Maggie Blackbird

Today, I’m hosting author Vanessa M. Knight’s latest release Busting Loose, book three in the Busted series, a romantic suspense. Be sure to read my review. And don’t forget to enter the Rafflecopter giveaway.

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Title: Busting Loose
Series: Busted, book three
Author: Vanessa M. Knight
Genre: Romantic Suspense
Length: 266 pages
Release Date: March 18, 2025

In a world of lies and danger, the only thing harder than solving the case… is resisting the chemistry between them.

Blurb: Leticia “Leti” Ramirez has always found comfort in numbers. They’re safe and reliable–unlike the disastrous setups her mom finds at the local dry cleaner. With her focus squarely on her career at Busted Detective Agency alongside her two best friends, Maggie and Danni, Leti is done with men and their drama.

Kevin Lane has been stateside way too long to still be working at his sister Maggie’s detective agency. But the process for the Chicago Police Department is long and he has to keep at it if he wants to succeed. He doesn’t have time for distractions like the beautiful, brainy Leti, but her long legs and killer smile are impossible to ignore.

When Leti and Kevin get wrapped up in a case that involves laundering money from children’s charities, they quickly realize they are in over their heads. With attempted hit-and-runs and ominous threats closing in on them, they need to trust each other if they want to make it out of this alive.

Goodreads | Amazon

Heading toward the right side of the decrepit building, Leti saw an archway. The outer door hung from a single hinge on one side, but she managed to sneak past. A blanket was shoved in the corner of the space, covering a pile of clothes and probably hiding a person’s entire livelihood. Whoever was squatting there must have gone out to find food.

She avoided the pile of stuff and peeked in through a filthy window next to a plywood-covered door. Inside, the building was empty. No furniture. A beam hung down in the center of the room. The condemned sign wasn’t lying.

“Hey!” a woman screeched.

Leti dipped underneath the sagging doorway and stepped away from the building.

A woman stumbled toward her, through the drug paraphernalia wasteland. A tattered coat hung from her body. Fists covered by fingerless gloves waved in the air. “Get away from my house!” The woman staggered closer.

Leti ran straight for the car. She would not fall. Not in this lot with the glass and needles. She made it past the rattling diaper. Rattling. Leti was so out of here.

The woman yelled and kept coming.

Leti was faster but somehow the woman was gaining on her. It was like being stalked by Pepe Le Pew with all the smell and without the love. She was either going to have to get away or she was going to have to use Krav Maga on a homeless woman. That felt wrong.

She threw open the car door and slid inside. She slammed the door, and the locks snapped with a click. High-pitched mumbling wafted into the car through the closed windows. Her heart hammered in her chest.

The woman slapped at the glass. “Get out!”

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I enjoy reading romantic suspense, so when Busting Loose came up for review for a blog tour, I was in.

Leti is a step away from acquiring her CPA.  She does not have time for disastrous dates, not after her cheating husband left her for another woman.  So even though Kevin intrigues her, she does her best to resist.  The same for Kevin, he finds Leti very attractive, but he’s focused on getting his life in order, but when she begins looking deep into a case at the agency, he has no choice but to help her.

Although this is the fourth book in the series, it can be read as a standalone.  The other characters in the novel don’t overwhelm Leti and Kevin’s story but appear to add to the plot.  The plot is big since someone is laundering money from a children’s charity, and even worse, people are turning up dead.

I enjoyed Leti and Kevin’s romance.  There is nothing huge keeping them apart, other than their own insecurities and stubbornness.  Both are stubborn, and Leti is not about to allow Kevin to take charge of the case, even though he’s pushing to.  She’s determined to solve it whether she has his help or not.

I enjoyed the growth on both their parts.  Kevin has some deep childhood issues with his father, and he’s continuing to grieve the death of his mother.  As for Leti, she has some secrets too.  Who the woman was that came between her and her husband, and why she is determined to crack the case.

The other characters from previous novels step forward to help the duo.  I enjoyed the suspense part of it.  The author kept it tight while also making sure to concentrate on the romance.

As for the setting, it takes place in Chicago, but I never quite felt as if I was there.  Maybe it was me?  LOL.  Not sure, but this could have been set in any city in the US.  The writing is excellent, and the dialogue between Leti and Kevin is coy, fun, and also deep at times.  It does seem a bit light at times, though, for a romantic suspense.

The duo gets a HEA, but in the epilogue, it hints at the next novel and what is to come since we haven’t seen the last of what went down with the child agency.  It’s a great addition to the series and stands on its own.  I recommend you give the book a read.  I enjoyed Leti and Kevin.  They are very likable characters.

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Who is Vanessa M. Knight?  Well, I’m an author.  Wow.  After years and years of wanting to use those words, that is fun to say.  It’s almost as fun as supercalifragilisticexpialidocious.  Did I spell that right? 

I write contemporary romantic suspense.

I live in Chicagoland with my family and menagerie of four-legged friends.  In my mind, these lovely animals do everything as they should.  I’m the alpha, keeping peace and harmony amongst my humble servants.  In real life, they own me.  I’m the maid, here for their feeding pleasure.  Well, that and to clean up their messes.

When not catering to the needs of adorably-furry faces, I slug through the nine to five grind and head home so I can write.  Of course, that’s after I make dinner and clean the house and all the other tasks that go into family life.  So really, I work, cater to animals and my family… and then, if I don’t fall face first into bed, I write.  I love putting my characters into crazy situations and watching how they react. I hope you love reading about them. 

I love to hear from fans.  I can be found on Facebook and on my website.

Follow Vanessa: Website | Facebook | Amazon

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