Title: Wild Ride
Author: Julie Ann Walker
Series: Black Knights Inc. #9
Pages: 386
During the previous BKI mission, Ozzie was badly injured and is still recovering. Since he isn’t being sent out on missions he has been tasked with distracting Chicago Tribune reporter Samantha Tate, who has been trying to dig up dirt on BKI for years. But as time passes, Ozzie realizes that he now views Samantha as more than just a friend.
Ozzie has been a character that I have loved since he was introduced and I have been eagerly waiting for his story, especially after the last mission. Ozzie isn’t the same anymore though. He is struggling with being the only survivor and potentially losing his ability to be in the field on missions. He has been hiding his feelings from everyone and has been trying to force his usual flirty nature but we only see the true him when he is around Samantha. Ozzie has been through some shit and really needs therapy but I loved seeing him return to being himself with Samantha.
Samantha is a determined and honorable reporter. While I didn’t love that Samantha was trying to uncover BKI’s secrets, I still really like her as a character, especially once we got to know more about her. She was a tough, sassy, and capable woman who took no shit and wasn’t afraid to stand up against assholes. Ozzie and Samantha’s relationship started as a friendship and then quickly became more when they both realized they wanted each other. There are still some complications with their relationship on top of BKI’s secrets that causes a third act breakup but it was still a very enjoyable relationship.
The suspense in this is about a case that Samantha is gathering information on and it leads to a much larger gun trafficking issue. I enjoyed the ‘mission’ of this one and how it was woven into Ozzie and Samantha’s relationship. Also I loved how smart and resourceful Samantha was during some of these situations. Overall, this was another great BKI book and I can’t wait to see who will fall in love next.
CW: kidnapping, sexual assault, threat of rape; survivor’s guilt, PTSD, nightmares; murder of a parent recounted; suicide of a parent briefly mentioned; alcoholic parent mentioned;
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Previous books and reviews for the series:
Red-Haired Ash Reads 