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Agent Melanie Ward #2
Second Chance
BOOK 2 OF THE AGENT MELANIE WARD NOVELS “Mystery, romance and humor fill the pages of this fast-paced adventure.” In a world of espionage and deceit, Agent Melanie Ward’s life is rocked by scandal. She returns in Second Chance, Book 2 of the Agent Melanie Ward Novels, ready to reclaim the life she once had. But her rival, Agent Finn Parker and his father, Senator Hugh Parker, have very different plans for her future. Adam Chase, the chef with the ability to assemble a rifle in seconds, has rejoined the crew of mobsters that followed him on his rise as a professional assassin. Melanie throws herself into the work she loves – life is all about the mission, sanctioned or not. Danny Ashe, her college obsession and first love, is back and going through a divorce. Her friend, Trish, hates him, her mother makes Thanksgiving dinner and Carla can say Salvador Luhan three times in one sentence (and that’s before breakfast). In Second Chance, Melanie is caught between two worlds, two loves and a decision that will change everything … or nothing at all … but in the end, some- one has to die.
417 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 28, 2011
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
December 9, 2011
Agent Melanie Ward, the ass-kicking spy, returns in this second novel of self-published author Kate Mathis's "Agent Melanie Ward" series.
I'm going to be brutally honest... just a heads-up.
It took me a while to get through this book because, right off the bat, the characters don't seem to be the same ones we left off with in Living Lies (Book 1 of the series).
Agent Ward is dumped by her assassin beau from the first book, and she immediately flips out and starts doing things a top-notch spy wouldn't do. While I assume she was doing these things because her mental faculties were all a jumble from the break-up, I felt more like I was reading a story about teenage angst than a story about an older keep-it-cool-under-pressure and top-notch spy. The angst upped the ante when Melanie's ex-boyfriend from college pops back into the picture. That's not to say it was a bad plot twist, but Mel's actions seemed out of character. In Book 1, when she flipped out, she went home to crash on her parent's couch and visit friends... she didn't try to get even or spy on her ex. (...or did she?) The evolution of the character happened within a couple of pages, after she dumped Adam and moved back to Danny, and screamed "this is not the Melanie from Book 1"-- one scene in particular that outlines this odd out-of-character style is on page 220, when Melanie thinks to herself "... Being the best doesn't get you what you want, out-smarting does." Book 1 Melanie was all about hard work and how she was "the best" and Finn out-smarted her.
The supporting characters seem to maintain their continuity, their character changes happening much slower and more reasonably paced, in my opinion.
Scenes that didn't fit, though-- the scene where Melanie goes out of her way to help uncover the political subterfuge for her friend Carla. Some of the things I felt a top-notch spy would do were not done in this scene. For example, cutting the power? Taking the cellphone in the safe rather than make a copy of the phone's SIM card? All those things would make it difficult to believe this was an experienced spy. So, maybe she was doing these things to get the attention of the man whose house she broke into? Okay... but say that Melanie was being so sloppy so he would know and be unnerved by those actions. Without saying this, I just assumed that she was still flipping out over her break-up. One other thing about that scene was that it would have been cool to make it a sub-plot that lasted the rest of the book rather than wrapping it up so fast. The story line in the book is somewhat linear-- not a bad thing-- but without tying it into the rest of the book it's more of a stand-alone story, and it could be pulled out of the book all together. Wouldn't it have been cool if the car dealer fellow was the one to hire the hit on Melanie, but missed and killed Finn?... and then to have Mel dodging all sorts of threats the car dealer sent her way while she was trying to figure out if it was something Finn and Hugh were plotting, but got the two mixed-up and had to sort that out?
The writing style is fast-paced... but too fast-paced as, in the beginning of the book, the characters jump from place-to-place without any sort of transitions. For example, on page 47, "She changed as quickly as possible into a pair of jeans and it wasn't until they found a quiet corner booth..."-- Here the character goes from being upstairs in her hotel room, putting on a pair of jeans to suddenly being in a booth in a bar-- In the same sentence. I had to keep re-reading things to figure out where the characters were because this would happen far too often. I will admit, the later half of the book (p240-ish on) seemed to be a little more polished... but there needs to be better writing when it comes to scene changes. Put on the pants in one sentence. Leave the hotel. Enter the bar. Sit down. My brain can follow that without feeling like she has magical, transporting pants-- I mean that as a joke, not a dig. =)
Other "who-za-what-happened-now?" moments include:
* P 44- Finn's phonecall-- say who the he is for the "... Yes!" because the last proper noun used was Melanie. I first read that thinking Mel was talking.
* P 50- Feeling the swoosh of time should be at the end of the conversation, not the middle. When I read things like that, I think the convo is OVER... but I read that and the chat continued.
* P 52-53- They're in the elevator... or did they walk to the door? when?
* Chapt 24, p222- When I first read this, I thought they were still at the Danny thing... There needs to be some sort of transitory sentence to indicate the scene change to readers.
* p 225- "Paul and Sugar"-- I'd put an extra gap between the start of this paragraph and the next. They're still in the same location, but there's a brief time lapse. The reader needs to know, so a gap-- not a swirl-- could help.
... a few spelling/grammer errors I encountered (once I started keeping track sometime around p 240 and on):
* P 238, 1st word in the last line should be "Her" not "He"
* P 269, 2nd line on the page-- sentence should read "You can change your life"
* P 284-- Half-down the page, the paragrah that starts "I'll be in touch." Her icy tone...
* P 286 4th paragraph from bottom (starts "That wasn't what she was expecting")-- the quoted text has a double word. Remove the "with" in "with the boyfriend"-- otherwise she says, "Nothing to do with with the boyfriend."
*P 341 bottom of page "Melanie didn't dare to breathe"
... there are a couple others I know I saw, but I didn't have a pen to jot down. I mentioned these because I know the author does print-as-you-go and can rectify the spellings.
I will say one thing for the author-- Kate Mathis can tell a really, really good story. The plot to her books has been wonderfully rich... but I think I got bogged down too much by the lack of transitions and all the things I felt were out of character to really enjoy the book (hence the "okay" two star rating). Once I got through the first part of the book, I did enjoy it a little better... but I would have to say I enjoyed her first book a little bit better than this one. If the whole book had been like the second half, I'd have given it 3 stars-- which is the average for books I read.
I'm going to be brutally honest... just a heads-up.
It took me a while to get through this book because, right off the bat, the characters don't seem to be the same ones we left off with in Living Lies (Book 1 of the series).
Agent Ward is dumped by her assassin beau from the first book, and she immediately flips out and starts doing things a top-notch spy wouldn't do. While I assume she was doing these things because her mental faculties were all a jumble from the break-up, I felt more like I was reading a story about teenage angst than a story about an older keep-it-cool-under-pressure and top-notch spy. The angst upped the ante when Melanie's ex-boyfriend from college pops back into the picture. That's not to say it was a bad plot twist, but Mel's actions seemed out of character. In Book 1, when she flipped out, she went home to crash on her parent's couch and visit friends... she didn't try to get even or spy on her ex. (...or did she?) The evolution of the character happened within a couple of pages, after she dumped Adam and moved back to Danny, and screamed "this is not the Melanie from Book 1"-- one scene in particular that outlines this odd out-of-character style is on page 220, when Melanie thinks to herself "... Being the best doesn't get you what you want, out-smarting does." Book 1 Melanie was all about hard work and how she was "the best" and Finn out-smarted her.
The supporting characters seem to maintain their continuity, their character changes happening much slower and more reasonably paced, in my opinion.
Scenes that didn't fit, though-- the scene where Melanie goes out of her way to help uncover the political subterfuge for her friend Carla. Some of the things I felt a top-notch spy would do were not done in this scene. For example, cutting the power? Taking the cellphone in the safe rather than make a copy of the phone's SIM card? All those things would make it difficult to believe this was an experienced spy. So, maybe she was doing these things to get the attention of the man whose house she broke into? Okay... but say that Melanie was being so sloppy so he would know and be unnerved by those actions. Without saying this, I just assumed that she was still flipping out over her break-up. One other thing about that scene was that it would have been cool to make it a sub-plot that lasted the rest of the book rather than wrapping it up so fast. The story line in the book is somewhat linear-- not a bad thing-- but without tying it into the rest of the book it's more of a stand-alone story, and it could be pulled out of the book all together. Wouldn't it have been cool if the car dealer fellow was the one to hire the hit on Melanie, but missed and killed Finn?... and then to have Mel dodging all sorts of threats the car dealer sent her way while she was trying to figure out if it was something Finn and Hugh were plotting, but got the two mixed-up and had to sort that out?
The writing style is fast-paced... but too fast-paced as, in the beginning of the book, the characters jump from place-to-place without any sort of transitions. For example, on page 47, "She changed as quickly as possible into a pair of jeans and it wasn't until they found a quiet corner booth..."-- Here the character goes from being upstairs in her hotel room, putting on a pair of jeans to suddenly being in a booth in a bar-- In the same sentence. I had to keep re-reading things to figure out where the characters were because this would happen far too often. I will admit, the later half of the book (p240-ish on) seemed to be a little more polished... but there needs to be better writing when it comes to scene changes. Put on the pants in one sentence. Leave the hotel. Enter the bar. Sit down. My brain can follow that without feeling like she has magical, transporting pants-- I mean that as a joke, not a dig. =)
Other "who-za-what-happened-now?" moments include:
* P 44- Finn's phonecall-- say who the he is for the "... Yes!" because the last proper noun used was Melanie. I first read that thinking Mel was talking.
* P 50- Feeling the swoosh of time should be at the end of the conversation, not the middle. When I read things like that, I think the convo is OVER... but I read that and the chat continued.
* P 52-53- They're in the elevator... or did they walk to the door? when?
* Chapt 24, p222- When I first read this, I thought they were still at the Danny thing... There needs to be some sort of transitory sentence to indicate the scene change to readers.
* p 225- "Paul and Sugar"-- I'd put an extra gap between the start of this paragraph and the next. They're still in the same location, but there's a brief time lapse. The reader needs to know, so a gap-- not a swirl-- could help.
