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Book Review of Agent by Her Side (Colton 911: Grand Rapids, Bk 4) (Harlequin Romantic Suspense, No 2107)

Agent by Her Side (Colton 911: Grand Rapids, Bk 4) (Harlequin Romantic Suspense, No 2107)
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Good book with a nice blend of romance and suspense. Kiely is a PI with her family's business, Colton Investigations. She has a reputation for getting the job done, and also for pushing the envelope of legality. This has put her at odds with Cooper Winston, a by-the-book FBI agent. Because of her family's excellent reputation, they frequently work with local law enforcement, including the FBI. She currently assists with a case that also has a personal connection for her. When a tip comes in that she thinks is legit, she wants to follow up on it immediately - alone. Cooper, the lead agent on the case, disagrees.

Cooper is skeptical about the tip, but doesn't want her to follow up on it by herself and insists on going with her. Kiely irritates him with her disregard for the rules, but he doesn't want her to be in danger. Before they can leave to check it out, Cooper receives a call from his son's daycare that little Alfie is missing. Cooper and Kiely rescue him through a fortuitous series of events, but Cooper is injured in the process. Cooper is a single dad, and Alfie is his world. Because the boy may still be in danger, Kiely steps in to help protect him and also take care of Cooper.

I loved the development of the relationship between Cooper and Kiely. Together 24/7, each of them discovers a different side of the other. Kiely sees that the cold, rigid FBI agent is also a warm, relaxed, and loving father. Cooper finds that the go-for-broke PI has an unexpected soft side that connects quickly with his son. There are several terrific scenes as he and Kiely get to know each other, and show them becoming a temporary family. Neither expected the sparks of attraction that flew between them. Cooper didn't think that he'd be drawn to another woman after his wife's death, but can't deny his growing feelings for Kiely. Kiely was wary of love because of things she had seen in her parents' marriage. I enjoyed seeing Kiely discover new facets of herself and laughed at her family's reactions. It was nice to see that both Cooper and Kiely were upfront about their feelings. There's an event at the end that solidifies those feelings. Cooper's support and understanding as Kiely dealt with the aftermath was awesome.

The suspense of the story was terrific. The book starts with a rush when Alfie is kidnapped and maintains the intensity throughout. Both the FBI and Colton Investigations are determined to find their quarry. Alfie's kidnapping adds a new set of questions as they try to figure out its connection to the case. As Cooper and Kiely delve deeper into their search, the attacks on them intensify. The final confrontation with the kidnapper was a nail-biter with a satisfactory conclusion. However, an unexpected twist showed that the danger wasn't over yet. This one had me glued to the pages (and up way too late) as Kiely faced a frightening foe. Some progress is made in the overall investigation, leaving me ready for the next book and whatever happens there.