Hotshot by Julie Garwood – a Review

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Description:
Peyton Lockhart and her sisters have inherited Bishop’s Cove, a small, luxurious oceanfront resort, but it comes with a condition: The girls must run the resort for one year and show a profit—only then will they own it.

A graduate of a prestigious French culinary school, Peyton has just lost her job as a food critic. Out of work and in a bad place personally, a year doing something completely different sounds wonderful.

There are countless challenges and too many people who want to stop the sisters from succeeding. Among them are Peyton’s contentious cousins, who are outraged that they didn’t inherit the resort, as well as a powerful group of land developers who have been eyeing the coveted beachfront property.

It’s soon apparent to Peyton that their efforts are being sabotaged, but she refuses to let the threats scare her—until she’s nearly killed. She calls on her childhood friend and protector, Finn MacBain, now with the FBI, and asks for his help. He saved her life once; he can do it again.

Review:

Hotshot by Julie Garwood is a romance thriller.  This was an enjoyable read with a mix of romance, family relationships, mystery, danger and a wonderful couple.  We meet our couple when they were very young; Finn our hero, was 14 years old when he saved Peyton, only 6 at the time,  from drowning in her family’s swimming pool, during a party. 

Peyton always had a crush on Finn, following his Olympic swimming career, as she grew up.  Finn though never really paid attention to Peyton.  The story picks up years later, as Peyton, who having graduated from college & having spent time learning to specialize in cooking under a culinary chef,   heads for Minnesota to work for a cooking  magazine.   Her dream job turns into a nightmare, as she is sexually harassed by her boss.  Refusing to leave her alone, she finally decides to take matters into her own hands.

Finding out that her boss had a bad temper, and was becoming aggressively dangerous, Peyton leaves and goes back home to Texas.  While attending a wedding, Peyton meets Finn, and to his surprise, he sees this beautiful woman walking toward him, who proceeds to give him a kiss.  Peyton realizes Finn does not recognize her, and calls him by her nickname for him, when they were young…Hotshot.  Of course Finn is shocked that the scrawny child he saved, and who would follow him around, was now all grown up and a beautiful young lady.

Finn, who is now an FBI agent, notices Peyton’s car has bullet holes.   She explains to him that when she left Minnesota, someone was following her.  She proceeded to tell him the story, and Finn decides he needs to investigate and protect Peyton.

What follows is an exciting story, as Peyton’s life is possibly in danger, but she is determined to bring the truth out, so that she can save other women from this awful man.  But Peyton’s sister and friends convince her to say nothing, and move on. 

Then Peyton, and her sisters are offered a deal take over their Uncle’s oceanfront resort in Florida to fix it up, bring it back to it’s former luxurious state, and if they show a profit, it will be come theirs to own.  Her sister Lucy is another one Garwood’s wonderful characters in this book.  The scene shifts to Bishop’s Cove, an oceanfront resort, where the sisters will work to bring it back to its former glory, but betrayals, family jealousy will make it that much harder to succeed.  

During all of this, the threat against Peyton is still real, and Finn is determined to protect her.  What follows is a beautiful romance between two wonderful characters in Finn and Peyton.  We know from the start that Peyton falls hard for Finn, but dedicated to his job, he refuses to allow himself to commit to anyone, though he doesn’t truly understand his strong feelings for Peyton.  Their sexual chemistry was hot, but despite that, Finn wouldn’t let it sway him. 

But when danger rears it head against Peyton, Finn returns and works out a plan with her to reveal the people sabotaging the resort, as well as working with the FBI to expose her former boss in Minnesota. 

Hotshot was an exciting story filled with action from start to finish. In between the suspense, we have a wonderful story of the sisters working to rebuild the resort, and love is in the air for both of them.   Will Finn open his eyes and his heart to Peyton?  Will they find out who is sabotaging them in time to save the resort?  Will Peyton be able to stop & expose the ex boss, before he comes after her?  So many questions that will answered by the end.  But the best part of Hotshot is the romance between Finn and Peyton.  I do recommend this book to all who like romance, suspense and a fun exciting read.

Reviewed by Barb

Copy provided by Publisher