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jaxtongray's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
bookish_notes's review against another edition
5.0
This review is also posted on my blog.
I love this book so much. This book is absolutely brilliant and I don't think I appreciated the story as much the first time I read this. The story is told from one POV, but in alternating chapters of "Now" and "Then". The two timelines are only a year apart, so there is a sense that everything's going to turn out okay eventually when you're reading the chapters set in the past, but there's a thrilling mystery that makes you question HOW. This book is full of intrigue and murder, love and betrayal. There are luxury cars, a camel named Sheila, a half-Indian MC, and a cinnamon roll assassin. WHAT MORE COULD YOU WANT.
Trigger warnings for violence, mentions of sex trafficking, mentions of child abuse, mentions of drug use, and a fight scene where dingoes are shot and killed.
This book keeps you on your toes. There's a lot of moving parts but I really love how the two timelines play off one another. There's stuff that happens in the past that shows up in the next chapter in the present. There isn't really a huge clue to the whodunit mystery reveal at the end, but there is a lot of mystery surrounding who the main character can trust. And that leaves you guessing throughout the story.
This book is told solely from one POV - Jack Reardon. He's former SAS (Special Air Service Regiment in Australia) and was recruited into a top-secret intelligence organization, simply known as "the Office". Jack got sent last-minute, and with a hasty debrief, into an assignment. At the start of this book, the chapters set in the past are on his 35th birthday and he's been working undercover for 15 months for a Mr. Valadian. Everything about his mission has come apart and this is when he first meets world renown assassin Ethan Blade.
Present-day, Jack's boss questions his loyalty after his last mission, but at least he's back home. Just when Jack thinks he'll never see Ethan again, Ethan shows up in the lobby of the Office asking for Jack, a place no one should know about and certainly not that Jack works there.
This is m/m romantic suspense at its best and I loved every second of this book. Ethan is intense, but strangely soft. I like that this story questions Jack and Ethan's morals and their job. Sure, Jack works for the government and kills who he's told to kill, but does that give him the moral high ground to Ethan, a man who chooses who he kills and gets paid very handsomely to do so? This is enemies-to-lovers, in a way. The two men have their own agendas, and trust is something that must be earned.
As intense as some scenes are in this story, and not knowing if Ethan is trustworthy or not, there's levity between the characters that really helps ease the tension. Some of my favorite tropes are in this book and I am weak for all of it:
-soft cinnamon roll badass who love animals and just wants to be complimented and praised
-sick character needs looking after
-forced proximity
-character who has a death wish by arguing with someone who could very well kill him and argues with said character anyway
This book is fun and there's a LOT packed into this story. The ending is rather abrupt, but the author has written an epilogue of sorts (the "Coda") that's available for free and picks up immediately after this book ends. It does leave this first book in the series with a much more satisfying ending. I do wish there was an audiobook for this story, because I would buy it in a heartbeat so I can re-read this over-and-over again. <3
I love this book so much. This book is absolutely brilliant and I don't think I appreciated the story as much the first time I read this. The story is told from one POV, but in alternating chapters of "Now" and "Then". The two timelines are only a year apart, so there is a sense that everything's going to turn out okay eventually when you're reading the chapters set in the past, but there's a thrilling mystery that makes you question HOW. This book is full of intrigue and murder, love and betrayal. There are luxury cars, a camel named Sheila, a half-Indian MC, and a cinnamon roll assassin. WHAT MORE COULD YOU WANT.
Trigger warnings for violence, mentions of sex trafficking, mentions of child abuse, mentions of drug use, and a fight scene where dingoes are shot and killed.
This book keeps you on your toes. There's a lot of moving parts but I really love how the two timelines play off one another. There's stuff that happens in the past that shows up in the next chapter in the present. There isn't really a huge clue to the whodunit mystery reveal at the end, but there is a lot of mystery surrounding who the main character can trust. And that leaves you guessing throughout the story.
This book is told solely from one POV - Jack Reardon. He's former SAS (Special Air Service Regiment in Australia) and was recruited into a top-secret intelligence organization, simply known as "the Office". Jack got sent last-minute, and with a hasty debrief, into an assignment. At the start of this book, the chapters set in the past are on his 35th birthday and he's been working undercover for 15 months for a Mr. Valadian. Everything about his mission has come apart and this is when he first meets world renown assassin Ethan Blade.
