Arrested Hearts by Holly Stratimore

Arrested Hearts
by Holly Stratimore
Pages: 312
Date: December 13 2016
Publisher: Bold Strokes Books
Series: None

Review
Rating: 3.7
Read: November 7 to 8 2016

*I received this book from NetGalley, and Bold Strokes Books in return for a fair review.*

A book about a cop and a factory worker. I was excited to read this one after reading and rather enjoying the author's first book.

Characters
Officer Randi Hartwell is a thirty-something police officer who hates her job, is corrupt, and - in general - hates her life. Oh, and she's a player.
Friends: Nikki from the band that appeared in this author's first book.
pets: none
drink of choice: unknown, though known to drink beer.

Jule Chapin is around 32 years old and is a factory worker. She spends her free time drinking, smoking and in general hanging around wasting time - or at least she did. Very early on in the book she decides to turn her life around (based partly on the fact that her longish term girlfriend had dropped dead on her, about a year before the start of this book).
Friends: Mostly Brenda, though she also hangs out with/hung out with Kathy and Toni - all three are fellow factory workers with Jule.
pet: dog - Sirius.
Drink of choice: something other than alcohol.

Plot
A cop pulls over a woman who is on her way home from a bar. The cop claims she pulled the woman over because of the bumper sticker (no not the rainbow one, the one about how her dog is smarter than an honor roll student). The cop then proceeds to order the woman to walk a straight line; and performs an illegal search and seizure while the woman is distracted - finding an illegal substance. The cop then produces this substances and cockily says 'sleep with me or I'll arrest you'; to which the woman responds with a 'I'd prefer to be arrested.' And this is how Jule and Randi meet.

For some unfathomable reason, Jule can't stop thinking about 'Officer Hartwell', despite, you know, how they first meet. Oddly, Randi also has a certain problem of keeping Jule off her mind. And so the two gingerly circle each other. Jule continuing to attempt to better her life (stop smoking and drinking, taking up jogging/exercise/yoga/dating 'appropriate' women); while Randi continues to stalk and harass Jule (and get caught up in a serial sexual rapist case (she keeps finding the victims, but isn't assigned to the case)).

Overall
I do not find corrupt cops fun, and do not find sexual harassment funny or sexy. An argument could be made about consent, choices, etc. - well 1) I mention sexual harassment and not rape; 2) cops and the justice system are intimidating.

It's quite possible that I could have and would have given a higher rating but for both the use of sexual harassment in the story with the addition of the hand waving - the, well because of a traumatic experience . . . it's okay. Hmm, no. No. No.

So we are in a case of - I liked the book (for the most part) despite my strong opinions on the matters of corrupt cops, and weak justifications for poor behavior.

Oh, as an aside - there is a massive amount of sex in this book. Also a bunch of softball played, if we are filling out 'other stuff that occurs in the book' type things.

Rating: 3.7

November 8 2016