Review + Giveaway: Run the Risk by Lori Foster

Title: Run the Risk
Series: Love Undercover, #1
Author: Lori Foster
Published: September 25, 2012
Pages: 379
Genre: Romantic Suspense
Source: Media Muscle
Publisher: Harlequin
Rating: C-
Reviewed by: Marq

summary from Goodreads
When Detective Logan Riske goes undercover to find Pepper Yates, a potential link to his best friend's unsolved murder, he vows to gain her cooperation by any means necessary. But the elusive beauty is more suspicious—and in far more danger—than he expected. And the last thing Logan needs is to start caring for her….Pepper has spent years dodging the corrupt club owner who will stop at nothing to keep her silenced. She can trust no one, not even the handsome new "construction worker" who's moved in next door. The heat between them is undeniable. But will surrendering to passion bring her the safety she so desires—or will her feelings for Logan draw them both into a killer's crosshairs?

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Marq's thoughts:
I enjoyed Foster's previous series, The Men Who Walk the Edge of Honor and was excited to see a somewhat spin-off of that series.

Pepper Yates, aka Sue Meeks, is living the life off the grid. On the run from a former employer, Pepper is keeping her head down and her nose clean. Her brother Rowdy is making sure that they both stay protected and hidden. Everything is going as planned until her sexy neighbor Logan hints at getting a little more neighborly. Pepper is extremely attracted to him and living life on the run means she has no social life. She doesn't want to chance ruining her cover but resisting Logan is proving difficult.

Logan is undercover, looking for the person responsible for his best friend's murder. He moves into an apartment to get closer to Pepper Yates, a pawn in his need for revenge. What better way to get closer to Pepper aka Sue Meeks than by seducing her? But what he doesn't count on is falling for her, dowdy getup and all.

I enjoyed Run the Risk but I had a couple of problems with it, the main one being Pepper. I liked her as a character but her transformation from mousy, plain Jane Sue Meeks to a confidant, hot sexpot was hard to swallow. Pepper as Sue Meeks as believable. Pepper as herself was not. Although Pepper is undercover, I felt that we never saw that other side of her, her true side. Even during parts of the story that were told from her POV, where Pepper is in her apartment alone, her Sue Meeks facade did not slip. She stayed in character the entire time. So the minute she's no longer undercover and she's like, hey world here I am! I found it hard to believe. It would have been nice to see some of that fire before.I actually liked the fake Pepper (posing as Sue Meeks) more than the real Pepper. Sue Meeks was more well-rounded, more likable and sympathetic. Pepper as herself was a one-trick pony in my opinion and any sympathy I had for her situation quickly evaporated.

Logan did not stand out like the men of the previous series. He was sexy but he let Pepper take control a little too much. I wanted him to assert himself a little more. He came across as a little hard up. Logan wasn't alpha enough for my taste. I guess he's just a good guy doing his job. I felt that Pepper was more alpha than Logan.

The overall plot didn't have that much meat. I felt like a piece of it was missing. Maybe because we're jumping into the story two years later. A crime was witnessed which is why Pepper is in hiding. Logan's best friend was murdered and he's trying to solve the case which is why he's cozying up to Pepper to get to her brother, Rowdy. There's crooked cops, you don't know who to trust but there was no suspense. Who were the cops that were on the bad guy's payroll? I felt that the big climax wrapped up too fast and was too neat. I was hoping that Logan would be portrayed by someone he trusted (that's the feeling I got while reading it. That's why I thought the plot was leading to) and was sorely disappointed.

Rowdy, Pepper's brother and Reese, Logan's partner, were the most interesting characters in the overall story. I will read Reese's book because his character is so interesting and I can't wait to find out what secrets his neighbor, Alice, is hiding. Reese has something to hide as well and I can't wait for it to be revealed. Although I didn't like what Rowdy was doing to Pepper, in the end, he was doing it to protect her. When it all comes to light, I felt that Rowdy was really a good brother and a decent guy. And he's cock as hell and hopefully there's a book for him in the future. I hope that , like the Men series, the Love Undercover series will get better with each book.

I think I would have enjoyed Run the Risk more if we had the real Pepper in the beginning and saw the transformation over to Sue Meeks. Despite that issue with her character, I liked Run the Risk and looking forward to what happens next.

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I have one (1) copy of Run the Risk to giveaway. Giveaway is open to US/Canada residents only. To enter, leave a comment with your valid email address answering this question: What is your favorite Lori Foster book? If you don't read Lori Foster, then who is your favorite rom suspense author.

Contest ends 10/11/12.

Good luck!


 Follow the Run the Risk blog tour over at Book Trib. They have awesome contests throughout the month of October!

http://booktrib.com/blog-tour-run-the-risk-by-lori-foster/