ZAPATA

A mechanical engineer falls for a mysterious man who helps her evade a drug cartel in McDavid’s debut romantic thriller, the first novel in her Border series.

Avery McAndrews flies from Denver to Zapata, Texas, for client Sam Rockforth. She’s there to perform an inspection at a Rockforth Petroleum facility. But Avery has entered an unofficial war zone for rival cartels: the Ramos family and the Contreras, each stealing crude oil and trying, sometimes lethally, to prevent the other from doing the same. At the facility, Avery has a run-in with Javier Ramos, son of the cartel boss, Diego. Before she can leave Texas, Javier has men abduct her and take her to Mexico. He thinks her billionaire client, Sam, will pay a ransom, but he also wants Avery to design a tunnel for transporting drugs. Diego’s Mexican attorney, Alejandro DeLeon Harrington, frees Avery from captivity for reasons she doesn’t yet understand. Getting her back to the U.S., however, won’t be easy, especially after Javier slaps a million-dollar bounty on her. Avery is drawn to handsome, chiseled Alejandro, who’s clearly more than a cartel stooge, and the two keep their heads down but their eyes focused primarily on each other as they fight to stay alive and get her to safety. McDavid’s story is often tense, as much of it has Avery and Alejandro dodging criminals. But their romance gets most of the spotlight, which works thanks to strong characterization. Avery, for one, is tenacious even in the most harrowing moments. Although the peril rarely lets up, some of Avery’s grievances are trivial, like having to hide out in a place with chickens or dye her red hair black (“I look like a witch!”). Nevertheless, watching the two grow close—in various ways—is delightful and perfectly suited to the narrative’s unwavering pace. There are also a few surprises, especially regarding Alejandro’s past.

An entertaining love story with glamour, guns, and a Mexican accent.