Absolving Blue (Police and Fire: Operation Alpha) by Freya BarkerMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
Breaking Blue’s Shell
This is story is part of a series, however, it can be read by itself. The series is about a group of police and firefighters so reading the other books gives you a stronger idea of the background characters, but if you haven’t read them it doesn’t prevent you from enjoying this book.
Blue is the only woman on her fire crew. She’s an EMT and loves her job with a passion. She sees her crew as the family she never really had, but she doesn’t show much of herself to them. She keeps herself locked down tight and at 40 years old she has never let anyone close. She basically works, hangs out with work buddies and volunteers at the animal rescue. Her nickname comes from her personality rather than her eye colour.
Tony is a police detective and has worked for years with Blue. He’s always been attracted to her but she seemed so unapproachable he never did. He is handsome and charming and enjoys the company of different women too much to settle down, plus his job is very demanding. He has a loving family with his father, brother, sister-in-law and niece and spends time with them as well as his friends and colleagues.
When Blue has a series of patient’s die over a short period of time when she thought they would be ok, Tony sees her tough shell crack a little and he sees the real Blue. When she adopts a dog on a whim he suggests they look after him together as they both have demanding jobs but between the two of them, they should be able to look after Arthur. This impulse finally lets him into Blue’s life and he begins to see the real woman at a time when her world comes crumbling down.
I enjoyed Blue and Tony’s developing relationship a lot. Blue had been alone for so long that it took Tony time to work his way into her life and her heart. He was supportive and loving as well as being protective at a time when she desperately needed it. He also came into her life at a time when she was vulnerable enough to seek help for her mental health. Having a professional guide her through the relationship minefield helped a lot.
All the little details in this author’s books really help to shape her characters. Things like Tony being colourblind or Blue being scared of heights show us real people that we can connect with. Being over 40 means that they have some baggage and are set in their ways which give us a chance to see them work through their differences to create a new life together.
The suspense part of this book was tough on Blue. She was really put through the wringer and the support of her crew and Tony and his family made all the difference to her making it to the other side. The plot was intricate and interesting and kept me on the edge of my seat as it wove in between the romance and the character development. This author is really good at finding the balance between all aspects of a strong Suspense Romance novel. This series as a whole has provided excellent entertainment and I can’t wait to read the next book.
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