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 This Author is going places July 19, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
VK Powell, You have hit the BIG time girl.
This debut novel was a great read,not only for its romance and erotic content, but also for its ability to engulf me with a sense of duty. This one really touched my soul.
It wasnt so long ago when I too felt the resposibility of 'rank'.
Be it in the military or another force, it is never easy to send the
people you care about into harms way. Powell manages to capture the heart and gut wrenching feelings of being torn between duty and love.
It is clearly obvious that Powell has faced these realities, and she
portrayed the actions, worries and emotions perfectly.
For anyone who hasnt yet read this debut novel, it is a must.
Devlyn
 Stereotypical fare July 16, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
First novel by VK Powell. I'm sorry to say that it's one of the few books I didn't finish reading, or rather I skipped through the second half.
I couldn't connect with it at all, even though the story, roughly 2 cops connecting over an investigation trying to bust a drug lord, sounded like it was up my alley. I love tough cops. I'm easy that way. But something just didn't work for me here. The writing was mostly solid. There was some dialog, esp. in the love scenes, that sounded awkward and generic, and some oddly placed commas that someone should have caught, but that wasn't it. To me, the story itself felt very generic and lifeless. There was nothing original about it and no reason for me to like/dislike/engage with the characters. The characters had plenty of backstory that should have made them complex characters, but I just didn't see it.
 A pleasant read May 3, 2008
3 out of 4 found this review helpful
Alex Troy's personal life is sad. She is still mourning the loss of her parents in a plane crash and trying to recover from an abusive relationship. No wonder then that her job as a successful police detective with the Vice/Narcotics Division is the focus of her life. She's known for being totally professional, tough and a stickler for following the rules, but she's also a closer who can bring in the criminals for prosecution. When she is asked to head a task force to take down a drug dealer named Sonny Davis, Alex knows that this could be the opportunity she's been waiting for to move up higher in the department. Matters become complicated when she is instructed to include Officer Keri Morgan in her group. Alex was involved in an earlier investigation of a situation including Keri and there is no doubt that the younger officer doesn't trust Alex. Keri brings a life force to her work though that Alex has been missing for years and she quickly proves that Alex's original impression of her was incorrect. The two find themselves working closely together and an attraction grows, which endangers their careers and possibly their lives. Both hope they won't have to make a choice about what is more important, their relationship or ending the career of a drug lord.
To Protect and Serve is an interesting story. The play between the characters is more involved than most romances, so it holds the reader's attention. Sonny Davis, to be the drug king pin, is unusually stupid, especially about women, but the story would have needed to be a lot longer if he weren't. The book is a pleasant way to spend a few hours.
Nothing really grabbed me emotionally in this standard offering - 2.5 stars May 3, 2008
3 out of 6 found this review helpful
This book just didn't suit me. I didn't hate it, and think that it will really appeal to a certain type of reader, but there was nothing in the reading of it that really grabbed me. I like a book in which the characters show progression from beginning to end, and I felt that the main characters here spent too much time standing in one place and endlessly rehashing the same thoughts and conflicts in their heads, repeatedly. This may be realistic, but did not compel this reader.
I also like a book with a strong central theme or idea or that's trying to say something, but I often felt myself wondering "what's the point?" I would say it can work from a pure entertainment perspective, but again it just didn't work for me.
There were some interesting bits about police work, being a woman in a male-dominated profession, the war on drugs. It was nice to read a book from someone who's worked in the field, but at times I felt like there were assumptions on the part of the author about the reader's understanding, so there wasn't sufficient explanation about the significance of events, internal politics, interactions between officers, etc. Also at times it read like perhaps a screen play or something: like we were being given descriptions of events and getting dialogue from the author's head, but not being fed the underlying analysis which one must do in books to make up for the lack of body language and music (like accompany that "screen play") to communicate emotion and thoughts.
Overall a light, quick read that I ended up skimming from about the half-way mark. It was rocky at first, started to grab me when Alex and Keri started to interact on a more regular basis, lost me when they were suddenly professing love to each other in their heads, despite not really knowing anything about one another or resolving any of the obstacles they kept mentally obsessing about. There was heat and there were sparks. I generally liked the characters. There was a decent supporting cast, and I did think that the ending resolved satisfactorily.
Police Drama With Lots of Romantic Intrigue--Love It! April 22, 2008
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
When a councilman's daughter ends up dead from an apparent overdose, Alex Troy, an astute lieutenant in Vice/Narcotics, is called upon to head the investigation. Alex plans to outsmart the ruthless drug lord, Sonny Davis, using whatever it takes to bring him to justice. But there is more at stake than a high profile case with a plum chance of promotion. Alex previously had mentored, befriended, and admired the once vibrant victim. She vows to punish whoever did this to Stacey and all the other young victims.
Alex struggles to maintain her impenetrable persona as she faces personal and professional challenges. More intriguing is Alex's growing attraction to a gorgeous, gutsy subordinate, Keri Morgan, who becomes the primary team officer under her command. Keri is driven by her obsession to nail Sonny Davis and is fantasizing about Alex. Between Alex's past demons and this 'make or break' case, she doesn't need any distractions.
Drama and attractive women is what VK Powell shows in To Protect and Serve. The play between the main characters is enough to make this a fine read, but going undercover, chasing hardened criminals and bringing them to justice adds just the right amount of action to make this a well-plotted page turner. The book drew me in from the beginning with characters that captivate in their complexity. Powell writes with authority, using the lingo and capturing the thoughts of the law enforcers. The images are vivid, the action is believable, and the police procedurals are authentic. After Keri makes a dangerous bust, Alex wants to know if Keri always gets into this much trouble. When Keri asks Alex if she did something wrong, Alex replies, "You saved the victim from further injury, got the bad guy, and no cops got hurt. I'd say that's a pretty good day. We can talk about the rest another time."
Powell had me invested in the story of these admirable women, who put their heart, mind, body, and soul into their chosen profession. The riveting scenes between Alex and Keri had me rooting for Keri to overcome Alex's barriers and for Keri to stay safe for Alex's sake. A satisfying conclusion with ample room for a sequel, To Protect and Serve will hit the spot.
by Cheri Rosenberg
for Story Circle Book Reviews
reviewing books by, for, and about women
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