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Honor #10
Cost of Honor
Secret Service Agent Oakes Weaver is in the midst of the biggest assignment of her career—leading the advance team for President Andrew Powell’s impending trip to Philadelphia where everyone expects he will be nominated to run for a second term. The last thing she needs is a tragedy among the president's inner circle that might not be an accident, or the sudden recruitment of Ari Rostof, a woman who might be a lot more than she seems. But Oakes doesn't get a say in policy. She only has to secure the president’s safety—at all costs.
First Daughter Blair Powell and her spouse, Cameron Roberts, are among the reelection campaign members accompanying President Andrew Powell to Philadelphia. While the president may be protected by his Secret Service agents, those close to him are literally in the kill zone, and his adversaries will stop at nothing to further their cause—even mass murder.
First Daughter Blair Powell and her spouse, Cameron Roberts, are among the reelection campaign members accompanying President Andrew Powell to Philadelphia. While the president may be protected by his Secret Service agents, those close to him are literally in the kill zone, and his adversaries will stop at nothing to further their cause—even mass murder.
282 pages, Kindle Edition
Published November 1, 2019
81 people are currently reading
365 people want to read
About the author
Radclyffe
142 books1,674 followersRadclyffe has written over forty-five romance and romantic intrigue novels, dozens of short stories, and, writing as L.L. Raand, has authored a paranormal romance series, The Midnight Hunters. She has also edited Best Lesbian Romance 2009 through 2015 as well as multiple other anthologies. She is an eight-time Lambda Literary Award finalist in romance, mystery, and erotica—winning in both romance and erotica. A member of the Saints and Sinners Literary Hall of Fame, she is also an RWA Prism, Lories, Beanpot, Aspen Gold, and Laurel Wreath winner in multiple mainstream romance categories. In 2014, she received the Dr. James Duggins Outstanding Mid-Career Novelist award from the Lambda Literary Foundation. In 2004, she founded Bold Strokes Books, an independent LGBTQ publishing company, and in 2013, she founded the Flax Mill Creek Writers Retreat offering writing workshops to authors in all stages of their careers.
She states, “I began reading lesbian fiction at the age of twelve when I found a copy of Ann Bannon’s Beebo Brinker. That book and others like it convinced me that I was not alone, that there were other women who felt like I did. Our literature provides support and validation and very often, a lifeline, for members of our community throughout the world. I am proud and honored to be able to publish the many fine authors at Bold Strokes Books and to contribute in some small way to the words that celebrate the LGBTQ experience.”
Radclyffe lives with her partner, Lee, in New York state.
She states, “I began reading lesbian fiction at the age of twelve when I found a copy of Ann Bannon’s Beebo Brinker. That book and others like it convinced me that I was not alone, that there were other women who felt like I did. Our literature provides support and validation and very often, a lifeline, for members of our community throughout the world. I am proud and honored to be able to publish the many fine authors at Bold Strokes Books and to contribute in some small way to the words that celebrate the LGBTQ experience.”
Radclyffe lives with her partner, Lee, in New York state.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 78 reviews
October 20, 2019
'ARC provided by both NetGalley and The Publisher in exchange for a honest review'
**'The significant story possesses more awareness than the writer writing it.The significant story is always greater than the writer telling it.This is the absurdity, the disorienting truth and the question that this is the koan of any writing...'
Provocative, articulate and compelling, 'COST OF HONOR' offers bits and pieces of geopolitical prognostication, a brief view into one of these radical anti-establishment groups, the inner workings of the different sector in the US Government Intelligence agencies and a love story.
This storyline on a hold proves that Radclyffe, who is no cynic, writes with clarity and knowledge as someone with the mentality of a zealous researcher in homegrown terrorism, every law enforcement and intelligence agencies in the US.
Additionally, in riveting fashion from beginning to end, interested readers are treated to insider information on the vetting process that Ari (an important character) undergoes -- when she's suddenly catapulted to this high level job working for and alongside the President --- because of the many other things and the endless engrossing details of circumstances under which he's being targeted from rivals and alt-right groups etc..
Also a dazzling and tension-filled plotline with breathless pacing, an array of romantic relations and Blair and Cam still going strong as a married couple -- a special operative group is formed and is task with combating any treats deem high level towards any US officials. This is where Cam played a pivotal role because of her expertise in counterterrorism and her sharp intuitions. While in this same group, Oakes (another important character) stood out because of her armed service skills and keen instincts plus she appears as the right agent that anyone would want watching over them -- most noticeable that developing romance between her and Ari.
As to Ari, also task with preventing any debilitating news or fallout of any kind and of any bad press pertaining to the President, some in the hunt for that big story.
If any reader is intrigued by politics, everything counterintelligence, romance etc.., then this book plus the other series is for you. A highly recommended series!
**'The significant story possesses more awareness than the writer writing it.The significant story is always greater than the writer telling it.This is the absurdity, the disorienting truth and the question that this is the koan of any writing...'
Provocative, articulate and compelling, 'COST OF HONOR' offers bits and pieces of geopolitical prognostication, a brief view into one of these radical anti-establishment groups, the inner workings of the different sector in the US Government Intelligence agencies and a love story.
This storyline on a hold proves that Radclyffe, who is no cynic, writes with clarity and knowledge as someone with the mentality of a zealous researcher in homegrown terrorism, every law enforcement and intelligence agencies in the US.
Additionally, in riveting fashion from beginning to end, interested readers are treated to insider information on the vetting process that Ari (an important character) undergoes -- when she's suddenly catapulted to this high level job working for and alongside the President --- because of the many other things and the endless engrossing details of circumstances under which he's being targeted from rivals and alt-right groups etc..
Also a dazzling and tension-filled plotline with breathless pacing, an array of romantic relations and Blair and Cam still going strong as a married couple -- a special operative group is formed and is task with combating any treats deem high level towards any US officials. This is where Cam played a pivotal role because of her expertise in counterterrorism and her sharp intuitions. While in this same group, Oakes (another important character) stood out because of her armed service skills and keen instincts plus she appears as the right agent that anyone would want watching over them -- most noticeable that developing romance between her and Ari.
As to Ari, also task with preventing any debilitating news or fallout of any kind and of any bad press pertaining to the President, some in the hunt for that big story.
If any reader is intrigued by politics, everything counterintelligence, romance etc.., then this book plus the other series is for you. A highly recommended series!
November 11, 2019
This was another good installment in the Honor series. As most people out there, I’m a big Radclyffe fan. I have read all of her full length books so I’m very familiar with this series. I was actually pleasantly surprised to even see this book since it has been four years since the last installment in this series. It made me happy to connect with an older favorite and I think fans of this series will enjoy this.
What also was a big surprise was having the cast from the Justice series in this book. I actually like the Justice series a little better than this Honor series so it was a real treat being with some of my favorite characters again. Now all Rad has to do is write another Provincetown series book and I’ll be completely happy:)
This book does include a completely new romance between a secret service agent and a campaign manager. Because it is new you could start here if you wanted too. I personally think this series is best read in order. Heck it wouldn’t hurt to read a book or two out of the Justice Series either. It’s not necessary but this book has a lot of characters from previous books. I found myself going “oh I remember them and I remember that couple too” so many characters that I think I would have been confused if I had not read the other books in this series first.
I thought the new romance was good, I really enjoyed the two characters as a potential couple, and I also liked the investigation parts done by the Justice crew. However, I do have to say that I thought the ending felt a little rushed and not as exciting as it could have been. I kept looking down at my Kindle seeing 95% of the book gone, shaking my head wondering how can this end in time. Rad jumped ahead in time and I don’t think it worked as well. This whole book was building up to this big exciting climax… what’s going to happen? And unfortunately my excitement meter took a bit of a nose dive instead. Rad has written plenty of these action/crime, political intrigue books so she knows how to get my heart pounding but it didn’t quite get there this time.
When it comes down to it, this was a good and solid installment in the series that I think most people will enjoy. I would give it a 3.75 but it’s getting an extra quarter star just for having the Justice crew so 4 Stars total. If you are a fan of this series I think you will be happy with this book. If you are new to the series, read the first couple books at least before you give this one a go.
