I was not sure what to expect with this one. Before beginning the book all I really knew was that it involved police officers in some way. And lesbians. Was not even sure if it involved lesbian police officers, just that both should be contained within the book. Oh, and a bit of romance. But I was not sure how it might all get tied together. As in, I've read police books, with lesbians, that were much more focused on the mystery, and other books wherein the inclusion of police was just window dressing, and no real police work and or mystery occurred.

Well, this one had a solid romance, and a solid mystery. At times it edged more one way or another, but mostly balanced. Good characterization on the police side of things. Criminal side had no real attempt to create in depth characterization.

Not sure really, but I think I mostly liked both CJ and Alex, the two main people in the book. POV alternated between them. I knew, once I got the lay of the land so to speak, that having one be the head of Internal Affairs, and the other being the head of Investigations, that the two would clash at some point. Which they did.

Alex is something of a hypocrite at one point. Which I disliked. Strongly - 'rules are rules', 'you need to be a good cop' type of character. Which I have/had no inherent problem with. The problem is that Alex was pissed off and looked down on CJ for investigating the case she was investigating, despite a conflict of interest. In that, she was investigating Alex, and they were in a relationship. Of course, the conflict of interest grew more from Alex 'just needing to touch' CJ, and be near her, and so couldn't stay away when she should have. So . . . it's okay for her to break the rules but not CJ? (CJ had a reason, not an excuse - she seemed to be the only one trying to clear Alex - not with false evidence or anything like that, just investigating with the belief that Alex was being set up.) So. Hypocrite.

I was going to immediately read the sequel, but then I did the stupid thing of looking at reviews. Though on Amazon, not here. Apparently some of the things that I vaguely dislike about Alex, though not enough to actually dislike Alex, get magnified in the next book. Based on reviews. So . . . reluctant to read it. When I had been inches from immediately starting it. Ah well.

A further note on the characters:
Alex is described as being "[m]edium height, very trim, with medium length, almost-black hair . . . lovely eyes, somewhere between blue and gray . . . pale skin" and smells of sandalwood. Alex has one sister. Her father died in the line of duty while Alex was in college. Alex immediately dropped out of college, got a job with the police, and worked to support her sister.

CJ is described as someone who does not look like a cop, but instead a news anchor with "perfectly cut red hair that fell to her shoulders, flawless pale skin, features movie-star pretty but for a straight nose . . . french manicure . . . bright green eyes." She hates her name, hence the use of CJ. She used to be called Bella back when she lived in Georgia. And still talked with her family. Occasionally Jo. But that's her past. Begins the series with a master's degree, and eight years in the Roosevelt Sheriff's Office (including a stint undercover while loaned out to the Federal Government, ATF) before beginning work as the head of Internal Affairs (with the title of Inspector, though she is a Lieutenant). Speaks with a southern accent, shown in the book by the almost constant use of "y'all" (as a reader, it struck me each time it occurred as if it was being used wrong. The author was born and raised in the Midwest, but that doesn't mean she couldn't get it right, so I might have that wrong). ( )