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ld2's review against another edition
3.0
I don’t know what to think about this book. There are parts I really like, parts I found silly and stupid, and parts that just underwhelmed me. Rhys Ford is a wonderful writer, and I enjoy her writing style, and this book was just as well written as her other work. The problem I had with this book was the strange plot – it was a mixture of over the top action and a nonsensical mystery – as well as some strange characterizations of supporting characters.
First, the plot: I’m all for suspending my disbelief and going along for the ride with a high-pace thriller plot, but that’s not what happened with this book. First, we are introduced to Kuro Jenkins, a special op agent (although it’s never clear what agency he worked for, although I’m assuming it’s based in the U.S.A.) during one of his covert missions that ends up blowing his cover. Apparently a blown cover means he’s no longer valuable and is kicked out of the agency, which confused me. I can see Kuro leaving the agency because he was ready for retirement, but just because you can’t do undercover ops doesn’t mean that such a specialized and well-trained agent isn’t valuable in another position. But I shrugged that off and continued with the book. However, throughout the book Kuro’s black op/special ops background keeps being brought up by the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) from their astonishment that he’s licensed to own everything up to tank (that was a paraphrase quote from one of the detectives) to how they’re suspicious they can’t find anything about him. It just felt so corny and because it felt corny, I had a hard time suspending my disbelief (because FYI, that’s now how any of this works in real life – a retired agent is a considered a civilian and they still won’t own a tank or any firepower that they might once have had access to when they were still working in that field – at least not legally). Then there was the mystery portion of the plot, which I had a hard time understanding what the motivation was for the need to murder Trey Bishop. I can understand murdering him to cover up another murder, but the other portion seemed super far-fetched, especially considering that situations like that would be fought in civil court.
Second, the supporting characters: The supporting characters all felt like they were pulled straight out of 80s and 90s Hollywood movies. The cops weren’t just bad – they were incompetent and unprofessional to the point of it being a reason for termination from the police force. I could MAYBE see this being believable for a small, dinky Sheriff’s office out in the remote boondocks, but not the LAPD, one of the biggest police forces in America, and one that is used to dealing with people from all over the world, plus celebrities, on a daily basis. The way the cops acted would not be tolerated by the LAPD (maybe in the 80s, but this book was recently published and it felt like it was supposed to be in the current time period). Plus, there are no Police Departments that would allow a detective to work on a case that centered on their family member as either the suspect or victim. I feel like that’s common knowledge, and that even a quick Google fact check would provide that answer. I don’t expect authors to have an in-depth knowledge of police departments, police procedures, or investigative work, but I do expect authors to have some common knowledge, and maybe even supplement it with a few Google checks (it’s not hard to search and read about the LAPD on the internet). Overall, the supporting characters all felt super sloppy and like stereotypical caricatures instead of interesting and dynamic secondary characters.
What I did like was the portrayal of the relationship between Kuro and Trey, and watching Trey grow in confidence and move forward in his life. I also enjoyed the sex scenes between the two main characters, and found their tenderness towards each other very touching. I also, as I first mentioned, really enjoy Rhys Ford’s writing style and humor. Plus, the description of ramen (real ramen, not that insta-stuff) was delicious and made me want to go eat ramen immediately.
Overall, this was a 2.5 star read for me, but I’ll still recommend it for anyone who enjoys Rhys Ford’s books and is looking for some action and mystery. If you don’t really care about caricatural depictions of characters and just want a thrill with a solid dose of love and protective Alpha male, then this book will serve you well.
First, the plot: I’m all for suspending my disbelief and going along for the ride with a high-pace thriller plot, but that’s not what happened with this book. First, we are introduced to Kuro Jenkins, a special op agent (although it’s never clear what agency he worked for, although I’m assuming it’s based in the U.S.A.) during one of his covert missions that ends up blowing his cover. Apparently a blown cover means he’s no longer valuable and is kicked out of the agency, which confused me. I can see Kuro leaving the agency because he was ready for retirement, but just because you can’t do undercover ops doesn’t mean that such a specialized and well-trained agent isn’t valuable in another position. But I shrugged that off and continued with the book. However, throughout the book Kuro’s black op/special ops background keeps being brought up by the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) from their astonishment that he’s licensed to own everything up to tank (that was a paraphrase quote from one of the detectives) to how they’re suspicious they can’t find anything about him. It just felt so corny and because it felt corny, I had a hard time suspending my disbelief (because FYI, that’s now how any of this works in real life – a retired agent is a considered a civilian and they still won’t own a tank or any firepower that they might once have had access to when they were still working in that field – at least not legally). Then there was the mystery portion of the plot, which I had a hard time understanding what the motivation was for the need to murder Trey Bishop. I can understand murdering him to cover up another murder, but the other portion seemed super far-fetched, especially considering that situations like that would be fought in civil court.
