Wow! Never having heard of Michele Albert before, I really wasn’t expecting much from Off Limits, so I was definitely pleasantly surprised when I became immersed in this fun, sexy contemporary romance. I’m now on the hunt for more books by Albert.
Take one smart, by-the-book, beautiful cop by the name of Emma Frey and mix well with one hunky, devilish bad boy who knows that rules are made to be broken by the name of Bobby Halloran: the perfect recipe for a delicious romp of a romance between two good cops who just can’t seem to resist each other, even if the office pool is taking bets on how fast Bobby gets Emma into his bed.
Emma has recently relocated to New Orleans from Hollywood, where she took the heat for being a whistleblower on rogue cops. Hoping to put the past behind her, Emma’s only plans are to stay low-key, be accepted, and do her job. But no one can stay low-key when partnered with Bobby Halloran. Bobby not only attracts trouble; he seeks it out. Bobby is on the verge of burnout, so close that he is beginning to see violence as the only justice in a world where justice is often nowhere around for the victim.
Emma figures out pretty fast where Bobby is headed and at first wants no part of his hotheaded action. But as she learns more about Bobby and realizes that it’s his concern for the innocent victims that is sending him over the edge, she decides to get in his way and not let him go down a path of violence that will only ruin his life in the act of revenge.
Off Limits starts out as a light-hearted romantic caper but really offers much more. Michele Albert gives us not only a wonderful love story with some hot sex, but also two people who stand up for what they believe in, whether that be getting the bad guy off the street or out of the department, or their faith in each other. And then there is the mystery of who is chasing down Chloe Mitsumi, a sexy little party doll who is part of Bobby’s past, and what exactly they are after. It’s Emma and Bobby’s job to find out and to protect Chloe if they can. Chloe is a delightful character who deserves a story of her own. If you are looking for a romance that offers more than just two people getting together, Off Limits is the book you should read.