Customer Reviews

Gotcha! (Love Spell)

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
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I had so wanted a 3rd Divorced and Desperate book from Christie Craig and thought ok I will settle for Gotcha! Well you are far from settling with this book! Christie Craig hits the mark AGAIN with this book. Macy Tucker is a woman with drama in her life. A younger brother in prison, a mom who cries constantly when she's not getting her belly button pierced, cheating husband which leads to a no-good ex-husband and if THAT isn't enough now she has an escaped criminal after her!
Enter Jake Baldwin, a hunky cop with some drama of his own. His fiancee has left him to marry his brother! A pastor of all things! Jake is the son of a preacher who watched his dad die from cancer and his fiancee walk out on him and into the waiting arms of his brother, someone he hasn't spoken to in years.
Definitely sounds like these two are the last two people on the planet who should get mixed up together, but mixing it up they sure do!
Macy, like all of Craig's heroine's, is a treasure. She has a cat named Elvis, works her butt off delivering pizzas so she can go to law school. She has a good relationship with her grandmother (who teaches yoga!), her mom and her baby brother. Sure Billy got mixed up in some trouble, but she's a good sister and stands by him.
Billy escapes from prison the same time Tanks does and he knows Tanks is gunning for his sister. He's trying to keep his sister and the love of his life Ellie safe from harm. Hard to do when you're on the lamb from the law.
Jake is unofficially on the case and pretty much takes charge of Macy and her care and her safety. It's endearing how he knows after that first night she is worth keeping.
Their romance is cute, sexy and completely charming.
I'm a big fan of Christie Craig and have never been let down by a single book of hers. I can't even say they keep getting better, because each one is so great in it's own right.
She has been a keeper author of mine and I anxiously await her next tale, hopefully another Divorced and Desperate book!
As long as she keeps coming up with hunky cops and damsels in distress she will keep me hooked!

Macy Tucker has never had the best luck with men. First her grandfather drops dead in his spaghetti, then her father abandons their family, and then Macy catches her husband cheating on her. To top it all off, her well meaning but not always thinking brother, Billy, winds up in prison and steals a violent inmate's girlfriend. When said inmate breaks out of prison, Billy follows in order to protect his girlfriend and Macy, bringing the most frustrating man to date right to Macy's door. Sergeant Jake Baldwin may be sexy-as-sin, but he's also bent on interfering with every aspect of Macy's life until Billy is found. When it becomes clear Macy's life is in danger, Jake's protective instincts are roused, drawing him and Macy closer together. But will Jake's desire for her be enough to make Macy risk her heart for a chance to break her bad luck streak with men?

Sparks fly in Christie Craig's delightful new caper. Gotcha! is a thrilling read, packed with action, danger, and romance. Ms. Craig has created a unique cast of lively characters who both charm and entertain. Macy is a heroine I like and respect. She's smart, hard working, and loving, in spite of having been hurt time and time again. Jake too has a past that has left its mark on him, making him wary of love and me all the more eager to see him find it with Macy. Though he presents a hardened façade, Jake truly does possess a caring soul, which shines through the walls he tends to put up. Macy's family rounds out the story and Ms. Craig makes them every bit as memorable as Macy and Jake. I should mention that Jake and Macy aren't the only ones who find love in Gotcha!, but I'll leave it to readers to discover who else finds happiness along the way, for that's half the fun of the story.

From beginning to end, Gotcha! had my undivided attention. It's fast-paced, fun, and filled with endearing characters who are sure to capture your heart. Ms. Craig never fails to pen a fabulous tale, and Gotcha! is no exception. Engaging and romantic, Gotcha! is not to be missed

Shayna
Reviewed for Joyfully Reviewed

Macy Tucker has three things on her list: 1) Get past her divorce, 2) Get through law school, and 3) Do not become her mother. There's no room on her list for men, so when her brother escapes from prison to protect Macy from another escaped inmate, the last thing Macy wants is to be attracted to the sexy cop hunting down her brother.

Once again, Christie Craig crafts a fun and fast-paced romantic romp with strong women and seductive men. Always present are Craig's trademark wit and sexy tone. GOTCHA! is a great way to spend the evening.

By now I'm more than familiar with Christie Craig's brand of fun romantic suspense. I've become quite a fan. In Gotcha! I think I found my favorite of her female lead characters in Macy Tucker, an independent woman who's got a lot of emotional baggage and a lot on her plate, yet still manages to be kind, intelligent, and strong willed without becoming a total shrew. I very much enjoyed the chemistry and banter between her and detective Jake Baldwin. It's no harder loving Jake than it is loving all of Christie Craig's male leads - it's what most attracts me to these stories. All of Craig's lead males are protective, strong, sexy, alpha male types with varying levels of personal vulnerability and emotional baggage of their own. They're exceptionally appealing. There are also quite a few strong secondary characters who are particularly zany and fun in Gotcha!, and I loved the storyline with Faye and Hal, and adored Macy's grandmother, Nan. Those many and varied character and plot thread details are a Craig staple and serve to flesh out the world around the characters to the reader's benefit.

