Justice For Abby by Cate Beauman : A Review

BOOK TITLE: Justice For Abby

AUTHOR: Cate Beauman

ISBN/ASIN: B00II928PA

GENRE: Fiction / Romantic Thriller

NUMBER OF PAGES: 438

FORMAT: Digital

SERIES / STANDALONE: Bodyguards of LA County #6

HOW I GOT THIS BOOK: I thank the author for this review copy

SUMMARY:

Fashion designer Abigail Harris has been rescued, but her nightmare is far from over. Determined to put her harrowing ordeal behind her and move on, she struggles to pick up the pieces of her life while eluding the men who want her dead.

The Mid-Atlantic Sex Ring is in ruins after Abby’s interviews with the police. The organization is eager to exact their revenge before her testimony dismantles the multi-million dollar operation for good.

Abby’s safety rests in the hands of former US Marshal, Jerrod Quinn. Serious-minded and obsessed with protocol, Ethan Cooke Security’s newest agent finds himself dealing with more than he bargains for when he agrees to take on his beautiful, free-spirited client.

As the trial date nears, Abby’s case takes a dangerous turn. Abby and Jerrod soon discover themselves in a situation neither of them expect while Jerrod fights to stop the ring from silencing Abby once and for all.

FIRST IMPRESSION:

This is the second book I am reading from this series and had my expectations piqued by the covers I had seen of the books that belonged to this series. The cover conveyed as less as as possible, but managed to be eye catching. The first line of the summary should have given enough clue that this book is a sequel that continues a story from a previous book.

REVIEW:

'Justice for Abby' - Abby was abducted by a human trafickking gang and she was rescued. This book details her journey towards justice. The gang who had abducted Abby were split because of her rescue and want her dead before she can ruin them further. She has to be kept safe until the trial happens. Abby realises, (for the umpteenth time) that the gang was dangerous. The bloodhounds chase her ruthlessly and Abby runs agains time, chased by criminals who would stop at nothing to murder her. Abby wants to be able to successfully give her witness in the court as justice for all the atrocities committed. Enter Jerrod Quinn, who has been assigned the task of keeping her safe. But his past and hers collide, with unknown, unexpected troubles thrown up as they get friendly and slowly attracted to each other.

The story works in some ways - it is not limited to a particular genre. There is the thriller element, the romance, the steamy scene or two and the horrific kidnapping and torture scenes. But the great beginning of chapter one and the totally unconnected chapter two had me confused for a moment. To realise that it was a flashback and the current book dealt with the events after the rescue was the important point to understand the book.

While it works great as a standalone, there are a few places where certain characters (from previous books) are not introduced in details. Like most standalone books that are part of a series, this book too would work best if the previous books had been read, in their sequential order. It is like a series of books where each book follows the life of a particular character in detail, and introduces a few from the previous works, and then a few more as story fodder for upcoming books. But if you want to concentrate on Abby's story alone, this book is more than enough from the flashback to the current events.

The plot is tight - with Abby looking for justice and her pursuers thirsting for revenge. The book made me uncomfortable in the detailed description of the abduction and rape. While the author has to be appreciated for talking about such a sensitive issue and highlighting the problems faced by young girls who go through this horror, this book will shock you in some places. It could have been a bit more sensitive to Abby's character and the psychological after effects of such cruelty (but it is mentioned in a few scenes - just not consistently).

Overall, great writing, interesting and detailed plot element, with some predictable twists and a few errors that just might slip under the radar.

WHAT I LIKED:

• The strength of character showed by Abby
• The author dealing with such a sensitive issue
• The cover

WHAT COULD HAVE BEEN BETTER:

• The trial at the end and Abby's free reign to explain herself seem a bit rushed
• In my personal opinion, the romance element doesn't fit well with the theme of the book.

VERDICT:

Predictable but well written.

RATING: 4/5

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

International bestselling author Cate Beauman is known for her full-length, action-packed romantic suspense series, The Bodyguards of L.A. County. Her novels have been nominated for the National Excellence in Romance Fiction Award, National Indie Excellence Award, Golden Quill Award, Writers Touch Award, and have been named Readers Favorite Five Star books. FALLING FOR SARAH received the silver medal for the 2014 Readers’ Favorite Awards and SAVING SOPHIE was selected as the 2015 Readers Crown Award winner for Romantic Suspense.

Cate now makes her home in North Carolina with her husband, two boys, and their St. Bernards, Bear and Jack. Currently Cate is working on Deceiving Bella, the eleventh novel in her popular bodyguards series.

For information on Cate’s new releases, monthly giveaways, and upcoming events, sign up for her newsletter at: http://www.catebeauman.com/author/hom...

Cate can be reached at www.catebeauman.com and www.facebook.com/catebeauman.

You can follow Cate on Twitter @CateBeauman

EDITIONS AVAILABLE: Kindle, Paperback

PRICE $3.73 for Kindle, $14.49 for Paperback

BOOK LINKS: Amazon