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kathydavie's review against another edition
First in the Slow Burn romantic suspense series and set in Houston. The couple focus is on Ramie St. Claire and Caleb Devereaux.
If I could give this a negative star, I'd do it in a heartbeat.
My Take
Terrible. Absolutely terrible. I don't know what's going on in Banks' life, but she is not there for her writing. Of course, it's always possible that I disliked Keep Me Safe so intensely because absolute terror does NOT turn me on, and the insta-love was so instant that it almost occurred before they met. Naw. It definitely contributed, but Keep Me Safe is absolutely swimming in overly dramatic melodrama.
I ain't buyin' it. If the Deverauxs' security is so hot, then how was Tori allowed out without it? It didn't have to be overt security. It could have been covert. "Extremely high level of security", my Aunt Fannie.
Banks does do an excellent job of making us feel the melodrama of how her gift affects Ramie, the desperation that Caleb is experiencing, the speed of the torment all three are suffering in their own ways. What she doesn't make us feel is Caleb's guilt. Oh, Banks tells us that he feels guilty, but I ain't feelin' it.
If he were truly this remorseful about what he'd done, why does he run off and abandon Ramie? How much time would it take to ensure she gets some care? Heck, he can bring her along on his private plane. Yeah, yeah, Ramie tells him to go. And he actually listens. It's okay to ignore her pleas when he wants something badly enough, but he feels the need to heed her when he has what he wants? Jesus, at least drop a wad of cash on her!
Ramie sounds like an intelligent woman, and yet the horror, the terror, the fear of being hunted by this man has her running stupidly. If she's helped so many cops find victims, why isn't she approaching any of them? Surely ONE of them would believe her, would help her? She's figured out enough that she suspects her hunter has psychic abilities, so why hasn't she tried to figure out more about that connection? Figure out how to dull it, cut it, break it?
And she's such a goody-goody. Argh. It's so annoying. Sure, I completely sympathize with how Ramie thinks about demanding a price, but surely the victims' families have had some kind of response to what she does? They must have offered something to her after the victims are found. The way the connection affects Ramie is so horrible, that she must need some kind of help. Why does she think it's acceptable for her to be tortured?
Then there's her reaction to Caleb's concern. *Lotsa eye rolls* Ramie should be able to at least accept Caleb's gratitude. She so decries the help she provides that you'd think she'd found the cat's catnip mouse, ya know, the raggedy one that has lost most of its stuffing. Instead, she's saved the guy's beloved sister from death. How does she not see the value of that? Oh, no, it was nothing… Gag.
Oh, man, then she believes it would be better for her to be on her own and on the run. That, oh, no, she couldn't possibly stay in a well-secured house with a rich man who has a security company and wants to help her catch the bad guy. Noo…*more eye rolls*…
Okay, Ramie says she can only feel the negative emotions in people, then she goes on to say she feels Caleb's determination. And that it's not negative. Um. Yep. Psychic links are "hokey bullshit". Sure. Caleb believes in Tori's psychic abilities, in Ramie's, believes in what's being done to Ramie, but "psychic links are hokey bullshit". Is Banks even paying attention to what she's writing?
I'll buy Tori's reaction to Ramie. It is reasonable. But I do want to know how Tori knew that Ramie knows everything? The younger brothers' reactions? How dare they behave this way? When they owe Ramie so very much.
Yes, there is sex in this. And I skimmed most of it. So, it could have been hot, but how do you drop from terrifying, horrible fear into insta-hot, slick, desirable sex? All it did was turn me off.
They have this fancy monitoring system, and nobody is monitoring it? Caleb buys into the set-up?
It's quite clever how Banks has set up her bad guy, how he captures his victims. How do you battle something like this?
What? They don't think to tell her what happened at the end??
My recommendation? Do not bother. Unless you like overly melodramatic crap. At worst, borrow it from the library, as I don't think you'll appreciate having wasted your money.
The Story
Ramie St. Claire is the Deverauxs' only hope to find their missing sister. That video tape…Tori doesn't have long to live. Although. That may be a mercy.
The Characters
Ramie St. Claire is a psychic who experiences a connection with people when she touches something of theirs. Becky was a beloved foster sister.
Caleb Devereaux is the oldest sibling of the Devereaux family; Beau and Quinn are the younger brothers. Tori is their only sister.
Devereaux Security is…
…the Deveraux family's response to Tori's kidnapping. Dane Elliot, Eliza, and Eric Becket are part of the security team.
Detectives Ramirez and Briggs are with the Houston PD and desperate to save another victim.
Charles "Charlie" Bloomberg is a quiet, good-looking man.
The Cover and Title
The cover is black with random fluffy blue feathers darting across. The author's name is in a bright pink in the top half of the cover while the smaller title is in white.
The title tells us what Ramie needs, her one plea: Keep Me Safe.
If I could give this a negative star, I'd do it in a heartbeat.
My Take
Can you say M. E. L. O. D. R. A. M. A. T. I. C.??
Terrible. Absolutely terrible. I don't know what's going on in Banks' life, but she is not there for her writing. Of course, it's always possible that I disliked Keep Me Safe so intensely because absolute terror does NOT turn me on, and the insta-love was so instant that it almost occurred before they met. Naw. It definitely contributed, but Keep Me Safe is absolutely swimming in overly dramatic melodrama.
I ain't buyin' it. If the Deverauxs' security is so hot, then how was Tori allowed out without it? It didn't have to be overt security. It could have been covert. "Extremely high level of security", my Aunt Fannie.
Banks does do an excellent job of making us feel the melodrama of how her gift affects Ramie, the desperation that Caleb is experiencing, the speed of the torment all three are suffering in their own ways. What she doesn't make us feel is Caleb's guilt. Oh, Banks tells us that he feels guilty, but I ain't feelin' it.
If he were truly this remorseful about what he'd done, why does he run off and abandon Ramie? How much time would it take to ensure she gets some care? Heck, he can bring her along on his private plane. Yeah, yeah, Ramie tells him to go. And he actually listens. It's okay to ignore her pleas when he wants something badly enough, but he feels the need to heed her when he has what he wants? Jesus, at least drop a wad of cash on her!
Ramie sounds like an intelligent woman, and yet the horror, the terror, the fear of being hunted by this man has her running stupidly. If she's helped so many cops find victims, why isn't she approaching any of them? Surely ONE of them would believe her, would help her? She's figured out enough that she suspects her hunter has psychic abilities, so why hasn't she tried to figure out more about that connection? Figure out how to dull it, cut it, break it?
And she's such a goody-goody. Argh. It's so annoying. Sure, I completely sympathize with how Ramie thinks about demanding a price, but surely the victims' families have had some kind of response to what she does? They must have offered something to her after the victims are found. The way the connection affects Ramie is so horrible, that she must need some kind of help. Why does she think it's acceptable for her to be tortured?
Then there's her reaction to Caleb's concern. *Lotsa eye rolls* Ramie should be able to at least accept Caleb's gratitude. She so decries the help she provides that you'd think she'd found the cat's catnip mouse, ya know, the raggedy one that has lost most of its stuffing. Instead, she's saved the guy's beloved sister from death. How does she not see the value of that? Oh, no, it was nothing… Gag.
Oh, man, then she believes it would be better for her to be on her own and on the run. That, oh, no, she couldn't possibly stay in a well-secured house with a rich man who has a security company and wants to help her catch the bad guy. Noo…*more eye rolls*…
Okay, Ramie says she can only feel the negative emotions in people, then she goes on to say she feels Caleb's determination. And that it's not negative. Um. Yep. Psychic links are "hokey bullshit". Sure. Caleb believes in Tori's psychic abilities, in Ramie's, believes in what's being done to Ramie, but "psychic links are hokey bullshit". Is Banks even paying attention to what she's writing?
I'll buy Tori's reaction to Ramie. It is reasonable. But I do want to know how Tori knew that Ramie knows everything? The younger brothers' reactions? How dare they behave this way? When they owe Ramie so very much.
Yes, there is sex in this. And I skimmed most of it. So, it could have been hot, but how do you drop from terrifying, horrible fear into insta-hot, slick, desirable sex? All it did was turn me off.
They have this fancy monitoring system, and nobody is monitoring it? Caleb buys into the set-up?
It's quite clever how Banks has set up her bad guy, how he captures his victims. How do you battle something like this?
What? They don't think to tell her what happened at the end??
My recommendation? Do not bother. Unless you like overly melodramatic crap. At worst, borrow it from the library, as I don't think you'll appreciate having wasted your money.
The Story
Ramie St. Claire is the Deverauxs' only hope to find their missing sister. That video tape…Tori doesn't have long to live. Although. That may be a mercy.
