I am a big fan of Freya Barker and book 2 of the Pass series is a fast-paced romantic suspense featuring an independent and strong-willed social worker at a veterans shelter and a tough and dependable security consultant.

With Willa Smith, what you see is what you get. She’s authentic and shoots from the hip. She’s the odd duck in her cool and authoritarian family and loving aunt to her niece Brittney. But when the big, sexy Dimas Mazur appears in her life, she is finding it hard to “keep her expectations low and casual when it comes to the opposite sex”. He has a way of pleasantly surprising her with his thoughtfulness, respect, and humbleness.

I love Willa and Dimas as a couple. Willa is tough, but she has a compassionate side. And the love for her niece, Brittney is so heartwarming and adorable considering she caves and adopts a schnug (pug and schnauzer mix) named Twister for her niece with the hopes of using him as a therapy dog for the veterans shelter as well. Dimas is also tough, but he is kind and gentle with Brittney and romantic and caring with Willa. And let’s talk about the hilarious meeting of their parents. It was like Meet the Fockers. Dimas’ hippie-like, pot-selling parents are a hoot and even won over Willa’s narcissistic father and gullible mother offering them hemp brownies. Very funny!

Of course, there is a mystery with a twist that includes murdered veterans from Willa’s shelter that places her in the line of fire and Dimas to the rescue. It’s a great addition to the love story.

Freya Barker has done it again. She has written another sexy, romantic, and engaging story that can be read as a standalone in the series. And on that note, I hope to find out more about Yaris and Bree in a future book. If you enjoy strong heroines, passionate heroes, and an absorbing who-done-it mystery, give this one a try.

Thank you to Ms. Barker for giving me the opportunity to read this book with no expectation of a positive review.