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marysebcalderon's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
tsquare345's review
3.0
The ending was a bit abrupt... and... let's face it, the whole "I love you" and "you're perfect" was a bit much. It's a bittersweet torture to think if I should continue with the series...
jigsawgirl's review against another edition
5.0
I thought this was the best book of the Cold Justice: Negotiators series.
The story moved along at a good pace. There was plenty of suspense, danger, and intrigue. Some aspects of the mystery were very clear, while others left me with some doubt about my choices.
A number of characters were high on my suspect list, but their role and/or involvement was not always clear. Some characters who I thought were involved never had a part in either plot.
I enjoy reading a book that really causes me to think about what is going on and has me trying to put the puzzle pieces together or unravel the mystery. I hot to do all of that with this book.
Max and Lucy's romance was an added bonus. This was a 4.5 star read for me. I also listened to the audiobook and thought the narration was great. Eric G. Dove did an excellent job.
The story moved along at a good pace. There was plenty of suspense, danger, and intrigue. Some aspects of the mystery were very clear, while others left me with some doubt about my choices.
A number of characters were high on my suspect list, but their role and/or involvement was not always clear. Some characters who I thought were involved never had a part in either plot.
I enjoy reading a book that really causes me to think about what is going on and has me trying to put the puzzle pieces together or unravel the mystery. I hot to do all of that with this book.
Max and Lucy's romance was an added bonus. This was a 4.5 star read for me. I also listened to the audiobook and thought the narration was great. Eric G. Dove did an excellent job.
jje121579's review against another edition
5.0
A twisty kidnap case with a slow burn romance...
I’m always trying unravel the clues to beat the reveal in the storyline, and we do get some clues here but while this layered thriller hints at a certain subplot some things I just didn’t see coming. Of course, I was also distracted by the sizzling chemistry between Lucy and Max. But they don’t let the instant attraction they feel interrupt their inherent need to find and save the victim. Written as an FBI procedural we are carried through the operation to negotiate the ransom and release, to finding the perpetrators, and using the latest technology to bring this mission to an optimal conclusion. And while that is enthralling so much more is going on in the background. Great, great read.
I’m always trying unravel the clues to beat the reveal in the storyline, and we do get some clues here but while this layered thriller hints at a certain subplot some things I just didn’t see coming. Of course, I was also distracted by the sizzling chemistry between Lucy and Max. But they don’t let the instant attraction they feel interrupt their inherent need to find and save the victim. Written as an FBI procedural we are carried through the operation to negotiate the ransom and release, to finding the perpetrators, and using the latest technology to bring this mission to an optimal conclusion. And while that is enthralling so much more is going on in the background. Great, great read.
jje121579's review
5.0
A twisty kidnap case with a slow burn romance...
I’m always trying to unravel the clues to beat the reveal in the storyline, and we do get some clues here but while this layered thriller hints at a certain subplot some things I just didn’t see coming. Of course, I was also distracted by the sizzling chemistry between Lucy and Max. But they don’t let the instant attraction they feel interrupt their inherent need to find and save the victim. Written as an FBI procedural we are carried through the operation to negotiate the ransom and release, to finding the perpetrators, and using the latest technology to bring this mission to an optimal conclusion. And while that is enthralling so much more is going on in the background. Great, great read.
I’m always trying to unravel the clues to beat the reveal in the storyline, and we do get some clues here but while this layered thriller hints at a certain subplot some things I just didn’t see coming. Of course, I was also distracted by the sizzling chemistry between Lucy and Max. But they don’t let the instant attraction they feel interrupt their inherent need to find and save the victim. Written as an FBI procedural we are carried through the operation to negotiate the ransom and release, to finding the perpetrators, and using the latest technology to bring this mission to an optimal conclusion. And while that is enthralling so much more is going on in the background. Great, great read.
jenhadden's review
5.0
I loved this book! It was exciting and tough to put down. A really great story. Highly recommend.
laurenjodi's review against another edition
3.0
Cold Cruel Kiss
3 Stars
After the daughter of the US Ambassador to Argentina is kidnapped, hostage negotiator Max Hawthorne is called in to coordinate the response. The situation becomes even more untenable when Max learns of a possible Russian spy active in the embassy and begins to suspect that there is more to Lucy Aston, the quiet and unassuming junior assistant to the ambassador than meets the eye.