The Characters
Ramie St. Claire is a psychic who experiences a connection with people when she touches something of theirs. Becky was a beloved foster sister.
Caleb Devereaux is the oldest sibling of the Devereaux family; Beau and Quinn are the younger brothers. Tori is their only sister.
Devereaux Security is…
…the Deveraux family's response to Tori's kidnapping. Dane Elliot, Eliza, and Eric Becket are part of the security team.
Detectives Ramirez and Briggs are with the Houston PD and desperate to save another victim.
Charles "Charlie" Bloomberg is a quiet, good-looking man.
The Cover and Title
The cover is black with random fluffy blue feathers darting across. The author's name is in a bright pink in the top half of the cover while the smaller title is in white.
The title tells us what Ramie needs, her one plea: Keep Me Safe.
wri316's review against another edition
4.0
Great book. Some parts seemed longer with too much explaination but over all loved it. Getting ready to read the next one!!
courtney_anne's review against another edition
1.0
Get ready for a wild ride into the world of fan fiction, because that is basically what this is. Poorly written, constantly sexual, unrealistically fast paced writing. I felt like I was reading the words of a 15 year old girl who was so desperate for love and intimacy that she wrote about it. Maya Banks wrote this as if she was so eager to get detailed intimacy into the writing that she barely developed a relationship between them. It had such good potential, but the author seemed as though all she cared about was the intimacy and not the plot.
tatyanavogt's review against another edition
1.0
I'm about half way through this book.. and so far I hate it! [update: I finished it. Final thoughts at end]
The back story is kinda interesting but the romance portion is totally bogus and I just can't get over it cause it keeps getting shoved into my face! Like WTF!? And I LOVE romance. My favorite books tend to involve some sort of romance... But this book.. just no.
Spoiler stuff:
Okay, first thing that bothered me is that the main guy said the same thought multiple times in the beginning of the book in regards to how he would put this lady through hell again if he knew it would save her sister. He felt bad... but it was weird that he kept saying it. Felt like deja-vu, wait did I read this part already.?
THEN, The two main characters met for maybe 20 minutes one time and then a year later the lady calls him for help. (actually understandable) but then within' the couple of hours that they spend together they fall in love.. and now the main guy is treating her super possessively and its awkward.. Like not just protectively, but 'I will tie you to the bed and stop you from handing yourself over with no remorse' kind of thing..
And the placement of the first sex scene.. I just feel like the people are not setup correctly to fit within the story. Like she goes through a very traumatizing situation and then just sex. No lead up to it, no emotional struggle, nothing.
And don't get me started on how this guys family is treating her! and this is AFTER he told them what she goes through when she helps locate missing people. And friggin' his sister, is all of a sudden a ungrateful Bitch? Where did that come from. It seemed to have been set-up so that everyone was grateful for this ladies help. Like am I missing something?
Now admittedly I'm only half way though so.. we'll see how I feel when I get farther along.. if I can.
Okay, Finished...
So, I started hating it a little less during the second half. Some interesting things happened and it was sorta less focused on the "romance" part. But.. I don't think it was great.
The overall story was kinda interesting with some flaws here and there. I personally HATED the progression of the two main characters romance and felt like it was just thrown in with little thought. But, I managed to finish the book.. I gave it two stars simply because I was interested in finding out what happened in the end.... yeah..
The back story is kinda interesting but the romance portion is totally bogus and I just can't get over it cause it keeps getting shoved into my face! Like WTF!? And I LOVE romance. My favorite books tend to involve some sort of romance... But this book.. just no.
Spoiler stuff:
Spoiler
Okay, first thing that bothered me is that the main guy said the same thought multiple times in the beginning of the book in regards to how he would put this lady through hell again if he knew it would save her sister. He felt bad... but it was weird that he kept saying it. Felt like deja-vu, wait did I read this part already.?
THEN, The two main characters met for maybe 20 minutes one time and then a year later the lady calls him for help. (actually understandable) but then within' the couple of hours that they spend together they fall in love.. and now the main guy is treating her super possessively and its awkward.. Like not just protectively, but 'I will tie you to the bed and stop you from handing yourself over with no remorse' kind of thing..
And the placement of the first sex scene.. I just feel like the people are not setup correctly to fit within the story. Like she goes through a very traumatizing situation and then just sex. No lead up to it, no emotional struggle, nothing.
And don't get me started on how this guys family is treating her! and this is AFTER he told them what she goes through when she helps locate missing people. And friggin' his sister, is all of a sudden a ungrateful Bitch? Where did that come from. It seemed to have been set-up so that everyone was grateful for this ladies help. Like am I missing something?
Now admittedly I'm only half way though so.. we'll see how I feel when I get farther along.. if I can.
Okay, Finished...
So, I started hating it a little less during the second half. Some interesting things happened and it was sorta less focused on the "romance" part. But.. I don't think it was great.
The overall story was kinda interesting with some flaws here and there. I personally HATED the progression of the two main characters romance and felt like it was just thrown in with little thought. But, I managed to finish the book.. I gave it two stars simply because I was interested in finding out what happened in the end.... yeah..
suzysuzy34's review
2.0
Listened to this one free on audible from the LibbyOne Drive. Glad is was free as I did a lot of eye rolls. Characters were annoying, I didn’t feel the chemistry between the main characters and the plot (whilst leaning towards the paranormal) did not feel believable, I’ve read lots of paranormal romances over the years and loved them, but this one didn’t work for me. The heroine was annoying and couple declared their love too quickly IMO. Won’t be listening or reading anymore of this series. Hero also came across as a bit of a jerk.
kckburns's review against another edition
1.0
Well, that was something. I've read a few Maya Banks books previously and didn't LOVE them, I'm not sure why I keep trying. The overall concept had potential but it fell short for me. Really short. There needed to be a little more meat to the characters and their initial connection. I had a hard time believing that they could be so in love with each other when in reality they spent all of 12 hours together before they were completely consumed in one another. I don't know. I just didn't feel the connection between the characters enough to enjoy it. My suggestion is to save yourself the time and skip this one.
tchien's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.75
This was not a very believable book. Despite what would have been an interesting plot, the way the characters were written and how the story unfolded, it felt mostly "meh." It was very difficult to believe the MCs would get together as quickly as they did, especially when one is so traumatized. That was actually.ore disturbing than anything the serial killer did. The whole psychic ability plot devices would have been tolerable but some aspects of it were so unrealistic that it really takes the reader out of the book. This wasn't a great first experience for me in romantic suspense.
nicolemhewitt's review against another edition
4.0
3.5/5 Stars
This review and many others can be found on my blog - Feed Your Fiction Addiction
Keep Me Safe is romantic suspense with a psychic twist! This book was different than anything I’d ever read before, so it was fresh and interesting to me. I really enjoyed the overall concept, but there were a few major points that kept me from truly loving it.
What I loved:
The concept.
The concept of this book really struck me and made me instantly empathize with Ramie. Ramie was a psychic who helped locate kidnapping victims – but when she was psychically linked to the victim, she would actually experience whatever the victim was going through. It was not as if she was just witnessing it, but actually going through whatever they were going through. She even exhibited the physical signs of the attacks (though I think she recovered from them more quickly than an actual victim – this wasn’t entirely clear). Obviously, this was horrendously traumatic for her, and she eventually went into hiding. This whole concept was incredibly unique to me (and somewhat horrifying, but in a “can’t look away” sort of way).
Ramie.
Ramie wasn’t always the strongest of characters, and some people might not like that about her, but I was actually okay with it. I don’t always need my female characters to be completely strong heroines. Because of the horrific things that Ramie had been through at the hands of many different perpetrators, she had a valid reason for being fragile and broken. In fact, I think it would have been unrealistic if she wasn’t. I honestly couldn’t imagine holding up half as well as she did under the circumstances. I could also see how Caleb would feel strongly protective of Ramie once he knew the truth and how he would feel not only pain and guilt over what he had done to her, but also respect her for everything she had been through in order to help other people.
The suspense.
This book in its essence was a suspense novel – you knew that someone evil was trying to get his hands on Ramie and that there was a high likelihood that there would be some collateral damage before everything was said and done. Well, that was definitely true. I was never sure exactly what was going to happen and, especially during the second half, I was glued to the book in order to find out how it would all play out. Banks did a fantastic job of building the suspense and giving hints about what would happen without spelling it all out for us. I was 100% engaged!
The negatives:
Insta-love (or something close to it).
Okay, to be fair, the actual L word isn’t brought up immediately – and by the time it is, I was actually mostly okay with it. But the two leads have a sort of instant connection that made me roll my eyes a bit. I wanted to see more build between them before they even started down the road to romance, but instead they headed in that direction pretty much instantly (at least after their very first meeting, which was anything but romantic).
