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labraden's review against another edition
4.0
Shane is a PI working in Chicago for wives of husbands who are cheating on them. Denise hires her to get proof of her husband, Dane Quimby's affairs and find the money he's hiding. Posing as Dane's eharmony date, Shane manages to move half of Dane's money into Denise's bank account, but Shane is almost caught on her way out of the restaurant when Dane's security company, Cipher Security, sends in two agents who have detected the theft of Dane's money. One agent, Gabriel, is fascinated with Shane and makes it his mission to find the clever PI, but when he does, both are in for more than they bargained for.
There are many things to like about Code of Conduct, but unfortunately, the book is not without problems. At the beginning of the story, the pacing is crafty as we learn about the mystery involving Dane and at the same time, get a glimpse into Shane's world as well as her mind. Also, the attraction between Gabriel and Shane is immediately palpable, but quickly turns into a delicious slow burn romance. Although I don't claim to be an expert on the issues resulting from amputation, the representation of an amputee seems well done, especially since it involves a main character. However, the mystery goes off the rails a bit after we learn that Denise has disappeared and the plot shifts focus to a character named Karpov that we never really get to know. Dane does come back into the story later, but by then, his part of the story seems to have gotten lost. Overall, Code of Conduct is a very interesting romantic suspense novel with moments in the book that actually shine.
There are many things to like about Code of Conduct, but unfortunately, the book is not without problems. At the beginning of the story, the pacing is crafty as we learn about the mystery involving Dane and at the same time, get a glimpse into Shane's world as well as her mind. Also, the attraction between Gabriel and Shane is immediately palpable, but quickly turns into a delicious slow burn romance. Although I don't claim to be an expert on the issues resulting from amputation, the representation of an amputee seems well done, especially since it involves a main character. However, the mystery goes off the rails a bit after we learn that Denise has disappeared and the plot shifts focus to a character named Karpov that we never really get to know. Dane does come back into the story later, but by then, his part of the story seems to have gotten lost. Overall, Code of Conduct is a very interesting romantic suspense novel with moments in the book that actually shine.
mccorbin's review
5.0
This Smartypants romance idea was just brilliant! I know I am only two books into the lot but I am loving every character and every story so far.
I’ll just lay it out, if you like Penny Reid’s writing and characters then you will like April White’s Code of Conduct. A very strong and brilliant woman is your main character, Shane is her name, but oh, is she so guarded! A list of few friends and a whole lot of anti-trust surrounds her. However, when she runs into the sexy Gabriel, her friend list grows just a smidge.
I think what I loved about Shane the most was that she flat-out is flawed. She admits it from the very beginning of the book. Per her past, she has trust issues and her P.I. job is to catch cheaters. I can’t imagine someone not having trust issues with a job of such. J But she grows significantly in this book and it was such a pleasure to read her do such.
And, friends, Gabriel is mega big cartoon eyes handsome and swoon-worthy! Who he is, who his family is, how he slowly worms his way into Shane’s life but knows when he has to back off; he is the perfect specimen.
My favorite part is how our book characters wove in and out of Penny Reid’s universe and April White’s side characters. It felt natural and full of ease. No one felt out of place; it’s like they all belonged.
I’ll just lay it out, if you like Penny Reid’s writing and characters then you will like April White’s Code of Conduct. A very strong and brilliant woman is your main character, Shane is her name, but oh, is she so guarded! A list of few friends and a whole lot of anti-trust surrounds her. However, when she runs into the sexy Gabriel, her friend list grows just a smidge.
I think what I loved about Shane the most was that she flat-out is flawed. She admits it from the very beginning of the book. Per her past, she has trust issues and her P.I. job is to catch cheaters. I can’t imagine someone not having trust issues with a job of such. J But she grows significantly in this book and it was such a pleasure to read her do such.
And, friends, Gabriel is mega big cartoon eyes handsome and swoon-worthy! Who he is, who his family is, how he slowly worms his way into Shane’s life but knows when he has to back off; he is the perfect specimen.
My favorite part is how our book characters wove in and out of Penny Reid’s universe and April White’s side characters. It felt natural and full of ease. No one felt out of place; it’s like they all belonged.
jen286's review
4.0
This review was originally posted to Jen in Bookland
Code of Conduct was the first book in the Pennyverse I have read and while it took me a little while to get into it I loved it! It took me a chapter or two to get into the Penny Reid world without Penny Reid's voice aspect of it. But it was a wonderful read! I am so glad Penny opened up her world to other authors. I love seeing the characters I already know and love interacting with new characters. It is the best.
I love April White and her Immortal Descendents books so I was super excited to see how her first foray into romance would play out. I love the way she writes and I freakin loved Shane. She was a super-strong badass, but also has insecurities she struggles with. She is so strong, but can also be so vulnerable. She was so real, so every one of us at times. She was fascinating to read and I couldn't wait to see what would happen next.
