4.5 stars.
My Initial Reaction...
Trapped by Revenge was the best Shelby Nichols book thus far! Shelby's landed herself in the worst mess yet and I really wasn't sure if she'd manage to get out of it.
The Narration...
I've teased that Wendy Tremont King isn't very good at Mexican accents (and she's not). But in Trapped by Revenge, I discovered that she does country very well! Plus, she continues to give solid performances for all the characters and I really love her for Shelby. I can't imagine anyone else narrating this series at this point!
The Characters...
I still really love Shelby. She's just so genuine! She may lie plenty when dealing with people - since she has to cover up her ability to read minds - but Shelby doesn't lie to herself. She knows when she's wrong or has done something she shouldn't and owns it! I just wish she felt guiltier about her interaction with Ramos... but I guess it's okay to flirt and lust a bit, as long as she continues to know she loves Chris and will remain faithful to him, right? It would break my heart if Shelby ever did cheat on Chris, though.
I've always liked Shelby and Chris's relationship - it's refreshing to read about a couple in love after years of marriage and two kids. And Chris has only grown in my esteem over the course of the series. He started off not knowing how to deal with the Shelby and her new abilities, but by Trapped by Revenge he fully appreciates her abilities and supports her strength. He's her rock and support, just like a husband should be. Sure he wants to keep her out of trouble, but he doesn't stifle here either.
Ramos and Shelby's relationship changed a bit in the last book and I was nervous about how they would progress. They are openly flirtatious - so much so that Uncle Joey suspects they're having an affair - and I wish it were toned down a bit. But ultimately, I think Ramos respects her and her marriage too much to REALLY try anything. I have to say I enjoy their flirtations, as long as they keep it at that.
Uncle Joey is great as usual. I know he's supposed to be this mob boss bad guy, but I never feared him and by this point I would really be sad to see him get in trouble. He cares deeply about Shelby and I think he's a good guy to have in her corner (as Trapped by Revenge really shows).
It was also nice to be back with Dimples (Detective Harris) in Trapped By Revenge. I missed him in the last book and in Trapped By Revenge he really proves what a good friend he is.
A new character was introduced too - Billy Jo. Billy is a reporter and has a thing for Dimples. She's a good investigator, really country (at least in the audio version) and I like her a lot! I hope we see more of her in future books - I think she adds an interesting dimension to the story.
The Story...
In Trapped By Revenge Shelby's landed in the worst mess of all. She goes to visit a private detective for Uncle Joey and when she gets there he's dead. Worse yet, he's written her name on a piece of paper. Shelby is able to grab the paper, but it doesn't do her much good, because quickly the evidence framing her as the killer escalates. Uncle Joey thinks a judge is involved and Billy Jo recognizes a similar MO between her case and another one she's working on. No matter how you look at it, things are not looking good for Shelby.
I loved seeing the way Shelby had so many people working to help her - if you had doubts about Uncle Joey's intentions toward Shelby before, they're gone now. But regardless of how many powerful people she has on her side, the evidence isn't looking good and Colleen Helme didn't pull any punches. Poor Shelby is going through it and you really don't know when or if she'll get off!
Concluding Sentiments...
I loved Trapped By Revenge and cannot wait for Deep in Death to come to audio!