A Covert Affair, Kennedy L. Mitchell

Special gifts can make you valuable.  But when there are people who would use those abilities for their own gain with little thought to the holder of that gift it should become clear that there needs to be a change.  Except things aren't always that simple.  Lucia is unique, fierce, and committed.  She's also very tired.  When her next assignment is received it dangles the possible rewards that would mean the promotion she has worked so hard for, a little breather from her constant travels, and the change she so desperately yearns for.  But only if she's successful.  Her mission is to find a mole and recruit a SEAL to her agency.  If only things were that simple.  Standing in her way is a mole that doesn't want to be revealed, two SEAL teams full of individual secrets, a one-night-stand from over a decade ago with a seriously bad attitude, and one super hot SEAL that makes her think that maybe there's more to life than back-to-back missions and attempting to break through the glass ceiling.

I really loved Lucia.  Not only her ability, but the wisdom she used to wield it was impressive.  She tempers her gift with understanding, seeking out facts, and tenacity.  She's very good at her job.  The ability to handle herself and emotionally rely on her friend back home make me even more impressed.  If she were really the hard-ass that can see only herself and what needs to be done to advance her career she wouldn't be so torn between her head and her heart throughout this mission.  Her vulnerability is there too showing that she's still human even if she has the SEAL-sized cojones of the men she's currently working with.  And with the way she thinks quickly in the heat of the moment too?  She's ballsy, smart, sexy, competent, funny, and even a little soft for the right people.  From the beginning she was this great and I was wonderfully surprised that she continued to grow throughout the story.  There were moments where she got distracted and became confused about what she should do, lost sight of all the players she should be paying attention to, and overwhelmed by the secrets and pressures of the job, but despite all that she came out on top, still fighting for herself and the person she grew to love.

Gabe was all man right from the beginning.  I liked him right from the start.  Tired of all the things that come easily to him and stressed with family situations, he's at the precipice of change.  But what will tip him over the edge, what will set him on the course for his own forever?  That's currently unknown.  Only after he meets Lucia does he feel something immense is going to happen if he has the courage to reach for it and the tenacity to encourage her do the same.  The care and concern he had for her was sweet, his ability to understand her gave him insight when she was emotionally vulnerable.  He really cared for her and it showed in virtually everything he did.  Despite the misunderstandings in the beginning and the one high-intensity moment of confrontation, his commitment to her was awesome.  He also found a vulnerability within himself that was two-fold.  By ignoring the pain and frustration from his home life he was keeping himself from being all-in emotionally with Lucia.  Through his softening and gravitating toward Lucia he was able to confront his feelings regarding his parents.  Once he made peace with both things he found his center.  And when she was threatened, his world almost fell apart.  His reliance on friends and his team gave him the strength to fight for her and get her back.

Lucia and Gabe were honestly such a great couple.  They provided a balance for one another's ambitions and hearts.  They could encourage each other and truly understand what their jobs entailed, something that neither ever believed was possible.  Not to mention the passion...seriously hot together.  As for the story itself, I thought it flowed pretty well.  The progression was steady until it all came to a head.  There were a couple bits that were far more dramatic than I could have expected.  I enjoyed getting to know a few of the SEALs beyond Tony and Gabe.  And despite Tony's history with Lucia I liked how he eventually came around, that he sorted some things out for himself.  This is a standalone story but I sure wouldn't mind finding out about the woman that tips Tony's world off its womanizing axis.

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