Julie Bawden-Davis

It's 1989, and Jesse McMillan is an investigative reporter for the LA Times. Jesse's boss, Burt Williams, is waiting on Jesse's story about kids on crack cocaine, and since he knows Jesse's lived in "The Zone" as his childhood home, Burt wants the inside view of Operation Just Cause. The present has more links to the past than Jesse realized as he started his investigation, and it is not simply a story, as the investigation reveals a different truth than memories of his past.

The story is all the more captivating in authenticity in character development through the author's personal experiences living in the Panama Canal Zone at a transformational time in Panama-US history and prior work experience, including the LA Times. I recommend readers enjoy the Dedication and Author's Note preceding the story as it helps set the tone and POV of the storytelling.

Thank you, Julie Bawden-Davis, for offering the February giveaway to two newsletter subscribers. It's always exciting to win a reading giveaway but especially for a recent newsletter subscriber. I loved the happily-ever-after / second-chance romance that opens a series but is easily enjoyed as a stand-alone.

There are unexpected twists and suspenseful moments that heighten the storytelling above a contemporary romance. I look forward to reading more of the series

"as minor characters become major characters in subsequent books."

… (mais)