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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
sarahjonewt's review against another edition
3.0
Fast-paced, fun, the perfect easy read to decompress from some of the more heartbreaking stuff I’ve read.
the_otaku_bibliophile's review against another edition
adventurous
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? It's complicated
5.0
paracosmere's review against another edition
3.0
The back and forth between the then and now had me disoriented for a time before finally getting used to it. Story's pretty cute tho
tetiana's review against another edition
3.0
Oh yeah, I’ll inject all the action-packed exciting romantic suspense I can get my hands on straight into my eyeballs. Explosions! Betrayals! Spies and assassins and ALL THE TWISTS IN THE WORLD!
Seriously, if your sales-pitch is a “summer blockbuster but make it gay”, I’m your customer. Had an ungodly amount of fun reading this, and can’t wait to dive back in.
Seriously, if your sales-pitch is a “summer blockbuster but make it gay”, I’m your customer. Had an ungodly amount of fun reading this, and can’t wait to dive back in.
s_nguyennnsss's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
fast-paced
- Loveable characters? Yes
5.0