... a few spelling/grammer errors I encountered (once I started keeping track sometime around p 240 and on):
* P 238, 1st word in the last line should be "Her" not "He"
* P 269, 2nd line on the page-- sentence should read "You can change your life"
* P 284-- Half-down the page, the paragrah that starts "I'll be in touch." Her icy tone...
* P 286 4th paragraph from bottom (starts "That wasn't what she was expecting")-- the quoted text has a double word. Remove the "with" in "with the boyfriend"-- otherwise she says, "Nothing to do with with the boyfriend."
*P 341 bottom of page "Melanie didn't dare to breathe"
... there are a couple others I know I saw, but I didn't have a pen to jot down. I mentioned these because I know the author does print-as-you-go and can rectify the spellings.
I will say one thing for the author-- Kate Mathis can tell a really, really good story. The plot to her books has been wonderfully rich... but I think I got bogged down too much by the lack of transitions and all the things I felt were out of character to really enjoy the book (hence the "okay" two star rating). Once I got through the first part of the book, I did enjoy it a little better... but I would have to say I enjoyed her first book a little bit better than this one. If the whole book had been like the second half, I'd have given it 3 stars-- which is the average for books I read.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 8, 2011
In this highly anticipated follow-up to Living Lies, Melanie Ward returns as a top-notch secret agent, busting down doors and making no apologies. With a target on her back, the high-powered Parker family in her sights, Adam on the wrong side of the law and a personal dilemma brewing, Melanie has one step on the ladder of success and one on the banana peel.
Second Chance is righting the past and getting even... about decisions that change everything... for better or worse. Mystery, romance and humor fill the pages of this fast-paced adventure.
"Mathis keeps things going with a nice flair for dialogue." - J.C. Martin Arizona Daily Star
"Author Kate Mathis has emerged as a master story-teller, packing each page with plenty of action and leading her characters through life at a hasty pace." -Bonnie Lewis www.TheVirtualScribe.net
Second Chance is righting the past and getting even... about decisions that change everything... for better or worse. Mystery, romance and humor fill the pages of this fast-paced adventure.
"Mathis keeps things going with a nice flair for dialogue." - J.C. Martin Arizona Daily Star
"Author Kate Mathis has emerged as a master story-teller, packing each page with plenty of action and leading her characters through life at a hasty pace." -Bonnie Lewis www.TheVirtualScribe.net
August 23, 2011
Fantastic book! This is one you won't be able to put down. Make sure you have a block of time before you start, because once the action gets started, it just keeps going!
Secret agent Melanie Ward battles bad guys from across the world, while uncovering an in-office scandal which could turn deadly for her AND to top if all off, her first love Danny is back on the scene...and available.
A definite page turner!
Secret agent Melanie Ward battles bad guys from across the world, while uncovering an in-office scandal which could turn deadly for her AND to top if all off, her first love Danny is back on the scene...and available.
A definite page turner!
May 21, 2014
I read the 1st of this series, and I found it surprisingly satisfying. Unfortunately, this 2nd seems disconnected and pointless – i.e. the point is not evident. There are a couple of career accomplishments, but nothing ties together. There are 2 love stories intertwined into the whole thing, and both are terribly disappointing, and to be honest, if I'd wanted a romance, I wouldn't have chosen an action/mystery. So there was too much romance that really seemed pointless because it was unsatisfying or unfinished. Regrettably, it left a bad taste in my mouth, and I'm not likely to read the 3rd and future books in the series. It didn't seem to be an overall plot, only distinct events that were only connected because they used some of the same characters. Sigh.
Comparing my rating with the average, I see that others are not in agreement with me, that's okay.
Comparing my rating with the average, I see that others are not in agreement with me, that's okay.
May 14, 2012
In most regards, I liked this one better than the first book. It had been a couple of months since I'd read the first one and I had to go back and re-read the last chapter to remind myself who Adam was. I liked the complication of Melanie trying to love Adam and Danny and Adam loving her and trying to protect her. I like not knowing exactly what happened to Adam. I liked all of the twists of what Hugh Parker had his hands in, too. The parts I didn't really like was how easily it was all wrapped up. I wanted the battle between Finn and Melanie to last longer or to end differently. And just when it got exciting with Melanie on the run from Hugh and the Board, it ended after only a day or two on the run. Bummer. Overall, I still really liked the book and I look forward to number 3.
August 30, 2012
Better than the first since there was no slow/painful beginning to get through. Despite the very poor editing in regards to grammar (which is ridiculously distracting), I find myself very pleasantly surprised by my love for this series (especially Adam)!!
October 21, 2012
got to read book 3!!!!
July 31, 2013
I got addicted...off to grab book 3!
December 13, 2015
Shockwave was an outstanding read.
The plot had twist and turns like a roller coaster and a clever ending! I can't wait to get started on the next book.
The plot had twist and turns like a roller coaster and a clever ending! I can't wait to get started on the next book.
September 9, 2012
Love this series!!
November 13, 2012
Bringing Danny back kind of tied the whole story together. Looking forward to #3.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews