ARC Review: Damage by Lilith Saintcrow

Damage
Author: Lilith Saintcrow
Series: A Ghost Squad Novel
Publication: ImaJinn Books (March 26, 2021)

Description: Keeping her safe will be his hardest assignment yet. . .

Reeling from trauma and divorce, Cara Halperin takes what should be a simple job with an expensive agency. As a nanny to rich children, she shouldn't have much to worry about, and her job is just complex enough to keep her from brooding. Unfortunately, the agency's sent her into a trap.

Vincent Desmarais wants to go back into the field, but instead, he's put on leave. The diagnosis? PTSD. No problem--he can pick up security work on the side to keep himself sharp--that is, if the side work isn't just as dangerous as the bloody places he's longing to get back to.

When the lights go out, Cara and her young charge have only one option: to trust the new security guy. Vincent finds himself unwilling to abandon them to fate or let them out of his sight. If the trio wants to stay alive, they've got to trust each other. . .

. . .but that may just be what their enemies are counting on.

My Thoughts: Cara Helperin is working as a nanny for a mysterious, and not necessarily honest man named Marquez in order to get over some personal trauma. She really likes young Eddy and is getting pretty good at standing up for him with his father. If only she could say the same about her boss's second in command Alan de la Cruz whom she thinks of as Dracula Cowboy, but he is just plain creepy.

Vincent Desmarais is a First Lieutenant who is on leave because of battle fatigue and possible PTSD which he isn't taking well. He goes to a friend looking for some "off the books" work to keep him busy until he can convince his doctors that he's okay to go back into active duty. He finds himself working for Marquez.

Things start to go wrong when Marquez takes off on one of his trips and brings Alan with him. All of a sudden all the rest of security and the household staff are given time off leaving Vincent, Cara, and Eddie alone in the house. A kidnapping attempt at the Mall and a home invasion send the three of them on the run trying to figure out what is going on. The police response to the Mall kidnapping attempt makes them believe that they can't depend on the police. They are on their own against an unknown number of enemies. 

Lots of exciting action ensues. I enjoyed getting to know both Cara and Vincent who are both wounded but struggling to heal. I like the way they learn to trust and care for each other. Eddie was a sweet child. I could easily understand how both Cara and Vincent could come to love him. 

Fans of romantic suspense will enjoy this one.

Favorite Quote:

She studied him for what felt like a decade or two, thoughts moving in her deep, dark eyes. "So you're an honorable soldier."

Hell no, ma'am. I'm the bastard on the ground who gets the job done. But... "I'd like to be." That was the truth, or a truth, at least, as far as she was concerned.

I received this one in exchange for an honest review from NetGalley. You can buy your copy here.