Release Day Review: In Safe Hands by Victoria Sue (Giveaway)

Title: In Safe Hands

Author: Victoria Sue

Release Date: March 19, 2019

Category: Mystery/Suspense

Pages: 204

Dreamspinner Press

Former helicopter pilot Maverick Delgardo’s injuries ended his Air Force career, leaving him bitter and one drink away from becoming an alcoholic. When his sister asks for his help on a private protection case to babysit a disgraced pop star, Mav reluctantly agrees.

Deacon Daniels, onetime lead singer and idol to his teenage fans, saw his career and reputation ruined when a reporter’s exposé led to a devastating scandal. Without money or a job, a heartbroken Deacon has lost custody of his baby niece. And just when Deacon thinks his life can’t get any worse, a stalker’s threatening messages escalate to murder.

Mav only agreed to one meeting, but his protective instincts kick in, along with an attraction to Deacon. When the body count increases, however, Mav is unsure he is up to the task of protecting Deacon from a killer. But it is too late for Mav to step away, now that he’s lost his heart, and he must find the strength to reassure Deacon and his niece that they are in safe hands no matter the cost.

4.5 Stars!

So I’m going to say this will probably be one of those stories you either love or you hate (hopefully you’ll love it, though).

Maverick Delgardo is on his way to becoming an alcoholic now that his military career is over and he’s left forever changed. When his sister asks for his help, he knows he can’t say no even though he wants to. He’s spent the past few months camped out on her couch feeling sorry for himself and she hasn’t asked him for much. However, it’s clear she’s reached the end of her rope and it’s time for Mav to finally do something productive.

Deacon's life at the top was short lived and after a scandal destroyed his career and left him persona non grata with fans, friends and family, he lost custody of his almost two-year-old niece. Convinced he is being stalked, no one will take him seriously, of course, he knows it’s to be expected after everything that’s happened.

Luckily his manager refers him to a friend for possible protection and just in time since it seems someone out there is hell-bent on destroying what little life Deacon has. On the surface, Mav might not seem like the best choice for Deacon’s security but it becomes glaringly obvious that Mav will do everything in his power to keep Deacon safe.

What I Loved: Both MC’s were extremely likable and together they fit quite well. I love that this story didn’t make one of the men the indestructible Alpha badass that we see over and over and the other MC the sweet and somewhat weak man who needed to be rescued. Mav was human and because of his injuries from his time in the military, he was not always the hero. He needed care and help, physically and mentally/emotionally just as Deacon did.

Both men had their issues they were dealing with and trying to overcome and it was together that they found the strength and ability to change things for the better and pull themselves out of the darkness they were stuck in.

What I Liked: I enjoyed the balance of mystery and action as well as romance and angst. There were a lot of fun moments as well as sexy moments but there were also some good emotional moments. Even though it was pretty obvious from the very beginning (at the very least a major clue) to who the bad girl/guy was, the story was intriguing and entertaining enough to keep me hooked and anxious to see the happy ending I hoped was coming.

What I Didn’t Like: honestly, I thought it was ruined at first when I figured out who the villain was. I felt like I was missing the suspense I was hoping for. However, I forged on and found that things weren’t really that simple and there was plenty more story to be told. I was happy with how it turned out.

My other problem with the story was the fact that I have no clue if this will be a standalone or if we will get a series out of it. If there’s a series planned I didn’t see a set up for it. However, I wasn’t quite ready to say goodbye to the characters yet.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book and I would definitely recommend it. I love Victoria Sue and this is another great book to add to her list.

**Copy provided to Bayou Book Junkie by Dreamspinner Press for my reading pleasure in hopes of an unbiased opinion, a review was not a requirement.***

5 stars!!

Have you read a book that you loved but you struggled to put it into a review? That’s the problem I’m having with this one. In Safe Hands by Victoria Sue is the first book I’ve read from this author. And what a great first book to start with! This is a standalone, but I’d love to see it become a series, with some of those other male characters we were introduced to in the story!

Maverick is struggling. He’s living on his sister’s couch and spends his time drinking. His sister needs his help for her business and he’s reluctant to give it. But, circumstances force him to get it together when his simple babysitting job turns into full-time protection.

Deacon’s life has spiraled out of control. He was at the top and through a series of events, he’s now hit rock bottom. He needs protection from a stalker that no one believes he has. And that stalker is upping his game - with a body.

Both Maverick and Deacon have to learn to trust and to look outside themselves.

This was a well-done mystery! I wasn’t sure what to expect going into this book, but I was quickly sucked into the story and finished it in a few hours. The stalker/murder’s behavior began escalating at the beginning of this story and quickly was out of control. I was so involved in the story but still had no idea who the murderer was until Mav’s revelations. Typically, I’m not a fan of romance in my murder/mystery/suspense stories, but this author managed both very well! I definitely recommend checking out this story!

**Copy provided to Bayou Book Junkie by DreamSpinner Press for my reading pleasure in hopes of an unbiased opinion, a review was not a requirement.**

5 Stars

This story was so good. A mix between Military/Air Force trope and disability/bodyguard trope, all mixed in with fantastic characters and a mystery that threw me for a loop when I discovered who the bad guy was!

I loved Mav; he had such a hard time with his recovery with the injuries he received while in the Air Force. While he might’ve not been physically where he used to be, he was still strong, and mentally, he was deep in the depression that was so crippling that at times he felt done. I have known depression but not to the extent of Mav, and I do know sometimes it takes something bigger to begin to drag you up from it.

Deacon was a great character because while he might’ve had a hard time with the bad publicity, he tried to make a bad time into something liveable, though with a stalker after him, it kinda went south. Once he met Mav he began to feel as if someone finally believed him.

These two together was like watching an action romance movie in the making, complete with a car chase, murders, and a bad guy I never saw coming!

*** Copy provided to Bayou Book Junkie by Dreamspinner Press for my reading pleasure, a review wasn't a requirement. ***

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