High Heels and Handguns by Lisa Heartman

Description From Goodreads:

For Kate Howard, former Army Special Forces Sergeant, life as a one-woman personal protection detail comes with challenges. Wearing civilian camouflage while guarding high-profile clients is a dangerous game of rock, paper, hollow point.

After an explosive and deadly end to her client’s reelection fundraiser, which left his young son in critical condition, Kate must accept help from an unwanted source: the soldier she loved and left in Afghanistan, bloody, broken, and barely alive.

Special Forces Officer Paxton Banks, Kate’s former captain—now an FBI agent—is assigned to investigate the attempt on her client’s life. After ten years, old emotions and new threats whip Kate's world into complicated chaos. But when other elected officials are threatened, Kate and Paxton must tamp down their fiery feelings to catch a madman hell-bent on revenge.

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My Review:

It's been a long time since I have read a novel like this. Lately, I've mostly been reading fantasy or slice of life. This has been in my TBR pile for a couple of months and I finally decided to pick it up.

I absolutely loved Kate. I enjoyed how impulsive she was and how she could wiggle her way into any situation. Planned or unplanned. While normally I would find this annoying, the author found a way to make it charming. She kind of reminds me of Kate Daniels from the Magic Bites series. Just less paranormal. So if you know what character and series I am referencing, you'll this character Kate Howard.

I also really loved Kyle too. I thought he was funny and downright lovable. He kind of reminds me of Penelope Garcia from the show Criminal Minds. Just more of a snacker than a collecter of cute desk items.

Paxton I thought was very rigid of a character. Not that this is a bad thing, but I probably wouldn't have liked him as much if he was the main character as opposed to Kate. However, he did compliment her really well which I liked. Instead of an opposites attract vibe it was more of two pieces fitting together. With that being said, I really liked their romance. While it was a bit fast-paced, it made a lot of sense with their history and unresolved feelings for each other. The author did a great job of including both characters' backstories without it bogging down the story.

The plot was pretty good. I wasn't too invested in finding out who the bad guy was. I just liked the action and going through the investigation with Kate and Paxton instead. I liked seeing how they worked together. I was entertained the entire time.

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this book. This could have worked as a standalone. However, I am very excited to see what the next book is about and what's in store for both Kate and Paxton. If you enjoy a good romance with lovable side characters and a hint of action and mystery, then this book is definitely for you.

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