Review: Beyond Limits (#8, Tracers) by Laura Griffin

My Thoughts

A captivating blend of mystery, romance and non-stop action.

• Related Reads: Romantic Suspense
• Beyond Limits: Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Synopsis

An FBI agent and a Navy SEAL race against time in New York Times bestselling author Laura Griffin’s newest Tracers novel. “Griffin delivers the goods!” (Publishers Weekly)

FBI agent Elizabeth LeBlanc is still caught in the aftermath of her last big case when she runs into the one man from her past who is sure to rock her equilibrium even more. Navy SEAL Derek Vaughn is back home from a harrowing rescue mission in which he found evidence of a secret terror cell on US soil. Elizabeth knows he’ll do anything to unravel the plot—including seducing her for information. And despite the risks involved, she’s tempted to let him. Together with the forensics experts at the Delphi Center, Derek and Elizabeth are closing in on the truth, but it may not be fast enough to avert a devastating attack…

Following in the bestselling tradition of the Tracers series, including Exposed, Scorched, and Twisted, Beyond Limits pulls out all the stops with Griffin’s most gripping thriller yet.

My Review

Author Laura Griffin captivates with the latest installment in the Tracer series, a story of unrequited passion and second chances amidst a terrifying situation that unfolds on American soil. Laura Griffin’s writing is tight, as always, her spot-on jargon lending a special kind of credibility to the story that makes you feel as if you’re vividly in the thick of things. This particular novel was heavy on the suspense side, with a bit of romance as two people who met and collided briefly some time ago (Scorched), find themselves unexpectedly working together on a big case.

“People always said absence made the heart grow fonder, but she’d had a different experience. Derek’s absence had made her heart grow smarter, and she’d thoroughly convinced herself that staying away from him was a wise decision. Seeing him, though—even for a few minutes—had turned all of that logic on its head.”

When FBI agent Elizabeth LeBlanc gets pulled onto a case that could lead to a big break, she also comes face-to-face with a man she hasn’t been able to forget. Navy SEAL and all-around badass Derek Vaughn is back from Afghanistan, after a brutal rescue mission that’s led them all to believe a terror attack is planned in Texas.

Derek is smart, rough around the edges, and determined, and seeing Elizabeth (Liz) again, he is in no way ready to let her go again. Like Liz, Derek hasn’t been able to forget her, and having her in close proximity, he has to take his chance, even if it means pushing himself onto a case on which he doesn’t belong.

The case they are working on involves a potential terrorist plot in Houston, and they must work together to find the men behind it, as the search hits American soil, intensifying by the day. Bullets fly as the action escalates and time ticks by quickly. And with every moment they’re together, Liz struggles to control her desire for Derek, who is all too willing to take her to his bed.

“Derek Vaughn was smart and confident and impossibly attractive to women who liked their men a little rough around the edges. But he knew it, too. And she couldn’t stand the thought of becoming one of those forgettable women. It was high on her list of Reasons Not to Go There.”

They both approach the case differently, and from a suspense standpoint, I found it fascinating to see the mystery deepen and slowly unravel. I felt the pressure of time, the intensity and gravity of the case, and how every turn led to something just out of reach. I would have loved to see more romance, or more moments of connection, really, as I found the dynamics between Derek and Liz so intriguing. Liz is smart and seemed very business-like, while Derek was a bit of a wild card, all intuition, experience and corded muscle. For Liz, they were two people who could never work. Perhaps he wanted her for just one night, perhaps it was more, but given their situations, she couldn’t put her heart on the line for a guy who would never be there, always rushing the line between certain death.

“Form the moment he’d burst into her life last summer, she’d been mesmerized by him–his looks, his voice, the relentless way he pursued everything he wanted, including her. But when she took a step back and looked at it objectively, she knew nothing could ever work.”

Beyond Limit’s tight writing, plot-driven suspense and thrilling intensity, made it a book I really enjoyed. If you’re looking for a true suspense read with some sexy romance, this is a great novel to pick up.

This book is part of the Tracer series, but can be read as a standalone.

Reading Order: Untraceable | Unspeakable | Unstoppable | Unforgiveable | Snapped | Twisted | Scorched | Exposed | Beyond Limits

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