SWAT Standoff: A High-Stakes Police Procedural

This was one quick read! I can’t believe how quickly I devour Lena Diaz’s books! The action starts right away and never lets up until the – very interesting – bad guys are caught. SWAT STANDOFF is an unusual police procedural, as Donna and Blake have to manoeuvre without the official help of the Destiny PD, and I loved how this all worked out. There were some shocking plot twists, and in one case, I thought it was a brilliant way of showing that Donna was not just a really tough cop, but had a vulnerable side. I found that having only a male model on the cover a bit debatable: Donna is definitely a full partner, she never plays the part of second fiddle; I thought she might have been an even stronger character than Blake. This influences in no way my review, of course, the author most likely having no say in the choice of the cover. The romance meshed perfectly with the suspense, except for the first sex scene which was a bit rushed, but lovely nonetheless. Blake and Donna had real chemistry; in turns playful, argumentative, and sensual. I really liked both of them, even if at the beginning I wondered if Blake was going to be a bit of an a-hole, but not at all; it soon became quite clear why he was acting the way he did. Donna is simply a fabulous heroine; she is exactly the type of female character I want to see in romantic suspense novels: a competent person who does not turn an ankle and can shoot straight – literally. She doesn’t need Blake to *defend* her, she needs him to work *alongside* her, to be a partner in work and in life, and this makes a world of difference to me. A captivating story, a believable romance, and great characters: what more can you ask for!