REVIEW: The Fearless One by Lori Foster

The Fearless One by Lori Foster is the second book in the Osborn Brothers series. While I did feel like I was missing some background on some of the minor background characters that I felt were probably introduced in the first book of the series, it didn’t impact my overall enjoyment of the story. Because of this, I would say it works as a standalone, but you may want to read the previous book first to understand all the relationships better.

Jedidiah “Diah” Stephens lost her entire family in a fire when she was a teenager, only surviving after being pulled out of the burning building by a criminal. Kept on the run for years fearing the person behind the fires would catch them, Jedidiah is now on her own, and she wants answers as to what really happened that night. Convinced there must be clues left at a campground where her stepfather and stepbrother conducted shady deals, she’s talked her way into becoming a maintenance worker at the campground, which is now under new ownership.

Memphis Osborn bought the campground to ferret out criminals. The last thing he wants is to hire Diah, who seems to fear everything and has a dog who is equally scared, especially if he’s going to have criminals around. While Diah proves she’s a hard worker, it soon becomes clear to Memphis that she’s searching for something and hiding things from her past. As he gradually gets her to open up and they dig into her past, it becomes clear that Diah wasn’t meant to survive the fire, and someone is determined to finish what they started.

Personally, I’m on the fence with this one. It took a while for it to become clear what the plot of the story was. Diah was hesitant to reveal her past, and it felt like it took too long to get to the point. I felt like there were things that were also missing or unexplained. For example, Diah tells Memphis that his brother and sister-in-law told her he would give her a job. How does she know them? Why would they do that when they don’t seem to know a lot about her? I don’t know if maybe I missed something regarding this by not having read the previous book, but it was odd. Then there’s no real explanation as to how or why Memphis decided to buy the camp. According to him, his brother is the one to take down bad guys, so why did he choose to get involved this way? His motivation is never really revealed. And Diah is searching for something at the camp, but she doesn’t even know what she’s looking for. In that case, how would she know if she even found it?

It was pretty obvious, at least to me, who was behind what happened to Diah’s family. There is what I suspect the author wanted to be a twist to the story, but as I had figured out the culprit, it didn’t come as a surprise. The whole climax of the story was somewhat underwhelming.

I know it sounds like I had a lot of issues with the book, but there were aspects of it I did enjoy. The suspense was well written, even though there wasn’t a lot of it. Memphis and Diah are likeable characters; Memphis is extremely patient and kind with her despite his initial suspicions of her, and Diah becomes braver and stronger with his help. Their romance is sweet and there is no angst between the pair. Memphis and his interactions with Tuff, Diah’s dog, are adorable and it was nice to see the dog, who only trusted Diah, realize that Memphis was trustworthy as well. I also liked Memphis’s friends and family who came out of the woodwork to help him and Diah out. It’s clear they’re a tight-knit group who support each other no matter what. They’re an interesting group of characters, and I hope Remmy gets his own book, because he was one of the most intriguing characters in this one.

While I’ve read other books by this author that I’ve enjoyed, this one fell flat for me in several areas. This book would be for readers who enjoy romantic suspense, but just know it takes a while for the action to pick up. Until that happens, the book does feel like it drags on more than it needs to.

Book Info:

Publication: December 26, 2023 | Canary Street Press | Osborn Brothers #2

Jedidiah Stephens came to the Colorado Rockies for one to uncover the truth behind the fire that killed her family. She’s been chasing down clues, and everything has led her to an isolated campground. Her plan is to get a job there so she can investigate who comes and goes. Getting involved with her boss, Memphis Osborn, the ruggedly handsome groundskeeper, is definitely not part of the plan.

When Jedidiah arrives on the scene, Memphis just knows she’s up to something. He can see the desperation in her eyes and warily agrees to hire her. As they work side by side, Diah triggers his deepest protective instincts—and the chemistry between them ignites.

But the more Diah digs into her family’s past, the more secrets she unravels…and the more afraid she becomes. She lost everything once before. She’ll never forgive herself if now she loses Memphis, too.