I’d do it all again.
There was one aspect of this book that was actually really disturbing to me. This was the fact that Caleb repeatedly said that, even knowing the truth about what Ramie went through in order for him to get his sister back, he would do it all again. And Ramie accepts this. Understands it even. Um, no. I really had a hard time with this. Remember that Ramie essentially experienced Tori’s rape and torture along with her – not passively, but as if she were actually being tortured and raped along with her – she even showed the physical signs of what was happening to Tori. He didn’t realize this when he forced Ramie to have the vision of his sister, but he certainly understood it afterward. So for him to say that he would do it all again if he had to seemed absolutely horrific to me. I couldn’t help but think of this in real-world terms. Caleb is essentially saying that, in order to save his sister from being killed, he would hand over another woman to be raped and tortured along with her. And this is okay how? This, along with the insta-love really bothered me for the first half of the book, but I was able to get past it in the second half, when the action was in full swing and the characters had more of a real connection (and I put my distaste for this one issue aside).
I would definitely recommend this book if you enjoy romantic suspense and you don’t mind a heroine who is on the verge of breaking down (with good reason). Banks kept me interested and I’m curious to see what she’ll do with book #2 in this series. 3.5/5 stars.
***Disclosure: This book was provided to me by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. No other compensation was given and all opinions are my own.***
This review and many others can be found on my blog - Feed Your Fiction Addiction
Keep Me Safe is romantic suspense with a psychic twist! This book was different than anything I’d ever read before, so it was fresh and interesting to me. I really enjoyed the overall concept, but there were a few major points that kept me from truly loving it.
What I loved:
The concept.
The concept of this book really struck me and made me instantly empathize with Ramie. Ramie was a psychic who helped locate kidnapping victims – but when she was psychically linked to the victim, she would actually experience whatever the victim was going through. It was not as if she was just witnessing it, but actually going through whatever they were going through. She even exhibited the physical signs of the attacks (though I think she recovered from them more quickly than an actual victim – this wasn’t entirely clear). Obviously, this was horrendously traumatic for her, and she eventually went into hiding. This whole concept was incredibly unique to me (and somewhat horrifying, but in a “can’t look away” sort of way).
Ramie.
Ramie wasn’t always the strongest of characters, and some people might not like that about her, but I was actually okay with it. I don’t always need my female characters to be completely strong heroines. Because of the horrific things that Ramie had been through at the hands of many different perpetrators, she had a valid reason for being fragile and broken. In fact, I think it would have been unrealistic if she wasn’t. I honestly couldn’t imagine holding up half as well as she did under the circumstances. I could also see how Caleb would feel strongly protective of Ramie once he knew the truth and how he would feel not only pain and guilt over what he had done to her, but also respect her for everything she had been through in order to help other people.
The suspense.
This book in its essence was a suspense novel – you knew that someone evil was trying to get his hands on Ramie and that there was a high likelihood that there would be some collateral damage before everything was said and done. Well, that was definitely true. I was never sure exactly what was going to happen and, especially during the second half, I was glued to the book in order to find out how it would all play out. Banks did a fantastic job of building the suspense and giving hints about what would happen without spelling it all out for us. I was 100% engaged!
The negatives:
Insta-love (or something close to it).
Okay, to be fair, the actual L word isn’t brought up immediately – and by the time it is, I was actually mostly okay with it. But the two leads have a sort of instant connection that made me roll my eyes a bit. I wanted to see more build between them before they even started down the road to romance, but instead they headed in that direction pretty much instantly (at least after their very first meeting, which was anything but romantic).
I’d do it all again.
There was one aspect of this book that was actually really disturbing to me. This was the fact that Caleb repeatedly said that, even knowing the truth about what Ramie went through in order for him to get his sister back, he would do it all again. And Ramie accepts this. Understands it even. Um, no. I really had a hard time with this. Remember that Ramie essentially experienced Tori’s rape and torture along with her – not passively, but as if she were actually being tortured and raped along with her – she even showed the physical signs of what was happening to Tori. He didn’t realize this when he forced Ramie to have the vision of his sister, but he certainly understood it afterward. So for him to say that he would do it all again if he had to seemed absolutely horrific to me. I couldn’t help but think of this in real-world terms. Caleb is essentially saying that, in order to save his sister from being killed, he would hand over another woman to be raped and tortured along with her. And this is okay how? This, along with the insta-love really bothered me for the first half of the book, but I was able to get past it in the second half, when the action was in full swing and the characters had more of a real connection (and I put my distaste for this one issue aside).
