*Grace Under Fire by Julie Garwood

*Grace Under Fire by Julie Garwood
Publisher: Berkley Publishing Group
Genre: Romance, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller, Contemporary
Rating: 4 Stars
Reviewed by Larkspur

Grace Isabel MacKenna has a hundred things to do today. Killing someone isn’t one of them. It is supposed to be a quick visit to Boston for the Buchanan anniversary party, then on to Scotland to collect an inheritance. She checks into her hotel and then decides to go for a brisk walk. But after getting lost, she ends up with a wounded man stumbling into her arms—and his shooter coming after them both. When she fires back in self-defense, she doesn’t expect him to drop dead. After Isabel endures an interrogation by police, she is free to go, thanks to the Buchanans dispatching former Navy SEAL and now lawyer Michael Buchanan to assist her.

Isabel knows she should be grateful for Michael’s help, but since she’s harbored an extreme dislike for him for years, gratitude is difficult to muster. Michael has appointed himself her de facto guardian, and she’s stuck with him despite their constant bickering and sizzling attraction. Even when Isabel goes to Scotland to claim her inheritance, Michael follows her—but he isn’t the only thing she can’t shake. Mysterious threats against Isabel surface, and before they can deal with their growing feelings for each other, Michael and Isabel must first survive.

Grace Under Fire is an intriguing story filled with romance and suspense. Even though the two main characters, Michael and Isabel, are very different from each other, they find it impossible to ignore the chemistry flowing between.

This is another engaging story centering on the Buchanan family. I love reading about this big, boisterous family, because they add so much entertainment and I especially enjoy all of the banter between all of them.

Michael, a former Navy Seal, is now an attorney. He is a high achiever, who is meticulous, organized, goal oriented and always knows exactly what he wants, and he goes after it with a single-minded focus. Even though Michael is so rigid, I still found him endearing.

I enjoyed how Michael and Isabel played off of each other. They are so different from one another that they have a hard time understanding how the other one thinks. Michael intimidates Isabel because he has achieved so much in his life, whereas Isobel has taken a more relaxed approach to her life.

Isabel and Michael are meant for each other, but it takes them a while to figure it out. It is fun watching them try to fight their attraction to each other, while everyone around them is placing bets on how long it will take them to get together.

Even though Isabel has her head in the clouds, she is immediately liked by everyone. She is sweet and innocent, and she takes an interest in everyone she meets. Isabel doesn’t give a thought to her safety and takes some unnecessary risks, which drives Michael crazy, because he is protective by nature. When someone is after Isabel, Michael takes protecting her very seriously. In fact, his whole family gets involved in trying to keep Isabel safe. I enjoyed this engaging story. It has entertaining characters, suspense and also some light and funny moments.