Fasten your seatbelts --- this ride is going to fast and furious!! Wow, Ms. Rushdan keeps you on the edge of your seat in the high energy, fast pace romantic suspense. You will NOT be disappointed in this second chance romance!!

From the opening chapter to the very end, the Sand Dune Angel serial killer will keep you guessing with all the twists and turns and "how'd he do it" questions. To avoid any spoilers, I won't say too much on the plot, but I will say it was well written and kept the reader, me, engaged the entire time. I couldn't put it down!

I enjoyed the main characters, Detective Waylon, a former army ranger -- which total has a cowboy name that I just LOVED for him -- and Melanie, assistant district attorney in Laramie, Wyoming. Melanie, known as "The Closer" for her victories in closing cases moved from Denver, Colorado to Wyoming. Coming in with goals to achieve and ultimately District Attorney title, her and Waylon meet in the small town bar with a no strings attached agreement. One night turned into three years, and the book starts off with her "breaking" it off due to being scared that her relationship could prevent her from achieving her goals and dreams. I admire Melanie's work ethic and can-do attitude. She wasn't going to let someone just hand the dream on a silver platter and planned to earn every bit of her career. Waylon, total swoon worthy man, comes from a humble background and is a total alpha male in the best way possible. The way he desires to protect Melanie and also loves her deeply just gives you all the feels. Their chemistry was well written and you can feel the desire but in a deeper way that was not lust.

Ms. Rushdan did a great job providing background on each character and to really give some depth to come to know and understand each point of view. Excellent story with the perfect amount of suspense and intrigue, no profanity or crude language, and the perfect amount of romance, angst and plot. There is an intimate, open bedroom scene BUT tastefully written and much of what was going on was implied and not detailed or graphic, which I do appreciate. Trigger warning -- the case does revolved around a serial killer, and some of the things described can be creepy in a sense and descriptive that some may not like, and there are non-main characters that die throughout the book. The violence is not overly graphic but it is at times a little intense, however I do not feel like it takes away from the overarching story.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin - Romance | Harlequin Intrigue for the advanced copy of this book. All my thoughts and opinions are all my own.

Waylon Wright is a detective that is in love with Melanie Merritt the local ADA. She wants the relationship to stay uncover due to their jobs. After a break-up some try's to kill Melanie and Waylon is going to make sure she is safe. After her brutal attack she realizes the attack stems from a conviction she made while in Denver. When Waylon and Melanie travel to Denver to interview the man that is supposed to be in prison, they find he is now out. The killer has an alibi for the current murders and as they work the case, they realize he is not working alone.

Waylon and Melanie rush to find the Sand Angel Killer before he gets them first. Second chance story wrapped up with suspense and mystery.

I found this novel fast paced and action packed. I thought there was a perfect mix of romance and suspense! Had such a good time reading this book, thank you NetGalley and Harlequin for this arc.

A mystery with a bit of suspense. Melanie is an ADA who put away a notorious serial killer. When she is attacked and the killings start again, she discovers that the killer she put away has been released on a legal technicality. Complicating things are her feelings for Waylon, who she had a relationship with, and let go. He will not let the relationship go without a fight and a fight it is to the very end. I enjoyed the pace and the twists to this story

The action in this book starts from the first page and never lets up. Melanie Merritt, assistant DA, has a target on her back and detective Waylon Wright is determined to keep her safe. Thank you to net galley for an advanced readers copy.

Harlequin Intrigue (Apr 2025)
Series: Cowboy State Lawman: Duty and Honor #5

Waylon is a smart, strong, cowboy turned lawman who is still in love with his ex girlfriend Melanie. Problem is, she’s an assistant district attorney and her prosecuting cases Waylon worked on could be a conflict of interest. They kept their red-hot-in-the-bedroom relationship a secret for several years, but when Waylon wanted to take it to the next level, Melanie panicked, thinking that she needed to make a choice between their careers and love.

When we meet Melanie and Waylon, they are broken up. When she is attacked at work and nearly killed, Waylon steps in to both protect the ADA and find out who wants her dead. But all signs point to a case Melanie thought long closed and a serial murderer who has found his way out of prison on a loophole. They are working on their second chance to get it right in love too before time runs out on their careers or even their lives.

Wyoming Double Jeopardy has exactly what I want in a category from the Intrigue line: Hyper fast pace. Sizzling chemistry. Intriguing crime. Big stakes. A hero who is tough on the outside, kind and steadfast on the inside. A heroine who is self assured and driven, while making decisions that not only fit the plot, but what a real woman like this would choose.

This is a hero who believes that it’s his job to act as a true partner to his heroine, even if that means making sacrifices and changes to his life in order to be there for her. Really enjoyed their dynamic. The stakes were very high and the action scenes were top notch. Truly thrilling.
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LEO: MMC is a police detective, FMC is an assistant district attorney. No corruption or abuse of power themes

Setting: Wyoming, in/around Laramie, and also some scenes in Denver

BIPOC Characters: yes, FMC is South Asian

Steam/Spice Level: open door, in the bed, very steamy, great chemistry

POV/Tense: third person, dual POV, past tense
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ARC Provided by Harlequin Publishing. Expected Publication Date: Apr 1, 2025

Waylon Wright is a detective and has almost accepted the fact that he and Melanie can’t be together. Melanie is the ADA and she thinks that dating the detective will hurt her chances to become DA. When Melanie is brutally attacked in the parking garage, Waylon goes into protective overload. Even though this case is out of his jurisdiction, Waylon becomes her bodyguard. Can they find the killer before he strikes again?
On the edge of your seat from the very first page. Steamy. Second chance for love.
* VOLUNTARILY READ AND REVIEWED THIS FOR NETGALLEY *

Wow this one started off with a bang and rarely slowed down. Great storyline. Kept me engaged. I love the characters and hope there’s a sequel.