REVIEW: Inescapable by Joss Wood

Inescapable by Joss Wood: After a rough childhood and then years spent making bad decisions in order to survive, Kai found his place in the military. Now Kai loves his job at the security company he started with two of his best friends. The only drawback is that the company is located in the small town of Mercy, where everyone knows everyone and the gossip mill is now online.

Flick loves that she works and lives with her cousin and best friend. They are as close as sisters and Pippa’s mom really took a maternal role in Flick’s life as well. Flick is well known for her soft heart and need to rescue any person or animal in need. Between the business, her overly enthusiastic dog, and her aunt Gin, she’s given up on romance. It doesn’t help that she’s attracted to men who aren’t looking for relationships.

Kai and Flick have an interesting first meeting when Kai jumps to the wrong conclusion. Both are a bit blindsided by the immediate and overwhelming attraction to each other and Kai shows his protective side. Flick knows that she’s in trouble when he offers to “help” her with her dog.

“You can’t just kiss me and then kidnap my dog!” she shouted at his back.
His voice was threaded with amusement. “Just did.”
“I don’t even know where you live!”
“The old blue stone Victorian on the corner of Second and Peach. Later.”

Since everything about Kai screams temporary, she feels safe in indulging for just one night. When things change and Kai is forced to stay in town, neither Kai nor Flick are happy with the news. Both vividly remember their night and know that a repeat would be a bad idea since they just might actually like each other.

When things get more complicated for Flick, it’s Kai who steps in and tries to be a friend. And Flick does the same when Kai gets a very unexpected surprise that he’s not quite sure how to handle. Things certainly heat up between them, but it’s only a matter of time until he leaves again.

Kai snapped his fingers and she blinked. “Sorry…what was the question?”
“I was offering my services to beat up whoever it was who made you cry.”
Aw, sweet man. “Thank you, but it wouldn’t be a fair fight.” Flick pushed a curl behind her ear, sadness clouding her features. “I had a horrible fight with Pippa.”

Inescapable combines heat, humor, family, and angst in this new contemporary series. Joss Wood created memorable characters with plenty of banter and leaves you wanting to dive right into the next book in this series. Ms. Wood brought the small town of Mercy to life with eccentric residents and a new online forum for gossip. Fans of Jill Shalvis, Susan Mallery, and LuAnn McLane will enjoy Inescapable.

Book Info:

Publication: July 16th 2016 | InterMix | Men of Mercy, #1

FIRST IN A NEW SERIES!

Best friends Kai, Sawyer, and Axl worked hard to make Caswallawn Security the booming success that it is. As for love, marriage, and commitment, those are way down on their priority list…

Kai Manning is unhappy that Caswallawn is making Mercy, Virginia, its permanent headquarters—he doesn’t understand this quaint, crazy town, and he doesn’t want to settle down, period. A rough childhood made him fiercely independent, and he’s determined to rely on nothing and no one. So the moment he lays eyes on Flick, he knows he’s in trouble…

Local baker Felicity “Flick” Sturgiss is not looking for a man. She’s done giving her all to relationships that give nothing back. But Kai is undeniably hot. He may look like bad news, but he’s not going to be in town for long, and she’s dealing with a lot right now—she deserves to have some fun.

When a family emergency calls Sawyer away, Kai must remain in Mercy to hold down the fort. Now, Kai and Flick’s plan for a quick fling falls to the wayside (just like their torn-off clothing), leaving them wondering if they can keep their hands—and their hearts—to themselves…