I would definitely recommend this book if you enjoy romantic suspense and you don’t mind a heroine who is on the verge of breaking down (with good reason). Banks kept me interested and I’m curious to see what she’ll do with book #2 in this series. 3.5/5 stars.
***Disclosure: This book was provided to me by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. No other compensation was given and all opinions are my own.***
nitzanschwarz's review
1.0
DNF at 25%
By this point, I ought to learn my lesson and just stick to Maya Banks's historicals because, whereas her historicals are some of my top favorites, her contemporaries leave a lot to be desired. It's almost like she has a writer split-personality disorder.
I wonder if it's because contemporary romance nowadays seems to be (ridiculously) conditioned toward fast, quick, instantaneous relationships, while in historicals, it's acceptable to take your time--with the physical and emotional build-up--because of the times when you couldn't just hop into someone's bed without consequences (such as marriage).
Regardless of the reason, I am just so damned disappointed.
Keep Me Safe takes its title quite seriously from what I could gather from the 25% (roughly 81 pages) I forced myself through, as this entire novel seems to center around Caleb keeping Ramie safe from a stalker and from her abilities.
Yes, stalker and abilities. Ramie can psychically link herself to kidnap victims in order to find them, but by doing so, she experiences what they are going through (such as rape). But she's so goodhearted that despite these horrific ramifications, she would endure it to save others. Until a psychopath sets his eyes on her, and instead of reporting it she decides to disappear. And then he finds her, and she phones the one man she thinks can help her. Caleb.
The premise of Keep Me Safe is somewhat unique, albeit uncomfortable, I'll admit. But it's executed very, very poorly.
Firstly, it feels like this novel hasn't been edited. At all. Characters contradict themselves constantly - one minute Character A says one thing, then in another scene, Character B says the same, but Character A argues against it and then says she hasn't thought of it before. Or Character A would repeatedly mention something, then in another scene would "just figure out" exactly what she's been saying all along as if it never occurred to her before. And more weird things like this.
And then, there's the repetition. This book could be bearable, maybe even good, if the excessive repetition were taken out of it. Sure, it would be half the length it is now, but filling the pages with the same information hardly counts as a plot. It just makes me want to scream WE GET IT.
But actually, maybe it wouldn't be good even then. It might take more than just technical cleaning to make this something I could enjoy because the plot was a complete mess as well.
Because Ramie's abilities were just all over the place. Aside from the whole psychic link, she can sense "the worst" in people. But never any of the good (which we are told over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over again). Okay. But then... she feels nothing of Caleb because (even though he entertains violent thoughts), he is essentially good?
So... you don't sense "the worst in people," as you've said, do you? You sense their inclination. A person who is bad inside can't hide it from you, but an absence of feeling means good, doesn't it? The book basically wants you to believe Ramie can do all that & have never encountered good people before to balance it out.
But okay, I guess I could stomach that improbability and inconsistency. after all, her abilities are really not important in the grand scheme of things. They are just a plot device to get the two together.... as is the rape. Yes, I just said it. The rape in this book feels like something broached for impact and nothing else. A far cry from the tasteful, careful handle of the same subject in Highlander Most Wanted, a book of hers I highly recommend.
While Keep Me Safe takes its title seriously, it laughs at the chosen series name as this is the farthest thing away from "slow burn." This is so insta love it hurts.
P.80
"There's something between us, something beyond a passing acquaintance"
This gem is told by Caleb to Ramie on their second meeting. The first time, they never even properly talked, and the second has been focusing on the imminent danger to Ramie. So, insta-love. Or insta something-beyond-a-passing-acquaintance.
Luckily, I never really got past this ridiculous sentence to actually endure the insta-love. Who knows, maybe it would've surprised me.
And finally... the writing. Maya Banks is a considerable writer, but you couldn't tell based on her contemporaries, where the writing seems to become more choppy, wooden, and scripted with every new one that pops. Seriously, what is going on?
P.1
"He and his brothers, Beau and Quinn, had always been extremely overprotective of their baby sister. With good reason. Caleb was the head of a veritable empire. Security was always top priority"
Am I the only one who thinks this barely flows??