Merciless by Diana Palmer

Can she convince a man to let down his defenses when he's set on guarding his heart? Tall, dark and eligible? That's all that matters to the women of Jacobsville when it comes to handsome and aloof FBI agent Jon Blackhawk. But if it were up to him, he would never settle down. Luckily, Jon has the best gatekeeper: his efficient and reliable assistant, Joceline Perry. Without her help, he'd be at the mercy of husband hunters—but the more he comes to rely on her, the more he notices how invaluable she really is… While Joceline can't deny that her boss is attractive, as a single mother with responsibilities she's determined to be professional. But when Jon is accosted by a criminal seeking revenge, she comes to his aid—fueling the spark that is growing between them. As the attempts on Jon's life increase, Joceline stands by his side. But when the smoke clears, will the man who avoided love realize that all he ever needed was right there all along?  ( Synopsis from Barnes & Noble.com)

MERCILESS 7/26/2011
Long, Tall Texans
Hardcover
HQN Books
ISBN-13: 9780373775798

Diana Palmer’s latest book keeps her string of hits alive.  Jon Blackhawk is an FBI agent and one of the most straight laced heroes that ever graced a Palmer book.  He is working on wrapping up the investigation into the murder of his brother’s first wife and child (Kilraven from Dangerous).  Joceline Perry is Jon’s administrative assistant and she DOES NOT do coffee.

Ms. Palmer has a formula for her books and it has been a very successful one- she has alpha males and women who are generally shy, undereducated or from the poor side of town. The men roll all over the women until the women capture their hearts and then they fold like cards.  Palmer fans, of which I am one, unabashedly enjoy it when the big, tough, mean, man gets his comeuppance.  In this book, Jon is actually a pretty decent guy who treats Joceline fairly decently.  His mother, Cammie, takes over the meanie role and does a spectacular job at it.

The way Jon and Joceline dance around each other makes the outcome satisfying if not predictable. ( It is a romance after all!) The murder case adds suspense to the story and there are some interesting characters throughout the book. Joceline has a son whose paternity is unknown and has health issues which are realistically portrayed. The problems of having a sick child who needs expensive medicine not covered by insurance are also accurately written.

Those of us who have read all of her books have been waiting for Jon to get his own story after getting little glimpses of him in earlier books. This book should make all of the fans happy until we get restless for the next book!

RPL Notes: Merciless is available in the Adult New Fiction section and as an audiobook on CD .