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A Grim Trilogy #1
Grim Ambition
Aspiring crime boss Emma McRae knows about superheroes.
Used for her beauty and enticing demeanor, Emma has been entangled in the underground crime life since she was a little girl. No one has ever left the crime syndicate except in a body bag, and Emma is trapped in her current, low-level role.
A calculated attack by the city’s superhero, Grim, throws Emma’s employer and his well-oiled business into chaos. Eager to impress and finally move up to better jobs - and more respect - Emma doesn’t hesitate to accept the order to infiltrate the vigilante’s life.
Her targets include Shawn Thorton and his adoptive brother, Jaxon Rettig. Legally blind from a young age, Shawn doesn’t seem like much of a threat, but harbors a secret: with the help of neurostimulating lenses, he is Grim, and has been targeting Vance’s syndicate with ruthless ambition.
Unaware of each other's cold-blooded goals, Shawn and Emma begin to fall for each other. She was born into the criminal life, but through Shawn, begins to question if she’s on the wrong side of the fight.
Emma wants to expose Grim’s secret identity and claim his power before her employer decides she’s a liability and fits her for a fancy pair of cement Jimmy Choos. Jaxon, who wants a better role than “tech-savvy sidekick,” longs to take the fighting into his own hands. Shawn must choose between protecting his jealous brother and falling for the appealing Emma, who might be the arch nemesis that brings the superhero to his knees.
Used for her beauty and enticing demeanor, Emma has been entangled in the underground crime life since she was a little girl. No one has ever left the crime syndicate except in a body bag, and Emma is trapped in her current, low-level role.
A calculated attack by the city’s superhero, Grim, throws Emma’s employer and his well-oiled business into chaos. Eager to impress and finally move up to better jobs - and more respect - Emma doesn’t hesitate to accept the order to infiltrate the vigilante’s life.
Her targets include Shawn Thorton and his adoptive brother, Jaxon Rettig. Legally blind from a young age, Shawn doesn’t seem like much of a threat, but harbors a secret: with the help of neurostimulating lenses, he is Grim, and has been targeting Vance’s syndicate with ruthless ambition.
Unaware of each other's cold-blooded goals, Shawn and Emma begin to fall for each other. She was born into the criminal life, but through Shawn, begins to question if she’s on the wrong side of the fight.
Emma wants to expose Grim’s secret identity and claim his power before her employer decides she’s a liability and fits her for a fancy pair of cement Jimmy Choos. Jaxon, who wants a better role than “tech-savvy sidekick,” longs to take the fighting into his own hands. Shawn must choose between protecting his jealous brother and falling for the appealing Emma, who might be the arch nemesis that brings the superhero to his knees.
- GenresSuperheroesFiction
437 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 9, 2017
10 people are currently reading
426 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews
March 30, 2017
I'm not much of a book reader at all but this one hooked me in and I can't wait for the follow up! The characters are developed extremely well to the point that even if you don't care for them, you still want to know what happens. The conceptual art for the book is spot on and made my reading of the book easier because I could picture the faces of the characters and to be honest, the artist caught it spot on! Jennifer has extreme talent and I'm hoping future installments are in store for all of us!!!
June 6, 2017
Jennifer Reinfried's Grim Ambition is a spectacular piece of work that had me hooked as soon as I started reading. With a truly compelling plot that reaches far beyond being a superhero novel and it's exquisitely crafted characters, I found it impossible to put the book down. With a storyline as superb as this one is, with its hooks, twists and turns, I often read authors stories and am disappointed by the lack of depth in the characters. Too often authors choose to focus on one over the other. There is positively none of that here. Each of them has an incredible amount of depth and I found myself deeply attached to all of them. Reinfried's sense of pacing and dialogue shine brightly and I absolutely can not wait for the second installment.
March 30, 2017
Sometimes I have a hard time getting into superhero-type books, simply because they can seem overdone or trite. I thought this book was neither. There are several main characters in Grim Ambition and Reinfried did a wonderful job of making them complex and intriguing, and made you want to get to know more about them and their stories. I read this one before reading the prequel, Grim Inception, and I'm glad I did it that way, because it made the story a little more intriguing, even to not have the back story. And then reading Inception gave it a whole new depth.