Present-day, Jack's boss questions his loyalty after his last mission, but at least he's back home. Just when Jack thinks he'll never see Ethan again, Ethan shows up in the lobby of the Office asking for Jack, a place no one should know about and certainly not that Jack works there.
This is m/m romantic suspense at its best and I loved every second of this book. Ethan is intense, but strangely soft. I like that this story questions Jack and Ethan's morals and their job. Sure, Jack works for the government and kills who he's told to kill, but does that give him the moral high ground to Ethan, a man who chooses who he kills and gets paid very handsomely to do so? This is enemies-to-lovers, in a way. The two men have their own agendas, and trust is something that must be earned.
As intense as some scenes are in this story, and not knowing if Ethan is trustworthy or not, there's levity between the characters that really helps ease the tension. Some of my favorite tropes are in this book and I am weak for all of it:
-soft cinnamon roll badass who love animals and just wants to be complimented and praised
-sick character needs looking after
-forced proximity
-character who has a death wish by arguing with someone who could very well kill him and argues with said character anyway
This book is fun and there's a LOT packed into this story. The ending is rather abrupt, but the author has written an epilogue of sorts (the "Coda") that's available for free and picks up immediately after this book ends. It does leave this first book in the series with a much more satisfying ending. I do wish there was an audiobook for this story, because I would buy it in a heartbeat so I can re-read this over-and-over again. <3
jolie1883's review against another edition
5.0
4.5 Stunning Stars for this Bad Boy
A former soldier, now undercover Operative-Jack, and a hitman-Blade, walks into a bar, what could possibly go right?
Jack and Blade (☺☺
A former soldier, now undercover Operative-Jack, and a hitman-Blade, walks into a bar, what could possibly go right?
Jack and Blade (☺☺
books_and_cha's review against another edition
3.0
Where Death Meets the Devil was an entertaining, action-packed read with a good bit of romance. I loved that Jack is half-Indian, and I liked how L.J. Hayward threaded in anti-war sentiment into the story and discussed the difference between a soldier and an assassin: virtually none - both get paid to kill, regardless of worldviews that propose otherwise (see: nationalism, patriotism). However, that only takes up a sliver of the story. The rest is dedicated to a lot of running, shooting, the occasional explosion, and a discussion on weaponry preferences (am I the only one that doesn't know about different kinds of guns? Because I couldn't tell you what they were talking about).
The story is told in a non-linear fashion, with chapters alternating between past and present. I feel like non-linear storytelling, while creative, only works for certain kinds of plots. Fortunately for Hayward, this style did wonders for the book: it added to the suspense and made the plot more exciting.
The romance - if you can call it that at this point - develops over time, and really picks up towards the last quarter of the book. There's mutual attraction from the start, but it isn't acted upon immediately. I liked the pacing of it, but I wasn't very invested in what happened to the relationship, simply because it was hard for me to connect to the characters.
Overall, this was an enjoyable read, but there was nothing that urged me to keep on with the series.
The story is told in a non-linear fashion, with chapters alternating between past and present. I feel like non-linear storytelling, while creative, only works for certain kinds of plots. Fortunately for Hayward, this style did wonders for the book: it added to the suspense and made the plot more exciting.
The romance - if you can call it that at this point - develops over time, and really picks up towards the last quarter of the book. There's mutual attraction from the start, but it isn't acted upon immediately. I liked the pacing of it, but I wasn't very invested in what happened to the relationship, simply because it was hard for me to connect to the characters.
Overall, this was an enjoyable read, but there was nothing that urged me to keep on with the series.
jacqueleenthereadingqueen's review
5.0
Well damn... I, well I'm a little razzled. Why did it take me so long to read this one on my TBR list? It was chock full of surprises, fast paced never leading to boredom, and held just the right amount of steam. I gobbled up this book in less than a day. I loved the fact that I kept bouncing back and forth from my ideas about what I thought would happen next. And the MCs Jack and Ethan were well developed. I felt a strong pull to root for them, praying the multiple lies and betrayals would still end with them together. Although I would definitely not categorize this book as a HFN/HEA I am quite happy with that ending because it means I get more. Book 2 I am so ready for you! 4.5 stars
missawn's review against another edition
5.0
This book I absolutely LOVED! I read this in the middle of a dreadful book slump (2 dnfs in a row!), a stressful time IRL and LOTS of upsetting author drama in the m/m community. This book was the perfect escape. It is rare for me to be surprised anymore by books in the genre and I was definitely surprised by this book/author in a really, really good way. The shift back and forth in time should have been annoying but it wasn't -- it lent itself perfectly in the freshness and the suspense/tension that slowly built towards a somewhat satisfying ending (I did not want this book to end). The MCs have earned their place among some of the greats in this genre -- memorable, nicely fleshed out and with perfect chemistry. I was never bored with this one -- the pacing and the action was perfectly executed -- and I love military/spy novels -- and I really loved this one. This is one of the rare books that I will go back and read again at some point -- the web weaved was so intricate that I want to go back and see exactly how she did it. I want there to be more books in this series and I'll definitely read more books by this author ... recommended!
