Sandy S.
DEADLY VALOR is the sixth instalment in Kaylea Cross’ contemporary, adult CRIMSON POINT erotic, romantic suspense series. This is former US Marine turned security specialist Ryder Locke, and veterinarian assistant /widow Danae Sutherland’s story line. DEADLY VALOR can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty. Any important information from the previous story line is revealed where necessary. Some of the characters, were first introduced in the spin-off ADRIFT (Kill Devil Hills 3). NOTE: Due to the nature of the story line premise, there may be triggers for more sensitive readers. Told from several third person perspectives including Ryder and Danae, DEADLY VALOR follows the building romance and relationship between widow /veterinarian technician Danae Sutherland, and former US Marine Ryder Locke. Ryder Locke is only in Crimson Point for a couple weeks, hoping for some downtime during the Christmas holidays before embarking on his next contract ‘down under’ but meeting his next door neighbor Danae Sutherland and her teenaged son Finn, stirs something deep and protective within our story line hero when he discovers her back story as a widow and single mom. But all is not well in Crimson Point, as the drug trade has increased, and a mass shooting with a lone survivor pulls our heroine into the middle of a potential kidnapping that went all to h*ll. What ensues is the building romance and relationship between Danae and Ryder, and the potential fall-out as Ryder’s time in Crimson Point comes to a close. Danae and her son Finn are new to Crimson Point, and desperate to make friends, Finn finds himself hanging with the ‘wrong crowd’. Pulled into something potentially dangerous and dark, Finn struggles to pull away only to place his mother in the direct line of fire. The relationship between Danae and Ryder is one of immediate attraction but from the outset Ryder knows he time in Crimson Point is limited and short. Wanting a relationship that comes with an end date finds our couple saying goodbye leaving heart break in its’ wake. Ryder has fallen in love with our story line heroine, and walking away means leaving a piece of his heart behind. The $ex scenes are intimate and passionate without the use of over the top, sexually graphic language and text. There is a large ensemble cast of colorful and energetic secondary and supporting characters including Becca and Chase (Adrift 3), and most of the previous story line couples. The requisite evil has many faces. DEADLY VALOR is an intriguing, suspenseful and action packed story of murder, destruction, desperation and doubt; a tale of family, friendships, relationships and love. The premise is edgy; the romance is seductive; the characters are animated and energetic.