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3.89 AVERAGE
3.89 AVERAGE
the publisher kindly provided me with an arc through netgalley
I sped through this book, it took me a couple of hours to finish. I enjoyed this book, the premise was interesting. I think the characters were interesting enough. I'm not always the biggest fan of explicit scenes because often times I don't like how it's written but the author did very well. They managed to make it sexy and not cringy in my opinion. Sometimes you just need a book that isn't too complicated and this was just that. I saw there's going to be a sequel as we got a preview of that at the end of the ebook and I will definitely be reading this as well.
I sped through this book, it took me a couple of hours to finish. I enjoyed this book, the premise was interesting. I think the characters were interesting enough. I'm not always the biggest fan of explicit scenes because often times I don't like how it's written but the author did very well. They managed to make it sexy and not cringy in my opinion. Sometimes you just need a book that isn't too complicated and this was just that. I saw there's going to be a sequel as we got a preview of that at the end of the ebook and I will definitely be reading this as well.
dark
emotional
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Loveable characters:
Yes
having the hots for her husband's killer..
My eyes drift across her skin, every inch that I’ve touched and learned. The difference between life and the end is an escalation of pressure.
I loved the heck out of this. A super sexy romantic suspense novel between an artist and the suave assassin that she hires to kill her cheating, abusive husband. The only catch? Her husband hired the same assassin to kill her.
This had me hooked from the very beginning, with smooth prose and compelling dialogue. I sympathised and identified with Justine so much, and omg Campbell. I fell head over swoon for them from the first moment. They felt dangerous but charming, and you really understood why Justine was drawn to them. This is a pretty short book, and I have to admire the character work that Gray does in so little time? Both characters are grappling with different types of trauma, and I love how they bonded and clicked. There was so much intensity between them, and it was sooooo good. This is kiiiiiiinda insta-lovey, but I don't mind, seeing as I enjoyed it overall so much.
The plot was really fun; I would have probably enjoyed it ever more in a longer book, but I did so enjoy what the author managed to deliver here. Even though the intrigue wasn't that deep, my eyes were still glued to the pages. The readers are aware of the double-hire twist from the beginning, but that didn't detract from my enjoyment at all. And I don't read a lot of suspense/intrigue/spy-esque stuff, so for me at least, it was all really refreshing and fun, and seemed well researched!
I didn't love how the ending wrapped up; it was just a teensy bit anticlimactic? And I did love the romance, but I wanted more, at least in the ending, to give a better sense of fullness/completeness.
But I still really really liked this! I think it was my first f/nb romance, and I'm super looking forward to whatever the author writes next. Serious kudos!
☆ Review copy provided via NetGalley.
Content warnings:
Spoiler
light BDSM, breathplay/asphyxiation.
The writing is exquisite as always, but the book itself felt too short and relied a little too much on instalove/lust, which I'm not a huge fan of. I'll definitely be checking the next volume though.
medium-paced
I went into this novella, not knowing much about it. I was interested in the assassin angle that the main character, Campbell held as their main job and I am always a sucker for a character that lives on the edges of society. Justine, the wife who hires Campbell was also rather intriguing as someone who was so fed up with her life that she didn't have any hesitation with going through with what Campbell was hired to do.
I absolutely loved reading a character that is nonbinary (my first one in fact!) and I liked how it was so seamlessly written in. There was no awkwardness about pronouns or explaining Campbell's gender, it just was and I think authors feel like they have to explain and inform the audience when clearly they don't because Rien Gray did an amazing job with it!
I felt like the romance between Campbell and Justine was a little rushed at times. At the very end with the confession, I didn't quite believe it because they had known each other for so little time and the interactions they did have together didn't quite pan out in my opinion. I did feel the connection between them, it just needed a little more juice to it.
The assassin part of the book was very well done and I enjoyed reading about Campbell's process and how he went about his work. I honestly would have loved more of it because I found it so fascinating.
Overall this was a well done novel and sucked me in for the afternoon!
I absolutely loved reading a character that is nonbinary (my first one in fact!) and I liked how it was so seamlessly written in. There was no awkwardness about pronouns or explaining Campbell's gender, it just was and I think authors feel like they have to explain and inform the audience when clearly they don't because Rien Gray did an amazing job with it!
I felt like the romance between Campbell and Justine was a little rushed at times. At the very end with the confession, I didn't quite believe it because they had known each other for so little time and the interactions they did have together didn't quite pan out in my opinion. I did feel the connection between them, it just needed a little more juice to it.
The assassin part of the book was very well done and I enjoyed reading about Campbell's process and how he went about his work. I honestly would have loved more of it because I found it so fascinating.
Overall this was a well done novel and sucked me in for the afternoon!
She hires an assassin who also happens to be hired to kill her. The nonbinary assassin is ex-military who decides to not kill her but the horrible husband along with, also let themselves fall for Justine.
This is a quick short novella with some mystery- dark horrible professor and well killing in the romance story. Can't’ wait to read more of this series.
This is a quick short novella with some mystery- dark horrible professor and well killing in the romance story. Can't’ wait to read more of this series.
dark
funny
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I absolutely adored this! It was exactly what I needed it to be 😩👌🏻
For such a short novella, it made me feel incredibly invested in both Justine and Campbell’s storylines. It felt like we got to learn quite a bit about them, and the challenges they’ve faced.
Also. The chemistry between Justine and Campbell was impeccable 🙏🏻 Truly the only flaw was the whole “I love you” at the end, but I’m willing to forgive. I have no serious qualms with it when I spent most of the novella deeply interested in their dynamic and interactions. I often found myself desperate for this novella to be longer only so that I could have them interact even more!
All in all, this was great for what it was. I’m definitely down to read more in this series but also more stories in general where a woman falls in love with the assassin she hires to kill her no good husband 🤩
For such a short novella, it made me feel incredibly invested in both Justine and Campbell’s storylines. It felt like we got to learn quite a bit about them, and the challenges they’ve faced.
Also. The chemistry between Justine and Campbell was impeccable 🙏🏻 Truly the only flaw was the whole “I love you” at the end, but I’m willing to forgive. I have no serious qualms with it when I spent most of the novella deeply interested in their dynamic and interactions. I often found myself desperate for this novella to be longer only so that I could have them interact even more!
All in all, this was great for what it was. I’m definitely down to read more in this series but also more stories in general where a woman falls in love with the assassin she hires to kill her no good husband 🤩
An exciting, excellently-written romance that delicately balances dark elements without making the reader uncomfortable. Campbell is a FANTASTIC romantic lead, competent and quietly intense in ways that make you as curious to get to know them as Justine is. The prose is phenomenal, poetic but never sacrificing flow and keeping the pace quick enough to sweep you forward. I also liked that Campbell's pronouns are already established and then never commented on; it normalized a lot for me as a reader who hasn't come across many nb protagonists. I'll definitely be reading whatever Rien writes next.
Rien Gray does it for me. The ending on this felt off, but I guess it’s leading me to read the second installation right away