When Lt. Colonel Zoey Granger exposed corruption in the ranks, she became an unwitting media darling and shot to a position reporting to top brass at the Pentagon. Now Zoey finds herself in the unwanted spotlight once again, this time at the heart of a scandal that threatens to devastate the military. Her efforts to contain the fallout are thwarted when the White House assigns a notorious DC fixer to oversee her every move.
Political insider Rook Daniels can fix any problem, no matter how illicit or indictable, but she has two rules: she picks her cases and she's in charge. When she makes an exception for an old friend at the White House, she gets tangled up with a sexy but stubborn officer who has her own ideas about authority. Rook and Zoey must decide whether a chance at love is worth risking loss of reputation in a town where appearances rule.
Carsen Taite's goal as an author is to spin plot lines as interesting as the cases she encountered in her career as a criminal defense lawyer. She is the award-winning author of a dozen novels and numerous short stories.
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.
I'm firmly in the camp of readers who prefer covers featuring women with faces rather than headless bodies. Especially if the woman actually looked the part. In this case, it was the first thing that caught my eye. I thought the model used was a nice balance between attractiveness and believability. And she's a pretty good visual representation of the straight-shooting, no-nonsense whistle-blower Major Zoey Granger.
Hailed as a hero by the media for exposing a military/civilian bribery scandal, but hauled to one investigation after another by the powers that be who have all but ostracized her, Zoey finds herself stuck in an airport trying to avoid the tabloid press frenzy. She is rescued from the media horde by a dashing and mysteriously powerful stranger. But they had to part ways before phone numbers can be exchanged.
Before long, Zoey realizes her knight in shining armor is actually a top Washington "fixer"--a euphemism for a spin doctor. She struggles to reconcile the chivalrous Rook Daniels she knows, who so easily and unselfishly came to her defense--versus the Rook Daniels she sees, defending assorted unsavory political characters. Who is the real Rook? And can Zoey ever trust the words of an expert in political doublespeak?
As the fates would have it, our two main characters find themselves working the same case, but with different, and possibly opposing orders: Zoey from the military top brass, and Rook straight from the White House. If that isn't complicated enough, Zoey and Rook find out their undeniable mutual attraction is annoyingly getting in the way of the case, or is it the other way around? :)
At first the case seems like an open and shut one, but after a shocking development involving a witness, the whole case may just be a smokescreen, and what they've unearthed may just be the tip of the iceberg.
This is a sophisticated and tightly-plotted piece of political intrigue, with a delicious side of romance. I loved the gradual build-up of tension paralleling the gradual build-up of attraction. The plot reminded me of that old edge-of-your-seat thriller 'No Way Out' and I kind of expected the same pulse pounding tension. But this is a romance first and foremost. And as such, romantic moments occasionally intrude, sometimes at the most inopportune circumstances. (How the leads could be thinking romantic thoughts at certain critical moments, not to mention acting on them, had me scratching my head. For two professionals characterized as no-nonsense that felt...nonsensical. Though it can be argued that they were so overcome with love, or rather lust. ;) But the way these two are written? Nah. Actually, the really egregious thing happened only once btw, so I'm just being overly dramatic and nitpicky. But... it was such an important plot point my ocd self wouldn't let it rest.)
My only other beef is with the resolution. The big reveal and the netting-the-big-fish part. It's a bit underwhelming. What was I expecting? I'm not sure. A more involved and better played out hunt? Maybe the leads (especially Major Granger) had perhaps a more active instead of reactive role? Doing something smarter, like say, an entrapment to flush out the bad guys, instead of There's still a lot to like about the rest of the book though, for lesfic romance lovers. This is clearly written with that audience in mind.
This story turns around Major Zoey Granger, a whistleblower and Rook Daniels, a lawyer who works as a «fixer» in DC. They are thrown together for an investigation at the Pentagon. Rook can’t stand military people which follows every order without asking, and Zoey can’t understand why Rook is working for politicians to cover their errors.
Both characters are very likable and well written, the chemistry was there from the beginning and the romance was slow burning. The intrigue was captivating and took some twist and turns. But in the end, everything was a bit rushed, the solution of the Pentagon case as well as the romance too.
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.
You can’t really go wrong reading anything by Carsen Taite. There’s always insta-love (not exactly my cuppa but that doesn’t mean I won’t read it 😊), loads of politics or legal drama and suspense. This time round, story revolved around an Army Major and a fixer; and I enjoyed reading it.
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.
A sexy soldier… Yes, please!!! Political fixer, Rook Daniels, can fix any problem and make her client come out on top after any scandal. She’s married to her job and hasn’t got time for love or commitment. In walks Lt. Colonel Zoey Granger and does more than turn Rook’s head. Zoey is coming off a big military scandal, and when she meets Rook, she doesn’t expect the sparks to fly. When both Zoey and Rook end up working together on a political investigation involving the military, the more time they spend together, the less they can ignore the chemistry building between them. But will their jobs and work ethics stand in their way? Carsen Taite is the go-to author for anything to do with the law. And while this book touched on the law, it focused on the Military and crime more. I really enjoyed this book and found myself really embedded in and focused on the backstory as much as the romance. I think this book was great, but it really needed (In my opinion) an epilogue. I know this is a bugbear with me, but I can’t help it if I want more of the happily ever after… right? Character chemistry was excellent, and I think with such an intricate background story going on, it was remarkable that Carsen Taite didn’t lose the character’s romance in that and still kept it at the front and centre of the storyline. Also, both Zoey and Rook were smashing characters, and I hope they appear as secondary characters in other books. A great book that kept me on my toes from start to finish!
This is my plug for libraries and advocating for books you want to read. My county library allows you to request them to purchase books. Two of the books in the related world of this story were in the library system, but not this one. I put in a request and although it took a few months not only did they purchase it but it was automatically put on hold for my library card. Yay!!!
Carson Taite writes good political suspense thrillers with a side (and usually rushed) romance. In this book Major Zoey Granger is reassigned to the Pentagon after being a whistleblower on corrupt soldiers. When another scandal comes up she is assigned to get to the bottom it. Rook Daniels is a high powered fixer (think tv show Scandal). Her friend, the chief of staff of the president, asks her to work with Granger to get the situation resolved as it is holding up a major political appointment. I'd put this as 60% intrigue and 40% romance. The book is fast paced and exciting. I don't know why it isn't considered part of a series because it has cross over characters from "Courtship" and "Pursuit of Happiness". I was happy to be back in Taite's created world where women can be Chief Justice of the Supreme Court and President of the United States.
Carsen Taite is one of my favourite lesfic authors (see my complete list at https://lezreviewbooks.wordpress.com/...). She excels in writing legal thrillers by using her own experience as a criminal defense attorney. It's a pity that lately she abandoned the use of legal issues in her books as they are very realistic and enjoyable. 'A more perfect union' can be considered a mystery mixed with military and political intrigue and a bit of romance on the side. The story focuses on Zoey Granger, an army Major with impeccable credentials who is called by the Pentagon to investigate a scandal involving army officials and escorts, and Rook Daniels, a spin doctor contracted by the White House to monitor the enquiry. As the investigation progresses, so does their relationship and involvement. Will they discover the underlying complot and the culprits before their lives are at risk?
There's no doubt that Ms. Taite can write and she shows it again in this book. However, this plot didn't grab my attention as much as some of her previous books. For me, this wasn't a page turner as a mystery/intrigue should be. The pace only picked up a bit at the end but not enough to consider it a thriller. I found the romance timing was a bit off and it wraps up quite fast at the end. The author, who normally manages the sexual tension with proficiency (for example in 'It should be a crime') fell a bit short on this one. I think that Zoey and Rook's character traits and their initial antagonism in their investigation roles had a lot of potential to exploit in terms of tension.
Overall, an ok read for those fans of political/military intrigue that deals with very current political issues. 3.5 stars.
ARC provided by the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
An honest review thanks to NetGalley. I was really impressed with this book; I found that I just couldn't put it down. If you are a fan of the T.V. show scandal, you will especially like this book as Rook's job is basically Olivia Pope's. I felt as if I was watching an episode of Scandal at some points! This was a great read, and I loved Zoey and Rook's adventure. This will be a book I will be revisiting again shortly.
What I enjoy most about Taite's books are the crime investigation parts which I find she does well. I felt myself pulled into the story as we try to discover the mystery behind what seems to be a minor scandal that turns into something much bigger.
Where I find Taite falls down for me is the romance. It is always rushed and find that there isn't always a natural progress of the relationship. I found the characters at times to contradict themselves, like at the end when Zoey was thinking about why her and Rook couldn't be together and then 5 minutes later she was telling Rook that didn't bother her. The ending I found was too quick.
However I forgive Taite for these things because I do enjoy her stories, yes I would love her to improve on the romance aspect of her books but I will still buy them and enjoy them enough.
