Scan barcode
A review by laurenjodi
Cold Cruel Kiss by Toni Anderson
3.0
Cold Cruel Kiss
3 Stars
After the daughter of the US Ambassador to Argentina is kidnapped, hostage negotiator Max Hawthorne is called in to coordinate the response. The situation becomes even more untenable when Max learns of a possible Russian spy active in the embassy and begins to suspect that there is more to Lucy Aston, the quiet and unassuming junior assistant to the ambassador than meets the eye.
Toni Anderson's Cold Justice series is well-written, and her plots are intense and exciting. That said, they can be divided into two types - those focusing on violent crimes (serial killers, murders, human trafficking) and those focusing on political crimes and espionage. My personal preference is for the former, and as such, this review is influenced by my dislike of the tropes associated with the latter.
Max and Lucy's attraction and romance build slowly but surely as they work together to find and rescue the hostages. The fact that Max sees beyond Lucy's stoic and staid appearance to the strong and resilient woman beneath makes him one of the most likable and appealing heroes in the series. Lucy is also very engaging although her transitions from femme fatale to mousy assistant to kick-ass sidekick are a little jarring at times.
The kidnapping plot is incorporated well into the storyline, and the sections from the hostages' perspectives contribute significantly to the suspense. They make the reader care about their fate and root for them. Nevertheless, it is quite easy to guess the identity of the culprit, and the big reveal is rather anti-climactic.
The inclusion of the secondary espionage subplot is, however, completely unnecessary, and it actually detracts from the romance. The use of the keeping secrets trope is annoying, especially considering the fact that it builds throughout the first 2/3s of the book, and then basically fizzles into nothing when the details are eventually exposed.
Despite the issues above, this is a satisfying read with likable characters and a good mix of action and romance.
3 Stars
After the daughter of the US Ambassador to Argentina is kidnapped, hostage negotiator Max Hawthorne is called in to coordinate the response. The situation becomes even more untenable when Max learns of a possible Russian spy active in the embassy and begins to suspect that there is more to Lucy Aston, the quiet and unassuming junior assistant to the ambassador than meets the eye.
Toni Anderson's Cold Justice series is well-written, and her plots are intense and exciting. That said, they can be divided into two types - those focusing on violent crimes (serial killers, murders, human trafficking) and those focusing on political crimes and espionage. My personal preference is for the former, and as such, this review is influenced by my dislike of the tropes associated with the latter.
Max and Lucy's attraction and romance build slowly but surely as they work together to find and rescue the hostages. The fact that Max sees beyond Lucy's stoic and staid appearance to the strong and resilient woman beneath makes him one of the most likable and appealing heroes in the series. Lucy is also very engaging although her transitions from femme fatale to mousy assistant to kick-ass sidekick are a little jarring at times.
The kidnapping plot is incorporated well into the storyline, and the sections from the hostages' perspectives contribute significantly to the suspense. They make the reader care about their fate and root for them. Nevertheless, it is quite easy to guess the identity of the culprit, and the big reveal is rather anti-climactic.
The inclusion of the secondary espionage subplot is, however, completely unnecessary, and it actually detracts from the romance. The use of the keeping secrets trope is annoying, especially considering the fact that it builds throughout the first 2/3s of the book, and then basically fizzles into nothing when the details are eventually exposed.
Despite the issues above, this is a satisfying read with likable characters and a good mix of action and romance.