Gotcha! is, of course, liberally sprinkled with classic Craig humor (two words: tampon scene) as Macy deals with the threat of an escaped convict intent on raping and murdering her. Macy's younger brother, Billy, doing time for being an accessory to robbery, stole a psychopath's girl and now he's out for revenge. Despite Ellie, the girl in question, going to the police - Jake Baldwin in particular - to warn them that her ex-boyfriend is dangerous and had admitted to a murder that was still unsolved, David Tanks escapes prison with another inmate. Macy's brother Billy flees, too, but not to escape. His sole goal is to keep his sister safe after Tanks is more than clear on his malevolent plans. Baldwin doesn't give Ellie's story much credit until the breakout, and then he gets very interested after a chance meeting with his Pizza Girl, Macy, stirs all his protective instincts and other...just as valuable...parts. But Macy - headstrong, stubborn, sometimes purposely irritating - has no interest in keeping herself safe. All she cares about is paying her bills and making sure her brother stays safe. Her resistance to Jake's protection is funny and frustrating at turns.

On a critical level, I can't say that the premise of Gotcha! is the most believable of Christie Craig's books. I had a hard time buying into the idea that this guy Tanks would go to the lengths he goes to to get at Macy after he escapes from prison. I totally buy into him being a sadistic murderer, no question, but his maniacal focus on Macy seemed a bit of a stretch. That made the suspense aspects a little less entertaining than in other books Craig's written. Billy's actions upon his escape didn't strike me as the brightest, either, and I also had a small problem with his character. He came across a lot more sexually mature and aware than most nineteen-year-olds in relations with Ellie. There were some plot-muddying threads of jail corruption and FBI involvement that didn't seem to go anywhere in particular, either, and while I loved Jake and Macy together, the fact remained that Jake was a robbery cop, not a homicide cop, so his connection to the case of the breakout was tenuous at best and I'm not sure I buy into him being assigned as Macy's protection.

I also had a bit of a beef with the "resolution" of Jake's emotional baggage...mostly because, as baggage goes, it seemed pretty darned justified to me, and I can't say that the attempt at resolution was all that helpful - in fact, in my mind, it sort of made the situation he was put through two years ago even worse. I'm desperately trying not to include anything too spoilery here, and that's very hard, because I was feeling extremely put out on Jake's behalf after hearing what his ex-fiancee did to him. The time frame in particular really ticked me off and I never lost the opinion that Jake was horribly betrayed, regardless of whether cheating happened or not. The relationship between his ex and his brother was totally skeevy and completely breaks the "don't date within family" rules of decency. In my opinion, Jake absolutely deserved that righteous anger, and shame on his brother for what he did.

Macy's emotional issues were very well justified, as well, though not as cleanly resolved, I don't think. That's a trend I've noticed in Craig's books, though, so it wasn't surprising. There's often much time and effort spent working through and on the male lead's issues with intimacy and commitment or whatever is the problem there, while the female lead's issues are mentioned sporadically but usually only addressed in the last chapter or two of the book, and at times overcoming a lifetime of baggage seems a bit too rushed as a result. I'm not sure I totally bought into it in Macy's case, but still, this book is a lighthearted romance, and so the HEA is necessary, and I loved Macy and Jake as a couple. I was pretty forgiving on the quick turnaround of Macy's...and the other critical aspects, really.

Whenever I reach the end of a Craig book, it comes to my attention that reading quickly is not always a benefit, because I'm quickly running out of her published works - far faster than my enthusiasm for them is waning (which is not at all) for sure. To be without a charming Craig book is a true crime.

Originally reviewed on One Good Book Deserves Another.

This book is tons of fun, has lots of romance, and some murder/suspense to boot. What's not to love? Not the first or last Christie Craig book for me.

I liked this book. The writing was tight and there was much more showing than telling. There were several very amusing parts and the tone of the book stayed consistant throughout without being in any way farcical. The characters were well drawn and believable as were the interesting minor characters.

The plot made sense and I liked that the story revolved around a smaller crime than terrorists or serial killers. The plot was also one where I didn't guess all of the answers from the beginning. The author was able to keep several questions unanswered until the end.

I loved how the hero, Jake, would do something and then tell himself that the sons of Baptist preachers do those sorts of things. He made some mistakes and he did some very nice grovelling at the end to get the heroine back.

I will definitely be reading more of this author.

Great book. Will make you laugh and keep you guessing at the same time. Has some romance and some humor and some mystery. I could put it down. Loved it.

This was a great book, couldn't put it down and was disappointed when it came to an end. I've picked up a couple of her other books, have started one and it looks like another good one!

If you enjoy hearty, rollicking fun and mystery all in one...this book is for you. Christie Craig is an author, that I just discovered this year, but I will certainly continue reading and enjoying her books for as long as she is willing to write them.....Marsha Bennett

Macy Tucker is a off men. All her life, they have given her trouble and heartache - from her grandfather dropping dead in his spaghetti when she was five to finding her husband having an affair with his secretary at twenty-five. So understandably, she doesn't want to date. Instead she's focusing on putting herself through law school, working as a delivery girl for Papa's pizza.

But because god forbid things go easy for her, her brother escapes from prison to protect his new girlfriend. And that brings about an investigating officer - Jack Baldwin - who's seriously hot and Macy can't help but feel attractive to her, no matter how much she doesn't want to feel that way. Yet she knows Jake's there to catch her brother, and she wants to find him too before the girlfriend' ex who is a convict manages to find her little brother and make him pay for stealing his girlfriend.

Gotcha! Is a suspenseful, hilarious story! I had a blast reading it. It's filled with playful banter, plenty of edge-of-your-seat action, wonderful characters and of course, romance! Macy and Jake's chemistry is off the page hot, they're both really strong characters who make the story come alive. Ms. Craig's writing is fresh and lively and Gotcha! is a must read if you're looking for delightful, romantic fun!