Ok

Pros: interesting behind the scenes look at museums and how they curate their exhibits. Second chance romance. Lots of possible suspects.
Cons: Romance felt forced to me, just didn't hit right. Maggie seemed immature. Kevin would never have been allowed to participate in the investigation "in real life" with his history with Maggie.

All in all, I would read more by this author. This book was a decent read but not one of my top choices.

Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book, but my opinions are my own.

Another terrific book in the West Investigations series with a gripping mystery, second-chance romance, and an interesting art museum setting. It starts with a bang when the famous Vipere ruby is stolen from the Larimer Museum.

Maggie is one of the curators at the museum and the force behind the special exhibit. The night of the donor's preview, Maggie is attacked, and the ruby is stolen. Later that night, she discovers that her best friend and fellow curator has been murdered. Complicating matters, the investigator for the security company is Kevin, the college sweetheart who left her without looking back.

Kevin recently started working for West Investigations. This is his first case with them, and he's determined to excel. The last person he expects to see is Maggie, the girl he's never forgotten.

The suspense of this story had me glued to the pages from start to finish. The search for the ruby is a rollercoaster ride of promising clues and dead ends, with a twist at the end that I never saw coming. The final confrontation was a nail-biter with a terrific ending.

I enjoyed the rekindling of Maggie and Kevin's relationship. Maggie still feels hurt and resentful over how Kevin walked away from her, while Kevin realized long ago that he'd made a terrible mistake. I liked how Maggie insisted on being part of the investigation, which meant spending more time with Kevin. It quickly became evident that the sparks between them were as strong as ever, but Maggie was wary of getting her heart broken again. I liked Kevin's protectiveness and his support of Maggie during the turmoil of the investigation. I liked seeing that they could talk about their past, mistakes, and hopes for the future, taking things slowly to ensure they get it right.

In this exciting installment of the West Investigations series, Kevin Lombard, a new hire at the LA office, is eager to prove himself but is unexpectedly reunited with Maggie Scott, the woman he once loved and left behind. Maggie, a curator at the Larimer Museum, faces a crisis when her career-defining Vampire Ruby exhibit goes wrong, forcing her to seek Kevin’s help to clear her name and save her life. The story explores themes of second chances, deception, and family ties, with an unpredictable plot twist. While part of a series, it can be read as a stand-alone.

Second chance story about two MCs who met in college and haven't seen each other for years. Heroine gets into trouble and turns to Hero for help. The mystery/suspense was pretty good but the romance was lacking for me.

I received an advanced copy from NetGalley for my honest opinion.

I love the West Investigations series, and the West Coast team doesn't disappoint. Kevin Lombard is the new hire for the LA office, and he's determined to make a name for himself with the team. He doesn't expect to see a ghost from his past at one of the first jobs requiring all his expertise and critical thinking skills. Maggie Scott was the one who got away, but suddenly, she was there, and she needed his help to get her life back.

Maggie Scott has worked at the Larimer Museum for years. The Vapire Ruby exhibit was her chance to make a name for herself as a curator there until everything goes wrong. This includes coming face-to-face with Kevin Lombard, the man who left her years ago in college without a backward glance. Now, she has to rely on him to not only get her out of her troubles with the law but also save her life.

This was a twisty tale of second chances, deception, and family ties. There is a plot twist in this one that you will NOT see coming, and I absolutely loved it! You will too, so make sure to grab this one on release! It's part of the series but can be read as a stand-alone as you don't need to know any of the past investigators to read it.

Maggie Scott has worked hard to become an assistant curator at the Larimer Museum. But following the theft of a rare, priceless jewel and the murder of her fellow employee and friend, Maggie is suspected of complicity. Only investigator Kevin Lombard believes in her innocence. But thanks to their shared history, he's hardly objective. In fact, this may be the second chance he never thought possible. First, though, he must prove Maggie’s innocence…and protect the woman he never forgot from whoever is out to get her! Good book! This book had suspense, intrigue, action, murder, mystery, romance, a great who done it and a few twists and turns. The story was interesting! I definitely recommend reading this book! Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for sharing this book with me!