This is the
first time I am reading anything by Annie Winters and Tony West. The
Vigilante’s Lover is the story about Jax De Luca who feels he was set up by
Jovana, his ex-girlfriend and sent to prison without pleading his case in front
of a tribunal (this is a mercenary/spy organization). While planning his escape
from prison he has been sending coded messages to Klaus, a member of his
network. However, these letters fall into the hands of a naïve twenty-years
old, Mia Morrow who gets turned on by reading them. She innocently responds but
Jax finds her messages to be out of code. 

Jax then
turns up in the middle of the night and kidnaps Mia from her aunt’s Tennessee
home thinking she is a trainee assassin out to seduce him. But Mia is a
civilian who has no idea what Jax is talking about. Jax is still not convinced despite
her telling him the truth the house that he thinks is a safe house belongs to
her aunt, that her parents are dead, and she’s lived there as a child, but came
back to care for her aunt when she became ill. Jax distrusts her and decides to
take her to a high-Security silo to find out about her and her family. He wants
to: “Be able to see their histories, functions, and allies. Even if they are
wiped.” 

Overall, this
was a quick read. I enjoyed the scenes with Jax breaking out of prison with the
help of his comrades. The action, intrigue, dialogue, and gadgets were great. There
were hints of bondage – the way he tied up Mia and having her vulnerability
explored. It was interesting to watch her go from being timid to being
confident after drawing on her mother’s adventuresome spirit. However, all this
unfolded toward the end of the novel and just left so many questions unanswered
– Who is Mia really? Where is Jovana, his ex-girlfriend? Did she really set him
up? Who killed Klaus? Was the house where Mia was staying really a safe house? So,
readers will have to read part 2 of the story to see what happens. I simply
wanted more. 

Some of my
favorite lines: 

I hold
fast to the woman’s ankle. What sort of spy is this? Vigilante?
Counterintelligence? She isn’t trained like any operative I’ve ever seen.

Except
one.

Jovana.

My anger
burns hot at the thought of it.

Her
honey-brown hair splays across a white pillow. Her terror is palpable. So real.
Does she have some sort of mood enhancement capability? Her fright prickles my
protective urges, and I have to stuff it down to maintain control.

Damn this
vexation. I was at the highest pinnacle of the syndicate before Jovana. I’m not
aware of this level of training. Now I’m out of the loop. Susceptible. 

Rating: 3.5
stars  

Originally Published on https://vocalexpressions.blogspot.com

Deliah Lawrence Attorney, Author, Blogger, Workshop Facilitator

Deliah Lawrence is a Maryland-based attorney and award-winning author of two romantic suspense novels (Gotta Let It Go and Gotta Get It Back) set in Baltimore. She’s also a blogger and workshop facilitator who writes poetry and short stories.

When Deliah isn’t writing, you can find her reading a book, indulging in her addiction to investigation discovery shows; or painting her yet-to-be exhibited oil artworks of landscapes, portraits or whatever else comes to her creative mind. Constantly on the go, she is also a member of the Black Writers’ Guild of Maryland and Sisters in Crime.