BARE IT ALL – Lori Foster
Love Undercover , Book 2
HQN
ISBN: 978-0-373-77761-7
May 2013
Contemporary Romance

Warfield, Ohio – Present Day

Police Detective Reese Bareden has always been intrigued by his neighbor, mysterious and shy Alice Appleton, so when she pulled a gun out during a recent incident, it made him doubly curious about her. Reese suspects there's a hidden fear behind her actions and demeanor, so he's determined to learn the truth and help Alice if he can, never mind that he's inexplicably attracted to her. Slowly and surely, Reese prods Alice until she finally reveals that she was responsible for killing an evil human trafficker—and she fears retaliation against her. That won't happen if Reese has his way.

Despite her fears, Alice still has her inner radar when it comes to knowing that someone is in danger. One day, Alice spots a woman that she suspects is being forced into human slavery, so she intercedes, allowing the woman to escape her captor. But her action now has attracted the unwanted attention of a brutal human trafficker, and getting Alice becomes his priority. Reese was alerted to what happened by his partner's girlfriend's brother, Rowdy, and finally prodded it out of Alice. He now vows to protect her, even if this means 24/7 bodyguard duty, which isn't a bad idea, especially since he now has a thing for her.

Readers first met Alice in TRACE OF FEVER as the unobtrusive plain Jane who was held against her will by human traffickers. She was rescued and now lives in the same apartment building as Reese, though she keeps a low profile. With recent events that forced Reese to seek shelter elsewhere, he ends up in Alice's apartment. For a man who could have any woman he wants, it's Alice he dreams about. He wants to get closer to her, but she keeps him at arm's length, never revealing much about her past until she finally has no choice.  Since her release, Alice feels guilt over what she perceives as her implicit cooperation while being held, and so her mantra in life is to help protect other women from being kidnapped. But her quest has led her to cross paths with a bloodthirsty monster who wants her taken out of commission.

Meanwhile, Reese and his partner, Logan Riske, are trying to bring down a human trafficking ring, and they haven't a clue where to begin. When Reese learns about Alice's run-in with a would-be kidnapper, he knows that the perpetrators will soon be after her. She provides Reese and Logan with some crucial details that help them out, but putting all the dots together proves elusive. Add in Alice's reticence to open up completely to him, and Reese has his hands full. Of course, he'd rather his hands be wrapped around Alice's luscious body. Can Reese win Alice's trust—and affections?

In her latest, BARE IT ALL, Lori Foster has penned a sizzling tale that will keep readers on the edge of their seats. Reese doesn't quite understand his attraction to the mousy Alice, but his body goes into high tuned alert around her. Due to her guilt over what she perceives as non action on her part, Alice is trying to keep him from knowing her dark secrets. But Alice proves to Reese she is one feisty and fearless lady whom he can't help but admire—and so will readers. The suspense builds as the bad guys get closer to Alice, even as it's clear that Reese will not let anyone harm the woman he's come to care for. But is love in the plans for Reese and Alice? Will Reese and his friends bring down another badass human trafficker and, if so, will it be above the law? You'll have to find out for yourself in BARE IT ALL.

A sexy, action packed romance is in store for readers in BARE IT ALL, and it's a must-read I highly recommend.

Patti Fischer