I was given this book by NetGalley for an honest review.
As a Canadian, I have zero clue how accurate any of the military stuff is, so I can’t really speak to that side of the story. It’s an expertly balanced romantic suspense, however, with an interesting mystery at its core and a well-developed romance between Zoey and Rook. I found my attention captured by both halves of the equation and was satisfied with how everything turned out.
Something I love is a well plotted, well structured book. Say for example, Carsen Taite's It Should Be a Crime, or Lay Down the Law. Both of these are well paced, have convoluted crimes and investigations at their hearts and feature complex romantic pairings that ratchet up the tension.
However, with this latest offering I got to what seemed like the crisis of the novel; the set up had finished and we were finally getting to the meat of the investigation and hopefully letting the romantic tension that had begun to simmer develop properly, only to discover that it was pretty much finished! (one of the downsides of kindle reading is that you don't have the physical sense of how many pages are left so you can be horribly shocked when you check the percentage read)
Unfortunately this seems to be a developing (and worrying) trend from the formerly excellent Carsen Taite. I wrote almost the same thing on my review of her previous book, Sidebar.
If you're a fan of Taite's work, you know you're going to read it anyway...you didn't really need to read a review to make that decision now did you? If you're not familiar with her work, start with her earlier stuff.
I have enjoyed several books by Carsen Taite. What resonates with me the most is the character descriptions which makes them interesting individuals you want to know more about as well as care about. One of the reasons I enjoyed this read is because both women have no nonsense personalities which is different and rather refreshing. The military as well as political aspects of the read was nicely entwined. Zoey Granger does the right thing but there are unexpected consequences. Her life is the military and she does not have time for much else, or does she. Rook Daniels has swag and knows how to use it. Her life in DC helping people deal with often times self-inflicted trouble is a feel good, feel awful challenge.
This book was well on its way to being a five star review - romance, espionage, intrigue...and then it ended. After being so invested in both characters I needed more from the ending. I'd love a second book and the ending provides lots of scope for that book to be written, but even so, I just needed more.
This was my first Taite book and I have to say I was very impressed with both the storyline and the quality of the writing - I'll definitely be making sure to work my way through her extensive back catalogue.
Both Zoey and Rook are interesting, insightful characters and I liked how their duty to their respective jobs was explored, including the inevitable impacts. I'd have liked some more of them together in a romantic situation (and more sex) and would happily have read a longer book to have more of this aspect.
This is a military suspense novel including a little romance between two main characters. Major Zoey Granger is called to Washington, DC, to report to a congressional committee regarding corruption in the ranks at her previous post. While at the airport she runs into Rook Daniels, a political “fixer”. Although they feel a spark of interest in each other, they assume it is just a passing attraction.
Once Granger completes her report, she finds herself assigned to a Pentagon position and is up for promotion to Lt. Colonel. She is given the responsibility to investigate a scandal that could possibly hurt the creditability of the military. Rook has very close ties to the White House and is asked to assist Major Granger in the investigation of this scandal. Unfortunately, Zoey is not happy to have Rook work on this case even though there is a mutual attraction.
Zoey is a very head strong woman who is by the books military. It is no wonder she has been selected to take on this case. Rook is extremely successful as a “fixer”. She owns the business and can pick and choose her cases. However, when the White House requests her assistance, she reluctantly agrees and looks forward to seeing Zoey again. Due to personal reasons, she does not look forward to dealing with the military.
I felt that Ms. Taite did a nice job of character development. The storyline is very interesting. What I had some trouble with was the amount of time in which the investigation occurred. Ms. Taite was doing a great job of presenting the facts of the case and building suspense, but it all seemed too fast. Also, I feel more narrative could have been added to the ending.
Overall, I enjoyed this book. I have read all of Ms. Taite’s books and recommend them. This is not one of her best, but it is definitely worth reading. I give this book 4 out of 5 stars.
As I read this book I kept thinking something has to happen. True to Carsen Taite form there was mystery with a little romance. I really liked how we didn't know a lot of background about the characters just enough to wet our Curiosity. I would definitely recommend this book.
A More Perfect Union by Carsen Taite is a military scandal with the potential to rock Washington to its core with a small side of romance. This web of deception is riveting to the end.
Lt. Colonel Zoey Granger has arrived at our nation's capital to tell members of Congress the corruption she uncovered while stationed at Fort Bragg. A whistleblower who knows that her life is going to be turned upside down, but her sense of honor about doing what is right overrules anything else.
Rook Daniels is a fixer. She, like Olivia Pope, handles the scandals that D.C. breeds and changes their narrative to assist politic's elite. This has made her one of the whos-who of Washington D.C.
A chance run-in at an airport bar, Rook helps Zoey get out of the eye of the media for a short time. These two immediately hit it off and have that moment where you wish you were anywhere else, not dealing with a work disaster. Never fear, they will meet again. Only this time the corruption is much direr and includes the Oval Office. The problem is they are working on the same case just one for the heads of military and Rook straight for the White House.
This is a fabulously written tightly woven political/military intrigue with a large helping of romance. I enjoyed every minute and was on the edge of my seat the whole time. This one is a great read! 4.25 stars
This sits somewhere between 3 and 4 stars. There are parts that deserve 4 stars and parts that are definitely 3 stars and I'm conflicted as to how to average them out. Rook is a fixer and really good at putting a positive spin on scandals. Zoey has spent her life in the armed forces culminating in her blowing the whistle on dirty dealings in her unit. Both has put their love life on the back burner as secondary to their careers until a sex scandal puts them in the same room, but not necessarily on the same side.
Zoey is a likeable character with a strong sense of right and wrong and a willingness to stand up for justice. She also occasionally has an odd naivety about her choices which jarred a little for someone with the rank of Major. Rook has a disdain for the armed forces and their alleged closing of ranks and protecting their own which was ironic considering her job of fixing and covering high profile indiscretions.
The scandal they both have to get to the bottom of is pretty good and takes the foreground for most of the book with their developing relationship only appearing occasionally. Their chemistry and sexual tension was only apparent in bits and pieces and there was opportunity for great drama but it just resolved itself too easily. The ending was rushed and deserved a better unravelling.
I know I read this book some weeks ago. It was typical CT stuff, fast-pace, interesting characters with a lot of chemistry. The mystery touch was nice.
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.
Lately, I've been listening to a lot of podcasts and audiobooks. The tasks I'm doing at work are temporarily monotonous and easily facilitate multitasking, so as a result, I've been alternating between tearing through lesbian romances to listening to political podcasts.
It's a little strange that I'm a Canadian citizen and yet know far more about American government and policy from listening to podcasts like More Perfect than I do about that of Canada, but y'all are just so broken and tangled and infuriating and numerous in comparison. So, although my personal politics are staunchly anti-military and occasionally might even meander over to anarchist ideology, I currently find myself devouring and enjoying books like A More Perfect Union.
I wouldn't categorize this book as one of my typical favourites for lesbian romance novels. My tastes generally prefer rom-com over mystery, femme heroines over the butch/femme dynamic, and yet, there were lots of things that I appreciated about this book.
Carsen Taite is a solid writer. Her characters are rarely vapid, the plots and conflicts separating the two main characters don't usually feel half-baked, and her wordsmithing is at best evocative and at worst intelligently mundane. This book exemplifies all of that, and throws in some sly nods to relatively current real-life political situations. The crux of the book spans only a few days, but the pace of the writing seems to drag it out to feel longer. It gets a little bogged down in the details at times, and if you blink you'll miss the introduction of a handful of names that become significant later on in the story, but you're never reading it and thinking, "This is a low quality piece of writing." As I was reading, I kept thinking about how meticulous the research had clearly been, and the author strikes a confident approach to building a realistic world. In terms of the main plot surrounding the romance, though, it was a bit predictable. A page-turning mystery, this was not.
The development of the romance was great, despite the fact that if you think about the book's overall timespan, the first "I love you" came quite quickly -- it's got two mature, adult women, a bit of a push-and-pull between them but an acknowledged attraction, and an entertaining dynamic borne out of professionalism for appearance's sake. The final hurdle keeping the two women apart was a bit lackluster and so very easily resolved, but overall, this was a satisfying and well-written romance.
I loved this book! I can't believe that this was my first Carsen Taite?! I know I'm going to have a busy Christmas holiday reading all her other books!
Zoey arrives in Washington, D.C. to speak at a congressional hearing exposing corruption in the military. Her role as a "whistle-blower" earns her a promotion and a top positon at the Pentagon investigating a new case with Rook Daniels. Rook Daniels is a fixer. She went to law school once upon a time, but now puts her skills to use spinning PR tales and saving her clients from legal messes. Can the two very different women, on very different sides, work together?
I was hooked from the very beginning, from the very first interaction. Every single interaction between Rook and Zoey had something sensual about it. I don't know what it was about it but their chemistry sizzled. And still this was a slow burn romance. It was delicious.
I thought this was going to have a lot more politics, but there was lots of mystery and intrigue in uncovering the military corruption. I really liked the pacing in the novel. Fast paced mystery, unveiling just enough little details to keep us guessing until the end, and slow burn romance.
Rook and Zoey are really strong characters. Their jobs and their sense of right and wrong mean everything to them. I loved that they didn't compromise that in their relationship. It was real and healthy and nice. I loved the supporting characters too, not just for supporting the story but for supporting Rook and Zoey. These two women have high-powered jobs, in one of the most high-stress environments in the US, but they're surrounded by good and loyal people. I loved that. I don't know if it's realistic in such a cut-throat environment either, but I liked Rook and Zoey as characters and as people, so I'm really glad they had good people around them. Sappy, but true!
I received an ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
So you may notice that I have quite a few lesbian romances in my read list lately. That's because I got a whole bundle of them when I bought an old ebook collection from a friend. Not sure where she got them but I am quite enjoying most of them. And they work perfectly when I need something to keep me busy while I'm waiting for something else, or just need to be distracted for a while.
I quite enjoyed this story. As a non-American, I find learning a little about the behind the scenes things that go on at the White House interesting. And for the same reason, I have no idea if any of it is complete hooey! In any case - I liked it. Although I have to be honest, the plot gets a little bit too twisty for my taste. With conspiracy piled on top of conspiracy, it gets a little bit "Another one? Seriously?!"
Zoe and Rook are perfect foils for each other. One a career military girl, with all the discipline and order that implies. The other a fly by the seat of her pants, uber-slick woman who skates the fine line of outright illegal activity thanks to a notoriously dodgy career as a political fixer. West Wing was one of my favourite shows for years, and I could quite easily see this storyline (with a little modification) slotting nicely into that series. And that's high kudos for me - because I am a firm believer in the principle of don't fix what ain't broke!
All in all, worth the read. And if you like political-themed romances then this book is perfect for you. Yes, there is some hot and heavy, and yes - it is very hot, and definitely very heavy!
I don't even understand how Zoey and Rook get together. It's not even one of those "I-hate-you-so-much-I'm-gonna-fuck-you-into-oblivion" relationships. They just never even think the other is attractive, barely flirt and keep being rude to each other without ANY chemistry. Instead, they both keep thinking how incompatible they are. Then they go on a date because of reasons, it doesn't end well and keep thinking they can never work out. Then they kiss because of reasons and suddenly both spend half their time thinking about how amazing the kiss was and the other half about how they have no future together. And then they have sex because of reasons and suddenly they are already thinking about spending their whole life together. It just didn't made any sense.
And the investigation plot... god, I couldn't care less. It seemed such a pulp spy story with a really stupid ending.
I'll give the author another chance cause the writing style was good, but I just never connected with the characters nor the story
*I was provided a copy of this book from NetGalley in return for a honest review*
As a new fan of Taite’s, I was very excited to get to read this. Taite has a very distinct writing style that lends itself to intrigue and is quite thrilling.
This particular book centers around DC and a scandal, considering reality anymore I was concerned that this would be too real for me at the moment. I really enjoyed this book: It was fast paced, had enough suspense to keep me guessing, and while I’d had an inkling who the bad guy was, it was still a great reveal. I like her use of both perspectives, and that in all of her work, she centers on strong independent women.
Anyone who is a fan of Taite’s, and anyone who likes a some romance and a good story can’t go wrong with this one.
I have read many books by the author. The basic formula in her stories is a mystery, drama, and romance. Once again, the author managed to make it engaging because of her excellent writing. The storyline is narrowly focused between the two main characters. However, the characters were subjected to diverse experiences to help understand the reader their multiple dimensions. The supporting characters have a little role but play them very well to keep the momentum going.
If you are looking to spend a couple of hours on a low key mystery + romance = this is the book for you.
Poorly researched and boring to the point where I didn't finish it, the bad decision-making of the characters at least had the effect of making me feel better about my own mediocre job performance. I mean, at least I haven't purposefully alienated half my team and then refused to take calls from the other half because they once left early on a date. In a matter of national security, no less.
Quite enjoyed and hard to put down. This is my second Carsen Taite book, and I must admit that I am hooked. It was hard to put this book down to get through my daily "to do" list. The story was interesting and the budding relationship between Zoey and Rook was enjoyable. I shall be making my way through CT's back catalogue with great anticipation.