RS Review: Hidden Away by Maya Banks

Hidden Away 
by Maya Banks 
Book #3 in the Kelly Group International series
Romantic Suspense
BUY: Amazon - B&N
RATING: ★★★★

A man who shoots first and asks questions later…

Most people would take an all-expenses-paid trip to the beach in a heartbeat. Garrett Kelly only accepts to keep tabs on Sarah Daniels, who’s in hiding after witnessing a murder by Marcus Lattimer, her half-brother—and a personal enemy of KGI. This gig may be beneath a disciplined soldier like Garrett, but if he gets a shot at Lattimer, it will all be worth it…


…and the ultimate moving target.


But Garrett hadn’t counted on falling for Sarah. He’d considered seduction as a tactical maneuver, but when he glimpses Sarah’s dark past, he feels an urgent desire to keep her safe—even after she disappears on him. Garrett doesn’t know exactly who, or what, Sarah’s running from, but whatever it is, she’s running for her life…


REVIEW:

Garrett Kelly agrees to accept an assigment to keep up with Sarah Daniels, the half-sister of Marcus Lattimer who is a personal enemy. Sarah is in hiding after witnessing her brother commit murder. Garrett is still recuperating from the injuries he received during his last assignment but since this one means he will be hanging out on a beach soaking up sun, his brothers agree to let him go (as if they could stop him).

The story starts right off with Lattimer committing the murder and Sarah witnessing the aftermath. She runs for it, not for fear of him but to protect him by not being available. It's obvious something terrible has happened to her and as the story progresses, we are able to piece together most of the past events that are shaping who she is today. Garrett is both intrigued by and sympathetic to Sarah, innately knowing she's been damaged. It's a tough situation as he works to gain her trust, all the while using her to lure her brother out of hiding. As their relationship grows, so does their guilt about their duplicity as both are hiding secrets from each other, though Garrett's is a tad larger.

The action comes in fits and starts but was still pretty satisfying. At times, we see Sarah completely paralyzed and at others courageous, especially as her feelings begin to deepen towards Garrett. I wondered about him from the first book as he seemed to be quite sensitive in his dealings with his sister-in-law, Rachel, and I got the answers in this story. There is a seduction scene that is to die for here and it tells you oh, so much about him. That aspect of the story alone makes it worthwhile.
I liked the story, even though I'm still a bit ambivalent about Sarah. I'm terribly sympathetic to what happened to her and don't know where she will end up as she heals. It's of little consequence as she and Garrett make for a really good romance. And, we learn a lot more about other members of the KGI team (not the brothers) and Rusty has a moment that requires some tissues.

Nice installment in the series. It's got romance, action, suspense and some poignancy. What more can you ask for?