An ARC was given to me for a honest review.
What also was a big surprise was having the cast from the Justice series in this book. I actually like the Justice series a little better than this Honor series so it was a real treat being with some of my favorite characters again. Now all Rad has to do is write another Provincetown series book and I’ll be completely happy:)
This book does include a completely new romance between a secret service agent and a campaign manager. Because it is new you could start here if you wanted too. I personally think this series is best read in order. Heck it wouldn’t hurt to read a book or two out of the Justice Series either. It’s not necessary but this book has a lot of characters from previous books. I found myself going “oh I remember them and I remember that couple too” so many characters that I think I would have been confused if I had not read the other books in this series first.
I thought the new romance was good, I really enjoyed the two characters as a potential couple, and I also liked the investigation parts done by the Justice crew. However, I do have to say that I thought the ending felt a little rushed and not as exciting as it could have been. I kept looking down at my Kindle seeing 95% of the book gone, shaking my head wondering how can this end in time. Rad jumped ahead in time and I don’t think it worked as well. This whole book was building up to this big exciting climax… what’s going to happen? And unfortunately my excitement meter took a bit of a nose dive instead. Rad has written plenty of these action/crime, political intrigue books so she knows how to get my heart pounding but it didn’t quite get there this time.
When it comes down to it, this was a good and solid installment in the series that I think most people will enjoy. I would give it a 3.75 but it’s getting an extra quarter star just for having the Justice crew so 4 Stars total. If you are a fan of this series I think you will be happy with this book. If you are new to the series, read the first couple books at least before you give this one a go.
An ARC was given to me for a honest review.
October 12, 2019
Radclyffe is always a comfort zone for me personally ! I don’t think I’ve ever been disappointed with her writing!
So this obviously is another book from the Honor series and you don’t necessarily need to read all 9 books before you read this :) I do suggest and highly recommend that you start with the first couple of books to understand the idea of the series!
So as expected (in a good way), this one is full of action, romance and drama! It’s very tough to review a book in a series because there’s so much history and a lot of drama in the plot that I fear that it would spoil it for everyone! So, instead, I’m just going yo recommend this book and actually recommend the series!
My rating is a 4.25.
“I received an ARC for an honest review.”
So this obviously is another book from the Honor series and you don’t necessarily need to read all 9 books before you read this :) I do suggest and highly recommend that you start with the first couple of books to understand the idea of the series!
So as expected (in a good way), this one is full of action, romance and drama! It’s very tough to review a book in a series because there’s so much history and a lot of drama in the plot that I fear that it would spoil it for everyone! So, instead, I’m just going yo recommend this book and actually recommend the series!
My rating is a 4.25.
“I received an ARC for an honest review.”
February 2, 2021
3.75 stars. I so enjoy this series! All the time reading these books I was happy to know there were many more books in the series to read, but now I have reached the last one and I just hope there will be more in the future.
I always look forward to reading about Cam and Blair and their team, the dangers that await them and the president, and the new romances that develop. While this is not my favorite book in the series I enjoyed reading it a lot as usual. I liked the romance between Oakes Weaver (a secret service agent in the protection detail of the president) and Ari Rostof (the new presidential campaign director). As usual there was also a suspense storyline, in this case a plot against the president, which was nicely built up and even included some undercover work (by the team from the Justice series).
As mentioned, this book is not my favorite of the series is because I was missing some of the heat in the romance between Oakes and Ari that I know Radclyffe can write and the ending of the suspense plot felt a bit anticlimactic and rushed to me.
Being the 10th book in the series there are a lot of familiar faces by now and there were also some characters from the Justice series. I have not read the Justice series and I was intrigued by the characters, so I guess I’ll start reading the Justice series now ;) For those that haven’t read this series yet, I highly recommend it!
I always look forward to reading about Cam and Blair and their team, the dangers that await them and the president, and the new romances that develop. While this is not my favorite book in the series I enjoyed reading it a lot as usual. I liked the romance between Oakes Weaver (a secret service agent in the protection detail of the president) and Ari Rostof (the new presidential campaign director). As usual there was also a suspense storyline, in this case a plot against the president, which was nicely built up and even included some undercover work (by the team from the Justice series).
As mentioned, this book is not my favorite of the series is because I was missing some of the heat in the romance between Oakes and Ari that I know Radclyffe can write and the ending of the suspense plot felt a bit anticlimactic and rushed to me.
Being the 10th book in the series there are a lot of familiar faces by now and there were also some characters from the Justice series. I have not read the Justice series and I was intrigued by the characters, so I guess I’ll start reading the Justice series now ;) For those that haven’t read this series yet, I highly recommend it!
October 13, 2019
Here we are in the 10th book of this series. I can still pull up the amazing moments of book one in my mind. Blair and Cam will always be one of my most treasured couples in romance. They have that special something. They had it in book one and it is still as powerful as ever in the tenth. I will forever treasure the Honor series.
While Cam and Blair are amazing as ever in Cost of Honor, you also get introduced to a new couple and all our old friends from the Justice series. Oakes Weaver is a Secret Service agent that is assigned to POTUS and is organizing his trip to the Nation Convention. Ari Rostof is our other new character. Ari comes in to take over for the former campaign manager who was killed in a hit and run “accident”. These two hit it off immediately and the romance begins.
This book has a lot of moving pieces and quite a few characters. At first, I thought it would be overwhelming but Radclyffe makes it work. She gives us enough of each to balance out the story and keeps you invested all the way through. This book is fun, it's dynamic and it keeps you wanting more till the very last page.
While Cam and Blair are amazing as ever in Cost of Honor, you also get introduced to a new couple and all our old friends from the Justice series. Oakes Weaver is a Secret Service agent that is assigned to POTUS and is organizing his trip to the Nation Convention. Ari Rostof is our other new character. Ari comes in to take over for the former campaign manager who was killed in a hit and run “accident”. These two hit it off immediately and the romance begins.
This book has a lot of moving pieces and quite a few characters. At first, I thought it would be overwhelming but Radclyffe makes it work. She gives us enough of each to balance out the story and keeps you invested all the way through. This book is fun, it's dynamic and it keeps you wanting more till the very last page.
January 5, 2020
A few years ago, Radclyffe and Jae were my gateway drugs into lesfic so it seems fitting that a Radclyffe novel is my first of a new decade. It is a good enough read but I wish it had been better. As the tenth in the Honor Series, I don't think it would make much sense without having read at least some of the others. Secret Service agent Oakes Weaver is given the job of liaising with the new presidential campaign manager, Ari Rostoff, when the former one is killed in a jogging accident. Oakes and Ari find they have a mutual attraction for each other.
I found their romance a little lacklustre and missing the usual dynamic that I've come to expect from Radclyffe. I think a lot of it had to do with the number of characters and storylines that were pulled into this book. Not only were there quite a few of the Honor series characters, but most of the Justice Series cast was in the mix as well. I would have liked more of my favourite pairing, Rebecca and Catherine, but it was nice to see Dell/Mitch and Sandy again. A cameo appearance by Dr Ali Torveau made its way in too.
Along with the vast cast is the suspense story arc where an alt-right group is planning an attack on president Andrew Powell, which puts many of the players at risk (again). Cam and Blair are pretty central to the story too. Generally, I think that there was too much going on to give any of the aspects the attention they deserved. I didn't feel the nail-biting tension in either the relationship or the risk the extremist attack could cause. The novel may have been better served by being longer or split into two parts.
I still enjoyed it, just not as much as some of Radclyffe's other novels.
Book received from Netgalley and Bold Strokes Books for an honest review.
I found their romance a little lacklustre and missing the usual dynamic that I've come to expect from Radclyffe. I think a lot of it had to do with the number of characters and storylines that were pulled into this book. Not only were there quite a few of the Honor series characters, but most of the Justice Series cast was in the mix as well. I would have liked more of my favourite pairing, Rebecca and Catherine, but it was nice to see Dell/Mitch and Sandy again. A cameo appearance by Dr Ali Torveau made its way in too.
