The Colton 911: Grand Rapids series is part of a wider universe featuring members of the Colton family (who are all military, law enforcement or in some other related profession) who live and work across the US. It’s a multi-author series, in which all the books are supposed to be able to stand alone, but as I quickly discovered not long after I started reading Colton 911: Agent By Her Side (book four in the Grand Rapids series) the need to incorporate various items of backstory led to lots and lots of mind-numbing info-dumps that added precisely nothing to the main storyline.

The overarching plot of this mini-series concerns the search for con artist Wes Matthews, who has defrauded people of millions and endangered lives by selling a fake supplement promising to be a fountain of youth called RevitaYou that containes traces of Ricin, AND scammed most of his investors out of a fortune via a dodgy pyramid scheme. Matthews has eluded capture so far, but this story opens with a call to the FBI tip line with information that he’s holed up in a remote location by Reeds Lake. The person manning the tip line is not an FBI agent or employee but a local PI, Kiely Colton – which felt completely unlikely; why would the FBI employ a PI to man their phones? (And is it ‘Keeley’ or ‘Kylie’? I like to pronounce names correctly in my head when I’m reading, and continually wondering what it was supposed to be pulled me out of the story almost every time I saw it.)

Anyway, Kiely takes the tip to Special Agent Cooper Winston, with whom we’re told she has butted heads in the past, and who is heading up the hunt for Matthews. Kiely and Cooper are just about to head out to the lake to check out the tip when Cooper gets a call from his son’s preschool to say that little Alfie has been snatched. An anonymous phone call after they arrive telling Cooper to stop the search for Matthews confirms suspicions that whoever took Alfie is related to the case somehow, so Cooper and Kiely decide to check out the cottage at Reeds Lake and whaddya know? Alfie and the kidnapper are there!

They rescue Alfie – but Cooper suffers a couple of cracked ribs, a head injury and a concussion, and receives strict instructions from the doctor that he’s to take it easy for six weeks – how on earth will he manage? No prizes for guessing he asks Kiely to become his live-in nanny.

Kiely – who isn’t fond of kids and whose sisters insist she doesn’t have a maternal bone in her body – finds that Alfie has “somehow wrangled a tight grip on her heart” She’s a domestic goddess, making gourmet meals and getting Alfie to eat whatever she serves up without complaint. A couple of days later, Cooper’s house is bombed and he’s once again warned off searching for Matthews.

Cooper, Kiely and Alfie are moved to a luxury safe house where Kiely gets to do yet more gourmet cooking, more bonding with Alfie and more making eyes at Cooper. Oh, no wait – there’s no making eyes, and no romantic tension between Cooper and Kiely whatsoever. We’re told they’re attracted to each other – Kiely finds the sight of Cooper in nothing but his boxers causes “heat [to] course straight though her feminine spirit” for example (whatever the hell a “feminine spirit” is – Gin? Vodka?) – but shown nothing to back it up.

After the move to the safe house, we tread water until around the three-quarters mark, but I’d lost interest long before then. And I had to wonder – how safe is a safe house where the people living there can make phone calls on their personal mobiles, go out grocery shopping and have their sister over to visit? There are so many inconsistencies in the story I can’t possibly point to them all. We spend over half the book watching Cooper and Kiely play Happy Families while the author talks up their non-existent connection, until Kiely comes out with this gem:

“Are you interested in a relationship, Cooper?”

Before they’ve even kissed – but even if they had, who SAYS something like that?!

There are a couple of sex scenes, hence the ‘warm’ rating going by AAR’s guidelines, but personally, I’d rate it as ‘damp (and not in a good way!) squib’ – and it’s full of flowery language about “sensual gratification” and “hedonistic decadence” and “heat rising like a vengeance between them” – when there’s no heat at all.

The writing is wooden and cliché-laden; my Kindle is bursting with notes, but here’s one choice passage:

“She was sunshine in the midst of a storm. Her carefree spirit was like a breath of fresh air. She was light in a well of darkness. She was everything he had been missing in his lie. He had vowed to never love again, but something about Kiely had him reconsidering that pledge.”

PUH-LEEEZE.

And when Cooper says this to Kiely:

“Who knows why women do what they do? I stopped trying to figure you and your kind out years ago.”

I was hard pressed to remember that this book was published in 2020 and was written by a woman.

