**You can see this full review and more at Book Briefs: http://bookbriefs.net**

At Any Cost is the fourth book in the adult romantic suspense/thriller series called the U.S. Marshals,by Mandy Baxter. I have not had the pleasure of reading any of the first three books, but after reading At Any Cost I know that is something I must change immediately. I really enjoyed this book. And can I first start with something unconventional that I enjoyed? I really appreciate the fact that the guy on the front cover of this book has a shirt on. I know, I know...just hear me out. I love a shirtless guy as much as the next lady (or guy) but I am getting sick of seeing them all the time on the cover of books. I think it sends the wrong message. Like the book doesn't have much substance. And so many times, I think that is sad and just plain wrong. I might be in the minority on this one, but I much prefer a cover with the cover models clothed. Because the focus of the story is not about a shirtless guy. There is a lot going on in At Any Cost. There is a big crime ring, a mystery, tons of action, and yes a romance. But the romance is not the only thing there is. Ok, shirtless guy rant over. (Go ahead and shame me in the comments...I can take it, I promise. ;p )

At Any Cost is a book that I particularly enjoyed. I have been reading a few books along the men in some kind of service lately, and I have been loving them this year, but this one felt different. Nick is set on hating, or even exposing and turning in, this criminal's ex-girlfriend that he has been searching for forever, so it was certainly a slow build between the two of them. Nick had a lot of preconceived notions about Olivia that he was not too quick to let go of. And strangely enough, I loved that. I really liked watching their exchanges evolve and grow.

I really, really loved Olivia. Lately, I have been enjoying the guy characters more than the female characters in the stories I have been reading, but here Olivia took the cake. She is just so real and cool. I loved that she was an Olympic level skier when she was younger. And I loved how sweet she is. She took Nick, and me, by surprise. The plot of At Any Cost is a fast paced one. There is always something going on. Nick kept driving things forward until they all came to a head, because he just cannot sit back and follow orders. I found that to be both funny and infuriating about him.

Bottom line: At Any Cost is a high action suspense, that is a gripping read. I could not put this book down. I loved watching Nick and Olivia together, mostly because of how surprised Nick was about the whole thing. Olivia turned his world upside down, and for a guy as stubborn as Nick, I really liked that. Fans of action/thrillers and slow burn romances will enjoy the U.S. Marshall's series. Please excuse me while I run and grab books 1-3 to read.

This review was originally posted on Book Briefs