"Continental Divide"

Review - "Continental Divide" by Laura Harner and Lisa Worrall

Great teaming of talent

Very Highly Recommended

Yet another young boy in Phoenix is missing, and Detective Remington is hot.  Not just because of the weather, but six boys, barely in their teens, are gone without a trace.  While he struggles to put the pieces together, he can't help but feel all these cases are somehow related.  Young boys, troubled homes, sudden disappearances.

Meanwhile, in London, Inspector Jamie Mainwaring is coming to much the same conclusion.  Six missing boys.  All from unhappy home situations.  All missing.  No clues.  So he goes digging, looking for similarities.  What he finds triggers involvement at much higher levels of government.

So it's no surprise when Remy finds himself on a plane to England.  But what IS a surprise is the attraction he feels immediately for Jamie.  But, he can't - no, won't - act on it.  He's there for a job, not to make friends or find a trick.  So he puts on his best Cowboy attitude and snipes and snarks at the man.

Doesn't work, and the attraction deepens.  On both sides.

But when Remy discovers Jamie is a little upper-crust, and wealthy, he shuts down.  Again.  Frustrates the hell out of Jamie.

Then they catch a break.  Five boys are reported missing in much the same fashion.  This time back in the States.  And if the pattern holds, maybe they can bust this case wide open before the sixth boy goes missing.  But that means working together closely, with a secret government agency and each other.  Going undercover.  And trusting each other.

Will they catch the break they are looking for, and save these boys?  Will we find out what Remy is hiding - why his past and these boys are so troublesome, and why he's pushing Jamie away?  Will their romance last?

Laura Harner and Lisa Worrall have pooled their considerable talents and come up with a wonderfully written, brilliantly executed story involving two men of vastly different backgrounds that manage to find some solace in each others arms.  This is a great read, made all the better by taking the strengths of these two women - the skill with which they create their characters and the way they weave plots so very well.  In this case, the sum is greater than the whole.

Remy is a great character - strong, but oh-so-broken.  He hides his vulnerability behind Western bravado, but we see how he lonely he really is.  He's a loveable hard-ass, giving his all to his job and neglecting himself.  When things get "too real", he shuts down.  But we see behind it to the loyal, giving man he really is.

And Jamie - all spoiled rich boy, but underneath a core of steel.  He is the flip side of Remy.  He believes in himself, goes after love with both hands and damn the torpedoes.  He leads with his heart where Remy thinks first.

They are so good together, and play off of each other so well.  I loved the story line, even though it was difficult.  Child sex trafficking.  There's no easy way to tell a story like that except straightforward, and Ms. Harner and Ms. Worrall take it on in style.

I can't wait to see what they do next.  The ending - had me split between flying to Phoenix or London to kick some writer tail.

I expect the next edition to be as explosive.

Great job, ladies.

Tom