This story is about a "superhero", but it's also not. The lines between "good" and "evil" are blurred throughout the story, so it is hard to tell sometimes, really, who is the good guy and who is the bad guy. Is Grim truly a masked crusader, or is he really just out to exact his own revenge at whatever cost?
The ending to the book is also intense, and in true first installment form, leaves you wanting oh so much more. I cannot wait to read the next book in this trilogy to really find out more about what is going on in Redborough and how Grim came to be... Grim.
This story is about a "superhero", but it's also not. The lines between "good" and "evil" are blurred throughout the story, so it is hard to tell sometimes, really, who is the good guy and who is the bad guy. Is Grim truly a masked crusader, or is he really just out to exact his own revenge at whatever cost?
The ending to the book is also intense, and in true first installment form, leaves you wanting oh so much more. I cannot wait to read the next book in this trilogy to really find out more about what is going on in Redborough and how Grim came to be... Grim.
March 30, 2017
This has become one of my favorite book series. I put it up there with Jim Butcher and Kevin Hearne for great dialog and character development. It's dark and gritty where you don't know to be more afraid of the good guys or the bad guys. You aren't sure if you are rooting for the hero or the villains. I found myself relating to Isaac despite some of the horrible things he does. It's an emotional roller coaster that leaves you wanting more. I'm so glad it's a trilogy because this story is amazing and I don't want it to end. If you only buy one book this year (and you should definitely buy more), this is the one. Make it a priority. You owe it to yourself.
May 14, 2017
This book was offered to me by Jennifer Reinfried, and even though I’m not big fan of “Marvel” and super heroes, I got interested in this book, because the “bad girl” was involved into finding out, who Grim was. That was what drew me to this book, and it was quite a nice read for me. This is a book about good and evil, and that sometimes evil can swap sides. The description of the book is quite detailed, so I don’t see a need to add anything.
This book is full of diverse characters, and any reader will have a variety to choose from as their favourites. In this case my most favourite was Alex, the cruel and vicious right hand of Mafia’s head Vance. Let me explain you why. From all of the characters, he was the most interesting one. He had everything what great villain would need: cruel, ruthless, smart, cunning, good looking and a little bit psychotic. I personally think he was the best rounded character from all of them. I believe that Shawn needed to be a little bit more extraordinary, so knowing how to drive a car and how to shoot, when you are blind would’ve been something “wow”. Emma, was my least favourite one. She was not smart, and her way up was literary though bed, her way into infiltration through seduction and bed. She chose the easiest ways which made her really boring to me. Jaxon was quite interesting as well. It was visible that he knows more than he gives away, and he has plenty of secrets to share with the readers in upcoming books. I was really glad, that author wrote this book including more than one character. More voices in the book helps to understand the characters better, and made it more interesting for me, as a reader.
There was a whole short story about Henry, the lawyer, but in the book he disappears quite quickly. It was quite strange to me. The characters have quite a short life span in this book, that’s why I’m interested to see what author has “up her sleeve”. This story has some great twists and turns, which keeps the interest going. I really liked the flashbacks from Shawn’s past, and I think, that in another parts of this sequel, it will unfold even more. As I mentioned before, this book is not typical super hero book, Grim has his flaws and his strengths, the girl who was devoted mafia’s poppet got confused in what she is going to do further, so that’s quite unusual and at the same time refreshing. I really loved, that at the end of the book, author put the portraits of the main characters that was absolutely awesome. I loved, that I could compare them with the ones of my imagination.
The writing style of this book is easy to understand, but it contains some erotic scenes, so it is not suitable for younger readers. The chapters are not long in this book, so it doesn’t drag along. There is quite a lot of action going on in the book, so it is fun to read it. The ending of the book is quite well thought through, and it leaves that cliff hanger to keep you guessing of what will happen next. So to conclude, if you looking for some super hero action, which is different and refreshing, give it a go and you might be surprised. I am really interested to see, what other parts of this series will bring.
