REVIEW: Dire Distraction by Dee Davis

In Dire Distraction by Dee Davis, Avery Solomon, leader of the A-Tac secret ops CIA team, is on his way to track down a ghost from his past in the jungles of Southeast Asia. He lost his wife Evangeline fourteen years ago in a roadside bombing in Iraq, but a photo found recently after a raid his team completed hints that she may still be alive. He won’t be able to rest until he runs down all leads to check whether the photo is real or fake, in case there’s any hope she can be found. He leaves the rest of his team at home where they all have “day jobs” as faculty at Sunderland College, Avery himself being the dean of students. He’s alerted the CIA as to his plans and is provided a local guide and fellow operative to help him with navigating his way through the river and finding the compound of his first target. Avery was definitely not expecting the guide to be a smart, brave, sexy woman by the name of Sydney Price, nor did he ever think he would feel drawn to her.

“…the truth was that she was a beautiful woman, and he’d have had to be dead not to notice the fact. And besides, he’d always had a thing for strong women. And Sydney Price was definitely that.”

The local drug-runners make it clear that Avery is not wanted in their part of the jungle so he and Sydney are on high alert and have a few situations to take care of almost immediately. He feels a camaraderie with her that takes him by surprise and hopes it won’t take his focus off the mission at hand. But with every battle they fight and the potential danger it puts Sydney in, he worries that he should just continue on his own and let her move on to her next job. He feels a bit selfish wanting to keep her close and to get to know her better but he also knows she won’t leave until the mission is complete. When danger again pushes them into a life and death situation, Avery can’t deny the hold that Sydney now has on him. The only issue is getting her to admit to the same and finding a way out alive so they can see where their feelings lead them.

“She might not believe in heroes, but if there were such a thing, she was pretty damn certain that Avery Solomon would make the cut.”

Sydney Price has been working undercover as a local river guide in Southeast Asia for a couple of years and has been able to help bring down local criminals without blowing her cover successfully. She thinks it will be a fairly routine job to escort Avery down the river, but she realizes the minute they meet that it will be anything but normal. The man is a warrior, that she’s certain about, but he is also honest and the type of person who instills the utmost trust. Sydney is not usually a follower, choosing to work mainly on her own, but is surprised to find she has no problems going with Avery’s lead on their mission. Time after time they find themselves going from one dangerous situation to another and Sydney can feel herself falling for Avery despite her cynical views on love. When it becomes obvious he also feels the attraction, she wonders if he might be the one to change her mind about romance.

If you’re a fan of action and thrills with a good dash of romance thrown in, Dee Davis will not disappoint you with this novel. This runs the gamut between espionage, love scenes, gun fights and reuniting friends. Avery is a very likeable alpha male. He’s smart and loyal, and definitely fights to win. And Sydney is very capable and strong but surprises herself by falling for our hero. This is a high octane quick read that is very enjoyable.

Book Info

Publisher: Forever Yours (June 4, 2013) Release date: June 4, 2013 | Series: An A-Tac Novel