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devansbooklife's review against another edition
3.0
Tijan never fails when it comes to drama. This book was action packed and full of it. The lethal kind. I believe the idea was strong but I just felt it lacked follow through. The plot was a bit messy. But not so messy that I didn't enjoy it. I for one need the dramatic writing that Tijan offers.
The relationship between Emma and Carter is intense and extremely hot. And Carter is one heck of an alpha male. Protecting Emma from herself and the rest of world without any complaints. Over all a good story with a lot of action.
The relationship between Emma and Carter is intense and extremely hot. And Carter is one heck of an alpha male. Protecting Emma from herself and the rest of world without any complaints. Over all a good story with a lot of action.
heidiloulou's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
kk7's review against another edition
3.0
This one had great reviews but fell a little flat to me. I actually liked Carter but just about every other character was annoying.
cneeld's review against another edition
1.0
Emma is the worstttttt!!!! She’s weak, immature, doesn’t listen and apparently doesn’t know her own name by the amount of times other characters say “Emma!”, “Emma??”, “Ehhmuhhh”. So freakin annoying! Won’t be returning to this author’s collection.
hibbiley19's review
dark
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.75
allaboutthatromance's review against another edition
4.0
Carter reed is total boyfriend material!
I was thoroughly impressed with this book! It definitely captured my attention in the first chapter and kept me on edge to see what would happen. I loved the history between Carter and Emma and watching how they found each other again. I’m curious to see what Book 2 will be about considering the ending.
I was thoroughly impressed with this book! It definitely captured my attention in the first chapter and kept me on edge to see what would happen. I loved the history between Carter and Emma and watching how they found each other again. I’m curious to see what Book 2 will be about considering the ending.
lesleyt's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
smuttea_matcha's review against another edition
I really, really, did not like this book. I was really surprised that it got over 4 stars by so many readers.
So, Carter Reed is pretty much a hitman for a mafia family and Emma is his childhood best friend's little sister. He pretty much became who he is today because of his best friend's death and to protect the little sister. Emma killed a son of one of the big guys in a rival mafia family so she runs to the one person her dead brother told her she could always trust. Carter takes her in and promises to take care of the problem and, of course, they get all hot and steamy for each other. I got about half way through the book before I decided to just drop it.
Let's start with Emma. She's ridiculously airheaded. She gasps all the time. I mean it. You'll find it once on each page, at least. Her gasps don't even make sense. I really did not like her as a character. I really tried to like her, but I didn't. She was all over the place. Her break down after killing a mobster's son didn't even get me to sympathize for her. I just did not like her.
Carter is just there. He's like that bad action hero in a low-budget film. He wasn't spectacular and didn't get me all warm and fuzzy. The characters weren't very spectacular. Theresa reminded me of a high school girl, which was annoying. Noah's just that random bad ass that I didn't care for. Tijian should have given us more insight to the childhood of Carter and Emma. She kept saying they were childhood friends, but we never get to glimpse at that. I thought that was really important in developing the connection of Emma and Carter. All in all, this was all done really poorly and I don't get why everyone went ape shit for it. Skip it.
So, Carter Reed is pretty much a hitman for a mafia family and Emma is his childhood best friend's little sister. He pretty much became who he is today because of his best friend's death and to protect the little sister. Emma killed a son of one of the big guys in a rival mafia family so she runs to the one person her dead brother told her she could always trust. Carter takes her in and promises to take care of the problem and, of course, they get all hot and steamy for each other. I got about half way through the book before I decided to just drop it.
Let's start with Emma. She's ridiculously airheaded. She gasps all the time. I mean it. You'll find it once on each page, at least. Her gasps don't even make sense. I really did not like her as a character. I really tried to like her, but I didn't. She was all over the place. Her break down after killing a mobster's son didn't even get me to sympathize for her. I just did not like her.
Carter is just there. He's like that bad action hero in a low-budget film. He wasn't spectacular and didn't get me all warm and fuzzy. The characters weren't very spectacular. Theresa reminded me of a high school girl, which was annoying. Noah's just that random bad ass that I didn't care for. Tijian should have given us more insight to the childhood of Carter and Emma. She kept saying they were childhood friends, but we never get to glimpse at that. I thought that was really important in developing the connection of Emma and Carter. All in all, this was all done really poorly and I don't get why everyone went ape shit for it. Skip it.
jessica_sain1's review against another edition
3.0
It’s ok I guess. Nothing special and everything is so vague. It’s like the author wanted to write a mafia romance without actually making it mafia-romance like. I like Carter but he’s also kinda mid in my eyes like he’s supposed to be this big boss and able to protect people but all this bad stuff happens and he barely even retaliates which is just not what I expect from a mafia romance. It’s not a bad book but it’s also not anywhere near a masterpiece. Also it’s dual pov but one is first person and the other is third person which is pretty strange and jarring every time they switch.
caseroo7's review against another edition
4.0
Review originally posted at Ramblings From This Chick
I knew just looking at the cover that I had to read this book. I know books shouldn't be judged by their covers, but sometimes I just can't help myself. After reading the blurb though, I was sure that this one was going to be different. I loved how unique and edgy this story was. It was definitely unlike anything else I have read before, and that was extremely refreshing. Recently I have read so many books with similar storylines that I was looking for something else and this was exactly what I was looking for. This book will not be for everyone. There are some pretty serious things that happen, and you should definitely think about if this book is one you would be interested in. I really liked this book, but there were a few things that kept me from giving this one five stars.
