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4.26 AVERAGE
4.26 AVERAGE
Great way to start the new year, with a can't-put-it-down thriller! This is the third book in Armstrong's series featuring Nadia Stafford, an ex-cop turned contract killer. Nadia and her mentor Jack go after the man who has haunted her dreams for twenty years, the man who killed her cousin Amy and got away with it. Once they start down that path they realize that the situation is far more complex than they originally thought. The cover says this book concludes the series. On one hand, that’s too bad, because the series with its offbeat premise has been very enjoyable. On the other hand, Armstrong has written a powerful conclusion that tied up loose ends in a very satisfying way.
This book is my crack. It's one of the books I go back to when I need a break or a palate cleansing.
I LOVE THIS SERIES SO MUCH. I'm mad at myself for not checking it out sooner, but thank god I finally did. It is possibly now my favorite Kelley Armstrong series? We’ll see how Cainsville plays out (and I haven’t read any of her Women of the Otherworld series), but this series was just so great!!! JACK AND NADIA!!!!!!!
And their date!!!!!! Their date that isn’t super obvious it’s a date at first, but they go to a nice restaurant and dress up and I love how Nadia realizes what’s going on, and then how she teases him about how she can thank him and he makes VERY clear that he isn’t expecting anything in return, and then she kisses him and he freezes because even with the teasing, he still didn’t let him expect that would happen. And I know now I’m basically just describing everything that happened between them at this point but it was all just SO MUCH, I can’t handle it!!! It was basically all I was hoping for between them.
And then after their date how he makes it VERY clear that he’s not looking for anything casual, that this wasn’t just a one-time thing, and the whole conversation between both of them about what they want, and revealing why he bailed on Egypt, and Nadia admitting she went after Quinn because she didn’t think she could have him. I just love how open and honest they are with each other!!! I feel like a lot of characters like Jack who aren’t great are expressing feelings and are gruff and a little broody are closed off and don’t want to talk about things like this, but what I love about Jack throughout the series is that he is ALWAYS open and honest with Nadia. He doesn’t hide things from her (except his feelings, I guess) and he’s willing to tell her absolutely anything about him and makes his feelings clear after they get together. I just love everything about them together!!!
It was a little strange how Nadia had decided to start things up with Quinn in the last book just to reveal they had broken up at the beginning of this, but I never cared about their relationship, so that was fine.I had liked Quinn well enough in the previous books, but he definitely ruined it in this book with his reaction to finding out about Nadia and Jack. And like, the immediate reaction is one thing, but the fact that even after having time to think about it and process it, he was still like “He took advantage of you when you were vulnerable, and you’re making a mistake and you’ll realize it eventually,” or whatever was super obnoxious and made me really dislike him.
The mystery/plot was definitely the best of the three books (although I had really enjoyed the mysteries in the previous books as well).
Basically, everything about this was perfect. Nadia and Jack have definitely vaulted into my favorite book romances, and I’m sure I’ll be rereading this series many times in the future!
Spoiler
Everything about how they got together was PERFECT. I love how even though Jack’s a hitman and is gruff and doesn’t really show his feelings, he’s so GENTLE with her and knows what she needs. HE FOUND ALDRICH FOR HER AND OFFERED TO KILL HIM FOR HER. I loved how much he opened up to her in this book, and how he was like “I don’t talk about anything, except to you,” and then tells her that she probably feels like he just lets things slip but he doesn’t, he CHOOSES to tell her and WANTS TO SAY MORE but doesn’t presume she wants to know. Because that was very evident in the previous books and Nadia kept trying not to pry, but anytime she asked him ANYTHING he wanted to answer, and it was so clear he WANTED her to know about him, so it was amazing for him to articulate that here. And he tells her his real name!!! And then later when he tells her that his boundaries and privacy DON’T APPLY TO HER!!! And how he asks her if she wants him to be pickier about the jobs he choses because he would change for her, even though she would never ask that of him!!! And how he gets mad at her thanking him because he doesn’t want her GRATITUDE, he wants her to understand why he would do everything he does for her!And their date!!!!!! Their date that isn’t super obvious it’s a date at first, but they go to a nice restaurant and dress up and I love how Nadia realizes what’s going on, and then how she teases him about how she can thank him and he makes VERY clear that he isn’t expecting anything in return, and then she kisses him and he freezes because even with the teasing, he still didn’t let him expect that would happen. And I know now I’m basically just describing everything that happened between them at this point but it was all just SO MUCH, I can’t handle it!!! It was basically all I was hoping for between them.
And then after their date how he makes it VERY clear that he’s not looking for anything casual, that this wasn’t just a one-time thing, and the whole conversation between both of them about what they want, and revealing why he bailed on Egypt, and Nadia admitting she went after Quinn because she didn’t think she could have him. I just love how open and honest they are with each other!!! I feel like a lot of characters like Jack who aren’t great are expressing feelings and are gruff and a little broody are closed off and don’t want to talk about things like this, but what I love about Jack throughout the series is that he is ALWAYS open and honest with Nadia. He doesn’t hide things from her (except his feelings, I guess) and he’s willing to tell her absolutely anything about him and makes his feelings clear after they get together. I just love everything about them together!!!
It was a little strange how Nadia had decided to start things up with Quinn in the last book just to reveal they had broken up at the beginning of this, but I never cared about their relationship, so that was fine.
The mystery/plot was definitely the best of the three books (although I had really enjoyed the mysteries in the previous books as well).
Spoiler
I had wondered if there were things Nadia wasn’t remembering correctly and if she had been raped by Aldrich based on some hints in the previous books and at the beginning of this one, so it was interesting to see how that played out here. I loved that Jack suspected what had happened and read the diary first to help prepare her but didn’t try to hide it from her to ~protect her or anything.Basically, everything about this was perfect. Nadia and Jack have definitely vaulted into my favorite book romances, and I’m sure I’ll be rereading this series many times in the future!
I have been waiting for this book, and I was completely not disappointed with it at all. If I say more, I'll have to do a spoiler alert. I loved it.
adventurous
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
dark
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Sigh...it's always bitter-sweet when a series ends. It's great to have to loose ends tied up and you can smile at the story and how it finished, but it's hard to lose this "relationship" you develop with characters. Great ending to a great series. I was wary on the Nadia Stafford series because non-paranormal mystery/crime fighting isn't KA's cup of tea nor mine. I prefer Vampires and Werewolves, thank you very much. This is another affirmation that KA is extremely versatile and will continue to be one of my favorite authors. So long Nadia, Jack, and Quinn. xoxo.
Wow did this series get better as it went! Now I’m kind of bummed out that it’s over.