V.K. Powell has written a beautiful romance with Line of Duty, the third book in the Fairview Station series. This book tells the story of Dylan Carlyle, the youngest daughter in the Carlyle family. Unlike her older sisters, Dylan has chosen a different path for her life. Bennett (Ben) and Jazz became police officers like their father and grandfather, but Dylan chose to become an emergency room doctor. Because of past family trauma, she has also vowed to never date or become serious with a cop. This promise to herself is tested, however, when she meets Finley Masters. Finley is a patrol officer working out of Fairview Station. In fact, Bennett and Jazz are her superior officers. Finley is a good cop, but because of her family history has vowed to never be in a serious relationship. She is a player, going from woman to woman, and never staying long enough to get into anything serious. Finley and Dylan clash almost from the moment they meet, and both are set on keeping their vows, but that darned attraction keeps getting in the way. When a tragic event brings them even closer, those promises are tested even more.
Though I am not sure, I believe this might be the concluding novel for this series. If it is, Ms. Powell did a great job of finishing the series out. With this book, the stories of all three Carlyle sisters are now told. The world this tale takes place in is already well-developed from the first two novels. Most of the secondary characters should also be familiar to the reader if they have read the rest of the series. The story of Dylan and Finley is well done and a fitting end to the overall story of the Carlyle family. I like both of the main characters in this tale, and loved how the attraction played with their promises to themselves. It created a push/pull between them that kept me reading to see just how it would end.
The only criticism I have is with the actions of the bad guys that cause the tragic incident in the story. I never quite understood why they did what they did. It certainly didn’t help them to get what they wanted. Then I realized…they are the bad guys. They probably aren’t the brightest bulbs in the package. After that, I just let it slide and enjoyed the story.
Ms. Powell is an expert at writing police procedurals, and with this book, she also shows us just how talented she is at combining that with a lovely romance. This novel could technically be read as a standalone, but I think you would miss out on some great stories if you choose to not read the first two in the series. All three are wonderful stories, and well worth reading in order.
I received an ARC from NetGalley and Bold Strokes Books for an honest review.
Rainbow Reflections 