thosemedalingkidsss's review
5.0
Now this - this was entertaining. Assassin and spy shenanigans, deception, chaos, secrecy, romance maybe?
This had the perfect balance of plot fuckery and relationship development for me. There's two timelines - then and now, and shows how they met and present day issues. Do they like each other? Are they just playing a part? My popcorn is out.
I. Am. So. Invested.
There's also only one tent, a pet camel, and fast cars.
This had the perfect balance of plot fuckery and relationship development for me. There's two timelines - then and now, and shows how they met and present day issues. Do they like each other? Are they just playing a part? My popcorn is out.
I. Am. So. Invested.
There's also only one tent, a pet camel, and fast cars.
nic55's review against another edition
3.0
3.5 stars
I mean...I guess?
There were parts of this I really liked. Ethan is the main reason I want to keep reading this series. Even with his otherworldly, slightly unbelievable combat skills, he was a pretty compelling character overall. Loved the mix of his brutality/moral dubiousness with his softer edges. Jack...idk about him. Like, objectively he was layered, witty and very skilled, and I also appreciated that he was an Indian MMC. But I didn't feel anything for him beyond that. I can see him growing on me, but he was pretty mid in this book. Jack and Ethan as a couple were great, I loved the banter, the mutual badassery, the impeccable sexual chemistry. All really good, and I'm excited to see how their emotional walls come down throughout the series!
I'm not strictly opposed to flashbacks or a then/now narrative structure, but I find they work best in a second chance romance or something like that. With a suspense story like this, the tension that I usually eat up was lost bc the "now" story made it clear that they were good. The suspense and action and badass moments were well done though, I liked how they were written. The back and forth just kinda messed up the rhythm for me.
I can see this series growing on me over time, so I'm open to reading the novellas and the rest of the books. But it definitely won't be something I urgently want to finish
I mean...I guess?
There were parts of this I really liked. Ethan is the main reason I want to keep reading this series. Even with his otherworldly, slightly unbelievable combat skills, he was a pretty compelling character overall. Loved the mix of his brutality/moral dubiousness with his softer edges. Jack...idk about him. Like, objectively he was layered, witty and very skilled, and I also appreciated that he was an Indian MMC. But I didn't feel anything for him beyond that. I can see him growing on me, but he was pretty mid in this book. Jack and Ethan as a couple were great, I loved the banter, the mutual badassery, the impeccable sexual chemistry. All really good, and I'm excited to see how their emotional walls come down throughout the series!
I'm not strictly opposed to flashbacks or a then/now narrative structure, but I find they work best in a second chance romance or something like that. With a suspense story like this, the tension that I usually eat up was lost bc the "now" story made it clear that they were good. The suspense and action and badass moments were well done though, I liked how they were written. The back and forth just kinda messed up the rhythm for me.
I can see this series growing on me over time, so I'm open to reading the novellas and the rest of the books. But it definitely won't be something I urgently want to finish
downtown_kb's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
lighthearted
mysterious
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
4.0
Jack is in the middle of an undercover operation when his cover is blown by a legendary assassin, Ethan Blade. Forced to work together to escape, Jack discovers things are a lot more complicated than he first thought and he and Ethan have to work together to discover a mole at Jack’s agency.
I had a really hard time getting into this. I did not like the dual timelines. I love a dual timeline but this jumps from past to present every other chapter making it really hard to keep up with for me. And that made it hard to get attached to the story and characters. However, I stuck with it and by 60% I was all in. I think I also would have had an easier time reading this one as the audio was not good. The narrator was just reading it at first. (However, He did improve as the book went on and I’m on the second one and the narrator has really improved!) That all being said, this was action packed and Jack is sarcastic and fun. I like the mystery of Ethan Blade, deadly but really sweet? As the story came to its end I still found myself wanting to keep going.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content and Violence