25% UPDATE
I’m confused. The premise of the MMC getting back into the FMC’s life five years after his egregious betrayal is the FBI are giving her protection against her father when she was an unknowing informant for them. I don’t think the FBI can force protection on anyone, especially someone who wasn’t an actual participant of the investigation. The MMC and the agency used her as a gullible patsy but now they show up years later talking about protecting her? Seems way late.
Also, if the FMC has grown less gullible why hasn’t she called a lawyer to get the MMC replaced or removed altogether? Plus why hasn’t she sued the agency for a million and one reasons?? The agency victimized her and seemingly left her to fend for herself all this time against the same criminals they now want to protect her from. I’m pretty sure the agency can’t or wouldn’t do this. It sounds ridiculous.
Now it says they are protecting her for two weeks!?! So after two weeks she will be safe?? Two weeks is all they need to catch the remaining ring of conmen they couldn’t catch five years before plus the two years of the undercover investigation? Seriously this makes zero sense.
Another thing is, why was the prosecutor asking the questions about the moral ambiguity of the MMC’s use of the FMC in the fraud investigation? Shouldn’t it have been the defendant’s attorney pointing out the flaws of the undercover job performed? It’s probably an error on the author’s part but still a major continuity issue for me.
32% UPDATE
The MMC out of the blue admits TO HIMSELF he always wanted the FMC and wants his married life back with the FMC. I would love this if this had been his stance anywhere before this point in the book. He has ONLY reflected a delayed guilt for the FMC up til now. This book is being so rushed for such a strong storyline. The subject matter needs more page time, character development, and more attention to details to make this story work. Smh. This story is seriously lacking and I haven’t even made it halfway yet.
61% UPDATE
So it occurred to me that if the MMC was “undercover” he would never have used his real name. None of his team would have. And yet he is upset that the FMC no longer has his last name. Also, he is pushing the “I can give you a baby” as his ONLY way in with the FMC. But who in their right mind would have a baby with someone who betrayed them like he had the FMC? He walked away from her with barely a thought five years ago. But now that she had a glow up and is more vibrant personality wise he is claiming he always loved her. FIVE years later! Five years of only occasionally feeling guilty over hurting her. NOT for losing her, but for hurting her. That is a HUGE difference, a huge key point for me.
Now there are grammar issues too. This author is not winning me over.
68% UPDATE
Honestly, this book is a comedy. Not funny as in wit or banter but in the ridiculous OTT responses they have towards everything. It’s silly and I’m laughing at it. I don’t think that’s what the author intended but I’m going with it being a joke.
FINAL UPDATE
Well another book with a great plot idea but poor execution. Too short to do this kind of betrayal justice, written more like a draft then a fleshed out story, too many grammatical errors, and no research or just plain common sense as to FBI investigation tactics or the law.
There were six s e x scenes in total, the first and second were the cheating by the MMC with the OW, then the FMC with the OM, with the last three between the main couple. The main couple s e x scenes were after the 80% mark. There were some minor flashback moments to some of their intimate relations during their fake marriage and one ridiculous caught masturbating scene that was SO cringe worthy. Besides all that, the MMC was a simp from the moment the FMC opened the door to him five years later in chapter six.
But, no matter the MMC’s regrets about his role in the sloppy investigation, he NEVER regretted losing the FMC in all the five year separation rundown until he saw the FMC again and saw her makeover from shy nerd to hot fashion designer. Then all of a sudden, he claims he was in denial of having feelings for the FMC and was blocking it all out. But I could only see how he was so cold towards the FMC when she busted him in the middle of cheating with the OW. There was no hesitation on his part in finishing, although that’s unclear in the actual story, getting dressed, rejecting her and walking away, while she is hysterical and chasing his car down the street. I also didn’t feel the gut punch I should have for all this because it was just not fully fleshed out enough for me, it was still hard to read, sad really. He then never checked on her during the trial, only after it was all over did he go to their house. And he didn’t even try to use his FBI resources to find her. He just went on with his life barely regretting what happened. So I really don’t believe he was all that into the FMC. This book didn’t do a good enough job telling that story.
Last gripe I have, was when the MMC was still in his fake marriage, he told the FMC that they could revisit having a baby after they see where they are at in five years. Well five years later he’s all for having a baby. I HATE when a MMC gets everything exactly how he planned even after ruining the FMC’s life. This burns my biscuits in a way I have no words to describe.
Idk if I’ll read anything else by this author. It’s my first book by her and I was annoyed with everything stated above and disappointed that the potential this plot line had was just wasted on a silly wannabe campy story. Good luck.
PS UPDATE
Another reviewer mentioned that it was a missed opportunity plot twist that it could have been the FMC who stole the money. I remembered I had thought the same thing for a few reasons.
1) the FMC’s lifestyle didn’t match her actual job. It seemed like she was doing community theatre and not Hollywood level work that could afford her the mansion and luxury car she was living in when the MMC had found her again.
2) the FMC’s father was TSTL let alone have pulled off a heist of this magnitude. It would have made more sense for the FMC to have planned, stolen and hidden the money from the get go. Her father was a conman not an accountant or an actual member of the mafia he was working with, not a capo or mademan or even a soldier. So how was he involved with criminals where they would trust him with fifty dollars let alone fifty million makes no sense. Then again nothing in this book makes actual sense.
3) lastly, the FMC would have been hunted during the five years by the criminals who had their money stolen. Even if she wasn’t in possession of it they would have used her to get it back one way or the other. And yet she was quite literally forgotten about by basically everyone involved. That just doesn’t work.
Just saying.