REVIEW: Shadow of Doubt by P.A. DePaul

Shadow of Doubt (SBG #2) by P.A. DePaul is an intriguing, mysterious romantic suspense with action and characters that made me feel very involved in the story. Michelle has a past she’s hiding from – literally. With physical and emotional scars, she is very alone. One unusual night out for her and a trip to a man’s hotel room turns into much more than she anticipated. Suddenly Michelle is running from danger and suspicion. For more reasons than she knows.

Jeremy “Cappy” saved Michelle once before years ago and she’s never forgotten her hero. Now he’s her only chance. Will he risk it all to save a woman he’s never forgotten either?

I like how P.A. DePaul portrays Michelle and all the issues she faces in a realistic, believable way. She doesn’t sugar coat anything, but neither does she take it beyond the realm of possibility. I liked Michelle even though she frustrated me at times…calling for help then not wanting to do what Jeremy says to keep her safe. She is a character that made me feel for her. She’s been through so much and is so alone, I felt sad for her yet at the same time hopeful. She has always remembered Jeremy, and it was both courage and fear that finally has her calling him. It wasn’t an immediate decision, but a thought out one after an inner war in her mind. Jeremy is stunned when he realizes the woman he’s suddenly hired to find is the same woman he’s thought of for years. The same woman now coming to him for help. He wants to believe in her innocence as much as he wants her. With the situation they find themselves in, Jeremy struggles with his attraction to Michelle and drawing the lines between personal and professional. Sometimes lines can’t be drawn though as he soon finds out. As their relationship becomes much more than professional, will Jeremy and his team keep Michelle safe while they search for the truth? I liked the growth of their relationship, slow and steady with a mix of inner conflict for both main characters.

The plot of Shadow of Doubt is not just about Jeremy and Michelle. It’s about someone from the past with a twisted sense of revenge towards more than one target. It was very interesting to read about this, especially from this person’s POV, who is obviously struggling himself. I liked how this was done and that P.A. DePaul made me feel both sympathy and horror. It is amazing how the mind works and how events can change people.

I really liked reading more about the SBG team also. They are strong secondary characters, and I liked the relationships and connections we saw with all of them in Shadow of Doubt. These people are woven in well and relevantly to the plot of Shadow of Doubt.

Shadow of Doubt is the second book in the SBG series by P.A. DePaul, and it could be read as a stand alone, but I’d recommend reading the first book (Exchange of Fire) to get a better understanding of the characters and the background of SBG.

Shadow of Doubt is set at a good pace with great style and I’d recommend it to any romantic suspense reader.

Book Info:

Published April 21st 2015 by InterMix | (SBG #2)

he new SBG novel from the author of Exchange of Fire.

When her secretly filmed tryst shows up on the internet, Michelle Alger goes on the run. She has no choice. Not only was her one-night stand the son of a US senator, but he’s been murdered—and she’s the number one suspect. With both the senator and an avenging drug lord on her trail, her life is in danger. There’s only man she can trust. He saved her once, but will he still be her hero six years later?

Captain Jeremy Malone and the rest of Delta Squad have the senator’s order: find the mystery woman who killed my son. But to Jeremy, she’s no mystery. Six years ago his team of Green Berets rescued her from the torturous clutches of a Colombian cartel, and he’s never forgotten her. His personal and covert mission: find Michelle before anyone else. When he and Michelle do meet again, the sparks are explosive and consuming. They’re also dangerous as hell.

Because with each new bit of evidence, Jeremy suspects that Michelle’s innocence may be a ruse—a beautiful trap set by a woman who has even more secrets yet to bare.