This book is full of diverse characters, and any reader will have a variety to choose from as their favourites. In this case my most favourite was Alex, the cruel and vicious right hand of Mafia’s head Vance. Let me explain you why. From all of the characters, he was the most interesting one. He had everything what great villain would need: cruel, ruthless, smart, cunning, good looking and a little bit psychotic. I personally think he was the best rounded character from all of them. I believe that Shawn needed to be a little bit more extraordinary, so knowing how to drive a car and how to shoot, when you are blind would’ve been something “wow”. Emma, was my least favourite one. She was not smart, and her way up was literary though bed, her way into infiltration through seduction and bed. She chose the easiest ways which made her really boring to me. Jaxon was quite interesting as well. It was visible that he knows more than he gives away, and he has plenty of secrets to share with the readers in upcoming books. I was really glad, that author wrote this book including more than one character. More voices in the book helps to understand the characters better, and made it more interesting for me, as a reader.
There was a whole short story about Henry, the lawyer, but in the book he disappears quite quickly. It was quite strange to me. The characters have quite a short life span in this book, that’s why I’m interested to see what author has “up her sleeve”. This story has some great twists and turns, which keeps the interest going. I really liked the flashbacks from Shawn’s past, and I think, that in another parts of this sequel, it will unfold even more. As I mentioned before, this book is not typical super hero book, Grim has his flaws and his strengths, the girl who was devoted mafia’s poppet got confused in what she is going to do further, so that’s quite unusual and at the same time refreshing. I really loved, that at the end of the book, author put the portraits of the main characters that was absolutely awesome. I loved, that I could compare them with the ones of my imagination.
The writing style of this book is easy to understand, but it contains some erotic scenes, so it is not suitable for younger readers. The chapters are not long in this book, so it doesn’t drag along. There is quite a lot of action going on in the book, so it is fun to read it. The ending of the book is quite well thought through, and it leaves that cliff hanger to keep you guessing of what will happen next. So to conclude, if you looking for some super hero action, which is different and refreshing, give it a go and you might be surprised. I am really interested to see, what other parts of this series will bring.
May 25, 2017
This is not so much a superhero story as an anti-superhero story. It becomes progressively darker as the tale unfolds and I would say that towards the end the violent scenes- always well written - become more akin to horror than to simple action. The book reminded me of a kind of Deadpool meets 50 Shades (at times) meets classic fantasy piece ( a scene close to the end put me in mind of the wraiths in LOTR) meets The Godfather. I don't want to give anything away, so suffice to say that most if not all of the characters portrayed are at best emotionally disturbed, at worst, outright psychotic. You might think that means there is nothing likeable about them, but that is not true. Despite the overriding sense of bleakness, the rank corruption, misuse of power, abuse etc... I found myself willing on some of the characters to succeed. There is also love and affection in amongst the bad and the not-so-good-yet-not-completely-bad-guys. There are also tantalising clues to the main protagonists pasts that have not yet been completely resolved...
If this sounds like your kind of thing then I would say you could do a lot worse than to pick up this book by Jennifer Reinfried. She has a punchy, gritty writing style, a flair for action scenes, a brevity of language which does not allow for filler and flannel and an easily readable and engrossing story line. A talented writer, I look forward to finding out what happens next. Highly recommended.
If this sounds like your kind of thing then I would say you could do a lot worse than to pick up this book by Jennifer Reinfried. She has a punchy, gritty writing style, a flair for action scenes, a brevity of language which does not allow for filler and flannel and an easily readable and engrossing story line. A talented writer, I look forward to finding out what happens next. Highly recommended.
April 2, 2017
given the choice between cheering for a crime ring and a superhero vigilante, one would think the answer would be pretty black and white, right?!? I quickly found out in this thrilling novel that this was not as easy as I had thought it should be. I found myself feeling all sorts of emotions and cheering for characters on both sides of the fight. I quickly began to wonder which side I wanted to win or who I should be scared of more. The plot is so compelling and the characters are so captivating that I was turning pages faster than I could read. I cannot wait to go back and read it again because there are so many plot twists that kept me guessing. I know it will be even better the second time! Reinfried is one of the best writers I have had the pleasure of reading and I would have never guessed she was a first time author based on the intense and complex level at which this book is written. I am anxiously awaiting the Volume 2 to find out what happens to the characters next....the suspense is killing me because if there was one thing I learned from Grim Ambition it was to not assume what the next move will be on either side!
November 22, 2017
I received an ARC of this in exchange for an honest review.
When I started this book, I almost put it right back down. I couldn't get into the characters at all, and didn't find anything about them that I found redeemable- and this is the bad guys and good guys. But knowing that I had promised to read this for a review, I continued.
As I read, the book became more even and the characters fleshed out and became either more or less likable, as their motives and backstories were revealed.
I don't want to influence anyone reading the book. I will say that it is a story of bad guys vs good guys, and that it's not always evident who is who. Add in some extranormal powers, and you have the makings of an interesting read. I will say I was intrigued enough to read the second in the series.
When I started this book, I almost put it right back down. I couldn't get into the characters at all, and didn't find anything about them that I found redeemable- and this is the bad guys and good guys. But knowing that I had promised to read this for a review, I continued.
As I read, the book became more even and the characters fleshed out and became either more or less likable, as their motives and backstories were revealed.
I don't want to influence anyone reading the book. I will say that it is a story of bad guys vs good guys, and that it's not always evident who is who. Add in some extranormal powers, and you have the makings of an interesting read. I will say I was intrigued enough to read the second in the series.
March 31, 2017
Jennifer Reinfried is honestly one of the best authors I've read in recent memory. Fascinating storylines, perfectly balanced visualization -- enough to give you a good picture of what's going on without becoming overly verbose (Some authors as of late seem to think that they need a page and a half to explain a couch!), and truly great character development -- I honestly care for some of these characters! Even the "bad" ones! It's crazy to genuinely hope both sides of a story win. I'm on the edge of my seat waiting for the next book! Definitely five stars! She's going places, and I'm going to be along for every page of the ride!
March 31, 2017
Duuuude!!! I don't know which character is the best!! I'm rooting for one one page then yelling at them the next! Great read for fans of Jim Butcher or Simon R Green.
April 2, 2017
Holy Wow! I can't honestly remember the last time I read such a gripping tale! Jennifer Reinfried just blew me away... truly a unique story with characters so real, that by end, I could swear I knew them, personally. I found myself cheering them along, laughing, crying, getting so angry I nearly threw the book at least a dozen times! Plot twists and subtle hints liberally sprinkled throughout made it impossible to put down, and now I'm already jonesing for the next in the trilogy. Brilliantly and masterfully written. I never expected as much as I got, and I'll never be the same again.
April 2, 2017
I absolutely love this book!! I was immediately drawn in! There was so much action that it left my heart pounding at times. The characters are so interesting and easy to like, or hate and in some cases BOTH! I was so into the story I didn't want it to end. Now I am left waiting impatiently for the next installment in the Grim Trilogy series. Well done, Ms. Reinfried!!
April 3, 2017
A MUST READ! I could not put this down. The storyline immediately drew me in, and I was on the edge of my seat with what would happen next. Suspense, drama, excitement and love! I can't wait until the next book comes out.
December 19, 2017
Definitely grim
November 11, 2017
Generally speaking, stories about superheroes tend to have the hero as the main character, but such is not exactly the case in Grim Ambition. Though we do see the hero and learn something of how he's come to don the mask, much of the story actually follows Emma, an ambitious member of Vance's crime syndicate. Determined to be more than persuasive eye candy, Emma convinces Vance, and his very dangerous, controlling, right hand man Alex, to let her infiltrate Grim's inner circle. Though this is the meat of the plan, it is not the true focus of the story.
Grim Ambition is about Emma's struggle, with her past, her job and her heart. She's tired of being objectified, but she understands the power of her attractiveness. She manipulates with care, because to do otherwise could cost her her life. There's a love story here, but not the one you might expect.
