Run the Risk

by Lori Foster

Published by: Harlequin/ HQN

My Rating: 3.5 of 5 Stars  

When Detective Logan Riske goes undercover to find Pepper Yates, a potential link to his best friend’s unsolved murder, he vows to gain her cooperation by any means necessary. But the elusive beauty is more suspicious—and in far more danger—than he expected. And the last thing Logan needs is to start caring for her….  Pepper has spent years dodging the corrupt club owner who will stop at nothing to keep her silenced. She can trust no one, not even the handsome new “construction worker” who’s moved in next door. The heat between them is undeniable. But will surrendering to passion bring her the safety she so desires—or will her feelings for Logan draw them both into a killer’s crosshairs?

My Review:

If you ever need a good romantic suspense, you can always count on Lori Foster to deliver.  In Run the Risk, Lori Foster kicks off a brand new romantic suspense series where the characters all have secrets and hidden identities.  Secrets don’t keep forever, and in Run the Risk, Pepper Yates secrets are dragged into the open and her safety put at risk.

There are essentially two parts to this story, the undercover part and the action part.  In the beginning of the story, Pepper Yates is hiding, from everything.  She disguised herself to look like a frumpy, plain, shy woman.  She never socialized and rarely got out of her apartment.  Logan Riske, an undercover cop, moves into the apartment next to Pepper, hoping to win her trust to get her to reveal the whereabouts of her brother.  Logan is determined to catch a killer, and he needs to turn Pepper’s brother into an informant, by any means necessary.

The beginning, undercover, portion of the story moves pretty slowly, the notable aspect being that Logan and Pepper develop an attraction, despite Pepper being “plain” and unattractive.  When Pepper’s brother, Rowdy, gets caught in Logan’s crosshairs, the story breaks wide open, Pepper ditches her mousy persona, and the action begins.

The action part of the story is built around Rowdy, Pepper, and a crime lord who has cops in his pocket.  The crime lord rules his county and it is unclear who is trustworthy and who is criminal.  Even Logan’s partner has questionable motives and behaviors.  It takes awhile for the truth of the story to unravel, and loyalties are unsure throughout the entire book.

As far as the storyline goes, it’s okay.  As I said, the beginning of the book was a bit slow and the secrets took a long time to unravel.  I thought that the difference in Pepper’s personalties was a bit odd.  Just when I had adjusted to the new Pepper, she and Logan had miraculously figured out their relationship.  Pepper was a confusing character, through the entire book.  I felt for her situation, but I never really understood her actions.  I was rooting for Pepper and Logan as a couple, but I felt that they adjusted a bit too easily.  It’s hard to put my finger on what exactly didn’t feel right to me, I’m not sure if the relationship was overdone or simply moved faster than I expected.  Either way, the resolution of Pepper and Logan’s romance was not the most believable for me.

What really appealed to me in Run the Risk was the characters.  The characters each have their own secrets and motivations, but they are good people at heart and I want to know more about them.  In Run the Risk, all four heroes of the series are introduced and work together.  Logan has his romance in Run the Risk, but Logan’s brother Dash helps him out.  Logan’s partner, Reese, has hidden motivations and a neighbor lady who is hiding even more.  And there is Rowdy, Pepper’s brother, who has dedicated his life to protecting his little sister.  Rowdy actually reminded me a lot of the heroes from Lori Foster’s Men Who Walk the Edge of Honor series, I could see him fitting in well with them .  In Run the Risk, I was intrigued by the puzzle that the characters created, trying to unravel who was good, who was bad, and what secrets everyone was hiding.  So, even though this particular story line was not my favorite,  I loved the suspense and the characters and I am very excited about this new series.  I can’t wait to see what happens next for Dash, Reese, and Rowdy.  If you like romantic suspense, I recommend reading Run the Risk.

Run the Risk is on shelves now!  You can find it at: