3.5 stars

Lt. Colonel Zoey Granger has been trained to do what’s right, even to her detriment. When she finds corruption in her division, she does something about it. Now a media darling after exposing that corruption, Zoey is sent to Washington to clean up a scandal that possibly reaches from the Army to the Whitehouse.

Zoey is asked to work with a representative from the Whitehouse to dig into the scandal. However, the Whitehouse sends Rook Daniels, who is a political fixer. Is it possible to work together when one is a fixer of flexible ethics and the other wants to be rigidly right about everything?

Zoey and Rook might not know who to trust while they work out what’s going on, and their growing attraction makes the task more difficult, as well as more fun. Will they work out who’s behind it all before it is too late?

Rook’s character reminded me of the main character in the TV show Scandal. A fixer who knows everyone in Washington, and knows how to push the right buttons to get the outcome she wants. For a control freak such as Rook, coming up against another woman who likes to be in charge makes for entertaining reading.

I really liked both characters, and thought Taite did a good job of setting them up. There are a lot of differences between the characters that allow Taite to create tension, but there are also enough similarities for the women to develop a healthy respect for one another.

The plot has some elements of romance. Taite does have a good line in sexual tension, and it was fun while that played out in the first part of the book. However, it all seemed a bit rushed towards the end, and that didn’t feel particularly organic.

The plot of the rest of the book is really that of a spy thriller. The set up works really well and I loved the introduction to the characters and the scenario. However, the complexity of the tale outgrew the boundaries of the romance, and it started to feel a bit play by numbers towards the end. It was a pity, as Taite is a good writer and creates smart, capable women who are fun to watch.

This was an entertaining jaunt, a cross between a spy novel and a romance. Enjoy.

Advanced reading copy provided by NetGalley for an honest review.

Why only 3 stars? I liked the story and the main characters the story unfolds around, there are characters the reader already knows and there are new ones. Rook and Zoe are well written, I enjoyed their getting to know each other. But the story feels rushed after the suicide. Suddenly everything evolves and falls in place but too fast, too soon, too unspectacular. That is the only reason for the 3 stars. I'd loved to hear more and get deeper into breaking the case.

3 1/2 Stars. I think this is the fifteenth book I have read by Taite. It is nice to know when I pick up a Taite book I’m going to be entertained. This was not one of my favorites, but it was still a pretty good read.

Major Zoey Granger is a whistleblower on corruption in the military. After her new assignment puts her in the Pentagon, she desperately wants to make a good impression. Rook Daniels is a Washington fixer. She is asked by her good friend to liaise for the Whitehouse in a military investigation the pentagon is heading. Rook is surprised to find she is working with the attractive Major Granger. Together can they uncover the truth before it’s too late?

The best way to describe this book is a political intrigue-romance. If you have ever heard or seen the TV show Scandal, Rook’s job as a fixer is the same thing. As a fan of that show, I figured this book would be right up my alley. Taite did a good job of laying the frame work for this political mystery. While it was a little easy to figure out who the “bad person” is, I liked how everything unfolded and I really got into the storyline.

When it came to the romance, I thought for the most part it was well done. I liked how the attraction slowly became more intense and I believed the chemistry. However, it did have a few negative for me. For one, the sex scene happened at an odd time. It was right in the middle of finding out who the bad guy/girl might have been. I actually said to myself “wait, can’t we solve the mystery first than get back to the romance?” This is not something I can remember thinking before. I just felt the intimate scene was really at the wrong time. Second issue, I thought the “I love yous” were said a little quickly. If two people are at the start of a relationship it doesn’t have to be said yet. I feel like authors think they have to get the characters to that point even if it is quick and unrealistic.

Last point I feel I have to mention, I was not crazy about the ending. It was a little too abrupt for my liking. I wish Taite would have switched up the ending or made it longer. This book flew by while I was reading which is always a good sign, but I was shocked to see I was at the end when it really could have used more time.

If you are a Taite fan or an intrigue-romance fan, chances are you will enjoy this book. It’s not the best Taite book out there, but it was a good entertaining read. I can’t wait to see what Taite has instore for us next.

An ARC was given to me by BSB, for a honest review.

Disclaimer: NetGalley provided this copy in exchange for an honest review. Thanks to NetGalley, Bold Strokes Books, and Carsen Taite.

People often seem surprised when I say I read romance. I don’t read them as often as I’d like because I’m a fairly slow reader and generally focused on sci-fi and fantasy and because there are so many romances books out there that sometimes it’s hard to dive in. I requested this on a whim from NetGalley, and I’m glad I did! I read the majority of this in the space of a day.

The setup is fairly standard (not a bad thing). Lt. Colonel Zoey Granger is a whistleblower scheduled to testify in front of Congress on a corruption scandal. Rook Daniels is a hotshot spin doctor who “fixes” scandals when they appear. Their paths cross, sparking both attraction and frustration, but neither thinks it will go very far. Then their professional lives collide, and they have to investigate a case close to Zoey’s heart while navigating their growing connection.

I liked both the main characters. Zoey is a stand-up person with a strong sense of morality. She’s also a bit lost since the army’s been her family for years and exposing the corruption scandal has partially ostracized her. Rook is charming and devoted to her job but, like the best love interests, has a painful past that she doesn’t like to talk about. Their quick attraction to one another feels real, as do the issues that initially keep them apart. Zoey, who is honorable and truthful, dislikes Rook’s profession and feels spinning stories is akin to lying. Rook has a distrust of the military that stems from her past and can’t understand Zoey’s comfort with taking orders and her devotion to the army.

Despite the military being a large part of this story, there’s pretty good gender balance. While a lot of the characters in the military are male, women hold powerful positions, too. One of the driving forces behind the plot is Rook’s friend Sarah, who is the White House Chief of Staff. In a smaller part is her girlfriend, who’s a Chief Justice. (Details might be a little off because I read this fast.) There are some cool women on Rook’s team, and Zoey is shown to be respected by her higher-ups and to know the men who don’t respect her aren’t worth it. I liked that it took place in D.C. and the military world. I don’t know much about the military, but things seemed accurate. I especially liked the climax and the phones (can't give anything away, but you'll see when you get there). The writing was nice and clean and kept the story flowing.

One area for improvement would be the diversity. On the one hand, I enjoyed that the characters didn’t have to deal with homophobia. In a sense, it would be more realistic if they did, but it’s nice to see a lesbian couple treated like any other couple. They have their issues, but they’d have the same issues regardless of sexuality. I think there’s room for telling both kinds of stories. On the other hand, I’m pretty sure most of the characters are white. If there were clues to the contrary, I missed them. Maybe I was reading too fast!

Overall, I very much enjoyed this book, and I’ll definitely read more from Taite in the future.

Another great book by Carson. My problem remains the same as before, why end abruptly? Actually I do like how the novels end, it's just that her characters are wonderfully drawn out and could easily work together for another half novel at least.

So they both get assigned to work with each other and while they like each other they don't necessarily like each other's work. In fact both are dead set against it. It makes for interesting perspectives which they both forget every time they are in the same room. It would be ludicrous if it weren't true. The case they are assigned was interesting but kind of got wrapped up quickly which is expected given previous novels.

It was nice seeing Julia and Addison too. Anyhow, a followup book on both couples would be terrific or perhaps a novella on each?