Big Trouble

Jameson's seamless, satisfying sophomore effort tells the story of Naomi Conner, a former computer hacker who has turned her talents (and guilt) into a career as a digital security expert. Eager for a promotion and a chance to redeem herself for an accidental hack she perpetrated as a teenager, she signs on to run a test breach of Brennan Shipping-the very defense contractor she once almost destroyed. Complicating the project is the irresistibly handsome but bull-headed Joe Casey, Brennan's acting chief technology officer and part heir to the Brennan empire. (Jameson's debut, My Hero, featured Joe's brother, Chas.) Though Joe suspects Naomi has a hacker past, he's undone by Naomi's killer combination of gorgeous blonde curls, Southern charm and brilliance. Though she tries desperately to keep things professional, Naomi has a hard time ignoring the primitive attraction she feels towards Joe. As she cracks wall after wall of company defenses, the barrier between the two colleagues inevitably crumbles, but the revelation of Naomi's past brings the affair to an abrupt halt. Also, Naomi's snooping uncovers a serious breach at Brennan, and with all evidence pointing towards Joe, Naomi fears she might have slept with the enemy. Jameson spins a slight but suspenseful romance with hi-tech window dressing.