THE SWITCH (Men with Badges #2) by J. C. Emery

THE SWITCH (Men With Badges #2)

by J. C. Emery

Advance Reading Copy

Published: September 28, 2013, Left Break Press

My Rating: 3.5 of 5 ⭐️

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Shelby Brignac has gotten herself into some trouble. From her awful taste in men to her poor choices, she just can’t catch a break. After stupidly helping her boyfriend with his loan sharking business, Shelby has decided she wants out. It’s just too dangerous for a waitress, in her opinion. But just when she thinks she’s free of the headache, she’s offered up one last job– one last job she can’t refuse: retrieve a precious antique gem and she’ll get her best friend back alive.

Hiding out in New Orleans’ French Quarter with the rare purple diamond in tow, Shelby thinks she has no way out of the seemingly hopeless situation– that is until Chase Guilliot, an off-duty cop intervenes, saving her life. Too bad for Chase that the gunman who’s hot on his tail doesn't care if one of his targets carries a badge– he just wants Shelby’s head and that diamond back. And he’s not above killing a cop to get it.
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On the run with a hot rare diamond and a beautiful hot-headed woman, Chase’s oath to serve and protect is pushed to the limits. Unsure if he can trust the one person he wants to more than anything, Chase swears he’ll get both he and Shelby out of this mess alive, but then he’s done with her for good– or is he? 

*****

Not having grown up with the best of examples, or the clearest of structures, it really isn't a big surprise that Shelby, who despite her unrestrained and outgoing nature, is still fairly trusting and naive, easily gets sucked in with the wrong kind of people. With a rather immature and somewhat irresponsible view on life, she has given herself permission to grab what she can while it is dangling in front of her nose......right or wrong. No one has ever called her on it, until she meets Chase and he holds up a mirror and suddenly she doesn't like what she sees. 

All Chase does is follow his instincts when he goes out of his way to protect this stranger who simply begged for his help. He had no idea he was dealing with such a manipulative creature. His reaction to Shelby is constantly flipping back and forth between simmering anger and pulsing attraction. One thing remains constant and that is his urge to protect her. For Chase the lines are pretty straight and black and white are clearly defined, whereas Shelby lives in grey.

Through the story, Shelby learns to better judge parameters and boundaries and where to place herself within them. Chase finds out that it is easy to draw a straight line when looking in from the outside, but up close and personal, it is impossible not to waver. And sometimes the hardest lesson is finding out that someone you would have put down your life for, just as easily sold out yours. Sometimes trust is better given with the heart than with the head.

✨An exciting, action-packed and steamy read✨

**ARC provided in return for an honest review.**