Review – Negotiating Point (Private Protectors #3.5) by Adrienne Giordano

Description:
As a hostage negotiator for Taylor Security, Gavin Sheppard has just been given the toughest assignment of his career: securing the release of his boss’s pregnant wife. He’s uneasy negotiating a rescue without the involvement of the police, but with the life of a woman and her unborn child on the line there’s no time to play by the rules. He’ll have to work closely with the one woman who could prove to be a distraction…

Janet Fink, the agency’s tech geek, is conflicted about working alongside the man she’s irresistibly attracted to. Though she’s determined not to risk her career by getting involved with a coworker, especially a superior, she can’t forget the passionate kiss they once shared…

With the kidnappers’ deadline fast approaching, Gavin and Janet must combine their skills to bring the missing woman home alive. But their undeniable chemistry is making it difficult to keep their relationship purely professional.

Well, this book is a first for me, it all take place in less than 12 hours. Yes, you read that right. Hard to believe and to top it off it’s an exciting thriller combined with a satisfying romance. Negotiating Point is the latest installment in Adrienne Giordano’s Private Protectors series. This story focuses on Gavin Sheppard who is Taylor Securities hostage negotiator and Janet Fink, the company’s resident tech specialist.

Gavin joined the team about 6 months ago. Janet has had somewhat of a secret crush on the man since he walked through the door. Being the tech geek that she is, she feels he’s out of her league. They shared a kiss previously which she’s written off because he’s shown no interest since. Now they are force to work on the case of a lifetime. Their boss’ wife (Mike and Roxann from book 1) has been kidnapped and he is counting on them to secure her release.

Gavin is a master negotiator who recently moved to the private sector after 12 years with the FBI. He always strives for a peaceful resolution. Problem is Mike’s partner; Vic wants to go in guns blazing to retrieve Roxann. Janet finds herself trying to keep both men from killing each other and helping them with this mission.

As you can imagine this is pretty intense situation and the stress level is high. We learn a lot about Gavin and Janet during this long day because they spend a lot time talking about everything including the tension between them. Eventually, they give in and take a little “stress release” break. It’s fast, furious and pretty damn hot!

Even though this is a novella, the writing is excellent and because we know most of the characters already I didn’t feel cheated. I absolutely loved the banter between Gavin and Vic; it was great comic relief during a pretty intense story. Gavin and Janet’s feelings towards each other are intensified as well when they both have to deal with the kidnappers in person. While you could read this book as a stand alone, I think you will enjoy it more if you’ve read the others in the series. Knowing the background on all the characters really helps you understand their personalities and why they react the way they do. I thoroughly enjoyed Negotiating Point, Adrienne has once again written a story filled with emotion, drama, and of course love.