Along with the vast cast is the suspense story arc where an alt-right group is planning an attack on president Andrew Powell, which puts many of the players at risk (again). Cam and Blair are pretty central to the story too. Generally, I think that there was too much going on to give any of the aspects the attention they deserved. I didn't feel the nail-biting tension in either the relationship or the risk the extremist attack could cause. The novel may have been better served by being longer or split into two parts.
I still enjoyed it, just not as much as some of Radclyffe's other novels.
Book received from Netgalley and Bold Strokes Books for an honest review.
October 19, 2019
I have read almost all of Radclyffe's books and as a fan, reading this book is very, very satisfying. We have the romance between Secret Service Agent Oakes Weaver and Ari Rostof, who's been suddenly recruited into President Powell's re-election campaign. The chemistry is there and it's hot. Also, it's a nice glimpse into the workings of a presidential campaign - very timely topic. There's also a suspense element in that there's hint of a plot to hurt President Powell and his people.
The primary things that made me very happy are the return of favourite characters from this Honor series and the Justice series, too. We see Cam and Blair, Sloan and Michael, Rebecca and Catherine, Dell and Sandy. I know they're fictional characters but I love knowing that they're doing well and their relationships are still going strong.
If there's one thing I would like to see more, is perhaps more character background on Ari and Oakes. We do learn about some of their individual histories, but a more in-depth exploration of what makes them "them" would have been welcome.
Overall, though, Radclyffe does it again. This is definitely an excellent read!
"Big thanks to Bold Strokes Books for sending me an ARC through NetGalley for an honest review"
The primary things that made me very happy are the return of favourite characters from this Honor series and the Justice series, too. We see Cam and Blair, Sloan and Michael, Rebecca and Catherine, Dell and Sandy. I know they're fictional characters but I love knowing that they're doing well and their relationships are still going strong.
If there's one thing I would like to see more, is perhaps more character background on Ari and Oakes. We do learn about some of their individual histories, but a more in-depth exploration of what makes them "them" would have been welcome.
Overall, though, Radclyffe does it again. This is definitely an excellent read!
"Big thanks to Bold Strokes Books for sending me an ARC through NetGalley for an honest review"
November 13, 2019
First of all, I love Radclyffe’s series, especially the Honor, Justice, and Provincetown series. So when Radclyffe brings the Honor and Justice series together into one book, it’s just fantastic. This is #10 in the Honor series, and although it is not absolutely necessary to read them in order, I would highly recommend it, this is really an amazing series.
Cam and Blair are my all-time favorite couple in the lesfic world. So I was really happy when I saw the new book is coming out. And it’s an intriguing and gripping story as ever. While we get to spend some time with Blair and Cam, we also get some time with the group from the Justice series. And there are also new characters introduced, Ari, a political campaign manager and Oakes, a secret service agent. The new romance is between the two of them, and I have to say, for me, the romance was a little bit rushed. I understand, there was so much going on in this novel, with all the different leads from the different groups and agencies, that there was not so much time to revel in the new romance. Nevertheless, I wanted more of them.
The investigation part from the Justice group was great as ever and the potential threat due to domestic terrorism was realistic. I really loved how the author brought Cam and Rebecca’s team together to find out what’s going on and who are the terrorists. But, as others mentioned before, the end was a tad too fast. But anyway, it is another great book from this author, a fast and exciting read with some steamy scenes between.
I recommend the whole series to everybody who loves political intrigue and action series.
And now the waiting for a new Radclyffe book is starting again.
My rating 4 stars
Cam and Blair are my all-time favorite couple in the lesfic world. So I was really happy when I saw the new book is coming out. And it’s an intriguing and gripping story as ever. While we get to spend some time with Blair and Cam, we also get some time with the group from the Justice series. And there are also new characters introduced, Ari, a political campaign manager and Oakes, a secret service agent. The new romance is between the two of them, and I have to say, for me, the romance was a little bit rushed. I understand, there was so much going on in this novel, with all the different leads from the different groups and agencies, that there was not so much time to revel in the new romance. Nevertheless, I wanted more of them.
The investigation part from the Justice group was great as ever and the potential threat due to domestic terrorism was realistic. I really loved how the author brought Cam and Rebecca’s team together to find out what’s going on and who are the terrorists. But, as others mentioned before, the end was a tad too fast. But anyway, it is another great book from this author, a fast and exciting read with some steamy scenes between.
I recommend the whole series to everybody who loves political intrigue and action series.
And now the waiting for a new Radclyffe book is starting again.
My rating 4 stars
October 26, 2019
When I chose to read
Cost of Honor
by Radclyffe, I knew it was the most recent in a series of novels that I have not read. I normally don’t like jumping into a series like this, but I REALLY wanted to read this story. I know how accomplished an author Radclyffe is, and the blurb sounded so good that I decided to just get it anyway. I am very glad I did.
This is definitely an adventure and intrigue tale with obvious political tones as well as a great deal of romance from couples in past novels. There is also a new romance between Secret Service Agent Oakley (Oakes) Weaver and the president’s new campaign manager Arianna (Ari) Rostoff. The author does a wonderful job of weaving the intricate political intrigue with the new romance. At the same time she lets the reader see how some of their favorite former main characters are faring in this complex world.
As a brand new reader to this series, it took me a chapter or so to recognize who the past characters were and to catch up with their stories. After that I was hooked and thoroughly enjoyed this novel. For those of you who have already read the other books in this series, you are definitely going to want to get this one. If you are like me and this is your first read in the Honor series, be prepared to add more books to your wish list. I’ve already done that, and can’t wait to start reading.
I received an ARC from NetGalley and Bold Strokes Books for an honest review.
This is definitely an adventure and intrigue tale with obvious political tones as well as a great deal of romance from couples in past novels. There is also a new romance between Secret Service Agent Oakley (Oakes) Weaver and the president’s new campaign manager Arianna (Ari) Rostoff. The author does a wonderful job of weaving the intricate political intrigue with the new romance. At the same time she lets the reader see how some of their favorite former main characters are faring in this complex world.
As a brand new reader to this series, it took me a chapter or so to recognize who the past characters were and to catch up with their stories. After that I was hooked and thoroughly enjoyed this novel. For those of you who have already read the other books in this series, you are definitely going to want to get this one. If you are like me and this is your first read in the Honor series, be prepared to add more books to your wish list. I’ve already done that, and can’t wait to start reading.
I received an ARC from NetGalley and Bold Strokes Books for an honest review.
June 14, 2022
I guess I'm playing catch up here.
Radclyffe as usual has written another powerful book and I'm really happy to see the link up with the Justice series. Maybe those tickets Cam had will link us to Provincetown in number 11.
It's good to see Sandy doing so well and being a key character in this book. I guess I connect to her the most as she is a normal person having to have worked for everything she has. She hasn't got wealthy influential parents. It's hard to describe what I mean, but she is real for me.
The romance in the book is between two alpha females. It was well written.
There was a brief mention of book 9, Dusty Nash in the coffee shop line with Atlas. But that was it. I feel a little let down. What happened to Jane, to Hooker, to Russo? We were left with that whole scene in our heads. Where did they go? Was Jane successful? Did she get away? You can't do this too me. I have questions needing answers.
This is the main reason for 3 stars. All nine books continued on. And yes, I know this one did too but with a missing few weeks. Powell's main rival plans a debate across the street and it seems to be forgotten. You have to admit Jane was tenacious even being a little naive. Radclyffe built us up and I feel like my bubble was burst.
It's a really well written book. Meets Radclyffe's standards all the way. I just expected, no wanted a continuation. I feel a little let down. But that's my issue.
I recommend you read it.
Radclyffe as usual has written another powerful book and I'm really happy to see the link up with the Justice series. Maybe those tickets Cam had will link us to Provincetown in number 11.
It's good to see Sandy doing so well and being a key character in this book. I guess I connect to her the most as she is a normal person having to have worked for everything she has. She hasn't got wealthy influential parents. It's hard to describe what I mean, but she is real for me.
The romance in the book is between two alpha females. It was well written.
There was a brief mention of book 9, Dusty Nash in the coffee shop line with Atlas. But that was it. I feel a little let down. What happened to Jane, to Hooker, to Russo? We were left with that whole scene in our heads. Where did they go? Was Jane successful? Did she get away? You can't do this too me. I have questions needing answers.