Second, the supporting characters: The supporting characters all felt like they were pulled straight out of 80s and 90s Hollywood movies. The cops weren’t just bad – they were incompetent and unprofessional to the point of it being a reason for termination from the police force. I could MAYBE see this being believable for a small, dinky Sheriff’s office out in the remote boondocks, but not the LAPD, one of the biggest police forces in America, and one that is used to dealing with people from all over the world, plus celebrities, on a daily basis. The way the cops acted would not be tolerated by the LAPD (maybe in the 80s, but this book was recently published and it felt like it was supposed to be in the current time period). Plus, there are no Police Departments that would allow a detective to work on a case that centered on their family member as either the suspect or victim. I feel like that’s common knowledge, and that even a quick Google fact check would provide that answer. I don’t expect authors to have an in-depth knowledge of police departments, police procedures, or investigative work, but I do expect authors to have some common knowledge, and maybe even supplement it with a few Google checks (it’s not hard to search and read about the LAPD on the internet). Overall, the supporting characters all felt super sloppy and like stereotypical caricatures instead of interesting and dynamic secondary characters.
What I did like was the portrayal of the relationship between Kuro and Trey, and watching Trey grow in confidence and move forward in his life. I also enjoyed the sex scenes between the two main characters, and found their tenderness towards each other very touching. I also, as I first mentioned, really enjoy Rhys Ford’s writing style and humor. Plus, the description of ramen (real ramen, not that insta-stuff) was delicious and made me want to go eat ramen immediately.
Overall, this was a 2.5 star read for me, but I’ll still recommend it for anyone who enjoys Rhys Ford’s books and is looking for some action and mystery. If you don’t really care about caricatural depictions of characters and just want a thrill with a solid dose of love and protective Alpha male, then this book will serve you well.
vpeterson's review against another edition
4.0
Rhys Ford is an auto-buy author for me and the brains behind several of my all-time favorite couples, and I'm pretty sure I can add Kuro and Trey to that list.
I really enjoyed this book (the first in a new series. YAY!) - the beginnings of a new relationship, action, intrigue, sexy times, family, and friendship all perfectly balanced that had me reading this book in one sitting. I didn't want to put it down. Plus all the delicious dishes Kuro cooked - I've never been more hungry for ramen in my life!
I fell in love with both characters - former child star Trey, fighting hard for his sobriety after a brutal crash and burn, who found himself in the wrong place at the wrong time and now people are trying to kill him. Former operative/spy now ramen restaurateur Kuro, who found himself in the wrong place at the right time stepped in to protect Trey and now has people after him. The two of them work together to find out who is after them and what is going on. Their chemistry explodes off the page and kept me turning them.
I'm really excited to see where this series goes, and I definitely cannot wait to watch Kuro and Trey's relationship progress. Do yourself a favor and buy this book!
(If this is a new to you author, it's a great place to start, and I recommend then devouring everything else she has written. You won't regret it!)
I really enjoyed this book (the first in a new series. YAY!) - the beginnings of a new relationship, action, intrigue, sexy times, family, and friendship all perfectly balanced that had me reading this book in one sitting. I didn't want to put it down. Plus all the delicious dishes Kuro cooked - I've never been more hungry for ramen in my life!
I fell in love with both characters - former child star Trey, fighting hard for his sobriety after a brutal crash and burn, who found himself in the wrong place at the wrong time and now people are trying to kill him. Former operative/spy now ramen restaurateur Kuro, who found himself in the wrong place at the right time stepped in to protect Trey and now has people after him. The two of them work together to find out who is after them and what is going on. Their chemistry explodes off the page and kept me turning them.
I'm really excited to see where this series goes, and I definitely cannot wait to watch Kuro and Trey's relationship progress. Do yourself a favor and buy this book!
(If this is a new to you author, it's a great place to start, and I recommend then devouring everything else she has written. You won't regret it!)
terriaminute's review against another edition
4.0
As usual for this author, this first in a new series is rich in descriptions and is seasoned with humor despite all the dead bodies. I look forward to the next book, though I hope that it gets an edit for clarity this one didn't. There were several times where I lost who was saying what in the sameness of Kuro and Trey's speech patterns. I'd have appreciated an identifying name here and there. I didn't/don't always get along with my sisters, but Trey's, yikes. As always, the supporting cast is excellent.
rainbowsandsunshinebookblog's review against another edition
3.0
Ramen Assassin is a good start to a new series. I really liked Kuro and Trey. Written in dual POV it can be classified as insta love. The mystery was a bit too confusing. It didn't hold my interest for long. Yes it's action packed and suspenseful but something was just missing.
The secondary characters were interesting, especially Aoki and Sera. I wanted a bit more romance but since it's the first in a series, hopefully there'll be more of that in future. Trey and Kuro are really great together. They are like puzzle pieces that fit together so well.
Also I'm craving Kuro's cooking right now!! Will look forward to the next book.
The secondary characters were interesting, especially Aoki and Sera. I wanted a bit more romance but since it's the first in a series, hopefully there'll be more of that in future. Trey and Kuro are really great together. They are like puzzle pieces that fit together so well.
Also I'm craving Kuro's cooking right now!! Will look forward to the next book.
calila's review against another edition
4.0
Decent story, but not my favorite. I liked the romance, didn't particularly care for the mystery. Or Trey's shirty family. I hate them. Mostly his sister. Every time Kuro chewed her out I cheered. But Kuro and Trey together? They were great. It moves kind of quick. It's good though. I look forward to diving deeper into the relationship development in the next book.
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