"Dangerous Beauty" by Melissa Koslin

Liliana Vela hates the term victim. She's not a victim, she's a fighter. Stubborn and strong with a quiet elegance, she's determined to take back her life after escaping the clutches of human traffickers in her poor Mexican village. But she can't stay safely over the border in America--unless the man who aided in her rescue is serious about his unconventional proposal to marry her. Meric Toledan was just stopping at a service station for a bottle of water. Assessing the situation, he steps in to rescue Liliana from traffickers. If he can keep his secrets at bay, his wealth and position afford him many resources to help her. But the mysterious buyer who funded her capture will not sit idly by while his prize is stolen from him.

I really liked this book; it was balanced really well with suspense and character growth. Though there moments of suspense interspersed throughout the story, it wasn't constant danger all the time--there was enough downtime to give Liliana a chance to breathe, and a chance to heal; time to get to know Meric and to figure out how to live again after what she'd been through. And more, she is given agency--part of it is how Meric lets her choose her own path at her own pace, but the greater part is how she steps out to help others who were in her position. She could have safely hidden away from all threats in Meric's penthouse apartment, but she chooses to step back into that fear to rescue others.

Meric is a tough nut to crack; he's the sort that doesn't share his emotions, and he doesn't want to say or do anything that could interfere with Liliana's healing. I did really respect how careful he was of her at the beginning, that he knew how to be as safe as possible around a woman who'd been sexually assaulted and had no reason to trust any man, let alone one that understands violence. And it becomes clear why he doesn't share everything he does, but it also becomes clear just how wounded he himself is from his--or more importantly, his mother's--past.

Thank you Revell and NetGalley for the complimentary e-book. I was not required to write a positive review, and all opinions are my own.