This is the main reason for 3 stars. All nine books continued on. And yes, I know this one did too but with a missing few weeks. Powell's main rival plans a debate across the street and it seems to be forgotten. You have to admit Jane was tenacious even being a little naive. Radclyffe built us up and I feel like my bubble was burst.
It's a really well written book. Meets Radclyffe's standards all the way. I just expected, no wanted a continuation. I feel a little let down. But that's my issue.
I recommend you read it.
October 22, 2019
I was so looking forward to this book! The ‘Honor’ series is one of my all time favorites. I have read the books, have listened to the great Abby Craden narrated audiobooks, and now the new installment that did not disappoint.
As it is usual with this series, Secret Service Agent Cameron Roberts and the President’s daughter, Blair Powell are at the core of the story that involves new challenges and a new couple. This time is about Agent Oakes Weaver and campaign manager Ari Rostof. We find ourselves a little over a month from the Democratic Convention, where President Powell is securing another nomination to run for a second term. Oakes is the agent in charge of the advance team for the convention. Meanwhile, an accident brings Ari in at the last minute to be the President’s new campaign manager. Can the President secure the nomination and skirt a new threat?
Well, it would not be an Honor book if there wasn’t an outside threat to our beloved characters. This conflict required a group effort to work through it. Radclyffe’s fans will be thrilled to see many old characters show up here. The ‘Justice’ series makes an important appearance in this book. Frye’s gang with the steamy Sandy/Dell pair and the crass but endearing Watts character make a come back. I will readily admit this is not my favorite series by this author, but I did not mind one bit here (contrary to what I thought when they crashed the ‘First Responders’ series’ ‘Heart Stop’, but I digress).
The romance in this book was alive an well and came from more than one couple. Oaks and Ari’s romance was uncomplicated (who knew Radclyffe was capable of that?!) and perhaps too simple when one thinks about the monumental responsibilities the characters had. That said, I understand that complicating it would have taken away from the more prominent political theme. In the end, I enjoyed the book for the action and events in it more so than the romance. Call me nostalgic, but I loved seeing all the characters coming together. I usually get impatient with the romance and at times don’t care about the other things, but I found the story to keep me engaged being told from different point of views.
There were a lot of acronyms that I would have had to look up, except reading the ‘Honor’ series prepared me for them. Felt good, like a reward of sorts for following the books. The back stories that are usually included in a series were kept to a minimum which I enjoyed. The code names for the main characters, Eagle and Egret, now include Hawk (awww)!
This book hit on a few current political topics. If it weren’t for the 2019 political landscape in the US, I would not have believed that part of the story. Alt right, domestic terrorism and a pinch of Russia. Simply brilliant how the author navigated these issues to run parallel to current history. But I suppose, enough said about that. And may Andrew Powell win the party nomination. Where can I buy a Powell 2020 sticker?!
I think we all make concessions when reading stories. The one to make here is accepting the mains have time to develop a relationship. There is no way those two had a moment to spare when the convention was around the corner. Also, Oakes is young and I found it hard to believe she had such level of responsibility.
This was another great addition to my beloved series and sure to please all Radclyffe’s fans. 4.5 stars
ARC generously provided to me by BSB via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
As it is usual with this series, Secret Service Agent Cameron Roberts and the President’s daughter, Blair Powell are at the core of the story that involves new challenges and a new couple. This time is about Agent Oakes Weaver and campaign manager Ari Rostof. We find ourselves a little over a month from the Democratic Convention, where President Powell is securing another nomination to run for a second term. Oakes is the agent in charge of the advance team for the convention. Meanwhile, an accident brings Ari in at the last minute to be the President’s new campaign manager. Can the President secure the nomination and skirt a new threat?
Well, it would not be an Honor book if there wasn’t an outside threat to our beloved characters. This conflict required a group effort to work through it. Radclyffe’s fans will be thrilled to see many old characters show up here. The ‘Justice’ series makes an important appearance in this book. Frye’s gang with the steamy Sandy/Dell pair and the crass but endearing Watts character make a come back. I will readily admit this is not my favorite series by this author, but I did not mind one bit here (contrary to what I thought when they crashed the ‘First Responders’ series’ ‘Heart Stop’, but I digress).
The romance in this book was alive an well and came from more than one couple. Oaks and Ari’s romance was uncomplicated (who knew Radclyffe was capable of that?!) and perhaps too simple when one thinks about the monumental responsibilities the characters had. That said, I understand that complicating it would have taken away from the more prominent political theme. In the end, I enjoyed the book for the action and events in it more so than the romance. Call me nostalgic, but I loved seeing all the characters coming together. I usually get impatient with the romance and at times don’t care about the other things, but I found the story to keep me engaged being told from different point of views.
There were a lot of acronyms that I would have had to look up, except reading the ‘Honor’ series prepared me for them. Felt good, like a reward of sorts for following the books. The back stories that are usually included in a series were kept to a minimum which I enjoyed. The code names for the main characters, Eagle and Egret, now include Hawk (awww)!
This book hit on a few current political topics. If it weren’t for the 2019 political landscape in the US, I would not have believed that part of the story. Alt right, domestic terrorism and a pinch of Russia. Simply brilliant how the author navigated these issues to run parallel to current history. But I suppose, enough said about that. And may Andrew Powell win the party nomination. Where can I buy a Powell 2020 sticker?!
I think we all make concessions when reading stories. The one to make here is accepting the mains have time to develop a relationship. There is no way those two had a moment to spare when the convention was around the corner. Also, Oakes is young and I found it hard to believe she had such level of responsibility.
This was another great addition to my beloved series and sure to please all Radclyffe’s fans. 4.5 stars
ARC generously provided to me by BSB via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
November 14, 2019
This is book 10 of the Honor series. Not many authors can write a series of ten books and keep the story moving forward as Radclyffe does. Even though you can start reading this book as it's a stand-alone novel, I recommend you to begin with book one 'Above all, honor' because it is a compelling story and it showcases the main couple of the whole series, Cam and Blair.
The secret to the success of this series is, in my opinion, that Radclyffe introduces a new couple with each book while moving forward the main political plot. In this installment, President Powell is going to Philadelphia where he expects to be nominated to run for his second term while there is a secret complot to stop him. Secret Service Agent Oakes Weaver is one of the people in charge to protect him, but the recruitment of Ari Rostof, the new campaign manager, makes things harder. While both women negotiate between life risk assessments and political gain, they realise that their initial antagonism might develop into something else.
This was another good addition to this lesbian action series. While my favourites are still books one and two, there is a good action subplot that seems uncannily realistic given the current political state of affairs. For those readers who are fans of the Justice series, there is an important participation of the members of the investigation team led by Rebecca Frye, especially police officers Dell and Sandy. Regarding the main characters' romance, I thought it was ok but not Radclyffe's best. Their chemistry is ok but not what this author normally can create. Despite that, there are a few hot intimate scenes portraying different couples of the series, so anyone who's looking for Radclyffe's trademark sex scenes won't be disappointed.
Overall, another good addition to the series with a few appearances from the Justice series. 4 stars.
ARC provided by Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
See all my reviews at www.lezreviewbooks.com
The secret to the success of this series is, in my opinion, that Radclyffe introduces a new couple with each book while moving forward the main political plot. In this installment, President Powell is going to Philadelphia where he expects to be nominated to run for his second term while there is a secret complot to stop him. Secret Service Agent Oakes Weaver is one of the people in charge to protect him, but the recruitment of Ari Rostof, the new campaign manager, makes things harder. While both women negotiate between life risk assessments and political gain, they realise that their initial antagonism might develop into something else.
This was another good addition to this lesbian action series. While my favourites are still books one and two, there is a good action subplot that seems uncannily realistic given the current political state of affairs. For those readers who are fans of the Justice series, there is an important participation of the members of the investigation team led by Rebecca Frye, especially police officers Dell and Sandy. Regarding the main characters' romance, I thought it was ok but not Radclyffe's best. Their chemistry is ok but not what this author normally can create. Despite that, there are a few hot intimate scenes portraying different couples of the series, so anyone who's looking for Radclyffe's trademark sex scenes won't be disappointed.
