REVIEW: Extreme Exposure by Alex Kingwell

In Extreme Exposure (Chasing Justice #1) by Alex Kingwell, believing her cousin’s death was murder and not suicide as it’s been declared, Emily Blackstock is determined to prove her suspicions. Except someone doesn’t want her discovering the truth, and is making her life difficult. Instead of finding the truth, Emily now finds herself on the run. Until former marine, Matt Herrington comes to her rescue and offers to help her.

”It’s our only chance. Come on, you can do it.”
“You go. I won’t make it in time.” Her teary eyes pleaded with him.
His heart lurched. “Together, remember?” He ran his fingers over her cheek to wipe away a tear rolling down her face.
A flash of irritation crossed her face and she brushed his hand away. “You and your friggin’ togetherness. It’s going to get you killed.”
“Yeah, well, that’s just the kind of guy I am.”

What a compelling, fast-paced, edge-of-your-seat story this author has delivered, which kept me entertained from start to finish with its action-packed plot. I really enjoyed the start, as it introduced me – as a reader – to the heroine’s dilemma. She’s on the run, knowing she can’t trust anyone and unwilling to allow anyone to help her because she doesn’t want anyone to end up hurt. Yet, Matt proves he’s trustworthy from the moment they meet. Can he save her from the men after her? Can he help her discover the truth of her cousin’s death? The thing is, the closer they get to the truth, the more danger they find closing in on them.

I really liked both characters, and enjoyed the banter between them, as Emily can be quite feisty. She doesn’t want Matt’s help because she’s not willing to let him risk his life. Afraid that if something happened to him she’d never be able to forgive herself. However, he’s stubborn and as a former marine, he’d never abandon a person in need. Especially when it starts to seem possible that someone close to Emily may be hiding something.

Swallowing, she said, “Do you make a habit of this?”
“Of what?”
“Bossing people around? Playing the white knight?”
Hands on his hips, his dark eyes pierced hers. “I don’t think anybody can be your white knight.”
She scowled. “You obviously think I’m a damsel in distress. I have to sit and wait under a tree while you go on your little mission.”

There was so much to like about Emily. She’s strong, brave, independent and tenacious. She’s determined to learn the truth of her cousin’s death, or die trying. Yet, it isn’t easy; as the men after her are determined to make sure she doesn’t learn the truth. Then there’s the fact that trusting someone doesn’t come easily for her after everything she’s been through in her life. It seems even her own mother isn’t willing to believe in her, to trust that she may be right about the manner in how her cousin died.

While Matt, he’s a fantastic hero. He’s altruistic, confident, and determined to help Emily because he doesn’t believe she can survive on her own. Knowing he can help because she can’t keep running forever. Besides, he has skills and proves himself to be quite an asset when it comes to digging into the truth. Also, they’re both as stubborn as each other, so the moments when Emily is trying to convince Matt that the two of them should go their separate ways makes for memorable reading.

Although this couple had some serious chemistry between them, which kept building every time danger struck and they were forced into hiding, the romance was on the light side. Emily has found it tough trusting people, because when she did it always turned out to be a mistake. Yet, Matt proves he’s different and she finds herself captivated by his protectiveness and his unwillingness to leave her alone.

Overall, this was a well-written, attention-grabbing book that I plan on reading again, as I’m a huge fan of romantic suspense and this story definitely did the genre justice. The story ended well, although I did figure out the person causing all the trouble easily. Yet, in saying that, the conversation Emily and Matt had about their future made me smile because Emily deserved to be happy. I would highly recommend Extreme Exposure by Alex Kingwell, if you enjoy romantic suspense; or if you’re looking to read your first book of this wonderful genre.

Book Info:

 February 2nd, 2016 | Forever Yours | Chasing Justice #1

NOWHERE TO RUN

Emily Blackstock is running for her life. She thought she’d escaped the men who murdered her cousin, but one terrifying night proves they mean to kill her, too. Trusting a rugged stranger to lead her to safety is risky, but Emily has no other choice…

EVERYTHING TO HIDE

A former Marine, Matt Herrington has seen his share of active duty and knows what it takes to survive a ruthless killer. Protecting Emily is second nature, but as they trek through the wilderness together she stirs something within him that he’s never felt before. Now the only thing more dangerous than keeping her alive is falling in love with her . . .