False Evidence

I received this book for free, this does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review

She was in unimaginable trouble and couldn’t begin to understand why.

False Evidence is the twelfth and final book in the romantic suspense series, Evidence. As I've not read any books in the series yet, it could definitely be argued that I had no business starting here, but it's December and this being set during the holiday time with me craving some romantic suspense, well, I jumped in. I can report that it is possible to just pick this up, there's flashbacks and world-setting history/dynamics/relationships to help newbies (and tempt! to go back and read previous books) acclimate to the world. I think it did hurt me a little that I was all new to the emotions regarding this couple's long history, Lex (Alexandra) may have a been a bit too forgiving to quickly for me, even when an apology was given. If you're a reader of the series, oooh boy would you probably love to experience and get this angsty couple's payoff.

She loved him but didn’t have him.

This starts off with in her forties single mom Lex leaving the house of her former roommate who committed suicide, having retrieved a hard drive that had old pictures on it and some personal items. Lex is pulled over by a cop and our suspense gets going when he is aggressive and physical right off the bat. Thinking she's fighting for her life, Lex wacks him in the head with the hard drive and hides in a ditch when a car is coming up the road, not knowing if it will be a cop who will shoot and ask questions later. When the car stops and someone gets out, only to walk over to the knocked out cop and shoot them, Lex knows she's in serious trouble, if not knowing why. This leads to Lex hiding out in her ex-fiance's, Jay (JT), cabin, where he eventually ends up himself, with her daughter, and we move more to the romance side with flashbacks to how Lex and Jay met and how it went so chemistry right for them, only to go so emotionally wrong.

He’d never loved anyone more than Alexandra, and he’d never hurt anyone more either.

With characters in their forties, these two have pretty much worked through their emotional baggage in the present time, Jay mentions how a therapist helped him. Jay had those Daddy Issues that had him taking his anger and insecurities out on Lex, leading to their first break-up and then another final one after an attempted reconciliation. Jay didn't think he was worth emotionally investing in and Lex struggled with not wanting to get lost in such a high powered man, he's extremely rich with political aspirations, and her wanting kids with Jay adamantly opposed. Lex met him when she was in grad school, she goes on to get her PhD and is a theoretical scientist who ends up teaching, and with the haven't worked through emotional baggage yet, the timing keeps these two from getting it right. Who knew all they needed was years of emotional work (duh) and Lex accused of murder with a statewide hunt for her going on (wild card)?

Here she was, sixteen years later, and once again sleeping in his arms.

In the present, Jay is pretty much all in with wanting Lex back, she puts up a little bit of a wall, she has an almost two year old daughter to worry for now. For as much as Jay was against kids, he falls pretty quickly for the daughter Gemma and going all in on a being a dad (him having a day alone to take care of Gemma lead to some cute/funny moments). You'll get more of their struggles in the flashbacks that span their sixteen year history. Around seventy percent the romance thread is mainly taken care of (there was some much appreciated grown-up feeling open door scenes) and we get the suspense plot coming in strong. I really liked how we get a pov from Lex's roommate, it humanized this character more, and readers see the pieces fall into place of how Lex is wrapped up in all this. It was a little rushed and a little messy with some of the relationship reveals and whys but, for the most part, worked.

With appearances by past main couples and the payoff for who seemed to be that messy couple in the series, I can see readers emotionally enjoying this capstone book. For a new reader jumping in, I thought some things came a little too easily but I enjoyed the angsty emotional, with some danger, ride.