Overall, another good addition to the series with a few appearances from the Justice series. 4 stars.
ARC provided by Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
See all my reviews at www.lezreviewbooks.com
October 22, 2019
I was so looking forward to this book! The ‘Honor’ series is one of my all time favorites. I have read the books, have listened to the great Abby Craden narrated audiobooks, and now the new installment that did not disappoint.
As it is usual with this series, Secret Service Agent Cameron Roberts and the President’s daughter, Blair Powell are at the core of the story that involves new challenges and a new couple. This time is about Agent Oakes Weaver and campaign manager Ari Rostof. We find ourselves a little over a month from the Democratic Convention, where President Powell is securing another nomination to run for a second term. Oakes is the agent in charge of the advance team for the convention. Meanwhile, an accident brings Ari in at the last minute to be the President’s new campaign manager. Can the President secure the nomination and skirt a new threat?
Well, it would not be an Honor book if there wasn’t an outside threat to our beloved characters. This conflict required a group effort to work through it. Radclyffe’s fans will be thrilled to see many old characters show up here. The ‘Justice’ series makes an important appearance in this book. Frye’s gang with the steamy Sandy/Dell pair and the crass but endearing Watts character make a come back. I will readily admit this is not my favorite series by this author, but I did not mind one bit here (contrary to what I thought when they crashed the ‘First Responders’ series’ ‘Heart Stop’, but I digress).
The romance in this book was alive an well and came from more than one couple. Oaks and Ari’s romance was uncomplicated (who knew Radclyffe was capable of that?!) and perhaps too simple when one thinks about the monumental responsibilities the characters had. That said, I understand that complicating it would have taken away from the more prominent political theme. In the end, I enjoyed the book for the action and events in it more so than the romance. Call me nostalgic, but I loved seeing all the characters coming together. I usually get impatient with the romance and at times don’t care about the other things, but I found the story to keep me engaged being told from different point of views.
There were a lot of acronyms that I would have had to look up, except reading the ‘Honor’ series prepared me for them. Felt good, like a reward of sorts for following the books. The back stories that are usually included in a series were kept to a minimum which I enjoyed. The code names for the main characters, Eagle and Egret, now include Hawk (awww)!
This book hit on a few current political topics. If it weren’t for the 2019 political landscape in the US, I would not have believed that part of the story. Alt right, domestic terrorism and a pinch of Russia. Simply brilliant how the author navigated these issues to run parallel to current history. But I suppose, enough said about that. And may Andrew Powell win the party nomination. Where can I buy a Powell 2020 sticker?!
I think we all make concessions when reading stories. The one to make here is accepting the mains have time to develop a relationship. There is no way those two had a moment to spare when the convention was around the corner. Also, Oakes is young and I found it hard to believe she had such level of responsibility.
This was another great addition to my beloved series and sure to please all Radclyffe’s fans. 4.5 stars
ARC generously provided to me by BSB via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
As it is usual with this series, Secret Service Agent Cameron Roberts and the President’s daughter, Blair Powell are at the core of the story that involves new challenges and a new couple. This time is about Agent Oakes Weaver and campaign manager Ari Rostof. We find ourselves a little over a month from the Democratic Convention, where President Powell is securing another nomination to run for a second term. Oakes is the agent in charge of the advance team for the convention. Meanwhile, an accident brings Ari in at the last minute to be the President’s new campaign manager. Can the President secure the nomination and skirt a new threat?
Well, it would not be an Honor book if there wasn’t an outside threat to our beloved characters. This conflict required a group effort to work through it. Radclyffe’s fans will be thrilled to see many old characters show up here. The ‘Justice’ series makes an important appearance in this book. Frye’s gang with the steamy Sandy/Dell pair and the crass but endearing Watts character make a come back. I will readily admit this is not my favorite series by this author, but I did not mind one bit here (contrary to what I thought when they crashed the ‘First Responders’ series’ ‘Heart Stop’, but I digress).
The romance in this book was alive an well and came from more than one couple. Oaks and Ari’s romance was uncomplicated (who knew Radclyffe was capable of that?!) and perhaps too simple when one thinks about the monumental responsibilities the characters had. That said, I understand that complicating it would have taken away from the more prominent political theme. In the end, I enjoyed the book for the action and events in it more so than the romance. Call me nostalgic, but I loved seeing all the characters coming together. I usually get impatient with the romance and at times don’t care about the other things, but I found the story to keep me engaged being told from different point of views.
There were a lot of acronyms that I would have had to look up, except reading the ‘Honor’ series prepared me for them. Felt good, like a reward of sorts for following the books. The back stories that are usually included in a series were kept to a minimum which I enjoyed. The code names for the main characters, Eagle and Egret, now include Hawk (awww)!
This book hit on a few current political topics. If it weren’t for the 2019 political landscape in the US, I would not have believed that part of the story. Alt right, domestic terrorism and a pinch of Russia. Simply brilliant how the author navigated these issues to run parallel to current history. But I suppose, enough said about that. And may Andrew Powell win the party nomination. Where can I buy a Powell 2020 sticker?!
I think we all make concessions when reading stories. The one to make here is accepting the mains have time to develop a relationship. There is no way those two had a moment to spare when the convention was around the corner. Also, Oakes is young and I found it hard to believe she had such level of responsibility.
This was another great addition to my beloved series and sure to please all Radclyffe’s fans. 4.5 stars
ARC generously provided to me by BSB via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
October 20, 2019
4.25
Full disclosure – I love me some Radclyffe. I look forward to every new book and gleefully settle down for an afternoon or evening to read it. And then I read it again and again over the years. I think Rad’s books are ones that I have consistently re-read because I enjoy them so much. With so many series, and even more so as she seems to be crossing over between series, my OCD tends to kick in and I have to reread all the previous books – which is never really a chore – and get all caught up again in the continuing story lines and all the hot throbbing passion of previous characters who are now secondary characters. There’s no such thing as lesbian bed death in a Rad book. All the characters who have gone before are still just as hot and heavily in love and lust with their partner. There are so many things that should irk me (sometimes they do) – and Cheri will often point them out to me – but I don’t care. I just expect it, accept and enjoy it. I love me some Radclyffe.
Cost of Honor is the tenth book in the Honor series and continues the overarching story line from the previous books – Blair’s father, the President of the United States, is gearing up for the next election and there are darker forces at work to thwart his campaign. Thank god for the cadre of gorgeous, kick ass and brilliant lesbian agents, officers and other sundry professions who will work tirelessly to uncover the dastardly plots and save the day. I sound sarcastic – but I’m loving it, seriously. Rad spins a great tale with lots of intrigue, adventure, action and of course simmering passion. This is definitely a fun and fast-paced read that balances the suspense and intrigue perfectly with the romance (old and new).
Cam and Blair are strong supporting characters; but this novel belongs to Secret Service Agent Oakely Weaver (omigod, it appears that some parents are pretty much guaranteeing their daughters will grow up to be intense and stalwart butch leads in a Rad book) and the driven and successful political adviser, Ariana Rostov who has been dropped into mix after the suspicious death of the President’s original campaign manager. Also woven into the story are key characters (mostly Del and Sandy, but we get to visit a bit with Rebecca, Catherine, Sloan, and Michael) from the Justice series as they uncover chatter and suspicious activity in Philadelphia that may be linked to the Convention where Andrew Powell will be vying for his party’s nomination for the next election.
I think I would classify this more of an action/intrigue with a dash of steamy romance (or a few dashes since the main and the supporting characters are all getting hot and sweaty). It’s interesting to see the evolution of the series – there’s a time lag between the books being published and Rad picks up themes and elements from current politics and events to weave into the story, making it more real and compelling. In Cost of Honor, there’s a focus on the ideas of domestic terrorism and nefarious (foreign and domestic) influence on events and politics. These are obviously sensitive topics, and I have to say that Rad managed them with a tempered hand rather than exploiting them. They worked with the overarching story in the Honor Series and pushed the narrative and overall suspense and intrigue of the series as a whole – I’m eagerly awaiting the next installment to find out more about who and what is behind everything. I liked the way that she worked in the threat of a radicalized sleeper cell being activated demonstrated how insidious this type of thing can be – and how difficult it can be to identify it before its too late. Despite the number of recurring secondary characters in this book, all the characters she included in this book made sense and fit the narrative – there weren’t characters dropped in just so fans could revisit with them.
