ARC Review: Shadow of Doubt by P. A. DePaul

Shadow of Doubt
Author: P. A. DePaul
Series: An SBG Novel, Book 2
Publication: InterMix (April 21, 2015)

Description: When her secretly filmed tryst shows up on the internet, Michelle Alger goes on the run. She has no choice. Not only was her one-night stand the son of a US senator, but he’s been murdered—and she’s the number one suspect. With both the senator and an avenging drug lord on her trail, her life is in danger. There’s only man she can trust. He saved her once, but will he still be her hero six years later?

Captain Jeremy Malone and the rest of Delta Squad have the senator’s order: find the mystery woman who killed my son. But to Jeremy, she’s no mystery. Six years ago his team of Green Berets rescued her from the torturous clutches of a Colombian cartel, and he’s never forgotten her. His personal and covert mission: find Michelle before anyone else. When he and Michelle do meet again, the sparks are explosive and consuming. They’re also dangerous as hell.

Because with each new bit of evidence, Jeremy suspects that Michelle’s innocence may be a ruse—a beautiful trap set by a woman who has even more secrets yet to bare.

My Thoughts: Captain Jeremy Malone rescued Michelle Alger from a drug cartel in Colombia and promised to be there if she ever called. But then things went horribly wrong and his team got in the way of a car bomb. Jeremy was the only survivor but ended up working undercover as part of a black ops team.

Michelle has been dealing with the aftereffects of her torture and abuse as a person in the witness protection program. She has never forgotten the man she called "Cappy." When she finds herself in trouble again, accused of the death of a senator's son, she pulls out a six-year-old scrap of paper and gives Cappy a call.

Since Cappy's team works for the Senator, she is close at hand. The Senator believes that Michelle is the one who murdered his son; Cappy refuses to believe it. Michelle is just one piece in a complicated plot for revenge. It takes the whole team to unravel all the plot threads in this one.

There was a lot of romantic tension when Cappy and Michelle meet again. Michelle has had bad experiences with men over the years who reject her because of her very scarred body. She also still have PTSD regarding her captivity. Cappy has never forgotten the connection they made either but he is convinced that Michelle can never be part of the deep undercover life he leads and the danger he faces on a regular basis. Michelle is eager for a relationship but Cappy needs a lot of convincing.

This was a nice romance and was filled with lots of suspense too. It is the second book in a series and, while I wish I knew more about the events of the first book, this one stands alone quite well.

Favorite Quote:

Cappy opened his mouth but Magician spoke first. "You should be asking yourself a larger question. If she stayed in your life, would she push you to be a better person or feel like an anchor pulling you under and holding you back?"

I got this eARC from NetGalley. You can buy your copy here.