Frisk Me
New York’s Finest #1
New York’s Finest #1
By: Lauren Layne
Releasing July 28, 2015
Forever
Frisk Me
New York's Finest Series
After a photograph of Luc Moretti saving a tourist hits social media, he instantly becomes New York's most famous and beloved cop. When a major network decides to run a special on the "American Hero," Luc's boss gives him no choice but to cooperate in the name of good exposure for the department. Luc doesn't mind the celebrity status-what he does mind is the gorgeous brunette journalist who's been assigned to follow his every move. Especially since she also happens to be the same knockout that rejected him rather publicly the week before.
Ava Sims is a woman who gets what she wants. And what she wants is to be CBC's lead anchor-but to get there, she'll need to nail the fluff piece on the playboy cop. Luc Moretti is everything Ava knows to stay away from: a stubborn charmer with a hero-complex. But the more Ava gets to know Luc and his oddball family, the more she realizes that beneath the swagger and the blue uniform is a complex man who makes her heart beat too fast. Soon, Ava's doing the unthinkable, and falling for the best of New York's finest ...
A
woman stood in the back corner of the room, helping herself to coffee
from the fancy coffee machine Brinker kept for his own personal use.
Her
body was mostly hidden by one of the horrible potted plants that
Brinker’s wife insisted gave his office “homey character.”
And
then she stepped into plain view.
He
couldn’t help it; he checked her out. Everything about the woman
demanded a second look, the legs in particular.
Luc
had never really considered himself a legs-man, being more of an
“equal opportunity” guy when it came to female body parts.
(Although, if his mother ever asked, he’d swear up and down that he
only ever noticed personality. Maybe the eyes.)
But
the legs on this one were damn near perfect. For that matter, the
high breasts and slim waist also earned high marks.
The
black high heels were icing on the already perfect cake.
Then
he looked at her face, and for a second, Luc felt just a little bit
dazed.
If
anything, her features were even more perfect than the body. Her eyes
were maybe just slightly too large for her otherwise petite features,
but there was no doubt about it, the woman was stunning.
And
yet, there was something else there too, just beyond the jolt of
sexual awareness.
Recognition.
Luc
might not have his brother Vincent’s photographic memory, but he
was pretty damn good with faces. And he was pretty sure he knew this
one. His brain scrambled to place her, but he kept coming up empty.
Her
eyes narrowed almost imperceptibly on Luc, and his narrowed right
back. He definitely knew her from somewhere.
She
gave him a slow, knowing smile. “Fifth and Fortieth, three years
ago.”
He
shook his head to indicate he didn’t follow.
“You’re
trying to figure out how you know me. Three years ago, you gave my
news van a parking ticket, and we exchanged…words. That’s where
you know me from. I’m Ava Sims.”
Lauren
Layne is one of my favourite go-to authors,
so I jumped at the opportunity to read the first in this new series:
New York's Finest. As expected, Frisk Me didn't disappoint.
Luc
“Bambino” Moretti comes from a family of cops. He loves his job
even if he isn't as accomplished in his career as his older brothers.
Yet. Their father is a retired commissioner making the benchmark to
succeed very high. He loves his job but after an incident where he
dives into a river to save a young girl; where a passer-by films his
rescue. He's become a very reluctant internet
celebrity, makes him feel uncomfortable and guarded. So it is no
surprise when NYPD choose him to be a focal point of a TV
documentary...to raise the profile and the publics perception of the
police force. Only Luc is very familiar with this TV journalist
representing CBC News.
The
last thing Luc needs is some woman delving into his past. What he is
unaware of is how far his own family have gone to protected him all
these years; something they failed to tell him as he carries the
burden of his past around with him.
Ava
Sims isn't thrilled about her new assignment for CBC News, but takes
up the challenge as she knows that her bosses at the station are
watching her. She's so close to achieving her career ambition she can
almost taste it. Ava can't believe her eyes when she meet the NYPD
cop who will be the focal point of her documentary series. Of all
the luck! He's the same officer that gave her a parking ticket three
years ago! One she never paid! Ava is never one to shun a challenge
as her news hound intuition tell
her there is more to Officer Moretti then meets the eye and she's
determined to find out what that is.
Under
Ava's determined facade is a woman wracked with insecurity. Being
brought up surrounded by family members who are self-righteous,
condescending and mocking, she wants to do the right thing to gain
their approval. It is up to Ava to fulfill her parents ambition to
become a news anchor only is that what she really wants?
This
is a delicious slow burn romance, with sparks flying between Ava and
Luc at any given time. Both have never forgotten the first time they
met...both are in denial about their feelings for each other. Their
professional personas clashing with their personal ones. Both
circling each other like an elaborate mating ritual, afraid to let
down their guard, as they each have something to hide. It is easy
for the reader to empathise with the
protagonists as they both face up to the realities of what they
discover about themselves and each other.
The
mood is lightened by the highly entertaining Nonna, who likes to
shock everyone with her astute observations and close to the knuckle
verbal banter! Mama Moretti serves up motherly intuition to any of
her flock who needs it. Whether it is one of her four NYPD sons or
her defense lawyer daughter–all have smart mouths and quick wit!
Frisk
Me is laugh out loud hilarious. Highly recommend! I'm looking
forward to the next in the series.
***arc
received courtesy of the Forever (Grand Central Publishing) via
NetGalley***
4
Stars
Prior to becoming an author, Lauren worked in e-commerce and web-marketing. In 2011, she and her husband moved from Seattle to New York City, where Lauren decided to pursue a full-time writing career. It took six months to get her first book deal (despite ardent assurances to her husband that it would only take three). Since then, Lauren's gone on to publish ten books, including the bestselling Stiletto series, with several more on the way in 2015.
Lauren currently lives in Chicago with her husband and spoiled Pomeranian. When not writing, you'll find her at happy hour, running at a doggedly slow pace, or trying to straighten her naturally curly hair.
