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kaity_b's review against another edition
3.0
3 stars
This was a free book on kindle so I decided to give this a go.
I just felt like there was something missing. The way it was written there was a lot of telling not a showing. Idk I think if I read the other series before this maybe I would have been cleared up, but with that said there was something that made me want to continue reading lol.
Idk if I will continue even though this ended on a cliffhanger.. but the next two books are $5 each on kindle… and idk if I wanna spend $10 plus $15 for the audios… on a series I don’t 100% love, but when has that stopped me before lol.
Overall it wasn’t horrible but it wasn’t the best. There’s just something about it where the characters were just fleshed out enough to let you connect somewhat with them but not enough that I felt invested haha
This was a free book on kindle so I decided to give this a go.
I just felt like there was something missing. The way it was written there was a lot of telling not a showing. Idk I think if I read the other series before this maybe I would have been cleared up, but with that said there was something that made me want to continue reading lol.
Idk if I will continue even though this ended on a cliffhanger.. but the next two books are $5 each on kindle… and idk if I wanna spend $10 plus $15 for the audios… on a series I don’t 100% love, but when has that stopped me before lol.
Overall it wasn’t horrible but it wasn’t the best. There’s just something about it where the characters were just fleshed out enough to let you connect somewhat with them but not enough that I felt invested haha
bookschaosnart's review against another edition
A great intro to this trilogy. I appreciated the twist on the fake married trope and every character in this one not just the two main characters are loud in their portrayal in the best way. But the main characters themselves show a depth that doesn't always happen in suspense stories and I wish there were more characters like them. Eagerly awaiting the next books in this trilogy and I'm hopeful that we'll get more from Matthew Kim (Matty K for those in the know) after the series is done.
wonderingjay's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
k_noodlesoup's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
I loved the adult romance and the bisexual representation! Stories where character's queerness isn't their defining trait are my favorite. And the fake marriage trope?? Obsessed. It was fun to mix romance with a mystery/thriller, and I've definitely got the rest of the series on my TBR!
evethingiread's review against another edition
2.0
I really loved the premise of this book, however, for most of the story, nothing relevant happens. We get glimpses of something wonderful, and a whole lot of nothing that matters. Is this a romance? Or an action mystery? It’s not a good romance because nothing happens there. It’s not a good mystery because nothing happens there. The audiobook narrator is so bad at this. I kept getting lost between the MCs. Other than the poorly accents, it was hard to tell who’s who.
And why not say clearly that this is a spin-off series. I freaking hate reading a book where a bunch of characters are in the back that I've never met before, who are never actually introduced properly. I hate that feeling. Awful!
It sucks because on some level, I’m rooting for these guys. This is just not the best execution.
And why not say clearly that this is a spin-off series. I freaking hate reading a book where a bunch of characters are in the back that I've never met before, who are never actually introduced properly. I hate that feeling. Awful!
It sucks because on some level, I’m rooting for these guys. This is just not the best execution.
becksgoesbookish's review against another edition
5.0
I really enjoyed this audiobook more than I expected! There is quite a bit of plot happening outside the romance, which can sometimes be annoying or fall flat. But for the set-up of this story, the combination of the two worked perfectly and I was totally intrigued by both the romance and the actual FBI investigation plot. If you occasionally dabble in crime/suspense reads in addition to loving the marriage of convenience trope, this story is the perfect combo of the two. Overall it was a very slow burn, but the heat that was served was scorching. This was my first read by this author, and the first time I’ve listened to this narrator and they did a fantastic job! The Texas accents were not over the top, but spot on (based on my experience living in Austin). Being that this is book 1 in the series there is a bit of a cliffhanger, but more to do with the FBI plot than the relationship.
k_gauna's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
4.0
It was good, but it was a slow burn, and I do mean slow. First kiss didn't happen until nearly 90% of the way done, which is roughky when they finally get together. So much sexual tension and a lot of...angst isn't really the right wird for this. The down side was that there was a lot of procedure, which can be pretty interesting if watching in a movie, but is rather slow when reading about it. It does end on a cliffhanger, as well. So I'm kinda debating whether or not I want to read the second book, because I do want to know who's behind all the trafficing and money laundering and whatnot
kjnrose's review against another edition
4.0
This is a really good, intense, slow burn read. I'm not always a fan of the fake marriage trope so I was a little leery of reading this one, but I am so glad I did. It's well written with a wonderful storyline and great characters.