I bought a copy of this when it first came out and I'm sorry it took me so long to read it, because it was SO good! Once I picked it up I just couldn't put it down. I'm a sucker for a good narco-thriller, and throwing in a bit of romantic suspense is 300 percent my jam. The prose was smart, fast-paced, and at times pretty funny too. The secrets unfold throughout the tale at a pace that keeps you wanting more.
I loved Avery, she was a strong female lead. She's very smart, a female engineer looking to make it in a profession dominated by men, but she just doesn't understand the stakes on the border, the way most people who have grown up in the stability of the USA can't. The rules are different. Life is cheap and machismo reigns. Her a-hole boss sends her blind into a tricky situation, and she gets in trouble talking back to a local cartel príncipe. He decides to teach her a lesson, and Avery finds herself kidnapped.
Enter Alejandro, who seems like a cartel stooge at first, but we find out his involvement is way more complicated than that. He's Avery's only hope of making it out of Mexico alive, and wow what an adventure that unfolds! Al was pretty swoon-worthy too, I have to admit. :))))))))) The romance that unfolds between them feels real, without being overly gooey, if you know what I mean. We also meet a cast of really interesting characters along the way. I adored Harvey, LOL, and Oso the rotund grumpy assassin who cooks, reminded me of Pote from Queen of the South, which just melted my heart!
Though this book is definitely an adult tale that features plenty of violence, and if violence against women is a trigger you might want to avoid it, I was grateful it wasn't as bad as it could have been. Like, you can look at the news and see worse things than what happens in this book, and that's ok. I was content with the suspended reality in this sort of story, it was definitely the right choice.
5 stars for Zapata! I'm so happy to see this is a series, I can't wait for the next book!
Download the free Kindle app and start reading Kindle books instantly on your smartphone, tablet, or computer - no Kindle device required.
Read instantly on your browser with Kindle for Web.
Using your mobile phone camera - scan the code below and download the Kindle app.
Something went wrong. Please try your request again later.
Add a debit or credit card to save time when you check out
Convenient and secure with 2 clicks. Add your card
About the author
Follow authors to get new release updates, plus improved recommendations.
Reviews with images
Lots of thrilling adventure with a tension-filled romance
ZapataBorder Series #1Harper McDavidSoul Mate Pub, July 21, 2019348 pages, KindleContemporary Thriller RomanceARC-author⭐⭐⭐⭐🌙The cover is definitely eye-catching. No one will miss it on the shelf at the bookstore. However, it is my least favorite part of the book. The colors are just too blinding and the picture does nothing for me as far as attracting me to read the book. I keep hoping they’ll change it before publishing it. That’s half a star! But that’s the only thing I didn’t like about it!The story is really good. Avery is trying to make it in a man’s world — oil. She’s an engineer and working along the US and Mexico border. There’s a promotion down the road if she can get this job squared away and she sees no problem with it. She’s good at what she does, but she’s a woman and the men who work along the border are arrogant, macho men who see women in a very different role. Avery can’t believe there is still a part of the world that thinks this way. She’s not there to play their games and goes about her work. But she’s caught in the crossfire of two drug cartels who want control of this territory for their own purposes. She ends up being taken captive and imprisoned in a brothel where she’s tattooed, starved and tortured. Her captor is none other than the drug lord’s son, Javier, who is really crazy. As his violence level and fascination for Avery builds, Alejandro, the cartel’s lawyer looks for a way to release Avery before things go too far. Can she trust Alejandro? He’s a total unknown and seems just as dangerous as Javier. He speaks no English and she speaks no Spanish.The pace is brisk as Alejandro and Avery try to escape the ever-higher ransom Javier offers for their return. The tension skyrockets as they try to find some sort of common ground to work from to allow them to trust enough to stay alive and make it across the border. It’ll take both Alejandro’s daring and Avery’s engineering to get them safely home. Where will that leave them after they’ve delved into each other’s secrets and desires which seem to keep getting hotter than the desert sun as each day passes? Can they build anything from that? This fingernail-chewing book will keep you drinking caffeine to stay awake to finish reading it in one sitting as I did. You will not be able to put it down once you start reading it. I highly recommend it for those who like lots of thrill with their romance.
Top reviews from the United States
There was a problem filtering reviews right now. Please try again later.
Reviewed in the United States on April 16, 2021
Reviewed in the United States on November 29, 2021
Reviewed in the United States on August 21, 2019
Reviewed in the United States on March 21, 2020
Reviewed in the United States on September 9, 2019
Reviewed in the United States on December 24, 2021
