THE SAPPHIRE AFFAIR

A tour operator and a bounty hunter decide to team up when they find themselves searching for the same treasure.

Blakely (Sinful Love, 2016, etc.) excels at building the sexual tension between the hero and heroine in the first book in her two-part series about the hunt for a cache of mysterious diamonds. Jake, a private detective specializing in recovering stolen goods in exchange for a reward, agrees to track down the money that went missing when his client’s business partner decamped for the Cayman Islands. But upon arrival in the tropical paradise, he meets a sexy stranger in a bar who turns out to be none other than his target’s stepdaughter. Steph is in town to lead an adventure tour, but first she plans to confront her mom’s ex-husband, Eli, and find out where he got the money to open the Sapphire nightclub and buy his swanky island mansion. The pair quickly concludes that Eli has converted the missing money into diamonds and decides that the best way to recover the jewels is to ignore their mutual attraction and combine their investigations. In spite of their best efforts, Steph and Jake succumb to their desires in several increasingly steamy encounters. The investigation is further complicated when past experiences make them reluctant to trust each other. In Steph's case, a vengeful ex came close to destroying her business. As for Jake, a former lover double-crossed him on an important job. Ultimately, the hunt for the jewels is almost an afterthought. The well-paced development of the characters' relationship drives the story, while the investigation merely plods along until it's redeemed by an unexpectedly exciting ending.

A steamy tropical romp with an adequate amount of suspense.