The romance, as expected, smolders and ignites between the two main characters. Despite everything that was going on in the novel and the different story lines, there was enough time with Oakes and Ari to build a relationship. There’s a great chemistry between the two, and as the book takes place over a longer period of time than a lot of Rad’s novels, the progression makes sense. The connection between them – with the intensity of the campaign and the underlying threats – wasn’t a roller-coaster of angst as some of the other relationships from previous books. Insta-attract is there, but the two actually end up together with little conflict in the relationship which is a nice change of pace as there’s more than enough intrigue and conflict in larger story.
I’m kind of enjoying the fact that Rad is mingling characters from different series – building a larger universe and consistency between the various novels. If you read Rad’s books, you’ll notice that lesbians are a bit like a invasive species that settles into an east coast city or town and takes over. Slowly but surely, everywhere you look, there’s a hotbed of broody lesbian intrigue or ridiculously attractive women with tragic backstories. With the number of ongoing series and books that she writes, it’s nice to get a glimpse of some of your favourite characters while you wait for the next official book in the series, especially those from the Justice Series which seems to have its central story line fizzle out. Rather than dropping the characters, we’ve seen Del and Sandy popping up in the Provincetown, First Responder and now Honor series. Personally, I would like to see more of Rebecca and Catherine – but Del and Sandy seem to be more active in investigations and there’s an interesting gender fluidity that Del/Mitch brings to the table – even though I often wonder if one of them will end up with an aneurysm from all the hot, sweaty and mind-blowing sex they seem to have.
Full disclosure – I love me some Radclyffe. I look forward to every new book and gleefully settle down for an afternoon or evening to read it. And then I read it again and again over the years. I think Rad’s books are ones that I have consistently re-read because I enjoy them so much. With so many series, and even more so as she seems to be crossing over between series, my OCD tends to kick in and I have to reread all the previous books – which is never really a chore – and get all caught up again in the continuing story lines and all the hot throbbing passion of previous characters who are now secondary characters. There’s no such thing as lesbian bed death in a Rad book. All the characters who have gone before are still just as hot and heavily in love and lust with their partner. There are so many things that should irk me (sometimes they do) – and Cheri will often point them out to me – but I don’t care. I just expect it, accept and enjoy it. I love me some Radclyffe.
Cost of Honor is the tenth book in the Honor series and continues the overarching story line from the previous books – Blair’s father, the President of the United States, is gearing up for the next election and there are darker forces at work to thwart his campaign. Thank god for the cadre of gorgeous, kick ass and brilliant lesbian agents, officers and other sundry professions who will work tirelessly to uncover the dastardly plots and save the day. I sound sarcastic – but I’m loving it, seriously. Rad spins a great tale with lots of intrigue, adventure, action and of course simmering passion. This is definitely a fun and fast-paced read that balances the suspense and intrigue perfectly with the romance (old and new).
Cam and Blair are strong supporting characters; but this novel belongs to Secret Service Agent Oakely Weaver (omigod, it appears that some parents are pretty much guaranteeing their daughters will grow up to be intense and stalwart butch leads in a Rad book) and the driven and successful political adviser, Ariana Rostov who has been dropped into mix after the suspicious death of the President’s original campaign manager. Also woven into the story are key characters (mostly Del and Sandy, but we get to visit a bit with Rebecca, Catherine, Sloan, and Michael) from the Justice series as they uncover chatter and suspicious activity in Philadelphia that may be linked to the Convention where Andrew Powell will be vying for his party’s nomination for the next election.
I think I would classify this more of an action/intrigue with a dash of steamy romance (or a few dashes since the main and the supporting characters are all getting hot and sweaty). It’s interesting to see the evolution of the series – there’s a time lag between the books being published and Rad picks up themes and elements from current politics and events to weave into the story, making it more real and compelling. In Cost of Honor, there’s a focus on the ideas of domestic terrorism and nefarious (foreign and domestic) influence on events and politics. These are obviously sensitive topics, and I have to say that Rad managed them with a tempered hand rather than exploiting them. They worked with the overarching story in the Honor Series and pushed the narrative and overall suspense and intrigue of the series as a whole – I’m eagerly awaiting the next installment to find out more about who and what is behind everything. I liked the way that she worked in the threat of a radicalized sleeper cell being activated demonstrated how insidious this type of thing can be – and how difficult it can be to identify it before its too late. Despite the number of recurring secondary characters in this book, all the characters she included in this book made sense and fit the narrative – there weren’t characters dropped in just so fans could revisit with them.
The romance, as expected, smolders and ignites between the two main characters. Despite everything that was going on in the novel and the different story lines, there was enough time with Oakes and Ari to build a relationship. There’s a great chemistry between the two, and as the book takes place over a longer period of time than a lot of Rad’s novels, the progression makes sense. The connection between them – with the intensity of the campaign and the underlying threats – wasn’t a roller-coaster of angst as some of the other relationships from previous books. Insta-attract is there, but the two actually end up together with little conflict in the relationship which is a nice change of pace as there’s more than enough intrigue and conflict in larger story.
I’m kind of enjoying the fact that Rad is mingling characters from different series – building a larger universe and consistency between the various novels. If you read Rad’s books, you’ll notice that lesbians are a bit like a invasive species that settles into an east coast city or town and takes over. Slowly but surely, everywhere you look, there’s a hotbed of broody lesbian intrigue or ridiculously attractive women with tragic backstories. With the number of ongoing series and books that she writes, it’s nice to get a glimpse of some of your favourite characters while you wait for the next official book in the series, especially those from the Justice Series which seems to have its central story line fizzle out. Rather than dropping the characters, we’ve seen Del and Sandy popping up in the Provincetown, First Responder and now Honor series. Personally, I would like to see more of Rebecca and Catherine – but Del and Sandy seem to be more active in investigations and there’s an interesting gender fluidity that Del/Mitch brings to the table – even though I often wonder if one of them will end up with an aneurysm from all the hot, sweaty and mind-blowing sex they seem to have.
November 2, 2019
This was a great new installment in the Honor series. Business as usual.
November 12, 2019
Wow, there was a ton going on in Cost of Honor. Honestly, I suggest you read the others before you read this one. Technically, you don't have to from what the author says in the beginning but I was way too lost for the first few chapters and think that if I had read the others, I would have understood much more than I did.
Radclyffe has wrote a ton of romances. I have only read a handful of them, but have enjoyed all of them thus far. When I started this one, I wasn't sure I was going to make it through it. Not because it was bad, it was just that so much was going on and there were so many characters. (I should have started with book one before this one). Once I got through the first few chapters I settled in for the ride. I must say I enjoyed it and when I have the time will circle back to book one.
This book was really unique because there is a love story, but that isn't really the main draw to the book. I am sure that those who have read this series understands what I am talking about. If the others are like this one you will really enjoy a great series.
I rate this one 4 stars.
This ARC was provided by netgalley and the publisher for an honest review.
Radclyffe has wrote a ton of romances. I have only read a handful of them, but have enjoyed all of them thus far. When I started this one, I wasn't sure I was going to make it through it. Not because it was bad, it was just that so much was going on and there were so many characters. (I should have started with book one before this one). Once I got through the first few chapters I settled in for the ride. I must say I enjoyed it and when I have the time will circle back to book one.
This book was really unique because there is a love story, but that isn't really the main draw to the book. I am sure that those who have read this series understands what I am talking about. If the others are like this one you will really enjoy a great series.
I rate this one 4 stars.
This ARC was provided by netgalley and the publisher for an honest review.
October 27, 2019
I love the Honor Series. I also love the Justice series. Dell and Sandy, Blair and Cam....two of my favorite couples. I love that the author brought these two series together. I really enjoyed it.
There is a lot of action in this book. But, primarily it is a romance. I felt the ending was rushed. But, lately I have come to think it's the new thing in Lesfic...
