Title: Sleight of Hand (Outbreak Task Force Book 3)
Author: Julie Rowe
Genre: Romantic Suspense, Medical Thriller
Book Blurb:
“Julie Rowe blends the perfect cocktail of action & romance.” — Brenda Novak, NYT bestselling author on Icebound
CDC nurse Joy Oshiro is stressed to the breaking point. College students are dying and no one knows why. And her new partner Dr. Gunner Anderson is frustratingly annoying—and sexy, but mainly just plain annoying—and proving difficult to avoid. He spent three years with Doctors Without Borders, and disillusioned is just the tip of his issues.
They’ll need to learn to trust each other if they have a chance at figuring out who is behind the attacks. She makes him laugh, makes him forget—for a little while. But each new clue keeps them one step behind the terrorists, with buildings and evidence being destroyed just as they near.
Now they’re in a race against time to not only find a cure, but also to avoid becoming the next targets themselves.
Each book in the Outbreak Task Force series is STANDALONE:
* Viable Threat * Smoke & Mirrors * Sleight of Hand
My Review:
CDC Doctor Gunner Anderson goes through partners faster than most men change clothes. His problem is he doesn’t have time to hold someone’s hand and coddle them. He needs a strong partner, someone who’ll go into battle with him and be able to handle it. His boss gives him one last partner and it’s Gunner’s last chance. Enter Joy Oshiro, a wise-cracking former military nurse who makes his body ache with urgings he hasn’t felt in years. But he doesn’t have time to stop and think about this attraction because there’s an outbreak of e coli infecting college students. As the cases and deaths rise, it becomes clear someone is poisoning a local brewery’s beer kegs. Gunner and Joy must race against time to stop the outbreak before more die. Can Gunner and Joy work through their PTSD issues together, forging a relationship and stop the terrorists or are they the next victims?
Sleight of Hand is an adrenaline rush start to finish and the best book in the Outbreak Task Force series. Having fallen for Gunner in a previous book, I was thrilled to read his heartbreaking story. Gunner and Joy are perfect partners, both professionally and romantically, with compelling backstories and off the chart chemistry. Rowe sheds light on how PTSD affects doctors and military alike for years, not just a few days. Plenty of twists and turns make this a must read, especially if you’re a fan of romantic suspense. Myself, I couldn’t put it down and read it in one sitting. Highly recommend!
Disclaimer: I received and ARC from Entangled Publishing via Netgalley in the hopes I'd review it.
Favorite Character/Quote: Joy. Not only is she a fantastic nurse and the perfect partner for Gunner, she’s flawed and it’s her dark side which made me love her. Sarcastic, witty and has a flair for baking pumpkin treats. . . a wonderful character and a perfect example of what it takes to be a CDC/military nurse.
My Rating: 5 stars
Buy it now:
Author Biography:
Julie Rowe’s first career as a medical lab technologist in Canada took her to the North West Territories and northern Alberta, where she still resides. She loves to include medical details in her romance novels, but admits she’ll never be able to write about all her medical experiences because, “No one would believe them!” A double Golden Heart finalist 2006, Julie’s writing has appeared in several magazines such as Today’s Parent, Reader’s Digest (Canada), and Canadian Living. She currently facilitates communication workshops for her local city college. Julie enjoys hearing from her readers. You can reach her at www.julieroweauthor.com or on Twitter @julieroweauthor
Social Media Links:
Website www.julieroweauthor.com
Reviewed by: Mrs. N