Saturday, February 2, 2019

5+ Stars!!!!!! Do-Or-Die Bridesmaid by Julie Miller

Thank you, Julie Miller. "Do-Or-Die Bridesmaid" made my year and it's only February 2nd. We met Conor Wildman in "The Precinct: Bachelors in Blue" series but he and Laura Karr (with a K) totally rock together...and apart. She's no damsel-in-distress while he's got a few kinks in his shining armor but they are so perfect together.
Back of the Book:
"Always the bridesmaid,never a killer’s target…until now.
Back in his hometown for a wedding, Detective Conor Wildman reunites with his ex-girlfriend’s sister, Laura Karr, once the tomboy next door. Now Laura is a beautiful woman…and someone wants her dead. Conor is the man to protect her and catch the killer, but will one heated kiss jeopardize their precious friendship? Or will it prove that he can trust her with his wounded heart?"
Two things Julie Miller writes well: Strong, successful, REAL women who are afraid to go after what they want and flawed but honest heroes with the integrity to know right from wrong AND make sure justice is served. "Do-Or-Die Bridesmaid" is the latest of MANY stories Julie Miller has written in her career but she doesn't crank out the same formulaic storylines over and over. From the "WITSEC Dating Program" to sting using an old historic location and cutting edge technology, she produces a BLOCKBUSTER level novel with characters you come to know and love.
Laura is an educational travel consultant. Some who arranges the travel itinerary for school trips. Who knew you could make a career at doing that but I googled it. There are nearly 3,000 educational travel consultant positions currently available on Indeed.com! It's something that fits well with the character as well as the storyline and so original! She had a major teenage crush on Conor but he only saw her as his ex-girlfriend's tomboy kid sister. That is until he comes back to town for her sister's wedding to another guy and sees how much she's grown up. Fighting the new attraction, Conor (ex-US Marshal) tries to help when she's targeted by men who killed her friend but soon discovers she's more than just his mother's best friend's daughter. And he's not as alone as he thought he was in protecting her.
Bonus: I always image various actors as characters in the stories I read. Eric Martsolf and Katharine McPhee got cast in this one
but the roles from Brothers in Blue were also cast when I read them.
AJ Buckley (Sonny, SEAL Team) was Duff
Jay Harrington (Deacon Kay, SWAT) was Thomas
Jesse Spencer (Matt Casey, Chicago Fire) was Keir
David Boreanaz (Seeley Booth, BONES) was Niall
All of them were included in Conor and Laura's story in an OH SO SPECTACULAR WAY!!! Not giving away spoilers but I swear I saw Shemar Moore, Alex Russell, Max Thieriot, and even Gary Sinise in that last scene. Amazingly descriptive! Wonderfully written! Fabulously executed! Thank you.
BTW, Vanessa Owen needs her own redemption story. Kansas City Secrets would have been a good title but used already (oops). An intentional or accidental throwback to Rosie and Max? So love the connections because it makes me want to go back and read previous stories, but love how each is stand alone so I don't have to remember all the details from one story to read the next.
Now...what to read next.....