GOING DEEP (Alpha Ops #5) by Anne Calhoun-a review

Going Deep

About the book: Release Date: November 1, 2016

SHE’LL ROCK HIS WORLD

After weeks on a sold-out tour, singer Cady Ward is coming home for the holidays. But after one too many episodes of fan-craziness, Cady’s manager decides that she needs protection—in the form of muscled cop Conn McCormick. Longing for peace and quiet to prepare before her next album drops, Cady doesn’t need a bodyguard just to deal with some vague email threats…though she can’t deny that close proximity to Conn’s body is a very nice place to be.

Conn is in the midst of a career scandal when his boss assigns him to pop-star guard duty. It’s a poor use of his skills, even though Cady’s feisty nature proves the perfect distraction for Conn while Internal Affairs investigates his case. What begins as a sizzling attraction becomes something deeper than either Conn or Cady could have expected. But when Conn uncovers the sinister plan behind the threats to Cady, he’s faced with a professional dilemma: To save her life, will he risk having a future with the only woman who’s ever touched his soul?

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REVIEW: GOING DEEP is the fifth instalment in Anne Calhoun’s contemporary, adult ALPHA OPS erotic, romantic suspense series. This is twenty five year old pop star Cady “Maud” Ward, and police officer/ part time security guard Conn McCormick’s story line. GOING DEEP can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty. Any important information from previous story lines is revealed were necessary.

Told from dual third person perspectives (Cady and Conn) GOING DEEP focuses on the threats against our story line heroine. Cady Ward is a pop star professionally known as ‘Maud when a recent series of email threats, and an over zealous fan spark concern for Cady’s safety. Enter police officer Conn McCormick who is assigned as Cady’s full-time, 24/7 live-in security. Conn is on leave while an investigation looks into the accusations against Conn of assault on a suspect. What ensues is the building relationship between Conn and Cady, and Conn’s need to protect the woman with whom he is falling in love.

GOING DEEP follows two paths of investigation: the search for the people responsible for the threats against our story line heroine; and Conn’s own investigation into the assault allegations he knows not to be true. The relationship between Cady and Conn begins as a working arrangement but quickly develops into something more. Conn believes he is not relationship material, and Cady agrees to a friends with benefits association-for now. The $ex scenes are erotic and intense-who doesn’t love a great shower $ex scene.

There is a large ensemble cast of secondary and supporting characters including Detective Matt Dorchester and the love of his life Eve Webber (Under the Surface #4), as well as the introduction of Cady’s manager Chris Wellendorf who has an attraction for Eve’s co-worker Natalie; Conn’s friend and auto mechanic Shane McCool; Shane’s nephew Finn; and Cady’s self-centred and immature younger sister Emily Ward. Seventeen year old Emily struggles with her place in her sister’s new-found fame, and Cady is quick to defend her sister’s actions. There are also a large number of fellow police officers who work with and against our story line hero; and Eve’s bouncer Cesar at ‘Eye Candy’ who offers some information about the accusations against Officer McCormick.

GOING DEEP is a romantic, suspense story line that lacked a little in the suspense department. I guessed the source of the ‘threats’ immediately although the investigation never once looked in that particular direction. The accusations against Conn McCormick never amounted to much, and in the end, the revelations were a bit of a let down, hard to believe and a slightly convoluted. There are always dirty cops in each jurisdiction. The premise is engaging; the characters are animated and energetic ; the romance sexy and hot.

Copy supplied by Netgalley

Reviewed by Sandy