Toni Anderson's Cold Justice series is well-written, and her plots are intense and exciting. That said, they can be divided into two types - those focusing on violent crimes (serial killers, murders, human trafficking) and those focusing on political crimes and espionage. My personal preference is for the former, and as such, this review is influenced by my dislike of the tropes associated with the latter.
Max and Lucy's attraction and romance build slowly but surely as they work together to find and rescue the hostages. The fact that Max sees beyond Lucy's stoic and staid appearance to the strong and resilient woman beneath makes him one of the most likable and appealing heroes in the series. Lucy is also very engaging although her transitions from femme fatale to mousy assistant to kick-ass sidekick are a little jarring at times.
The kidnapping plot is incorporated well into the storyline, and the sections from the hostages' perspectives contribute significantly to the suspense. They make the reader care about their fate and root for them. Nevertheless, it is quite easy to guess the identity of the culprit, and the big reveal is rather anti-climactic.
The inclusion of the secondary espionage subplot is, however, completely unnecessary, and it actually detracts from the romance. The use of the keeping secrets trope is annoying, especially considering the fact that it builds throughout the first 2/3s of the book, and then basically fizzles into nothing when the details are eventually exposed.
Despite the issues above, this is a satisfying read with likable characters and a good mix of action and romance.
3 Stars
After the daughter of the US Ambassador to Argentina is kidnapped, hostage negotiator Max Hawthorne is called in to coordinate the response. The situation becomes even more untenable when Max learns of a possible Russian spy active in the embassy and begins to suspect that there is more to Lucy Aston, the quiet and unassuming junior assistant to the ambassador than meets the eye.
Toni Anderson's Cold Justice series is well-written, and her plots are intense and exciting. That said, they can be divided into two types - those focusing on violent crimes (serial killers, murders, human trafficking) and those focusing on political crimes and espionage. My personal preference is for the former, and as such, this review is influenced by my dislike of the tropes associated with the latter.
Max and Lucy's attraction and romance build slowly but surely as they work together to find and rescue the hostages. The fact that Max sees beyond Lucy's stoic and staid appearance to the strong and resilient woman beneath makes him one of the most likable and appealing heroes in the series. Lucy is also very engaging although her transitions from femme fatale to mousy assistant to kick-ass sidekick are a little jarring at times.
The kidnapping plot is incorporated well into the storyline, and the sections from the hostages' perspectives contribute significantly to the suspense. They make the reader care about their fate and root for them. Nevertheless, it is quite easy to guess the identity of the culprit, and the big reveal is rather anti-climactic.
The inclusion of the secondary espionage subplot is, however, completely unnecessary, and it actually detracts from the romance. The use of the keeping secrets trope is annoying, especially considering the fact that it builds throughout the first 2/3s of the book, and then basically fizzles into nothing when the details are eventually exposed.
Despite the issues above, this is a satisfying read with likable characters and a good mix of action and romance.
theeditorreads's review against another edition
5.0
Cold Cruel Kiss is FBI hostage negotiator Max and a demure assistant PA to the US ambassador to Argentina Lucy's story.
Trigger Warning:
Synopsis:
Kristen, Irene, and Gemma are out shopping. Having lived a stifled life over the years, what with being the current US Ambassador to Argentina's daughter, Kristen wants every ounce of freedom she can get. But then she's kidnapped in broad daylight along with her friend Irene who had decided to intervene.
In Buenos Aires, Lucy Aston is at the biggest Christmas Eve party, where even the Argentine president is present. From being at the top of everything, she becomes a nobody to blend in and worries whether it was due to her that the girl was abducted.
One of FBI’s top negotiators, Supervisory Special Agent Max Hawthorne is brought in to rescue the missing girl. He needs someone to work with him, someone who speaks fluent Spanish and knows the area, and that's where Lucy comes in. But she has secrets, secrets big enough to shake the foundations of everything that Max detests. Lucy has a mission to accomplish, which nobody knows nothing about.
