Second in Command by VK PowellSecond in Command by VK Powell is the second book in the Fairview Station series. It totally stands alone, so you don’t have to read Captain’s Choice before picking it up.

Late one night when she’s out on patrol, Lieutenant Jazz Perry finds a young girl wandering in the streets of Greenboro. Having been through the foster system before she was adopted by the Carlyle family, Jazz is immediately drawn to Shea Spencer and immediately becomes a champion for her.

Emory Blake is a social worker for child protective services. When she sees Jazz for the first time in years, Emory is a little bowled over by how amazing Jazz looks now that she’s all grown up. But Emory knows there’s no way Jazz could be interested in her, since Emory is 14 years older than her and has a fuller figure. Plus, there’s the whole issue of Jazz trying to skirt the rules when it comes to helping Shea find a good home away from her deadbeat dad.

Emory is SUPER wrong when it comes to Jazz’s attraction, but another challenge comes its way in the form of a woman who’s determined to find her way into Jazz’s bed and also privatize adoption in their state—putting Emory out of a job and possibly even putting more children at risk. Can Jazz and Emory find their way together with so much standing between them?

The Characters

I am a massive Jazz fan. Her heart is huge and lives on her sleeve, driving her to do what’s right, even if it’s against regulations.

It took longer for me to warm up to Emory. I didn’t like her tendency to bag on herself for her weight and age, especially because it sometimes led her to run hot and cold on Jazz—and again, I’m team Jazz, so I wasn’t here for that. That said, when she starts digging into the private adoption agency and the horrible woman who runs it (who I won’t even name because she’s horrible and I can’t stand her), I started to like her a lot more because her determination and confidence really blossoms.

The Writing Style

I quite liked the story in this one. Shea features more strongly than I would have guessed, and that works well because it both advances the narrative and gives us more ways to get to know Jazz and Emory. Shea is also a fully formed character and isn’t just there to push the story along, and it was interesting to see how her journey was a part of everything that was going on in Second in Command.

The Narration

Hollis Elizabeth was back with this one and she did a good job of holding my interest. Some of the characters were differentiated better than others, but I didn’t have any issues keeping track of who said what.

The Pros

I mean, Jazz of course. But also, I enjoyed getting to spend more time with the Carlyle family.

The Cons

Like I mentioned above, some of Emory’s negative self-talk was a drawback for me.

Also, while nothing graphic happens on the page, I want to give a heads up that child abuse and endangerment does come up in this story in case that’s a trigger for you. However, I found it okay and that’s usually massive no-go for me.

The Conclusion

Fans of VK Powell or Captain’s Choice should check out Second in Command. And if you’re into romances about police officers, then you should check it out too!

Excerpt from Second in Command by VK Powell

Emory closed the computer program she’d been working on and glanced at the cold cup of tea beside the keyboard. Her plan to troll the hospital halls for outsourcing rumors had blown up with the stack of reports in her inbox. Three hours later, she dug her small shoulder bag from her briefcase, slipped her feet back into her heels, and headed toward the door. Lunch and then information.

She turned automatically through the maze of hallways toward the exit while checking her phone for messages and friends’ latest Facebook posts. The doors swished open ahead of her, and she tucked her phone into the side of her purse. A group of young children headed toward the entrance as she came out, and she sidestepped to avoid a collision, bumping into someone else instead. “I’m sorry.”

“We have to stop meeting like this.”

Jazz’s deep, teasing tone rippled through Emory, and she fumbled for a clever response. “I…yes…sorry.”

“Are you okay? We banged into each other pretty good.” Jazz scanned her up and down before settling on her mouth and rekindling the heat from yesterday. “I’m pretty solid.”

Emory’s mind was stuck on the banging into each other image and spoke before censoring. “I’ll say.

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Series

Fairview Station

Captain’s Choice

Second in Command

Bits and Bobs

  • ISBN number: 9781635551853
  • Publisher: Bold Strokes Books
  • Audiobook Publisher: Bold Strokes Books Inc
  • Narrator: Hollis Elizabeth

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Note: I received a free review copy of Second in Command by VK Powell. No money was exchanged for this review. When you use our links to buy we get a small commission which supports the running of this site