Review – Tempted by his Target by Jill Sorenson

Publisher: Harlequin
Publish Date: Out Now!
How I got this book: NetGalley

Wanted for the murder of a Mexican drug lord’s son, party girl Isabel Sanborn fled to Oaxaca. Now she owes her life to Brandon Knox, a passing tourist who just saved her from a hit man.
But Knox is no accidental hero—he’s an undercover U.S. marshal assigned to bring Isabel to justice. Instead, wanting to protect her, he joins her on the lam…with cartel goons and corrupt police in hot pursuit!

And as the danger escalates, sexual tension sizzles. For the first time in his career, Brandon considers jeopardizing his mission to safeguard his target. And though Isabel can elude the authorities,she can’t escape her feelings….
*Blurb from Goodreads*

I’m a big fan of romantic suspense, and Sorenson has become one of my auto-buy authors, so when I saw her newest up on NetGalley, I didn’t even bother reading the blurb before squeeing like a fangirl and requesting it.

Isabel is on the run in Mexico, dodging the cartel at every turn. She is hesitant around other people, so when the sexy Brandon comes sniffing around, she is reluctant to trust him. But he quickly gets under her skin and in her good graces and Isabel finds herself turning to him when things start to hit the fan.

Brandon has a secret, one he is desperate to keep from Isabel, especially since he needs to gain her trust. When he finds her in a pickle, he will do just about anything to keep her safe. As they travel through Mexico together, the two become more and more attracted to one another. These feelings are new to Brandon, and for the first time ever he might be willing to risk everything for a woman. But when Isabel learns his secrets, will she even want to accept what he has to offer?

What’s more dramatic than a woman on the run, and the undercover US Marshal set to bring her in? I loved the story, and the setting especially. I love the Mexican culture and the way that Sorenson was able to bring so much life to the setting. I’ve always loved when a book’s location can play such an integral part in the overall story, and I felt like Sorenson did an excellent job with that.

I really enjoyed the characters as well. I thought that Isabel was such a strong and incredible heroine. Although she had her moments of kicking ass, it was also obvious that she didn’t want to do it, that she hated the violence that her life became, and I appreciated that. So many times in romantic suspense books, the heroine comes across as this incredible fighter and able to accomplish more than is realistic. That was not the case here, and I enjoyed that. Although there were times I wanted her to stop running and face everything she went through in life. When Isabel did finally get to that point, I was cheering for her, but wishing she had done so sooner.

From the moment Brandon stepped onto the page I was a fan. He was sexy and fun and one hundred percent dedicated to not only his job, but also the truth. I loved that he didn’t take everything he heard and knew about Isabel as fact, and instead was constantly trying to get her side of the story, her version of what happened. I also loved just how conflicted he was about her and his job. It was obvious he was attracted to her, and I was glad to see a hero put that aside for a change. He thought about his job first, instead of thinking with his little head. His inner struggle with what to do about the whole situation was one of the things I loved most.

The romance between these two was smokin’ hot, and the sexual tension was thick throughout. Both Brandon and Isabel struggled with trusting each other, with jumping into a physical relationship and I’ve always loved that. Although the adrenaline was pumping, I felt like their romance was real and true. I loved their ending as well, it was perfect without being cliche.

All in all, I loved this one. The story moved quickly with tons of action, and I was engaged from start to finish. The characters were fun to read and the romance was great. This is yet another Sorenson book to put on the keeper shelves.
I give Tempted by his Target an A-

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