Review:
I have wanted to read [a:Toni Anderson|2820461|Toni Anderson|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1607125087p2/2820461.jpg]'s Cold Justice series for a long time now. I even have the first three books in my Kindle. But that never seems to happen, sigh! Now, with the honour of being a member of the Cold Crew, I can't say how glad I feel to have finally read her book.
But I seem to have run out of words already before I even started with this review. I finished reading this book in a couple of days and since then it's as if I am not able to structure my thoughts into a proper review. So, here goes…
The first thing I loved about the story was the importance given to the hostages in this story. Kristen and Irene are not an afterthought, rather they are very much a part of Cold Cruel Kiss, as important as the protagonists, Max and Lucy. I have never come across a story where, in a kidnapping, the hostages are characterised the way the two girls have been characterised in this one.
Following that, what an introduction Max got. And what was funnier was him, kind of tiptoeing around Lucy as she always seemed to get the better of him. I went in blind into this book (without reading the blurb) and Lucy's character was a very pleasant surprise.
The plot of kidnapping in a story, especially when it involves women, can be frightening to read. Because there are always a variety of heinous acts that can be carried out against women.
Narrated in the third person, Cold Cruel Kiss is an intense story which constantly keeps the reader in suspense about how and when will the kidnapped girls be released. Along with that, there's Russia also, with the threat of the kidnapping being tied to something that the FBI is already covertly working on in the country.
There are hostage negotiations, chasing down leads, vulnerable moments, heartfelt emotions, deceit and betrayals, past heartaches, and so much more. Lucy is such a shocking surprise towards the end, and how I loved the way the author presented her character! It was such a twisted and exhilarating journey.
And the ending was pure beauty. A romantic relationship which starts really slow, and is respectful, then hot, and has the sweetest of conclusions.
P.S. I was watching season 3 of Jane the Virgin simultaneously, and the things revealed to us about Lucy reminded me of how the narrator in the series described writing when Jane is in the process of getting her book edited. Especially the part about giving readers something to chew on about one of the characters, about which the other character has no idea. Because of that, I loved Lucy's character so much more. Lol.
Thank you to the author for an e-ARC of the book.
Trigger Warning:
Synopsis:
Kristen, Irene, and Gemma are out shopping. Having lived a stifled life over the years, what with being the current US Ambassador to Argentina's daughter, Kristen wants every ounce of freedom she can get. But then she's kidnapped in broad daylight along with her friend Irene who had decided to intervene.
In Buenos Aires, Lucy Aston is at the biggest Christmas Eve party, where even the Argentine president is present. From being at the top of everything, she becomes a nobody to blend in and worries whether it was due to her that the girl was abducted.
One of FBI’s top negotiators, Supervisory Special Agent Max Hawthorne is brought in to rescue the missing girl. He needs someone to work with him, someone who speaks fluent Spanish and knows the area, and that's where Lucy comes in. But she has secrets, secrets big enough to shake the foundations of everything that Max detests. Lucy has a mission to accomplish, which nobody knows nothing about.
Review:
I have wanted to read [a:Toni Anderson|2820461|Toni Anderson|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1607125087p2/2820461.jpg]'s Cold Justice series for a long time now. I even have the first three books in my Kindle. But that never seems to happen, sigh! Now, with the honour of being a member of the Cold Crew, I can't say how glad I feel to have finally read her book.
But I seem to have run out of words already before I even started with this review. I finished reading this book in a couple of days and since then it's as if I am not able to structure my thoughts into a proper review. So, here goes…
The first thing I loved about the story was the importance given to the hostages in this story. Kristen and Irene are not an afterthought, rather they are very much a part of Cold Cruel Kiss, as important as the protagonists, Max and Lucy. I have never come across a story where, in a kidnapping, the hostages are characterised the way the two girls have been characterised in this one.
Following that, what an introduction Max got. And what was funnier was him, kind of tiptoeing around Lucy as she always seemed to get the better of him. I went in blind into this book (without reading the blurb) and Lucy's character was a very pleasant surprise.
The plot of kidnapping in a story, especially when it involves women, can be frightening to read. Because there are always a variety of heinous acts that can be carried out against women.
Narrated in the third person, Cold Cruel Kiss is an intense story which constantly keeps the reader in suspense about how and when will the kidnapped girls be released. Along with that, there's Russia also, with the threat of the kidnapping being tied to something that the FBI is already covertly working on in the country.