So we’ve got a plot that basically goes nowhere, a commitment shy hero and heroine, a bunch of family connections far too large to keep track of, and Alfie the wonder-kid, one of those miraculous plot-moppets who, though often referred to as “the baby” can say things like “Open da door, Ki-Ki! Got to go potty!” and “Me was a bad boy. Alfie will be good, okay?” , and is confused when he registers that Kiely’s twin sister looks like Kiely but isn’t her. (I’m not sure a toddler would notice or care much about it!)

Colton 911: Agent By Her Side is the first book I’ve read by this author and on this showing, it’ll be the last. I haven’t read any of the other books in this series, and even though they’re by a variety of authors, I’m not exactly inspired with confidence to try another one. This one isn’t romantic, it’s not suspenseful and to call the characters cardboard cut-outs is, frankly, an insult to cardboard-cut outs everywhere.

Grade: D

Who are Cooper and Kiely? Where are they from? What does each do for a living? Who is Claire Miller? What about Wes Matthews? What do we learn? Who is Alfred? I liked him a lot!! What do we learn about Alfred and Sara? Oh, goodness gracious! From kidnappings to deaths, to attempted murder, and more, this book keeps you on the edge of your seat! I fell in love with certain characters in this story! I shed a few tears as well. Read and see why!

This is the fourth book in the the series and the second I have read so far. I have the books two and three on my to be read pile but I haven't gotten them as of yet.

Kiely Colton is a Private Investigator while Cooper Winston is a FBI Agent. Both Kiely and Cooper have been working to bring down the leader of a pyramid scheme. When they end up having to work together things begin to heat up.

I liked both Kiely and Cooper as characters and I enjoyed that they didn't seem like a likely pair. One thing that I enjoyed was the fact that Cooper was a single father. I'm a sucker for those in books. All in all this was a good read.

As always with these series we are left with a bit of mystery which will continue into the rest of the series. Plus it is a Harlequin and they can be a little tame at moments in regards to the heat and steam of love scenes.

None of that is a take away from this book. As I said I enjoyed it and look forward to the next one in the series. I need to know what happens now.

Kiely is a PI working with FBI Agent Cooper Winston who is as straight-laced as it comes. When a kidnapping attempt is made on Coopers son works on getting his son back. Kiely is there to help out and help figure out who is behind what's going on.

If you love romantic suspense books you'll like this one. I enjoyed seeing Kiely and Cooper work together as well at the romance that was forming between the two. While their lives are in danger Cooper manages to land Kiely to helping him out with the baby to keep him safe as they figure out who is trying to get to the baby and who is coming after them because after a bit of mishaps clearly someone is coming. Overall this was a pretty great book. There are a couple steamy scenes, a good mystery and just non stop with what's going on that it'll hook any reader from start to end.

Colton 911: Agent By Her Side (Colton 911: Grand Rapids #4)
by Deborah Fletcher Mello


4.5 stars

This book really grabs your interest from the beginning and never lets go.

A tip comes in on the FBI line relaying the location of a suspect. PI Kiely Colton takes the tip and wants to follow up but Special Agent Cooper Winston isn't sure. Then his son is kidnapped and he is found at the location that came through on the tip. This draws the couple into a web of deceit that is a real nail biter.

I loved how the characters interacted. Nothing happened too quickly. It felt like it unfolded very naturally considering all the dire circumstances surrounding them.

I received this as an ARC via NetGalley for an honest review. Thank you.

Good book with a nice blend of romance and suspense. Kiely is a PI with her family's business, Colton Investigations. She has a reputation for getting the job done, and also for pushing the envelope of legality. This has put her at odds with Cooper Winston, a by-the-book FBI agent. Because of her family's excellent reputation, they frequently work with local law enforcement, including the FBI. She currently assists with a case that also has a personal connection for her. When a tip comes in that she thinks is legit, she wants to follow up on it immediately - alone. Cooper, the lead agent on the case, disagrees.

Cooper is skeptical about the tip, but doesn't want her to follow up on it by herself and insists on going with her. Kiely irritates him with her disregard for the rules, but he doesn't want her to be in danger. Before they can leave to check it out, Cooper receives a call from his son's daycare that little Alfie is missing. Cooper and Kiely rescue him through a fortuitous series of events, but Cooper is injured in the process. Cooper is a single dad, and Alfie is his world. Because the boy may still be in danger, Kiely steps in to help protect him and also take care of Cooper.

