(3.5*, rounded up)

We met Shane in Giving Chase and I knew that Dane was going to have to give him a bit of an attitude adjustment to make him appealing as a hero ... I just didn't expect it to be an immediate about face.  In the first book he was pretty much an ass - a jerk to women & completely commitment-phobic, thanks to a previous relationship gone bad.  So I expected that Cassie would have to work some kind of magic and slowly get him to change.  Nope, pretty much from the beginning he's over himself and ready to get involved.  It would have been great, if it wasn't for his portrayal in the first story.  And I will give Dane credit that she does have his baggage still there, but it is on simmer and not out in front like when we first met him.  That aside, though, Shane as a character was great (as long as you forgot that he ever had more jerk-ish moments).  He's caring and, although he stumbles a couple of times, does his best to be sensitive to Cassie's feelings.   

And Cassie definitely has her own baggage!  Pretty fresh out of a horrifically abusive relationship, she's trying to have a fresh start.  What she isn't looking for is attracting the interest of a cop.  Luckily for Shane, he's pretty hard to resist.  But it is going to take a lot of patience to work through the scars Cassie past left her with.  She's got a lot of triggers and it might get a bit old for some readers.  She's pretty set on doing things herself and has a hard time separating someone offering help from people trying to manage her.  Her ex did a number on her so it's understandable but it happens a lot.  Good thing new Shane is willing to go all in and help her find a balance that can work for them both. 

This is a slow burn romance as the two work their way around Cassie's issues and having to deal with the fact that her ex is still out there in the world.  There are a lot of emotional ups and downs as she struggles to figure out what a healthy relationship looks like and Shane tries his best to help without taking over.  It's not easy for him to ignore the cop in him that wants to do everything he can to protect her.  Instead he needs to support her as she stands on her own two feet.  There is a bit of excitement at the end but overall this is all about the feels, with just a bit of suspense thrown in.  

**Review given honestly and freely after receipt of an advanced copy. This opinion is completely my own and was not coerced in any way.**