Night Moves by HelenKay Dimon - quickie

Noticing suspicious activity at her lab, Maura Lindsey used her smarts to dig into the actions of her boss. But when an explosion rocked their offices, the brainy beauty realized she was in over her head. Luckily, she knew just the man—a handsome, tough and extremely qualified man—who could help. All she had to do was convince him to take the case.

Former undercover police officer Liam Anderson never had much time for his best friend's baby sister, but when Maura showed up at his door claiming to be in trouble, he couldn't just turn her away. And he couldn't ignore the intriguing woman she had become. Liam intended to make sure that she stayed out of the line of fire…and stayed safe in his bed.

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I think I liked this even more than Dimon's first Intrigue, Under the Gun. Liam and Maura were equals, with different but complimentary strengths. One thing that strikes me about both Dimon's Intrigues is that both heroes come across as human, rather than superhuman. They feel beat up, tired, achy, and not just on the last page. But they summon up the strength to keep going, because to do otherwise would mean sure death for their women (ok, and themselves). They make mistakes, too. But always manage to squeak it out, with help from their heroines.

One scene made me laugh but also struck me as so sweet. Here's a part of it: "She probably thought her running commentary on ther location was helpful. It was driving him nuts." (and it goes on to mention how it's giving him a headache, etc). Yet he doesn't tell her to be quiet because he knows she's been through a lot and he is so grateful that she's ok. So he lets her ramble on, knowing she needs something to do. It reminded me a little of how my husband will let me ramble on about something that I know I've mentioned before, simply because it amuses him and he likes to humor me. While Liam definitely wasn't amused, he tolerates what other heroes wouldn't, just because his woman wants/needs/gets something from it.

For her part, Maura isn't afflicted with TSTL. She asks for help and isn't afraid to let Liam protect her when she thought she needed it. Yet, she was firm about how to proceed when she was sure of herself. She's a smart woman, who never really saw herself as valuable in her own right. She wanted to be just like her boss. She didn't date much. She had no life other than validating someone else's worth. She grew during the book; learned to value her worth and to feel like a strong person.

I also liked that Spanner wasn't typed. I thought he might have been going down that path near the beginning, but Dimon clearly gives him a brain, too. And lets him use it.

I can't imagine how hard it is to write nonstop action (check +), keep a decent plot going (check +), and build a romance at the same time (check), all in a very short page count. Dimon does a good job of it. While the romance is always the hardest part for me to buy in an Intrigue, I definitely felt here that Maura and Liam were headed down the road to HEA. They understood each other and accepted each other's quirks. Maura helps Liam to see that the incident in his past wasn't his fault and that he is extremely worthy, and he helps her to see that there ismore to life than science - she's a beautiful, vibrant, smart woman. I emphasize smart, because although she frequently confuses him, he loves that she is smart.

Another pitfall that Dimon avoids like the plague (and did in her last Intrigue as well) is sex on the run, which while some agree it's fast, furtive, and hot, is simply implausible in most instances. Dimon deftly handles these feelings here on both sides with a gentle hand to the face, a brush of the lips, tender glances.

If there is one thing I would change, it was that Liam proposed and Maura accepted in such a short span. I have no issue with the I love yous, but a proposal seemed rash, given the short time frame of the book.

Looking forward to more.