Guest Review: Against the Night by Kat Martin

Against the Night 
(The Raines of Wind Canyon)
by Kat Martin
Mass Market Paperback, 400 pages
Published February 28th 2012 by Mira
ISBN 0778313190
Courtesy of NetGalley

She's got the face of an angel and the body of… well, isn't that what he'd expect from an exotic dancer? But there's something about this girl that Johnnie Riggs can't shake. The former army ranger is hot on the trail of an elusive drug lord—and suddenly very hot under the collar, as well. Amy's got her own agenda to pursue: her sister is missing and Amy seems to be the only one who cares. She'll enlist Johnnie's help and do her best to ignore her growing attraction to finally get some answers. But when the two trails begin to converge and reveal something even more sinister than they imagined, their mutual desire is the least of their problems. They'll bring the truth to light…or die trying.

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Jolene's Thoughts: 



Johnnie Riggs is a former army ranger with his P.I. license.  He spends most of his time in bars and clubs in Los Angeles, digging up information for clients that can afford him.  Johnnie also does the occasional recovery job and has made his way to the Kitty Cat Club strip club to collect a skip.  This being his second night, he has waited in a dark corner on the lookout for his target.  John has a hard time keeping his eyes off the stage when Angel Fontaine steps on to it and preforms, he is entranced by her seductive moves and Johnnie wants nothing more than to explore this intense desire for her, but all he sees is there is more to her and he wants to uncover her secrets.  On the stage, Amy Brewer becomes Angel Fontaine.  She's immediately aware of Johnnies eyes on her and is drawn to him as she struggles with a strong reaction that she has never felt before.  Amy came to L.A. to look for her sister who had disappeared two months ago.  Using the cover of the strip club where her sister last worked, she's hoping she can ask questions and find answers to her sisters whereabouts.  Not getting any cooperation form the detective assigned to the case, she decides to approach Johnnie and ask for his help, since she has heard talk of who he is and what he does.  Neither are prepared for the instant sizzling attraction that has them anxious to give in to. 

I want to point out first, that this is the first book that I have picked up and read in this series.  I did get an introduction to some of the previous characters of past books, which has cemented me even more to devouring this entire series.  I didn't have any problem following the storyline and believe these books can be read as stand alones, but will say since some past characters were introduced, I will be going back to the beginning and work my way forward

I really enjoyed this book that was filled with suspense, romance and a little bit of a secondary romance that was slow to build but enjoyed seeing it nonetheless.  Kat Martin's writing kept me turning the pages till early morning.  John and Amy work together to find her missing sister and they find themselves in danger with the drug cartel and dealing with corruption.  Johnnies character is very alpha, a bit of a loner and not able to see himself settling down.  In walks Amy and he is unprepared to the intense feelings he is dealing with.  John doesn't want to admit what is going on with them but will lay his life on the line for her and will do what it takes to find her sister.  Amy on the other hand is reserved and somewhat shy until she comes to L.A. and discovers a whole new side to herself she didn't know existed.  She really comes into her own when she's standing side by side with Johnnie.  Their attraction was instant and it was great to sit back and watch these two come closer together.  I at first thought Johnny was a little cocky and crude when they first met, but I realized soon after he had a sweet side.  John wasn't a settle down kind of guy and it was endearing that he kept catching himself thinking of her in long term.  To John, women in his life either left him or died.  When everything was said and done and they discovered what happened to her sister, he was preparing himself for Amy to leave.  Just as Amy realized he would never fit into her world and she could never ask him to change.  I could see their feelings change and grow deeper with each touch and knew they belonged together.  Their intimate scene on the beach in Belize definitely had me sighing and crossing my fingers for these to come out of this adventure unscathed.  These two belonged together and it really was an incredible journey to read about.  I was taken on some great twists and turns and even enjoyed the scenic description of Belize.  I enjoyed the action scenes and though I had an idea early on who the bad guy was, Kat Martin did a great job of keeping me guessing on the full story of Rachael's; Amy's sister; disappearance.  Just when I thought it was all wrapped up, I found out there was still more to the story.  I couldn't have put this book down if I wanted to and was literally holding on, waiting to see who had put this all in motion.  One thing that did bother me was there was another girl on the island and she was briefly mentioned but I never heard if she was taken off the island with them or was left there, just something that kept me wondering.  Overall, I really enjoyed this book and will follow whatever else Kat Martin puts out. 

Rating: 4.5 Wine Glasses