes.
On the whole, this is a solid romantic suspense. The intrigue is well done and the pacing to match. The romance is sweet and Mingus is a great guy to have in your corner any day of the week. π
Reviewed by
Disclaimer: I volunteered to review this book via Netgalley
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