Book Summary: 

Rules are meant to be broken. Aren’t they?

After being screwed over, both literally and figuratively, advertising executive, Grace Cameron returns to her home town of Willowbank with one simple rule—never trust a man. It’s a solid plan until sexy Sergeant Owen Mason starts waving his badge at her. Flexing those massive biceps. Smiling.

Stupid rules.

Grace and Owen have sworn off relationships, so a no-strings fling seems like the perfect solution to their smouldering chemistry. And since neither of them wants to become fodder for the small town gossips, they keep their arrangement under wraps.

But when Grace is temporarily transferred to the police station, maintaining their secret becomes a little more challenging. Because, yes, you guessed it. Owen is her new boss!

Now they’ll have to decide just how many rules they’re willing to break … for love.

My Review:

I was so excited when Karen decided to release this novella as part of the Hot Cop Series! I wasn’t sure if Owen and Grace were mentioned anywhere in the other books, but since they work in a completely different office and town, it’s almost safe to say this story is pretty isolated (to save you the sleuthing I did because I wanted to make sure I didn’t miss a reappearance!). As Karen mentions, this story takes place before the other books in her series, so we get an appearance from Jake and Greg before they meet the respective loves of their lives.

Grace has had it with men! She now lives by one simple rule: never trust a man. The last time she did, he ran off with her life savings. Broke, unemployed, and homeless, Grace is returning to the small town of Willowbank to lick her wounds and rebuild before heading back to Sydney. Of course, with the luck she’s been having lately, why would anything go her way? A little spider, a little speeding, and one hot officer later, Grace finds herself slapped with a $500 ticket and an inexplicable attraction to the man who gave it to her. All she wants is for one thing to go her way.

Apparently, someone decides to grant her wish, because that same officer shows up again – looking even hotter than when she last saw him. With an unexpected kind gesture and an unrelated but much-needed proposition, Owen and Grace agree to scratch an itch with a no-strings-attached hookup. She’s done with relationships, and he has no interest in anything long-term, so it’s the perfect arrangement… right?

This novella was short, sweet, and to the point. I was amazed by how much Karen was able to pack into such a quick read. Nothing felt missing! We were given enough insight into the characters to form a genuine connection. We were swept up in their meet-cute and the growth of their relationship. Even the development of their feelings felt natural and not at all rushed.

These were two people who loved and just wanted to be loved in return. They weren’t closed off because they were incapable of love but because they were protecting themselves from the fear of not being enough – yet again. This made their bond and their emotions feel more organic as their relationship evolved, as though they were cautiously testing the waters to ensure it was safe to open themselves up again. And when they did, they were all in.

Karen even managed to fit in a quick, last-minute breakup with an unexpected twist. I loved the comeuppance in the story and the adorable callback in the epilogue. Having read all three books in The Hot Cop Series, this novella had everything I loved – the heat, the humor, and the heart.