The Sapphire Affair - Book Review

By Lauren Blakely

Synopsis

Bounty hunter Jake Harlowe knows how to track a criminal. So when a group of swindled shareholders hire him to trail their former CEO, Jake expects a quick trip to the Cayman Islands to close another case. Until a devastatingly beautiful woman gets in the way.

Steph Anderson is visiting the Caymans for a rock climbing and dive trip—or so she tells Jake. She’s really trying to find out whether or not her stepfather embezzled money from his company. The last thing Steph needs is the distraction of a sexy, charming man whose kisses drive her wild.

Soon, the pair discover they’re after the same target—and millions in jewels. While Jake can’t be certain Steph isn’t working for her stepfather, and Steph can’t be certain Jake isn’t after the diamonds for himself, they can agree the heat between them is intense, and neither can deny the passion for long.

But the morning after, Steph discovers that she just might have slept with the enemy, and now she’ll have to outwit him to get everything she needs…

Review

I’m going to start by saying that I didn’t realise this would end in a cliffhanger. The blurb doesn’t say anything about it ending on a cliffhanger or that their story will continue on in book 2. I saw there was a second book in the series available and assumed that it would be about a different couple. I was wrong.

Both Jake and Steph have trust issues when it comes to the opposite sex. Steph is distrustful because of what her last boyfriend did to her after their relationship ended, and Jake is distrustful because he once partnered up with a woman (in bed and on the job) and she betrayed him. Because of their trust issues, most of the book is spent with them dancing around each other, wondering if they can trust the other. Steph also spends a lot of time struggling with the possibility that her stepfather is a criminal. Other than that, not a great deal happens.

THE SAPPHIRE AFFAIR is told in dual POVs and cannot be read as a stand-alone as their story continues on in THE SAPPHIRE HEIST. It’s not a novella, but it is a fairly quick read and I did find myself skipping paragraphs because of the huge amount of inner monologue. This book didn’t blow me away, but I am curious as to how their story will end, so I will be reading the second book.