I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
There is a lot of action in this book. But, primarily it is a romance. I felt the ending was rushed. But, lately I have come to think it's the new thing in Lesfic...
I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
November 26, 2019
I hate to do this since I generally love Rad's books... but I'm giving this one 1.5 stars. It's terrible.
** spoilers**
When we last saw the crew from the Honor series, they were up against Jane and her gang of domestic terrorists. The stakes were high and by the end, Jane's brother had been apprehended and she'd called off her attack on the president's train and was about to take a shot at the Senator who'd betrayed her family/cause.
So in this installment, it seems that following up on that would be a good place to start, right? Nope. No mention of where any of that wrapped up. In fact, forget most of the characters we've come to love. Diane, Valerie, Stark, Mac etc. have been replaced by disjointed cameos of the crew of the Justice series.
Instead, we get two new characters to follow as our main love interest. Oakes (boilerplate butch) and Ari (boilerplate femme). Oakes is on the PPD on the advance scouting team and Ari is the new campaign manager. By the end of the book, I couldn't tell you anything about these characters other than they seemed to fall in instalove and have sex.
The bad guys here were "generic white supremacists funded by foreign money led by a dude named 'Matt' who's kind of a dick". By the end of the book, I couldn't tell you anything about their plot, how it came to be, the origin of the funding or even how the one piece of the attack that wasn't foiled in advance went down since it faded to black???
I listened to the audiobook version and actually began to wonder if besides the terrible new narrator if this installment was abridged??
Questions I still had at the end:
What's the deal with Ari's dad, his mysterious tip to watch who's funding the president's opponents, and his media empire?
What happened to Jane, Robbie, Jennifer, Hooker, and the Senator?
What exactly is Cam's new job in this administration and when did she get it?
What happened to Adam (the previous campaign manager)? Who was responsible for the hit-and-run and why?
Why did we focus so much on Ari's security and what was the deal with her father spying on her?
What happened to Lucinda and her insistence that she and Andrew hold off having a relationship until after he's done his term?
I was so frustrated by the end that I started this rant!
This book almost seems like a rough draft of a collection of scenes and outlines for a crossover book with the Justice series that was never polished up and finished. For a book I was highly anticipating for ages, this was a serious lunchbox letdown...
** spoilers**
When we last saw the crew from the Honor series, they were up against Jane and her gang of domestic terrorists. The stakes were high and by the end, Jane's brother had been apprehended and she'd called off her attack on the president's train and was about to take a shot at the Senator who'd betrayed her family/cause.
So in this installment, it seems that following up on that would be a good place to start, right? Nope. No mention of where any of that wrapped up. In fact, forget most of the characters we've come to love. Diane, Valerie, Stark, Mac etc. have been replaced by disjointed cameos of the crew of the Justice series.
Instead, we get two new characters to follow as our main love interest. Oakes (boilerplate butch) and Ari (boilerplate femme). Oakes is on the PPD on the advance scouting team and Ari is the new campaign manager. By the end of the book, I couldn't tell you anything about these characters other than they seemed to fall in instalove and have sex.
The bad guys here were "generic white supremacists funded by foreign money led by a dude named 'Matt' who's kind of a dick". By the end of the book, I couldn't tell you anything about their plot, how it came to be, the origin of the funding or even how the one piece of the attack that wasn't foiled in advance went down since it faded to black???
I listened to the audiobook version and actually began to wonder if besides the terrible new narrator if this installment was abridged??
Questions I still had at the end:
What's the deal with Ari's dad, his mysterious tip to watch who's funding the president's opponents, and his media empire?
What happened to Jane, Robbie, Jennifer, Hooker, and the Senator?
What exactly is Cam's new job in this administration and when did she get it?
What happened to Adam (the previous campaign manager)? Who was responsible for the hit-and-run and why?
Why did we focus so much on Ari's security and what was the deal with her father spying on her?
What happened to Lucinda and her insistence that she and Andrew hold off having a relationship until after he's done his term?
I was so frustrated by the end that I started this rant!
This book almost seems like a rough draft of a collection of scenes and outlines for a crossover book with the Justice series that was never polished up and finished. For a book I was highly anticipating for ages, this was a serious lunchbox letdown...
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 12, 2021
Hell yes a Honor/Justice Series crossover! I’ve been waiting for this for ages. Rad certainly did not disappoint one bit.
There is so much going on in the eleventh book of the Honor series (I include Oath of Honor as book 8 but it’s also a First Responders), but Rad is able to give just enough of each fraction of the story to weave it all together into one kick ass book.
I’ve loved Cam and Blair since the beginning, and my love and devotion to them only grows with each book of the series. I certainly hope they finally get their vacation. Maybe the could head to Provincetown and we could get an Honor/Provincetown Tales crossover? Fingers Crossed.
We have a new love story set between, a secret service agent, Oakley Weaver and Ari Rostof, the new Campaign Manager enlist after Adam is killed by a hit and run. They are so beautiful together. I love the respect they have for each other’s career paths and how they don’t let it get in the way of their love.
We get a glimpse of the whole Justice Series team!!!!!! There is Sloan and Michael, Rebecca and Catherine, Watts, and Dell/Mitch and Sandy. I was so happy we get to see the couples going about daily life within the bigger story. Sandy made Detective.
We also get a brief bit of dialog with Ali Torveau!
If you loved these characters of the two different series I’m sure you’ll love this book as much as I have.
There is so much going on in the eleventh book of the Honor series (I include Oath of Honor as book 8 but it’s also a First Responders), but Rad is able to give just enough of each fraction of the story to weave it all together into one kick ass book.
I’ve loved Cam and Blair since the beginning, and my love and devotion to them only grows with each book of the series. I certainly hope they finally get their vacation. Maybe the could head to Provincetown and we could get an Honor/Provincetown Tales crossover? Fingers Crossed.
We have a new love story set between, a secret service agent, Oakley Weaver and Ari Rostof, the new Campaign Manager enlist after Adam is killed by a hit and run. They are so beautiful together. I love the respect they have for each other’s career paths and how they don’t let it get in the way of their love.
We get a glimpse of the whole Justice Series team!!!!!! There is Sloan and Michael, Rebecca and Catherine, Watts, and Dell/Mitch and Sandy. I was so happy we get to see the couples going about daily life within the bigger story. Sandy made Detective.
We also get a brief bit of dialog with Ali Torveau!
If you loved these characters of the two different series I’m sure you’ll love this book as much as I have.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 19, 2019
This read parallels what is currently going on in societies around the world. There are some people not happy or satisfied with how various factions are being treated. Either too well or not well enough. Although I read to "escape" from the "real" world, this story is about individuals that are not happy with the current administration. The ever present and interesting Blair Powell and Cameron Roberts are in the read along with other secondary characters that we know about from previous books in the series.
This read focuses on Arianna Rostoff, campaign manager for the re-election of President Powell and Secret Service Agent Oakley Weaver responsible to organize security during the tour of his re-election campaign. Much detail is provided from both women's perspective as to the weight put on them due to their position responsibilities. I appreciated the self-talk as Ari and Oakley wrestled with their feeling for each other in light of their careers. Although in my opinion, the ending was rushed, I look forward to the next book in the series.
ARC provided by Bold Strokes books, In. via NetGalley for an honest review.
This read focuses on Arianna Rostoff, campaign manager for the re-election of President Powell and Secret Service Agent Oakley Weaver responsible to organize security during the tour of his re-election campaign. Much detail is provided from both women's perspective as to the weight put on them due to their position responsibilities. I appreciated the self-talk as Ari and Oakley wrestled with their feeling for each other in light of their careers. Although in my opinion, the ending was rushed, I look forward to the next book in the series.
ARC provided by Bold Strokes books, In. via NetGalley for an honest review.
November 17, 2019
I loved catching up with some of my favourites Rad characters. A cross over of Honor and a Justice series and there was bit of everything and kept me turning the pages.
November 19, 2019
The Honor series was my first dip into the ocean of novels by Radclyffe. One of the things I really love about being a fan of Radclyffe is her prolific writing style. Another thing is her ability to write multiple series of novels.
