Review: Merciful Law by Darby Rae

Merciful Law by Darby RaeSolid Spirit Publishers455 pages, paperback
Warning: Spoilers
This book was very different than what I was expecting. The cover photo and the title had me thinking this was going to be a legal thriller but instead it turned out to be a mix: thriller and love story. 
It follows Annie Logan after she has left her husband, Lawrence, and started a new life with a new identity. She is a bit fearful for her life, scared that her husband will find her and kill her. He was possessive, manipulative and abusive (verbally, I think) and before leaving she had discovered that he was also a killer. She finds a job as a personal assistant to Emmet Navar who is similar to her husband in that he is a successful lawyer, possessive and a strong willed. He is different, though. He has a son and loyal friends. He is also a bit damaged and that always makes the girls swoon, right?
A romance begins between Annie and Emmet despite the fact the he loses his temper easily- yelling at her  and calling her names when he jumps to the wrong conclusions more than once and she forgives him every time! She even blames herself for this abuse! It was hard for me to understand her relationship with him when she was so determined to get away from her own abusive husband. I was also amazed that this relationship would be considered a good alternative by the author when this is supposed to be Christian fiction. 
I actually wasn't aware of this before reading, but it came clear rather quickly when the main character is always at mass, her values are shared throughout and the relationship between Annie and Emmet doesn't progress much beyond some very innocent canoodling. She is, of course, still married. I don't have a problem with this, Rae just kept hinting that more was coming and every time they would go to their separate rooms. Quite the tease.
This book was hard to put down. I continued reading and reading even through the slow parts. I don't know why, really, because in the end I have come to the conclusion that I didn't much like the main character or the choices she makes throughout the book. There were some other interesting and fun characters, though. Emmet's friends and their banter was rather entertaining. The "guardian angel" Michael who looks after Annie was…a little weird, but oddly enchanting.
Anyway, I finished it. I liked parts and disliked others. It was okay, but I think I would have been happier if Annie had just left both men and gone off on her own.
2.5/5Source: Author/publisher for review



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