There’s a new deputy in town, and she’s a law unto herself. 

Jeremiah Church is still aching for justice to be served after his father’s murder. Though the killer has been caught, the authorities are no closer to knowing why the Churches were targeted—and if the family’s still at risk. When Miah receives an anonymous letter hinting at a darker conspiracy, he decides it's high time he seeks justice on his own terms, with the help of his fellow Desert Dogs. 

Patrol Deputy Nicki Ritchey is new to Fortuity, and hoping to make a clean start for her and her son. Involved in the Church’s case, she's kindled a friendship with Miah that's evolving into something more. But Miah is crossing lines with his personal vendetta, and Nicki’s attraction is making it tough to tell right from wrong…

Review

This was a long-awaited but fitting end to a great romance suspense/crime series which I enjoyed a lot. I've loved Miah all through the series and was so happy how it all turned out for him in the end. It was a struggle, not what he planned or expected but oh, so worth it and happy making.

We kept getting glimpses of his characters throughout the series and we got more insight into his character in the novella, Drive It Deep, his brief but passionate affair with Raine which left him shattered.

I loved Miah's character arc, the change of perspective he underwent. He was a man with a plan, girlfriend-marriage-kids and things were not happening for him for various reasons.

His grief felt real, his loss of direction felt real to, his desire to desire to get his life back on track felt real. And his relationship with Nicki, from friendship to love felt real and easy to relate to.

Nicki was a back female deputy, newcomer from the big city to the small, mostly white Fortuity. She was divorced single mom, as far away as possible from Miah, yet she was the perfect fro him. They stated as friends, helping each other through grief and Miah's sense of hopelessness.

Ii liked how the story was very much grounded in everyday life. They had to put efforts to make their relationship work and it was not because of their own feelings/insecurities but because life was happening around them and they had obligations and responsibility. They couldn't leave everything and just be together, it was a lot more complicated for both of them In the midst of a murder investigation which concerned them both they had to take time to be together.

I liked how the intimacy between Miah and Nicki took place, tentative, exploitative at the beginning, always open and honest. I felt Miah's claustrophobia was better handled in Drive It Deep, while here it seemed to easily 'cured'. Still, I very much enjoyed the intimacy between them.

I loved seeing the rest of the gang and the story had the sweetest epilogue. I don't need marriage and kids in every romance but here they were fitting considering Miah's character.

On the whole, I can recommend the whole Desert Dogs series as a well crafted, smart and sexy contemporary romance with a side of crime plot series. And do not miss the prequel novella about Miah and Raina which is not a romance per se since they don't end up together but it's an intense, emotional story about passion and love and well worth a read!