I loved the development of the relationship between Cooper and Kiely. Together 24/7, each of them discovers a different side of the other. Kiely sees that the cold, rigid FBI agent is also a warm, relaxed, and loving father. Cooper finds that the go-for-broke PI has an unexpected soft side that connects quickly with his son. There are several terrific scenes as he and Kiely get to know each other, and show them becoming a temporary family. Neither expected the sparks of attraction that flew between them. Cooper didn't think that he'd be drawn to another woman after his wife's death, but can't deny his growing feelings for Kiely. Kiely was wary of love because of things she had seen in her parents' marriage. I enjoyed seeing Kiely discover new facets of herself and laughed at her family's reactions. It was nice to see that both Cooper and Kiely were upfront about their feelings. There's an event at the end that solidifies those feelings. Cooper's support and understanding as Kiely dealt with the aftermath was awesome.

The suspense of the story was terrific. The book starts with a rush when Alfie is kidnapped and maintains the intensity throughout. Both the FBI and Colton Investigations are determined to find their quarry. Alfie's kidnapping adds a new set of questions as they try to figure out its connection to the case. As Cooper and Kiely delve deeper into their search, the attacks on them intensify. The final confrontation with the kidnapper was a nail-biter with a satisfactory conclusion. However, an unexpected twist showed that the danger wasn't over yet. This one had me glued to the pages (and up way too late) as Kiely faced a frightening foe. Some progress is made in the overall investigation, leaving me ready for the next book and whatever happens there.

I have become kinda in love with the Colton 911 series with the different authors to give it flavor. In this one I was introduced to a new author to me whom gives us a special agent. PI Kiely and FBI Cooper must work together even though there is some bucking about it at first. You find out Cooper is a good guy right away because of how great a job he is doing as a single dad. His son will steal your heart so be careful. The balance is a good one in this with the suspense that has intrigue along side the romance too. They have a killer to go after that will have them using all their wits for sure. This one gave me a taste of this author which will have me keeping my eye out again.

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Colton 911: Agent by Her Side is the first of the multi-author series I‘ve read, as well as my first Harlequin Romantic Suspense, however, I was interested in reading books by the author, Deborah Fletcher Mello. And as both my intro to the series/line and the author, it’s a pretty fun one.

Kiely and Cooper are both great characters, and while they are somewhat opposites, I liked seeing them find common ground. And the bits of Kiely bonding with his young son are adorable.

It does suffer from an issue I often have with romantic suspense in that I want a bit more of the suspense aspect. However, that is an entirely subjective concern.

I liked this book, and am interested in trying more from the Colton 911 series, or from the Romantic Suspense line in the future. If you love category romance and/or romantic suspense, you should check this out!

This is a book in a series which I have not started yet, but when I do I will gladly come back and review the series for my bookstagram.

Private Investigator Kiely Colton and FBI Agent Cooper Winston have always butted heads. Copper is a by-the-book agent, and Kiely is often inclined to break the rules if it gets the job done. When Cooper’s son is kidnapped, Kiely jumps right in to help keep him safe. During their confinement in the safe house, Kiely and Cooper’s true feelings come to light. It was love at first sight for Kiely and Cooper’s son, Alfie. Kiely discovers a nurturer inside she never knew existed. Cooper finds that he can love more than one woman in a lifetime. In the midst of their precarious situation, for Kiely, Alfie, and Cooper, it is a time of bonding and building a solid relationship for the future.

Kiely is an independent woman who works for her family’s PI firm and partners with the FBI on current cases. Her family has her pegged as a career woman with no desire to settle down and become domesticated. Little do they know, nothing could be further from the truth. Cooper is a widower with a two-year-old child. He’s a loving father who juggles fatherhood and his by-the-book job as an FBI agent after his wife passed away two years ago.

AGENT BY HER SIDE is a good read and the fourth book in the Colton 911 Grand Rapids Series. The author created a sweet story of two people finding something they didn’t know they needed or wanted, for that matter. There’s a little drama, a little danger, and lots of love in the mix. The pacing is good with an exciting plot and likable characters. Dialogue between the two main characters is lively and confrontational in some scenes; because butting heads is what Cooper and Kiely do best. But when danger strikes, Kiely and Cooper become closer and discover a deep attraction neither one expected. And of course, little Alfie loves his Ki-Ki, aka Kiely. Ms. Fletcher Mello’s story brings three people together who need each other and go on to form the perfect family unit. Another happily ever after!

AGENT BY HER SIDE is an enjoyable read and I recommend it to other readers. Curl up in your favorite chair and prepare to be entertained

Reviewed by Shirley Fleming for Romance in Color

Thanks to the publisher for providing me with a free copy of the book via NetGalley.

