"Intriguing romance"

Newcomer cop, Emma Frey is not happy at being paired with the handsome but reckless, maverick detective, Bobby Halloran. She fears that he is too much of a loose cannon, and he's certain that this rulebook-thumping rigid lady cop will be a real pain to work with. For their first case, they're assigned to investigate an apartment break-in and find its elusive resident, the bar-hopping party-girl, Chloe Mitsumi. Turns out that Bobby, Chloe and Chloe's jail- interred brother share a violent history, and Chloe is now involved in something very big and nasty. The white knight in Bobby has him ready to protect Chloe first and ask questions later, and his attitude scandalizes Emma. But when men start dying like flies and Chloe is more hard to pin down than a wriggly lizard, Bobby comes up with the bright idea of searching the New Orleans nightlife undercover, in search of her. With no avenues left to pursue, a reluctant Emma agrees.

As they work closely together, Emma is overwhelmed by feelings of intense anger, frustration and seething sexual tension towards her partner. But the last thing she wants is to fall into heartbreaker Bobby's arms as the office pool predicts. Bobby too is attracted to Emma, but then he's a perpetual romantic, who's always in love with one woman or the other, whether a suspect or a colleague. Can Emma trust her fragile heart to him? Will Bobby restrain his uncontrolled ways before he himself ends up on the wrong side of the law?

Michele Albert's book begins ordinarily enough. As is usual, the lead characters, Emma and Bobby are as opposite in their work ethics as night and day. What they have in common is the bad reputation which precedes them wherever they go. But when obliged to work together, it's the same differences which become a strength as they approach the same case with different view points and thus are able to get better results. But their unruly emotions, both personal and about the case, keep interfering and cause problematic situations. As a result, the book is filled to bursting with emotional, sexual and workplace conflict, and not just between the lead characters. There is also the requisite nail-biting, testosterone-loaded action almost compulsory in such stories. Suspense is also good, though readers get the feeling that it's not very essential to the story. What's essential is the internal conflict that tears apart and thus defines each of the lead characters, especially Bobby who becomes a far more memorable leading man because of it, than he'd otherwise be. And it's this very convincing character portrayal that sets this police drama a notch above other similar stories.

Ms. Albert's story-telling skills combined with her captivating characterizations, make "Off Limits" a powerful and emotional action-adventure yarn.

Reviewed by Rashmi Srinivas
Posted November 20, 2003

Summary

Breaking All The Rules Sexy and smart, Emma Frey is a by-the-books cop who knows there are certain men she should avoid -- and "bad boy" detective Bobby Halloran is a prime example. But now she's been teamed up with the legendary heartbreaker, and everyone in the station house is making bets on how long Emma will be able to resist him. With Bobby turning on the charm -- and flashing his knees- weakening, million-dollar smile -- it's going to be hard for Emma to keep her mind on the job. Despite his reputation, Bobby's got a heart of gold to go with his lady-killer looks. And when things start to get red hot on the mean New Orleans streets, the unwavering devotion and surprising tenderness of her delectable partner soon have Emma's head spinning. She has always lived by the rules, but some rules were meant to be broken. And though it could cost them both their badges -- or worse -- Emma can't help wondering if it might be worth risking everything for one sweet taste of off-duty passion . . .