Ms. Reinfried engages all the senses when crafting her scenes. You see the pooling of the blood, you hear the crack of the finger bones, you taste the acrid bile, smell the teasing floral of the perfume, feel the softness of Emma's skin. You breathe in the edge of exhilaration as Grim parkours across rooftops, and feel the rising powerlust and pleasure as Alex tortures someone for information. Shawn, Grim's secret identity, experiences a hunger for taking down and killing the bad guys, so, the question does get raised, how can Grim be considered a hero if he's taking lives.
I liked the sense of blindness Ms Reinfried crafted in the reader, when Shawn is trying to emotionally "see" what's going on with his brother Jax. There are secrets still to be uncovered, and they are hinted at in a way that is tantalizing but unanswered in this particular volume of the series.
The story earns its grim name. Some readers may be triggered by the violence of some scenes and the potentially forced sexual situations Emma finds herself in at one point in the book. There are no truly happy endings here.
Though this book was well written, I never quite connected with some of the characters. As a result, I sometimes had to push myself through certain parts of the book. This is the main reason I'm not giving the book a higher rating. Still, I will be giving the second book a try.
Grim Ambition is about Emma's struggle, with her past, her job and her heart. She's tired of being objectified, but she understands the power of her attractiveness. She manipulates with care, because to do otherwise could cost her her life. There's a love story here, but not the one you might expect.
Ms. Reinfried engages all the senses when crafting her scenes. You see the pooling of the blood, you hear the crack of the finger bones, you taste the acrid bile, smell the teasing floral of the perfume, feel the softness of Emma's skin. You breathe in the edge of exhilaration as Grim parkours across rooftops, and feel the rising powerlust and pleasure as Alex tortures someone for information. Shawn, Grim's secret identity, experiences a hunger for taking down and killing the bad guys, so, the question does get raised, how can Grim be considered a hero if he's taking lives.
I liked the sense of blindness Ms Reinfried crafted in the reader, when Shawn is trying to emotionally "see" what's going on with his brother Jax. There are secrets still to be uncovered, and they are hinted at in a way that is tantalizing but unanswered in this particular volume of the series.
The story earns its grim name. Some readers may be triggered by the violence of some scenes and the potentially forced sexual situations Emma finds herself in at one point in the book. There are no truly happy endings here.
Though this book was well written, I never quite connected with some of the characters. As a result, I sometimes had to push myself through certain parts of the book. This is the main reason I'm not giving the book a higher rating. Still, I will be giving the second book a try.
September 26, 2017
I seriously can't get enough of the GRIM books written by Jennifer Reinfried - I have read them all twice now & will continue re-reading them until I have a new addition to read! Action, romance, emotion, butt-kicking, mystery... it never stops! You always have to know what's going to happen next. I've never had so much trouble putting down a book - I felt like a little kid, "Just one more chapter, mom!" The deep thought that Jennifer puts into every detail becomes very evident the more you read. This was definitely a book written with immense love & passion from the author which you don't always see anymore in this world of technology & screens. Turn off the tv/laptop/smartphone & pick up this (unless you read books on your smartphone - then that's ok)... seriously. Do it. Now
August 22, 2017
The book was surprisingly good. I was searching for something new after the new heroes series was done this year. The book was well written and had just the right amount of converging plots and characters that were awful but had many redeeming qualities that made them likeable and want you to root for them. I can't wait for the next book.
November 3, 2017
How do I begin? This book really had me conflicted on who I thought the bad guys or good guys were. One end its good business the other is vengeance. It was an amazing story. The character introductions down to the unexpected turn of events by the end of the book. I really enjoyed this book a ton and I highly recommend it. I definitely would say it is a best seller in my opinion.
June 24, 2017
Was a book I won in the giveaways, not something I would normally chose to read, but found the book engaging from the start and was a good page turner. Did not really like all of the violence but would probably read the second book to find out what has happened to the characters.
February 21, 2018
No doubt that Jennifer was born with a great talent in writing.
Incredible descriptions, well thought out plot lines. Great detail in action scenes. Wrote them in a way where I could clearly envision it. Great character development.
Entertaining novel for sure!
Incredible descriptions, well thought out plot lines. Great detail in action scenes. Wrote them in a way where I could clearly envision it. Great character development.
Entertaining novel for sure!
July 14, 2017
Awesome. Sex, violence, sociopathic villians, super heroes, course language, more sex and more violence. Powered through it in two days, volume 2 is definitely on my to-read list.
November 23, 2017
I loved how nobody was purely good or purely evil (save for that one guy...) here. I'd thought it might follow Grim a bit more, but it was interesting to see that Emma was more of a focus character.
August 31, 2022
Such a fun read! This is the start of an amazing series, with more to come from this amazing author. Check it out if you love dark superheroes and grey villains in a world of grit and power.
January 1, 2018
I won a signed copy of "Grim Ambition" in a GOODREADS giveaway sponsored by the author, Jennifer Reinfried. Reader alert: no speed reading this one! The story line can get a bit twisty: I had to backtrack a few times because I tried to race ahead to see what was going to happen.
April 9, 2017
If you're looking for another tired old black-and-white "heroes and villains" story, this is NOT the book for you. This tale is dark, gritty, and at times unsettling. The characters - the heroes and the villains - are so realistic and so human, that it makes for a far more believable story than I would have ever expected in a superhero premise. Between finding it so easy to relate to the characters, and the constantly increasing tension of the story line, I found this book VERY difficult to put down! The plot has so many twists and turns that I don't want to say too much - you'll want to experience it yourself spoiler-free - but let's just say I was left with so many questions that I just can't wait for book 2 to come out! Highly recommend!
May 2, 2017
**Kept somewhat short, due to avoiding too many spoilers**
When I picked up Grim Ambition, I was skeptical, because honestly, I usually don't care for fiction. Really, I can't remember the last time I read a fiction book. It may have been Utopia a few years back (which I loved).
Reinfried nails it with this new take on the Superhero genre. I found it quite refreshing. At first, I found it starting off fast, but it slowed down a bit after a couple chapters. The pace flowed well, though. I was quite impressed with Reinfried's ability to articulate emotions, relationships, imagery, and actions.
Emma's story is intriguing. You see her struggle of wanting to please her boss and gain approval, combined with her conviction of what she does for her job. She seeks more, but also seeks freedom with Isaac. Both Emma and Isaac are extremely relatable, in their own unique ways. This aspect of the story really draws you in and makes you desire more!
Shawn is interesting. While reading, you crave more of him, as well. I have so many questions and am so thankful this is going to be a trilogy.
In short - the flow, the story, the characters, the relatability, the descriptive writing, will draw anyone into this book (and then trilogy). It's remarkable how consumed I was. I lacked quite a bit of sleep, because of how much time passed.. I found myself not wanting to put it down, because I just had to find out what happens next. I highly recommend this book to anyone that knows how to read. It's really not a hard read, but in a good way. I'm definitely going to be keeping track of future releases by this author, as she now has a very loyal fan.
When I picked up Grim Ambition, I was skeptical, because honestly, I usually don't care for fiction. Really, I can't remember the last time I read a fiction book. It may have been Utopia a few years back (which I loved).
Reinfried nails it with this new take on the Superhero genre. I found it quite refreshing. At first, I found it starting off fast, but it slowed down a bit after a couple chapters. The pace flowed well, though. I was quite impressed with Reinfried's ability to articulate emotions, relationships, imagery, and actions.
Emma's story is intriguing. You see her struggle of wanting to please her boss and gain approval, combined with her conviction of what she does for her job. She seeks more, but also seeks freedom with Isaac. Both Emma and Isaac are extremely relatable, in their own unique ways. This aspect of the story really draws you in and makes you desire more!
Shawn is interesting. While reading, you crave more of him, as well. I have so many questions and am so thankful this is going to be a trilogy.
In short - the flow, the story, the characters, the relatability, the descriptive writing, will draw anyone into this book (and then trilogy). It's remarkable how consumed I was. I lacked quite a bit of sleep, because of how much time passed.. I found myself not wanting to put it down, because I just had to find out what happens next. I highly recommend this book to anyone that knows how to read. It's really not a hard read, but in a good way. I'm definitely going to be keeping track of future releases by this author, as she now has a very loyal fan.
Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews