Vincent knows he's not the most
charming of the Moretti brothers. He prefers brooding to flirting, reading to
talking, and he sure as hell isn't about to give into his mother's insistence
that he 'settle down with a nice girl.' Luckily, Vincent's gig as one of the
NYPD's top homicide detectives keeps him busy. As does his long-time partner,
Jill Henley–a tough-as-nails cop with the face of an angel and smart mouth that
makes Vincent crazy in all the worst ways.
After six years of working the
homicide beat with the tight-lipped Vincent Moretti, Jill figure she knows him
better than anyone. Which is not at all. But when their most recent case points
to a potential serial-killer situation, the higher-ups send them on a rare
undercover mission to a place no NYPD officer dares go: the Upper Eastside.
Now the bureau's most antagonistic set
of partners is posing as Mr. and Mrs. Brooks of Park Avenue. Spending 24/7 in
the suspect's territory brings them closer and closer to their killer . . . and
closer to each other. Soon Vincent and Jill are playing good cop/bad cop in and
out of bed, and Jill's falling hard. But can she convince Vincent to give her a
shot as partner in life, as well as at the bureau?
Link to Follow Tour: http://www.tastybooktours.com/2016/02/cuff-me-new-yorks-finest-3-by-lauren_7.html
Goodreads Link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25862018-cuff-me Goodreads Series Link: https://www.goodreads.com/series/142511-new-york-s-finest
Vincent was
damn good at his job. It was why he’d been assigned a trainee during Jill’s
leave of absence despite the fact that his lack of people skills was as
legendary as his ability to sniff out even the most clever of murderers.
In truth,
Vincent had been dreading his three months with the near-rookie, but it had
been less painful than expected. Dansen was a good cop. A little green, but
when Dansen was assigned his new partner tomorrow, Vin had no doubts that the
guy would be able to handle whatever came his way.
And then
Vincent’s life would finally get back to normal.
Not that
these three months without Jill had been abnormal, precisely.
He still
worked the same backbreaking schedule. Still saw death more days than not.
Still went to
breakfast with his family after Mass every Sunday, and argued with his brothers
and occasionally with his sister during said breakfast.
He still watched
sports most evenings, still worked out most mornings.
So really,
his life wasn’t different without Jill at all. Except that it was. Wildly,
horribly different.
He glanced at
his watch. Two hours until her plane landed. Three hours, maybe four until he’d
see her again. Not that he was counting.
“So you’re
good from here?” Vincent asked. “If you need anything, I’ll be ...”
“Yeah, yeah,
I’ll call ya. You never did tell me where you were going.”
“Probably
because it’s none of your Goddamn business.”
Dansen put a
hand to his chest. “I’ve come to love these heart-to-hearts of ours. The way we
count on each other. Confide in each other—” “My cue to leave,” Vincent
grumbled.
He started to
get in the car, when Dansen called his name again.
Vin shot him an
impatient look and was surprised when the usually confident Dansen looked away
briefly before meeting his eyes.
“Hey, I just
wanted to say.. .” Dansen cleared his throat from across the hood of the car,
and Vin tensed, knowing what was coming.
God, he hated
shit like this.
“You can drop
the detective,” Vincent said roughly. “Just call me Moretti. Or Vin. Whatever.”
Dansen’s
smile flashed white across his dark face. “Do you know how many cops dream of
the day when they’re given permission to call one of the members of the royal
family by their first name?”
“Oh Jesus.
Don’t start that again.”
For the most
part, Dansen had done a remarkable job of not irritating Vincent to the extreme
over the past three months. But Dansen’s ridiculous hero worship of Vincent’s
last name grated on his nerves. Yet another reason he couldn’t wait for Jill to
get back.
Jill, who’d
never cared that Vincent’s father was the recently retired police commissioner.
Or that his older brother was a captain. Or that his younger brother was the
NYPD’s most famous officer.
Or that his
grandfather had been a cop and his mother had been a police dispatcher.. .
Okay, so
maybe Vincent could sort of understand where Dansen was coming from. The
Morettis were kind of NYPD royalty.
And Vincent
was proud to be a part of it. Proud to carry on the legacy.
He just got
damn tired of the ass kissing.
“Seriously
though, thanks,” Dansen said. “Couldn’t have asked for a better detective to
show me the ropes. A nicer one, sure. A better-looking one, definitely. And you
can be a real—”
“Asshole, I
know,” Vincent said.
Dansen held
up a finger. “Not what I was going to say. I think that’s the first time you’ve
tried to finish my sentence and gotten it wrong.”
“I’m never
wrong,” Vin said out of habit.
“Fine.”
Dansen rolled his eyes. “You’re an asshole. Happy?”
Vin didn’t
bother responding, just lifted his hand in a final farewell to Dansen before
the younger man could say whatever it was he’d wanted to say, and lowered
himself into the car.
Vincent slid
on his aviator sunglasses as he fastened his seat belt.
Vin kept his
face perfectly blank until he’d pulled away from the curb and merged into
traffic.
Only then,
only out of sight of prying eyes, did he let a smile overtake his face. A smile
that quickly became a grin as he headed toward his longtime barber for a very
overdue haircut.
He told
himself that his decision to get his hair cut after weeks of putting it off had
absolutely nothing to do with the fact that he’d be seeing Jill in a few short
hours.
Vincent had
never really given two thoughts to what Jill Henley thought of his looks.
But then, he
and Jill had never spent three months apart. He’d never had a chance to realize
just how much he’d . .. missed her.
Not that he’d
be telling her that.
Vincent Moretti, a tough, grouchy, donut-eating police
detective, is also adorable. For six years, he has worked side by side with fellow detective Jill
Henley, his opposite in most things, but also a perfect fit.
Jill, his partner, is a perky and positive young woman ready for a change in her life. During her three-month leave to Florida (caring for her sick mother), she meets and becomes engaged to a rich man who appears to be flawless.
On the day of her return to work, the detectives inherit a homicide case that appears to be one which might stump their perfect record.
Jill, his partner, is a perky and positive young woman ready for a change in her life. During her three-month leave to Florida (caring for her sick mother), she meets and becomes engaged to a rich man who appears to be flawless.
On the day of her return to work, the detectives inherit a homicide case that appears to be one which might stump their perfect record.
When Vincent sees the ring on her finger, he realizes the
enormity of his mistake. Sparks fly.
I love the story line. There was enough mystery to keep you guessing, enough romance to keep you interested, and enough real life involved to keep you turning the pages. Supporting characters were also well developed and put you right in the action. Tension throughout the book was great.
I love the story line. There was enough mystery to keep you guessing, enough romance to keep you interested, and enough real life involved to keep you turning the pages. Supporting characters were also well developed and put you right in the action. Tension throughout the book was great.
I would give
this book four stars.
Lauren Layne is the USA Today Bestselling author of more
than a dozen contemporary romance novels.
Prior to becoming an author, Lauren worked in e-commerce and
web-marketing. A year after moving from Seattle to NYC to pursue a writing
career, she had a fabulous agent and multiple New York publishing deals.
Lauren currently lives in Manhattan
with her husband and plus-sized Pomeranian. When not writing, you'll likely
find her running (rarely), reading (sometimes), or at happy hour (often).
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