Title: Never Surrender
Author: Susan Vaughan
Genre: Romantic Suspense
Book Blurb:
When DEA Agent Ricardo Cruz has a lead in Maine to the cartel that killed his brother, his vanished suspect’s loyal sister, Juliana Paris, refuses to cooperate. Juliana’s quick wit and loyalty draw him, but he can’t afford involvement with her.
Juliana intends to find her brother and ensure the law treats him fairly. She’s determined not to fall for the sexy agent, even if he is dedicated and honorable. Threats by the cartel, who plan to use her to lure her brother, force her to accept Rick’s protection.
Juliana wants no charmer like the men her mother keeps marrying, and Rick wants no strings. Although attraction sparks between them, they’re at odds and their personalities are polar opposites, but they must work together. Their hunt for her brother and the cartel’s Maine connection leads them into each other's arms and into deadly danger.
Excerpt:
A fist pounded on the door.
Pulse in the stratosphere, she jumped aside. “I called the police. They’re on their way.”
“Good, saves me from calling them. Let me in, Juliana.”
Her heart slowed to Mach one. She leaned against the wall and drew a deep cleansing breath. Now she knew who owned the red sports car.
She flicked back the lock and opened the door. To conceal her relief at seeing him, she scowled. “Agent Cruz, what the hell did you think you were doing?”
“What I was doing?” He stepped inside and kicked the door shut. His dark brows bunched, and his black eyes blazed with fury. “Only sticking close to protect you. But you lost me and gave those guys their opening.”
She waved her arms. “Protect me? Protect me? You led them to me. They probably shot at me because of you! I….”
A Nor’easter of emotion hit her. She shook like a sapling in the storm, and tears fell like rain.
Without comment, Cruz pulled her to him. He wrapped his arms around her and held her to his warm hard chest. He rubbed circles on her back.
“I’m s-s-sorry,” she blubbered. “I never c-c-cry. I don’t know what’s come over me.” When she tried to step back, he pressed her closer. A white handkerchief magically floated before her eyes. She wouldn’t think about how protected she felt and how good his arms felt or how she liked his minty scent.
“Happens when you’re not used to being shot at.”
“Oh.” After blowing her nose into the soft cotton, she looked up.
Rick Cruz wasn’t the handsomest man she’d ever met. Right. Okay, maybe he was. At the moment he wasn’t smiling. He gazed at her with candid concern. There again was that protective attitude. But he was just doing his job. She shouldn’t read anything into it.
“I’m all right now.” She edged from his embrace. “I’m sorry I yelled at you.”
“You were scared.” He leaned against the door. “How did you learn to drive like that?”
She lifted one shoulder in dismissal. “A man I used to know worked at a race track. He showed me a few maneuvers.” She started to turn from the door toward the living room, but Cruz took her hands and held her in place.
“I don’t hear sirens,” he said. “Did you really phone the cops?”
“No, I just said that to scare off the jerks in that black car.”
“Then you ought to phone them now.”
“You’re right. Those men shot at me. There are bullets in my car.” The statement churned her stomach.
“Looks like they hit the gas tank. There’s gas running onto the parking lot. You’re lucky it didn’t blow.”
She tugged but he held her fast. “How can I phone if you’re holding my hands?”
“Have you looked at your apartment?”
He released her and she pivoted. The upheaval in Jordan’s flat couldn’t begin to match what a tornado had wrought on hers. Her vision distorted like a funhouse mirror. “Oh, God!”
Cruz guided her to a chair and gently pushed her into it. He picked up the phone from the floor and punched in 911.
“Now, Juliana, will you let me help you?”
Buy Links (including Goodreads and BookBub):
*Note: Bookbub and Goodreads may have an old cover, not the new Wild Rose Press cover.
What makes your featured book a must-read?
Ricardo Cruz is one of my favorite heroes. When I introduced him as a secondary character in Always a Suspect, I knew he needed his own happy ending. Reviewers describe Never Surrender as a fast-paced, tension-filled read with strong characters and plenty of romance.
Giveaway –
Enter to win a $25 Amazon gift card:
Open Internationally.
Runs August 7 – August 14, 2024.
Winner will be drawn on August 15, 2024.
Author Biography:
Susan Vaughan loves throwing her hero and heroine together under extraordinary circumstances and pitting them against a clever villain. Her books have won the Golden Leaf, More Than Magic, and Write Touch Readers’ Award and been a finalist for the Booksellers’ Best and Daphne du Maurier awards. A former teacher, she’s a West Virginia native, but she and her husband have lived in the Mid-Coast area of Maine for many years.
Social Media Links:
Website: www.susanvaughan.com
X Twitter: @shvaughan or https://twitter.com/SHVaughan
Instagram: www.instagram.com/shvaughan.author/