This was a difficult book to grade. I liked Michael’s Temptation, but thought the characters would have benefitted from having a bit more room in which to play out their story. There were moments, therefore, that I felt suffered from the length constrictions of the series romance, but at the same time the book kept my interest throughout. I read this in one sitting and let no interruptions stop me from finding out what happened next.

Michael West is on a mission to rescue a minister from San Christobal, where both the minister and a nun have been taken hostage by the very dangerous El Jefe. What Michael doesn’t know until he reaches them is that the minister is a woman. The Reverend Alyssa Kelleher is a widow who is still grieving the senseless death of her husband Dan, killed in a convenience store robbery. She admits there is a strong, mutual attraction between her and Michael but also admits to being put off by what he does for a living. There are issues between them, Michael’s work for one, and there are many things to be worked out between them as they make their way to safety.

The danger of their journey becomes more and more clear as Michael, who has suffered an injury, falls prey to an infection that nearly becomes fatal. He and Alyssa find help in a village, which becomes a target for El Jefe’s men, and then they all must flee for their lives. As the adrenaline rush of the rescue and escape comes to an end, there are suddenly other issues to deal with, such as what happens now with the relationship between Michael and Alyssa.

We get glimpses into Michael’s personality not only from his actions during the book but from flashbacks to his childhood. Michael comes from a broken marriage, having watched his father marry several times while he and his half-siblings tried to preserve some semblance of normalcy through each marriage. Thankfully, this has not made him bitter; he is strong and capable, and more than meets his match in Alyssa, who proves to be just as strong amidst the chaos that ensues.

While my peeves with the book are relatively minor compared to how much I liked Alyssa and Michael, let me explain what they were. First, there is a thread that is not played out until the very end of the book, even though it’s quite clear from the very beginning how it will develop and how it will cause trouble between the two leads. Second, some important issues between Alyssa and Michael are left up in the air at the end, and I kept thinking of that line from the movie Speed, when Sandra Bullock says, “relationships that start under intense circumstances, they never last.” A little more certainty or a glimpse into their future via an epilogue would have been a nicer way to end the book.

The action is well done in Michael’s Temptation. These people may be strong and fit but they’re not superhuman; they get tired, they get hurt, they get fevers that strike them down. Michael’s brothers stories were told in the earlier Jacob’s Proposal and Luke’s Promise. I was intrigued enough with this one that I’m looking to dive into their stories as well.