superbly suspenseful: the forger by michele hauf

art forger turned investigator for the elite crimes unit at interpol, ethan maxwell still skirts the edge of the law. he hasn't touched a brush or easel since his arrest and recruitment to the e.c.u., but he has knowledge of crimes that haven't been shared or revealed.

when a vandalist/forger targets his father's forgeries, ethan is partnered with olivia lawson of the art & antiquities unit of scotland yard. she's in line for promotion to detective constable and needs a win in this case, though given her rocky reputation in the art world combined with a lack of funds for her department at scotland yard, things aren't looking too good.

in the forger, ethan must strike a tough balance. he cannot admit the truth of his past to olivia, because he risks death or incarceration, but the more they investigate the more apparent it is that he is being targeted. and there are some secrets he just can't keep from olivia. especially given their chemistry.

not only are they great partners on the job, they are also incredible in the bedroom. ethan has never had the chance to be close to someone like this, and he chafes at the constraints his job and his agreement with the e.c.u. put him under. he also knows that it's possible he could lose olivia by confessing everything. he's an art forger, and olivia knows all too well the kind of damage this particular kind of crime can cause. can they overcome those fundamental differences? is the attraction and reality of how perfectly they complement each other enough to leave the past in the past?

this is a romance with a happy ending, with a decent suspense-mystery thrown into the mix. the stakes aren't quite as high in the forger as they are in the thief, but the leads are charming and play off each other well.

**the forger will publish on august 8, 2017. i received an advance reader copy courtesy of netgalley/kensington books (lyrical press) in exchange for my honest review.