And Gabriel? Oh, I loved him too. He was the best! Strong and tough, but also gentle and sweet. He has a very strong protection instinct and he wants to protect Shane from everything, but he also recognizes that she doesn't need him to protect her. She can do it herself. He was so amazing and kind and caring and a bit of everything wrapped up in a super hot British guy. Oh, these two. They shouldn't have worked, Shane is super secretive with who she is and what she is up to, she has done some things that may get her in a bit of trouble, and Gabriel is the straight-laced security guy who should have been after her at first, but they just work. There is something there and it was so much fun watching them figure everything out. A bit of romance, a bit of mystery, a bit of fun. It was great.
Now the other thing I loved so so so much was that it is set in the Cipher Security world so we get to see some of my favorites from the Knitting in the City series! I loved that and they were so well integrated and felt like these new characters were definitely part of that world. I cannot wait to read more in this new Pennyverse!
Code of Conduct was the first book in the Pennyverse I have read and while it took me a little while to get into it I loved it! It took me a chapter or two to get into the Penny Reid world without Penny Reid's voice aspect of it. But it was a wonderful read! I am so glad Penny opened up her world to other authors. I love seeing the characters I already know and love interacting with new characters. It is the best.
I love April White and her Immortal Descendents books so I was super excited to see how her first foray into romance would play out. I love the way she writes and I freakin loved Shane. She was a super-strong badass, but also has insecurities she struggles with. She is so strong, but can also be so vulnerable. She was so real, so every one of us at times. She was fascinating to read and I couldn't wait to see what would happen next.
And Gabriel? Oh, I loved him too. He was the best! Strong and tough, but also gentle and sweet. He has a very strong protection instinct and he wants to protect Shane from everything, but he also recognizes that she doesn't need him to protect her. She can do it herself. He was so amazing and kind and caring and a bit of everything wrapped up in a super hot British guy. Oh, these two. They shouldn't have worked, Shane is super secretive with who she is and what she is up to, she has done some things that may get her in a bit of trouble, and Gabriel is the straight-laced security guy who should have been after her at first, but they just work. There is something there and it was so much fun watching them figure everything out. A bit of romance, a bit of mystery, a bit of fun. It was great.
Now the other thing I loved so so so much was that it is set in the Cipher Security world so we get to see some of my favorites from the Knitting in the City series! I loved that and they were so well integrated and felt like these new characters were definitely part of that world. I cannot wait to read more in this new Pennyverse!
erinremen's review
5.0
Shane is as unique as her many legs, as tall as the tallest supermodels and as secretive as they come. She holds all her cards to her vest, so deep you will have to pry them out. Which is exactly what Gabriel wants to do. From the first moment her saw the stunning woman outside the restaurant he had thought of nothing else. Obsessed comes to mind! Shane kind of feels the same about the tall, dark, mysterious Brit that seems to pop up everywhere. But she does kind of have enough on her plate, what with the wife who stiffed her bill and the husband who is more than a little pissed off and is gunning for her. The job was supposed to be easy, in and out. She certainly got a lot more than she bargained for, with the job and the man. Suspenseful. Intense attraction. A lot of beloved characters pop in and I enjoyed every minute of it!
kellyjcm's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
3.5
Loved the leads in this romantic suspense. Very much enjoyed revisiting friends from Knitting in the City series.
3beansbooks's review against another edition
5.0
I absolutely adored this book! This is my first time reading an April White book and it will definitely not be my last.
Shane and Gabriel are utter perfection together.
Shane and Gabriel are utter perfection together.
mannithebookworm's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
erikoreads's review against another edition
3.0
Pleasantly surprised by this one, started reading it without realising it was part of the Penny Reid universe of books.
Interesting characters and fast paced plot.
Interesting characters and fast paced plot.
a_ab's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
lighthearted
mysterious
4.0
This was surprisingly enjoyable, well written and even insightful on a couple of points.
However, I did not appreciate the insta-lust as the foundation for the main relationship in the book, and I didn't realize this was a fanfic when I picked it up. Many of the side characters felt like name-drops — like the reader is supposed to recognize the name and fill in the implications based on the knowledge from the other source. Having no familiarity with that source, I constantly felt like I was missing things and seeing only part of the picture the author was trying to show. But that didn't bother me enough to go in search of the novels this is based on.
Even in its not-quite-stand-alone state, this book is fun enough to be rereadable.
However, I did not appreciate the insta-lust as the foundation for the main relationship in the book, and I didn't realize this was a fanfic when I picked it up. Many of the side characters felt like name-drops — like the reader is supposed to recognize the name and fill in the implications based on the knowledge from the other source. Having no familiarity with that source, I constantly felt like I was missing things and seeing only part of the picture the author was trying to show. But that didn't bother me enough to go in search of the novels this is based on.
Even in its not-quite-stand-alone state, this book is fun enough to be rereadable.