Renegade [Paperback]

In Jacobsville, Texas Police Chief Cash Grier goes to New York to see Tippy "Georgia Firefly" Moore, the famous model turned actor. Cash and Tippy recently met in his hometown (see LAWLESS) but Tippy has mixed feelings about the lawman who wants to see her because she is very attracted to him, but fears intimacy since her stepfather raped her as a teen while her drugged out mom did nothing. In fact once she escaped she rescued her abused younger brother nine year old Rory from that hell although their "parents" use him to blackmail her for drug money.

Cash picks up Rory at his Maryland military school and takes him to his sister in the East Village. The attraction between Cash and Tippy could ignite Manhattan, but both remain wary as neither trust easily; she due to her stepfather and he due to his former fiancée's rejection in which she labeled him a cold killer after telling her about his military black ops work. However, druggies linked to her stepfather target Tippy and Rory as easy money, but they failed to factor in Cash, who loves both of them.

This engaging romantic suspense is more of a character study of two walking wounded rather than the police procedural love story of LAWLESS. Tippy and Cash have issues involving trust and intimacy as both have been hammered by the darkest side of humanity. Rory is a terrific "matchmaker" although his adjustments seem too easy. The "parents" are poster adults for why having children needs licensing more than marriage between two consenting adults. RENEGADE is a deep look at the healing power of love.

Harriet Klausner

Diana delivers another truly amazing story. I have been reading Diana's books for some time now and I have come to love and cherish every book she writes. From the moment he was introduced in the Texas Ranger, Cash Grier has stolen the hearts of all he comes across. In Lawless Cash proves to all just how much of a formibadle presence he can be. We see that he is not the cold hearted lawman but, a carrying, loving, and sensual man. When Cash and Tippy spend some time alone all you see is sparks flying between them, but neither will even hint to what they are feeling. In Renegade these two ignite a flame of passion that can't be stopped. The one thing holding them back is that neither trusts the other due to their past ordeals. This story is so truling amazing and the story behind the romance is one that you can actually see happening. I love Diana's books and I love Cash Grier even more. I am thrilled that he got his own book so that he can tell his story to the world.

This probably rates about 3.5 stars more than 4. Renegade revisits 2 characters from Lawless - Cash Grier the police chief and Tippy Moore, the famous actress/model which caused a lot of grief in Christabel's and Judd's r/ship. She was a nasty person there but at the end of the book, she redeems herself and we understand the motives behind her horrid behaviour. She is given a kind of clean slate in this new novel where Palmer gives greater insight into her life and a bit of Grier's. Having a negative past with models since his father was seduced by one and left his wife for her, Cash was none too impressed with Tippy when he first met her in Lawless but now understanding her better and having met her little brother he sees that behind Tippy's glamour is a wounded soul just like himself. The two have faced many hardships in life and he enjoys a good camaderie with her little brother, who has a similar interest with him - he attends military school. Haunted by his past, Cash has never really formed any ties with people and places. The only person he has a soft spot for was Christabel, now married to Judd. Cash contacts Tippy in New York and visits her briefly where he forms a r/ship with her and her brother. Tippy wants more from him, but Cash isn't ready but despite that the two share a one-night stand where Cash soon disappears, not ready to commit. Tippy goes back to her life where she is acting in a movie but discovers she is pregnant. After being forced to do a stunt in the movie against her doubts, she miscarries and the tabloids spread nasty gossip about her. Believing what he reads, Cash realises that it was his baby that died and blames Tippy. Hounded by her alchoholic mother and threats from her and her mother's boyfriend Stanton for cash Tippy's life spirals downward. Her little brother is in danger, she's lost her baby and Cash. Then the worst happens - her brother is kidnapped and ransomed. Unable to come up with the money she rings Cash to get him to rescue her brother but he hangs up on her before she can explain the situation. To save her brother, Tippy exchanges herself - putting herself in the hands of the man who raped her years ago - her mother's boyfriend, Stanton. Cash, bothered by Tippy's call travels to NY and resolves the situation. However the two still have issues between them as they struggle with their personal emotional problems. This novel is pretty much typical Diana Palmer except there is less focus on the couple. As per usual, Palmer strikes at the heart of readers with her pleasure-pain emotions where the heroine is hurt terribly by the ruthless guy. When all is resolved, the ruthlessness is gone and replaced by absolute tenderness towards the girl. The emotions of the characters run rife with intensity where the hero interacts with the heroine with harshness with a few tender moments. There are little bits of humour interlaced with mystery/adventure. However, this book was not as good as Lawless, and somehow lacked the intensity of previous novels.

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