I received this book for free from the author in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Find Me by Margaret Watson Series: The Donovan Family #3
Series Rating:
Published by Self Published on December 9th 2013
Genres: Romance, Suspense
Pages: 268
Format: eBook
Source: the author
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After witnessing the murder of an FBI agent in a parking garage late one night, Lizzy Monroe meets with the FBI and agrees to work with a sketch artist. But on her way out of the office, she comes face to face with the killer – another FBI agent. She knows from experience what happens when a criminal is a member of law enforcement – cops protect their own. So when the killer shows up at her door later that morning, she knows she has no choice but to run.
From the moment he sees her, Mac Donovan is intrigued by – and in lust with – their beautiful witness. After Lizzy disappears, he spends his free time tracking her down. When he finally finds her on a remote island in the San Juans, their chemistry is explosive and the sex is even hotter. But he's hiding his identity from her. What will happen when she discovers who he really is? Will she be able to forgive his betrayal? Or will the killer find them first?
Warning: Contains explicit sex and graphic language.
Even though this is the third book in the Donovan family series, it can easily be read as a standalone. I read it without reading the first two and had no problem keeping up.
I liked Lizzy a lot more than I liked Mac. She was strong and resourceful, managing to keep herself hidden for months before Mac caught up with her. I don’t typically enjoy books where a good part of the conflict is characters who are deceiving each other about absolutely everything, and there was some of that here. Maybe it’s hypocritical of me, but Lizzy’s lies didn’t bother me as much. Her intention wasn’t solely to deceive Mac, but to keep herself safe. A few times she wanted to tell him why she had run, but didn’t because she didn’t know who she could trust in the FBI. Mac’s intention was solely to deceive Lizzy. He was sure she wasn’t involved in the murder she had reported, so he wasn’t investigating her. He didn’t want her to run, but when he caught up to her, they were on an isolated island in the middle of a nasty storm, so there wasn’t really anywhere for her to run. It was a more self-serving motive than Lizzy’s.
And his tactics left a lot to be desired. Strong-arming Lizzy, holding her dog hostage to force her to come with him, despite her telling him that she would be in danger. “I know better than you so I’m going to force you to do it my way” irritates me. But it’s hard to stay irritated when Lizzy decides he’s right most of the time and goes along with him even if she’s not being coerced. If she’s not going to be upset about the way he’s acting, I’m not going to get mad on her behalf.
This story wasn’t really a mystery; we already know who the bad guy is. It’s more suspense, Lizzy running and hiding from the FBI, then Lizzy and Mac on the run together, trying to figure out who they can trust and how they’re going to get the guy while staying safe. They end up reaching out to Mac’s family for help, which was the best part of the book for me. I really liked the Donovan family; I love a big, boisterous family dynamic. I’m looking forward to reading more of their stories.
Also – I loved the ending of this book. Mac and Lizzy were realistic and level-headed, even after everything they had been through. I know that most of the time, realistic and level-headed aren’t exactly sexy characteristics, but it fit these two, and I liked that Watson went that way with it.
I haven’t read Margaret Watson before, but I’m planning to read some of her backlist. This was an engaging, fun story, and if you haven’t read her before, I recommend trying her out.
About Margaret Watson
Once upon a time, there was a little girl who dreamed of writing books just like the ones she loved to read – Nancy Drew, The Black Stallion, Lad, a Dog (that love for animals that made her become a vet), Mary Stewart, Helen MacInnes, Georgette Heyer (the little girl was getting older). She made up stories and changed the endings of books and movies to make them come out the way she pictured them. But instead of pursuing her writing dream, her love of animals and need for a ‘real’ job led her to a career as a veterinarian.
When she realized she was now making up stories about her clients and their pets, she decided to try writing them down. Her first book, Personal Best, was published in 1991. Thirty award-winning books for Silhouette and Harlequin followed.
Today, that little girl considers herself the luckiest woman in the world. She has two careers she loves as well as the best family ever. She and her husband have three daughters and live in a Chicago suburb with a menagerie of pets.
