Stronger Than You Know
By Lori Foster
Release Date: August 24, 2021
Ebook Available from WV Reads!
3.5 Stars - A really engaging drama from Foster with a fast moving plot. Kennedy's a likable heroine, sweet and smart, if a bit naive. Reyes is the real star of the story though, a sharp and honest hero who swoops in to her rescue. There isn't as much action as one might expect but it was still a quick, hard to put down, romantic read.
I think this book suffers a little bit from wanting to be a romance, a drama, and a thriller/mystery all in one. Sometimes sacrificing some of one genre for another in spots leaves things a bit lacking. Kennedy's definitely not sheltered but most people would expect her to be a bit less trusting and a bit harder given her back story as a kidnap victim. But Reyes is truly perfect for her because from the first page he's patient, considerate, and ready to go to battle for her. I'd say his biggest flaw is he's a bit a heart breaker around town, but not unsual for Foster's stories.
Foster takes another hard look at human trafficking here and this feels incredibly similar to her Edge of Honor series. It's almost the same couple to couple format. Reyes' family is basically running an underground operation that I'm still unclear really gets anything done. But hey, it's a cool concept. Reyes and his family are all total badasses, which we get a lot of pages about. We also got a lot of previews of Reyes' sisters romance to come. In between a lot of this filler, Kennedy and Reyes quickly bonded but didn't fall into bed together quickly. The steamy scenes were fewer here than some Foster quickie reads. My only real complaint was how annoying Jodi was. Her reckless attitude was over the top. I suspect her presence was to set up a fourth book (like Storm's in Edge) but I won't read that one most likely. Fans of the first book, Reyes's brother and new sister-in-law do return here to help. This felt like a huge improvement over the first story though. It had a more genuiene atmosphere, bit more realistic plot, and I thought the couple was more likable. But these can also be read standalone for anyone looking to try Foster or fill a weekend of reading.
(NS)
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