**I received a complimentary ARC of this book via Netgalley but all opinions provided are my own.

Rachel Grant’s Silent Evidence is moving—tender and hot and filled with the romantic suspense drama that I love. The first half of the book was a little rough for me, but after one pivotal scene between the leads, I was all in.

Forensic anthropologist Hazel MacLeod is tasked with studying a large cluster of bones unearthed during a dam construction project. She has to determine when the bones were buried, and if they’re the result of a more recent crime, a historical one, or a prehistoric burial. Complicating this work is the mental anxiety she’s been experiencing in relation to her recent work with genocide victims; the series of threats made against her or her cousin’s wife Isabel; and her strong, but unrequited, feelings for her newly hired bodyguard Sean Logan.

Hazel’s had feelings for Sean for forever, and pretty much everyone knows it. I can handle apparently unrequited feelings in a romance, but the power dynamics at play in the first half of the book bothered me.

Sean makes repeated internal references to Hazel as a “party girl,” which felt condescending, especially because he didn’t give any real explanation for that point of view and it seemed hard to reconcile with other things he knew about her, like the fact that she examines the bones of people killed in genocides. She might have gotten drunk and propositioned him at a wedding months ago, but she also does something incredibly difficult/valuable to others as a profession, so calling her a “party girl” felt pretty reductive (even if Hazel does admit in one scene that that’s a “persona” she takes on when she’s around him).

Then if you juxtapose his internal references to her as a “party girl” and “broken” with her internal references to him as “perfect,” it became a little annoying.

Also, there’s the fact that everyone knows she likes him, and only he knows that he likes her. She’s constantly feeling embarrassed and meanwhile has no idea that he actually likes her/is attracted to her, etc.

But there’s a big moment in the woods between the couple, and Hazel finally comes into her own, Yes, girl! I wanted to clap for her. And Sean learns some things, too. After that critical point, I felt like I could really root for Sean and the two of them as a couple, and I was flipping pages like mad. Especially because the action ramps up around then, too.

The chemistry between Sean and Hazel is combustible, and their-getting-know-each-other phase is really sweet. Sean genuinely cares for her, and that comes across in their happier moments but also moments when she’s experiencing huge anxiety. I loved that Grant isn’t afraid to tackle mental and emotional health—or social justice issues, particularly those related to racial equality (of particular personal importance to our leads, since they’re an interracial couple). The book is substantive but doesn’t feel didactic.

In the end, Silent Evidence is a book that I grew to really enjoy—and I have big plans to read some of the other books in the series.

Silent Evidence is book eight of the Evidence series by Rachel Grant. Still one of the most intriguing suspense romance book writers around bar none. This time it is a national location on the east coast. Virginia where what first seems to be one set of bones is really just the beginning.

There are several threads to previous books with characters intermingling. However, I feel that a reader could still enjoy this book while wanting to read the others especially if new to the series. Forensic anthropologist, Hazel MacLeod is related to some of the characters but this is mostly her story with Sean Logan as her protector and love interest. The suspense is first rate with political aspects along with interesting twists the danger takes. As for the romance, it is a hot then cold relationship between the two. Fighting the attraction, the in denial of it being something that could last. The Hazel’s work and the suspense kept me reading more than the romance. Still I wanted to see Hazel and Sean find the love and peace that they would only have together.

Loved Sean and Hazels story. If you like the show Bones you will like this story. Bones were found in a lake. Not a person but many people’s bones. Hazel is determined to figure out what happened to them! Can Sean protect her through explosions, fire and car chases for her to solve the puzzle? This is an edge of the seat read that ends with you wanting more!

I read this book as an arc from NetGalley. I gave it 5 stars

Hazel is a forensic anthropologist and just got back from Croatia, looking at bones of genocide. She is going a a psychotherapist after examining the bones of children. She’s staying with her cousin ( a Senator )when he gets threatening mail. He can’t tell them everything but that the threat could be against his wife or her. Sean is a former SEAL and now works for a security company. He and Hazel have known each other for years so he’s picked to play her boyfriend but he’s really her bodyguard. Hazel has been attracted to Sean for years but he’s always turned her down. As they try to figure out who is threatening them, Sean realizes what an idiot he’s been.
I loved this story, it’s got action, steamy romance, and suspense. Great story to take your mind off every day aggravations.
* Voluntarily read and reviewed this for NetGalley *

This is the story of Sean and Hazel in Rachel Grant's Evidence series. I have not read the entire series, but have read a few. I feel like this one is more reliant on past stories than some of her previous stories, so there were points where I felt a little lost. However, I felt like she explained enough throughout to catch me up to speed.

Sean and Hazel are super hot and a little kinky ;). They've been interested in each other for a long time but Sean always held back because Hazel is related to his former boss. Finally, sparks ignite while Sean is brought in to protect Hazel from threats. This story is also a little political not only because it brings in Rav's political career more, but also discusses topics like racism and interracial couples since Sean is black and Hazel is white. I felt like this was handled very well.

I'm interested to see who features in the next story!

As a forensic anthropologist, Hazel MacLeod is still recovering from examining bones found in a mass grave in Croatia. Although she needs more time, she can’t say no to her good friend, Dr. Isabel Dawson, when asked to examine bones found in a recently drained reservoir. Now due to a classified threat to her cousin, Senator Ravissant, his wife Isabel and to herself, she is reunited with Sean Logan, former Navy SEAL. She has not seen Sean since an embarrassing incident in Grand Cayman and now he will be her bodyguard until the threat is neutralized. Since the threat contains classified details, Sean and Hazel must pretend to be lovers so that he is able to give her the 24/7 protection she needs. They do not know if the threat is due to her cousin’s, political agenda or whether someone is trying to keep Hazel from discovering the identities of the victims in the reservoir. As danger continues to stalk them, can Sean keep her alive? I received an advance review copy at no cost and without obligation for an honest review. (by paytonpuppy)