There are hostage negotiations, chasing down leads, vulnerable moments, heartfelt emotions, deceit and betrayals, past heartaches, and so much more. Lucy is such a shocking surprise towards the end, and how I loved the way the author presented her character! It was such a twisted and exhilarating journey.
And the ending was pure beauty. A romantic relationship which starts really slow, and is respectful, then hot, and has the sweetest of conclusions.
P.S. I was watching season 3 of Jane the Virgin simultaneously, and the things revealed to us about Lucy reminded me of how the narrator in the series described writing when Jane is in the process of getting her book edited. Especially the part about giving readers something to chew on about one of the characters, about which the other character has no idea. Because of that, I loved Lucy's character so much more. Lol.
Thank you to the author for an e-ARC of the book.
fresholivebread's review
adventurous
challenging
emotional
tense
medium-paced
4.5
FBI negotiator works with US Embassy assistant to rescue the ambassador's kidnapped daughter. Great MCs - he's sexy, charismatic and competent while she's a wallflower who hides a sharp, dangerous side. Theirs is a very slow burn romance, with feelings building upon their attraction and mutual respect, which then gradually deepens.
Both facets of their relationship are written well, I loved how supportive he is of her, and his honesty with his feelings. I wassatisfied with his reaction to her secret, it was realistic and handled well . The suspense plot is exciting and intriguing. Loved the sweet ending!
Both facets of their relationship are written well, I loved how supportive he is of her, and his honesty with his feelings. I was
robinlovesreading's review
5.0
Supervisory Special Agent Max Hawthorne heads to Argentina with the daughter of the US Ambassador is kidnapped. Paired with Lucy Aston does not make this difficult job any easier. There is just something about the quiet plane assistant that is a bit of distraction to Max.
Regarding the girl who was kidnapped, Kristen, and at the last minute to the consternation of the kidnappers, Kristen's friend, Irene. Both girls completely disappear. The Ambassador and her husband are frantic. However, Max is called in, although he was on vacation at the time. His expertise just might go a long way to finding the girls. Paired with Lucy, the two begin to try and find whatever clues that might lead to finding the missing teens.
As the investigation intensifies, there is something else at play. Could there be a Russian spy at the embassy, and what, if anything, does this have to do with the missing girls? Meanwhile, Lucy is actually under cover, and must maintain that cover. Her job as assistant to the PA of the Ambassador is a ruse, allowing her to do the job she has been assigned. This becomes extremely challenging because, even with everything going on, Max and Lucy are clearly drawn to one another.
Tension, danger, intrigue and romance all played very well together in this remarkable book by Toni Anderson. I loved the puzzle that this book contained and enjoyed the byplay between Max and Lucy. I also enjoyed seeing the formerly frumpy Lucy blossom into the strong character that she was, even with her uncertain past. The book kept my attention throughout and and led to a thrilling conclusion.
Many thanks to Toni Anderson and to InkSlinger PR for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.
Regarding the girl who was kidnapped, Kristen, and at the last minute to the consternation of the kidnappers, Kristen's friend, Irene. Both girls completely disappear. The Ambassador and her husband are frantic. However, Max is called in, although he was on vacation at the time. His expertise just might go a long way to finding the girls. Paired with Lucy, the two begin to try and find whatever clues that might lead to finding the missing teens.
As the investigation intensifies, there is something else at play. Could there be a Russian spy at the embassy, and what, if anything, does this have to do with the missing girls? Meanwhile, Lucy is actually under cover, and must maintain that cover. Her job as assistant to the PA of the Ambassador is a ruse, allowing her to do the job she has been assigned. This becomes extremely challenging because, even with everything going on, Max and Lucy are clearly drawn to one another.
Tension, danger, intrigue and romance all played very well together in this remarkable book by Toni Anderson. I loved the puzzle that this book contained and enjoyed the byplay between Max and Lucy. I also enjoyed seeing the formerly frumpy Lucy blossom into the strong character that she was, even with her uncertain past. The book kept my attention throughout and and led to a thrilling conclusion.
Many thanks to Toni Anderson and to InkSlinger PR for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.