Cost of Honour involves another threat to the President while involving the primary characters from the Justice series.
I was rubbing my hands with glee in anticipation. A new Secret Service agent is introduced as well as a campaign manager. The stable of characters continues to grow without losing the spark of new love as Radclyffe gives all characters equal time to shine.
The suspense build up was classic Rad. You keep turning the pages to find out what happens next and next and next! The clock ticks to the finale only to be over too easily and quickly. What? Where was the gun play or hostage taking or someone injured?
I originally rated this as 3 stars due to my disappointment in the ending. However being able to see the Justice gang in action once again moved this to 4 stars.
Cost of Honour involves another threat to the President while involving the primary characters from the Justice series.
I was rubbing my hands with glee in anticipation. A new Secret Service agent is introduced as well as a campaign manager. The stable of characters continues to grow without losing the spark of new love as Radclyffe gives all characters equal time to shine.
The suspense build up was classic Rad. You keep turning the pages to find out what happens next and next and next! The clock ticks to the finale only to be over too easily and quickly. What? Where was the gun play or hostage taking or someone injured?
I originally rated this as 3 stars due to my disappointment in the ending. However being able to see the Justice gang in action once again moved this to 4 stars.
November 5, 2019
If you're in need of a good action, romance, nice character development, and all that packed in one book - you can never go wrong with Radclyffe. This book is no exception either. Radclyffe always delivers, and you can always count on her books to make your day! Always an interesting plot, nice background story, good chemistry, and Oakes and Ari are certainly delivering it!
July 29, 2020
Do you like romantic suspense that’s heavy on the romance and on the suspense? This is the book for you! You can read Cost of Honor without reading the rest of the Honor series, but I do recommend the whole series. It’s a lot of fun and well worth the time.
Full review: https://www.thelesbianreview.com/cost...
Full review: https://www.thelesbianreview.com/cost...
July 30, 2020
Good to meet up with old friends but I do wonder if they are better left alone. Surely any person can have only so much angst, fear and betrayal in their lives? Well beyond 'real' - but stick to the domestic bits and you can see what a class writer Radclyffe is.
November 6, 2019
Noooo!!! I read this book too fast and now it's finished! I was so happy to find out there was a new book added to the series. It was excellent. I love seeing old characters from other series pop in (but dang, no Valerie and Dianne???). This book had a great ending and managed to feel fresh despite the fact that this president has had his life threatened for several of the last 10 books in the series. The romance was well done between the new main characters. I say new because this storyline and series, especially with the crossovers is written like the group of regulars are all main characters. It never felt too busy or scattered with so many characters. This author does a great job keeping the scenes neat and organized to give the book great flow. I really hope this is not the last in the series. The president hasn't even been reelected for his second term. There's still plenty of fodder for another 5 books, at least, in this series.
I received an ARC of this book from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
I received an ARC of this book from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
June 5, 2020
I received this book as a an arc from NetGalley and Bold Strokes books in exchange for an honest review.
"Cameron Roberts emanated fierce tension with the unswerving focus of a jungle cat poised to take down prey. Silent, Powerful, Deadly. This is just one example of the way in which Radclyffe is a wordsmith. She can weave words that invoke a very specific and vivid picture, I absolutely love her writing because she is so solid and such a wonderful writer.
This book weaves together people from the Justice series as well as people from the Honor series. It is one of the best crossover books that I have read form any author in a long time. It was great to see Sandy again, she was absolutely one of my favorite characters. I also like how Sloan was back, I was sad that the spoused Micheal and Catherine were just there and didn't factor into the book very much. The basic plot is that there is a threat to the president and the secret service must save him. I won't give too much away but the book was really good. I thought all of the characters were well written, and there were a lot fo characters in this book. I also thought that Radclyffe did an excellent job of tamping down the love scenes, they were not as graphic and did not detract from the book. The new couple in the book Oakley and Ari were okay, although I felt like their love story was really rushed because the book didn't have the bandwidth to spend a lot of time developing their love for each other, so it felt like insta love and not very believable. There was drama, intrigue and angst in they book, and although many people say you don't have to read the previous books to read this one, you absolutely do. You should read the entire Honor Series of which there are 11 (one is also in the first responder series), as well as the entire Justice Series. I have read almost all of Radclyffe's books, I just have two series the one by LL Rand, as well as the Provincetown series and a few standalone books.
The long and short is that this was an excellent read, and you should absolutely read this book. I enjoyed it so much the love story was fresh and new, I enjoyed seeing Cam and Blair, and even though there were some parts of the book that were unrealistic, it was still very well done.
I received this book as an ARC in exchange for an honest review from Bold Strokes Books and NetGalley.
"Cameron Roberts emanated fierce tension with the unswerving focus of a jungle cat poised to take down prey. Silent, Powerful, Deadly. This is just one example of the way in which Radclyffe is a wordsmith. She can weave words that invoke a very specific and vivid picture, I absolutely love her writing because she is so solid and such a wonderful writer.
This book weaves together people from the Justice series as well as people from the Honor series. It is one of the best crossover books that I have read form any author in a long time. It was great to see Sandy again, she was absolutely one of my favorite characters. I also like how Sloan was back, I was sad that the spoused Micheal and Catherine were just there and didn't factor into the book very much. The basic plot is that there is a threat to the president and the secret service must save him. I won't give too much away but the book was really good. I thought all of the characters were well written, and there were a lot fo characters in this book. I also thought that Radclyffe did an excellent job of tamping down the love scenes, they were not as graphic and did not detract from the book. The new couple in the book Oakley and Ari were okay, although I felt like their love story was really rushed because the book didn't have the bandwidth to spend a lot of time developing their love for each other, so it felt like insta love and not very believable. There was drama, intrigue and angst in they book, and although many people say you don't have to read the previous books to read this one, you absolutely do. You should read the entire Honor Series of which there are 11 (one is also in the first responder series), as well as the entire Justice Series. I have read almost all of Radclyffe's books, I just have two series the one by LL Rand, as well as the Provincetown series and a few standalone books.
The long and short is that this was an excellent read, and you should absolutely read this book. I enjoyed it so much the love story was fresh and new, I enjoyed seeing Cam and Blair, and even though there were some parts of the book that were unrealistic, it was still very well done.
I received this book as an ARC in exchange for an honest review from Bold Strokes Books and NetGalley.
October 29, 2019
I always enjoy a book by Radclyffe, they are always solid reads. I haven't read all the book in this series, just a handful on and off, but it's never hard to jump back in and catch up with familiar faces and see some new ones as well. Radcylffe is good at filling in details from previous books without being repetitive for people who already know. I love catching up with Cam and Blair but this book also introduces a new couple Ari and Oakes. Andrew Powell is running for president again and Ari is hired as campaign manager on his re-election campaign while Oakes joins the team as a secret service agent. The two grow closer as the team fights for Powell's re-election. I loved their chemistry and it shone even though their romance wasn't always the main focus. The fast paced world of these books just never gets old, and even with all the drama, the character's always shine and create an amazing community.
I received an ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
November 23, 2019
I’ve been waiting to see if there was more to be added to the Honor series, along with the Justice series and Provincetown Tales series, so when I saw a new book came out for the Honor series I got excited. The fact that characters from the Justice series is also in the book made me enjoy it even more.
I liked the introduction of Ari and Oakes... and yes, even Ari’s father Nikolai’s small part too. I’ve missed Blair and Cam so it’s been nice to read about them again.
I liked the introduction of Ari and Oakes... and yes, even Ari’s father Nikolai’s small part too. I’ve missed Blair and Cam so it’s been nice to read about them again.
June 4, 2020
This isn’t a romance, it’s a well written story about another attempt at the president of the USA with a bunch of different characters from other books and a new couple that just happen to happen in between the radical group being watched and the usual suspects + one saving Blair’s dad.
I guess it could be a 4, but I didn’t get anything out of it. We see more of Dell/Mitch and Sandy that our supposed main characters. The MCs story starts in the beginning of the book and then just is there.
I guess it could be a 4, but I didn’t get anything out of it. We see more of Dell/Mitch and Sandy that our supposed main characters. The MCs story starts in the beginning of the book and then just is there.
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