Tool Belt Defender

title: Tool Belt Defender Lawmen of Black Rock series
author: Carla Cassidy
genre: romantic suspense/Harlequin romance
source: ARC from NetGalley
published: December 20, 2011
pages: 224
first line: He was a hunk in a tight white T-shirt, a pair of worn jeans and a tool belt riding low on his lean hips.
rated: 3 out of 5
fluffy romance with some suspense

blurb:

"It's party time."
That's the "invitation" shoved under her door. It's got Brittany Grayson fearing for her life and her sanity. She's sure the monster who once held her captive for months is dead, so why his chilling words in the note? His menacing face in the window? And why won't anyone - even her lawmen brothers - believe that somehow he's after her again?
Brittany just wants a normal, independent life in Black Rock. Romance is out of the question.although she's okay as friends-with-benefits with Alex Crawford, her hunky, marriage-phobic contractor. Alex, a single dad, has his own good reasons not to fall for Brittany. But none of them matter when the race is on to find the killer who's kidnapped her!

About:
Tool Belt Defender is the last book in the Lawmen of Black Rock series.
I tend to shy away from Harlequin romance, nothing against it, it's just not my usual cup of tea and the covers don't grab my interest either. The guy on the cover on this one reminds me of a young Charlie Sheen, you know, before the hot mess he has now become. But anyway, I digress....
I was in the mood for a quick, romantic read, so I requested a copy of Tool Belt Defender over @ NetGalley and hunkered down at my laptop when they sent it my way.

I haven't read any of the other books in this series, but heroine twenty-something Brittany Grayson had previously been held captive by a serial killer for four months and is traumatized but is now trying to move on with her life. Now in this book, she is jumpy and afraid. She feels like her old self, the immature, frivolous Brittany has died and she is trying to find her new self.

As she tries to move on with her life however, Brittany has gotten a few signs that someone is out to get her and she fears the worst. She knows her captor was killed, yet someone is taunting her, and she is afraid for her life.

There was absolutely no reason for her to be afraid, yet she couldn't stop shaking and she couldn't quiet the dreadful sense of foreboding that slithered through her.
p. 34, Tool Belt Defender

When Brittany needs a handy man to build her a deck, hottie Alex Crawford shows up at her door. Alex is a single, widowed dad/ex lawyer from Chicago who is now living in Black Rock, Kansas with his young daughter Emily.

When Alex and Brittany meet, there is instant attraction, yet reluctance. Reluctance on his part because of his young daughter and on Brittany's part because of her trauma.
As the story flows, Brittany starts to fear her own sanity since she keeps thinking she sees the supposedly dead serial killer come back once again to get her.

My thoughts:
This was a quick, sweet romance and I gobbled it up. Although part of a series, this can be read as a stand alone book. Author Carla Cassidy does a nice job at filling in the details about Brittany's past as well as her family's.

Now although I enjoyed this one, I have two qualms about this book.
First off, I wish it was a bit more suspenseful. With Brittany seeing shadows and killers at her window, I was never really afraid for her. That buildup of suspense and tension fell flat for me. I think it's because I am more into the setting when it comes to suspenseful stories, I need that creepy setting to really get the feel of fear in the story.

I was surprised to see the story take a turn towards the darker side during the latter part of the book, as the killer is revealed and takes action. In this part of the story, the suspense gets better, but still not enough for my liking. It lacked that 'oomph'.

My second issue, is that I wish the book was longer so that the romance had more time to blossom. Alex was asking Brittany how she felt about being a mom way too early on in the story. After only a week he was contemplating on what a great step mom she would make.

However, I did enjoy the storyline overall and found the characters to be interesting. Alex is a hottie and I liked that he is a good dad to his little girl. He's the kind of hero you instantly like.
As Alex begins working on Brittany's deck, she cannot help but notice this handsome handyman.
Brittany is a likable heroine, she wants to move on with her life and leave her old self behind. She's not a damsel in distress, she can fend for herself and was a deputy at one point.
The author does a good job at getting you inside these characters heads as they debate whether or not to be together.

The two are lonely, they find each other in this small town, he rescues her from harm and they have their happily ever after. What more could you want from a nice HQN romance?

"I want to go slow," Alex whispered against her ear. "I want to savor every second with you, every inch of you."
p. 102, Tool Belt Defender

All in all, a nice read with interesting characters, a good plot and some sweet romance in the midst of a little mystery. I recommend Tool Belt Defender to fans of this genre and to those looking to get swept away with HQN romance for a little while.

She was like an elixir for his blood, a bane to all the loneliness and heartache that had been part of his life for so long.
p. 97, Tool Belt Defender

Special thanks to NetGalley for my review copy.

This has been a part of the Romance Reading Challenge 2012