Emma walks in on her roommate and best friend Mallory being raped. Emma kills the rapist, who also happens to not only be Mallory's boyfriend, but also a member of a local mob. Knowing that she needs help getting out of the awful situation she finds herself in, Emma goes to the only person that can possibly help her. Her brother told her before he died that if she ever needed anything, Carter Reed would help her. Carter was her brother's best friend and practically lived at their house. But Emma hasn't seen him in ten years, and Carter is not the same person he was back then. As Carter and Emma reconnect and try to get through everything, their feelings grow stronger than ever. Carter makes it his mission to not only escape his mob connections, but also keep Emma safe as he has been doing forever. But can they possibly have a future together, or are there too many obstacles standing in their way?
I loved Carter! He is sexy and dangerous, and I loved how protective he was of Emma. He is a total Alpha, and you just can't help but love him. There is so much to him beneath the surface and I loved how he had no problems admitting to how strongly he felt for Emma. Sometimes I liked Emma and sometimes I didn't like Emma. I thought that overall her character was weak and wishy-washy. She had moments of strength, but they tended to fade very quickly and she was replaced by this completely different character. I really loved her and Carter together though. They were hot and steamy and yet sweet together. They had a ton of chemistry and you could really feel their connection to each other. Their scenes were written so well and were filled with sexual tension. I was hoping for a bit more of the steamy stuff though, and I really felt that the story could have used a bit more sex between them.
I thought that there were some pacing problems with this one. There was a ton of action and things going on, and yet there were times that the story just seemed to move extremely slowly. I would find myself wanting to skim portions and get to the good stuff. I also felt like the ending was extremely abrupt. Yes we do get an end, and there is an HEA. But regardless, it felt unfinished to me. As far as I know, this story is a standalone. I was just wanting an epilogue or something to sort of give this story more closure. I can only hope that Tijan decides to give us and the characters some more to really feel like Carter and Emma get the ending they deserve. Overall though I really did enjoy this story. I was glad that I picked this one up and I am definitely curious to see more from Tijan. This is the first book by Tijan that I have read, but I will be looking for more in the future. I think that there are some people that will not be able to enjoy this story. But I also think that this one is definitely worth giving a shot. It is interesting and unique and will keep you interested in turning the pages and seeing what happens next. Plus, this book is worth reading just for Carter alone!
I knew just looking at the cover that I had to read this book. I know books shouldn't be judged by their covers, but sometimes I just can't help myself. After reading the blurb though, I was sure that this one was going to be different. I loved how unique and edgy this story was. It was definitely unlike anything else I have read before, and that was extremely refreshing. Recently I have read so many books with similar storylines that I was looking for something else and this was exactly what I was looking for. This book will not be for everyone. There are some pretty serious things that happen, and you should definitely think about if this book is one you would be interested in. I really liked this book, but there were a few things that kept me from giving this one five stars.
Emma walks in on her roommate and best friend Mallory being raped. Emma kills the rapist, who also happens to not only be Mallory's boyfriend, but also a member of a local mob. Knowing that she needs help getting out of the awful situation she finds herself in, Emma goes to the only person that can possibly help her. Her brother told her before he died that if she ever needed anything, Carter Reed would help her. Carter was her brother's best friend and practically lived at their house. But Emma hasn't seen him in ten years, and Carter is not the same person he was back then. As Carter and Emma reconnect and try to get through everything, their feelings grow stronger than ever. Carter makes it his mission to not only escape his mob connections, but also keep Emma safe as he has been doing forever. But can they possibly have a future together, or are there too many obstacles standing in their way?
I loved Carter! He is sexy and dangerous, and I loved how protective he was of Emma. He is a total Alpha, and you just can't help but love him. There is so much to him beneath the surface and I loved how he had no problems admitting to how strongly he felt for Emma. Sometimes I liked Emma and sometimes I didn't like Emma. I thought that overall her character was weak and wishy-washy. She had moments of strength, but they tended to fade very quickly and she was replaced by this completely different character. I really loved her and Carter together though. They were hot and steamy and yet sweet together. They had a ton of chemistry and you could really feel their connection to each other. Their scenes were written so well and were filled with sexual tension. I was hoping for a bit more of the steamy stuff though, and I really felt that the story could have used a bit more sex between them.
I thought that there were some pacing problems with this one. There was a ton of action and things going on, and yet there were times that the story just seemed to move extremely slowly. I would find myself wanting to skim portions and get to the good stuff. I also felt like the ending was extremely abrupt. Yes we do get an end, and there is an HEA. But regardless, it felt unfinished to me. As far as I know, this story is a standalone. I was just wanting an epilogue or something to sort of give this story more closure. I can only hope that Tijan decides to give us and the characters some more to really feel like Carter and Emma get the ending they deserve. Overall though I really did enjoy this story. I was glad that I picked this one up and I am definitely curious to see more from Tijan. This is the first book by Tijan that I have read, but I will be looking for more in the future. I think that there are some people that will not be able to enjoy this story. But I also think that this one is definitely worth giving a shot. It is interesting and unique and will keep you interested in turning the pages and seeing what happens next. Plus, this book is worth reading just for Carter alone!