When unlikely couple Kiely and Cooper find themselves working together, unexpected sparks fly.

Agent by Her Side is an emotionally satisfying, very romantic entry in the Colton 911: Grand Rapids series. There’s a lot going on in the story, but Mello is deft at building the romantic relationship that sparks as Kiely and Cooper conduct their investigation together. There does seem to be a lot of emphasis on the romantic development over the suspense aspects of the plot, and while it was heart-warming to see Kiely focusing on previously unexplored domestic and maternal sides as she got to know Cooper and his son Alfie, I sort of would have liked to have seen a bit more of her skills as a PI and trained investigator. That said, as Cooper’s son is a substantial part of the story, it made sense to have the characters spend a lot of time home and getting to know each other, as compared to out chasing bad guys. I very much enjoyed Mello’s characterization – not only of Kiely and Cooper, but also all the other Colton characters that had cameos as the story progressed. For fans of the Coltons, there’s definitely continuity involved, but the book is easily readable as a standalone novel for those unfamiliar with the family – or this branch of it.

I gobbled up this book over the weekend! Kiely and Cooper are total opposites but their chemistry is palpable. The book starts off with a bang when something unthinkable happens to Agent Cooper Winston and his family. Kiely Colton, a PI steps in to give him a helping hand, despite not getting along with him at first. Of course, once they are in forced proximity (one of my favorite tropes/scenarios) things heat up. The pace is super quick, the passion is intense and the writing is flawless as usual from Deborah Fletcher Mello. This book is part of a larger series written by different authors but you can read this book as a standalone. If the other books are as good as this one, I plan to read the series!

Colton 911: Agent By Her Side by Deborah Fletcher Mello is the fourth book in the Colton 911: Grand Rapids Harlequin Romantic Suspense series. The protagonists are Private Investigator Kiely Colton and FBI Special Agent Cooper Winston. They have both been trying to track down the leader of a pyramid scheme. When an event occurs that forces the two of them to work together, bullets, explosions, and sparks start to fly.

Both Kiely and Cooper are likeable, but very different characters and seemed an unlikely pair. Their flaws and virtues came through and they were definitely someone you could root for. Both had clear goals that influenced the plot and had believable motivations. The secondary characters were not quite as well developed, but they did enhance the story rather than overwhelming it. The world-building was good. Kiely’s change in priorities seemed to come too quickly and would have been more believable if it had happened over the course of multiple books. Unfortunately, not all of the case is resolved in this book. There are a few steamy scenes in the book.

Overall, this was an enjoyable and entertaining romantic suspense with plenty of action. Additionally, the author did a good job of meshing the romance and the suspense without either suffering. My 3.5 star rating is rounded up to 4 stars. If you are a fan of romantic suspense, then you may want to check this one out. I am looking forward to reading the next book in the series.

HARLEQUIN – Romance (U.S. & Canada) and Deborah Fletcher Mello provided a complimentary digital ARC of this novel via NetGalley. This is my honest review. Opinions are mine alone and are not biased in any way.

I totally enjoyed this romantic suspense from beginning to end. Cooper Winston is a single dad trying to do everything. He's working the Revitayou case and trying to raise his 2-year-old son Alfie after his wife died.

Kiely Colton is a private investigator who helps the FBI with their tipline on her downtime. When she gets a tip telling her where the man responsible for her brother's disappearance might be, she springs into action. She's no-nonsense and isn't a huge fan of Cooper Winston, but since he is the agent in charge, she has to do things his way.

It's on the way to the address the tipster gave them that things go awry. Little Alfie is suddenly in danger, and it's up to Kiely and Cooper to keep him safe.

Bullets fly and explosions abound, telling Kiely and Cooper they are closer to discovering the secrets of Revitayou and Wes Matthews than they know. All they have to do is stay alive. Trapped in an FBI safe house together with Alfie, you get to see a different side of Kiely. A side even she didn't know she had. She was a natural-born mother and loves Cooper's little boy like her own. She quickly discovers she's falling for Cooper, too, and that was scarier than all the bullets and explosions that came their way.

Often times when reading romantic suspense, the focus is on the suspense and the romance plot falls apart. That was not the case in this book, so I have to give the author kudos for weaving the romance line into the suspense line flawlessly. If you love the Colton series then you don't want to miss this one! The whole Colton gang is here to help Kiely with her case and some secrets are revealed that will surprise you.