He said, she said

4.5 stars

Jessica Harlow has just returned to Chicago and is eager to prove herself to her new FBI colleagues. Her divorce to a Hollywood producer just finalised and she’s looking for a fresh start closer to her family. She’s always enjoyed undercover work and wants to do well on her first mission with the Chicago office. Considering her husband pretty much asked for the divorce because he felt Jessica was spending too much time on her work, Jessica wants nothing more than to really forget him by becoming the best field agent there is.

John Shepherd came back early from an undercover mission in Detroit to surprise his girlfriend, who had been a bit distant on the phone lately and clearly unhappy with how much time he spent away. He walks in on said girlfriend literally on top of one of his best friends in bed, and to make matters worse, he soon discovers that two other close friends had known about the affair and not told him. Cutting his ties to all four people, John is ready for a change and decides to go for the gruelling try-outs for the FBI’s elite Hostage Rescue Team. While waiting to hear back about whether or not he’ll be excepted, he’s going to do one last mission with the Chicago office he’s worked at for six years.

Jessica, a former lawyer, and John, a former army ranger, have a history. They met during their training at the Academy, and neither remembers the other one fondly. Having developed a fierce rivalry, constantly competing with each other to be the best in their class, they are now both surprised and dismayed to find themselves partnered on an important undercover case. But since both are professionals, they are determined to hide their animosity from their superiors, and make things work. Tasked with proving a Florida politician is taking bribes, the two will pose as business partners to get the evidence the prosecution needs. The job requires several trips to Florida, working closely, staying at a luxurious beachfront resort.

Working together so closely means Jessica and John have to bury their hatchet and start actually communicating honestly with one another. Once they start opening up about what made each of them so determined to best the other back at the Academy six years ago and begin to realise just how much they also have in common, it starts to become more difficult for them to ignore the blatant chemistry and attraction between them. This is likely to be John’s last mission before he moves across the country to start a new job, while Jessica has just moved back to Chicago. Surely acting on their attraction for a short, no-strings affair is a very bad idea?

Full review on my blog, including a short lesson in Norwegian.