Yes.

I feel like I've read a different book to everybody else - cheesy soap opera type writing.

Intrigue, danger and romance

Phew. I loved this book. Strap in for this breakneck roller coaster ride of a romantic suspense tale. This author does a phenomenal job of weaving together exhilarating action, palpable tension, plot twists, mystery, and red-hot romance. Mara is an anthropologist who works for JPAC recovering the bodies of POW/MIA service members. While in North Korea recovering a body, she is accused of spying, arrested, convicted and sentenced to death. Curt is the US Attorney who is acting as the US Envoy who comes to North Korea and gets Mara released moments before her execution. Curt is also the attorney prosecuting Mara’s uncle, the former VP, for accepting bribes from the military contractor, Raptor. Curt intends to question Mara, deliver her to DC and then start the trial. Unfortunately, a stop in Hawaii to investigate a death of the coworker who may have had a hand in Mara’s arrest, ends up with Mara and Curt running for their lives. There is instant connection and attraction between the two but knowing they have a conflict because of Mara’s uncle, they’re determined to ignore it. Nevertheless, their chemistry sizzled off the page and it pulled them together no matter how hard they tried to resist. The story included engaging dialogue, three dimensional characters who grow, and a captivating storyline as shown through sweet moments, strong friendships, spicy times, real life issues, imperfect characters, dangerous moments, mystery, uber protective men, smart women, secrets, plot twists, painful pasts, evil actors, and love. I cannot wait to read more in this series.

I liked this one a lot more than I thought I would when I read the synopsis. The plot was very exciting and fast paced, and there were lots of twists and turns that I didn’t expect. Rachel Grant is a good writer and it was very engaging.

Both main characters were strong and likeable. I felt their quick attraction was believable and I liked how their relationship developed over the course of the story. I’m not usually a massive fan of things moving so quickly but I think the life-or-death angle was a good way around this. They had good chemistry and their scenes together were good and well-written. I liked Mara particularly. She was a very determined and strong character, and she coped with so many difficult things over the course of the story.

I think the only real annoyance I had was that their central conflict, relationship-wise, was based on the fact that

Spoiler

Curt is attempting to convict Mara’s uncle on corruption charges and he wants to force Mara to give evidence against her uncle

. There’s a lack of trust between them that does work, in the context of their relationship and adds drama, but sometimes, it got a little bit repetitive. They’d be okay, they’d trust each other, and then one of them would do something/reveal something they’d been hiding and I personally felt the other would then overreact a little bit to it. Like, okay, you’re both lying and hiding things from each other. You’re both as bad as each other in that sense. So why react so angrily to it? It just got a bit annoying.

Apart from that, I thought this was a strong book with a strong mystery, so I don’t have any complaints.

I would recommend it if you like suspenseful romance novels with a lot of plot twists.

Content Warnings:

Spoiler

Imprisonment

Spoiler

heroine is a political prisoner of North Korea briefly at the beginning of the story

, attempted execution, mentions of interrogation techniques, violence, intimate partner violence (off page, in past)

Spoiler

physical, emotional

, attempted murder, explosives, gun violence, murder, blood, gore, suicide (on-page), mentions of war crimes including genocide, infanticide, and mass graves, illegal arms deals, biological warfare / weapons.