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Trust
In the military and law enforcement, the line between right and wrong is clear. Who you trust absolutely has never been questioned…until now.
Air Force Security Forces Master Sergeant Alex Thomas just got back from a rough deployment and already has a new assignment—to train a new team in everything she knows. Much to her dismay, her new team is not military but members of the Boston Police Department. When she finally meets them, she realizes why the military and local law enforcement don’t team up. Officer Jen Miceli doesn’t play by the rules and is all too willing to take risks. The two women are locked in a battle of the wills, but when the team comes across a large stash of weapons and drugs, their world is turned upside down by who it implicates. As members of the Boston PD are ambushed and friends are fighting for their lives, Alex must find a way to complete the mission and keep her team alive.
What do you do when the lines that you have always counted on become blurred? When you don’t know who to trust?
Air Force Security Forces Master Sergeant Alex Thomas just got back from a rough deployment and already has a new assignment—to train a new team in everything she knows. Much to her dismay, her new team is not military but members of the Boston Police Department. When she finally meets them, she realizes why the military and local law enforcement don’t team up. Officer Jen Miceli doesn’t play by the rules and is all too willing to take risks. The two women are locked in a battle of the wills, but when the team comes across a large stash of weapons and drugs, their world is turned upside down by who it implicates. As members of the Boston PD are ambushed and friends are fighting for their lives, Alex must find a way to complete the mission and keep her team alive.
What do you do when the lines that you have always counted on become blurred? When you don’t know who to trust?
328 pages, Kindle Edition
Published December 24, 2019
26 people are currently reading
144 people want to read
About the author
Aprille Canniff
2 books16 followersAprille Canniff retired from the military after 24 years of service and has deployed to multiple Middle Eastern locations throughout her military career. She is a full time Deputy Sheriff who loves her job and wakes up every morning ready for another day. Her passion's include fishing as a catch and release type girl and hiking with her wife. Her two cats determine the pace of her future books so she never gives a time line for completion.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 40 reviews
June 5, 2020
3.75 Stars. An entertaining read. I have wanted to read this book for months. I really like stories about women in the military. The problem is I have way too many books sitting on my kindle, waiting to be read (a slight book hoarding problem). I made a promised to myself that I would try to not buy any more books until I got a chunk of them off my ‘to read’ list. I don’t know if it was because my good friend got tired of me whining about wanting to read this book, or more likely just the fact that she is a total sweetheart, but I was happily surprised the other day to find that she bought me this book. I was so thankful and excited that I had to read this as soon as possible.
This action-romance book is actually a debut for Canniff. I was surprised by that and thought that it was well written. I did think the book was a little long. Somewhere between the half way mark and the end, I thought the story was dragging a bit. Certain scenes were a bit repetitive and I wanted to move on. But I think that is a newbie issue and the more Canniff writes, the better she will edit herself.
This is definitely more of an action book than a romance book. But I was happy with the romance that was there. Since the two women are working together and one is “the boss” this is more slow burn since it is the whole “we should not be together” kind of thing. I would have liked maybe a scene or two less of the training the team went through and put more time into the romance, but I enjoyed what was there. The romance was sweet and I thought they had good chemistry. Sometimes it was almost a love/hate relationship, but that only gave the couple more fire which was nice.
There is a good amount of action to keep you entertained. It is pretty easy to figure out who the “bad guy/girl” was, but the big action climax of the book was still exciting and fun to read. The book has a good cast of characters including the two mains that are very likable. However, I did think some of the secondary characters could use some work. This is a story about a military specialist having to train a team she put together. There are 6 total team members that train and try to get the bad guys together, but you only really know three of them. I can’t even remember two of the member’s names. They needed to have their personalities built up a bit more so that you would care about them if they got injured or worse.
While I did think this had a few bumps, and was too long, it still was a good read and a quality debut. I was entertained and I enjoyed the story. I would absolutely give the next book Canniff writes a read.
This action-romance book is actually a debut for Canniff. I was surprised by that and thought that it was well written. I did think the book was a little long. Somewhere between the half way mark and the end, I thought the story was dragging a bit. Certain scenes were a bit repetitive and I wanted to move on. But I think that is a newbie issue and the more Canniff writes, the better she will edit herself.
This is definitely more of an action book than a romance book. But I was happy with the romance that was there. Since the two women are working together and one is “the boss” this is more slow burn since it is the whole “we should not be together” kind of thing. I would have liked maybe a scene or two less of the training the team went through and put more time into the romance, but I enjoyed what was there. The romance was sweet and I thought they had good chemistry. Sometimes it was almost a love/hate relationship, but that only gave the couple more fire which was nice.
There is a good amount of action to keep you entertained. It is pretty easy to figure out who the “bad guy/girl” was, but the big action climax of the book was still exciting and fun to read. The book has a good cast of characters including the two mains that are very likable. However, I did think some of the secondary characters could use some work. This is a story about a military specialist having to train a team she put together. There are 6 total team members that train and try to get the bad guys together, but you only really know three of them. I can’t even remember two of the member’s names. They needed to have their personalities built up a bit more so that you would care about them if they got injured or worse.
While I did think this had a few bumps, and was too long, it still was a good read and a quality debut. I was entertained and I enjoyed the story. I would absolutely give the next book Canniff writes a read.
April 11, 2020
Ok - cards on table. First 60% of book - brilliant! Last 5%, superb. But, Wam!! Bamb!! Bang!! in the middle was just too noisy and aggressive for little ol' me! Give me a bookshop owner in rural areas and the local vicar! :)
January 25, 2020
Enjoyable
This was an enjoyable read. Fast moving amd well written. The romance wasnt the main story but it was nice. I do think while no let forced happened a little to easily considering how Thomas acted...it just seemed out of character for her to be "okay" with it and not try to end it. Regardless, it was a good read and I look forward to the next in the series if that happens.
This was an enjoyable read. Fast moving amd well written. The romance wasnt the main story but it was nice. I do think while no let forced happened a little to easily considering how Thomas acted...it just seemed out of character for her to be "okay" with it and not try to end it. Regardless, it was a good read and I look forward to the next in the series if that happens.
April 6, 2020
LOVE this Crime Fighting Team!!!
Air Force Security Forces Master Sergeant Alex is back from Afghanistan and ready to resume her life. Before she can barely unpack a General has a super-secret mission for her, training a new team of Boston cops for an unspecified reason. One of the trainees, Jen, is trouble waiting to happen. She is brash and stubborn, willing to take risks and is too fast to say what’s on her mind…If only Alex weren’t wildly attracted to her, and Jen to her! When they figure out what the mission is and how deep it goes, the officers are in for the fight of their lives… Will they all make it out alive?
OMG! WHEW! This book is AMAZING!! I loved every single second of it! There was romance, drama, intrigue, action, thrills and chills and so much sitting on the edge of your seat, bouncing with anticipation and excitement… I didn’t know what to do!! (And of course when I got to critical points in the book, my cat repeatedly climbed on my chest and pushed the book out of my hands… Obviously, she did not grasp the seriousness of my plight, rotten cat!! Good thing I love her. :D) Anyway, I was taken by this book and transported to another world, immersed into the story, while living through these wonderful characters. It was so darn good! I kind of suspected early on why the military and Boston PD were working together and why everything was so hush hush but it did not in any way take away from my enjoyment of this saga. I love a lot of books but this was the first time in a while that I was so invested… I KNOW I am going to have to read this book again and again!
Air Force Security Forces Master Sergeant Alex is back from Afghanistan and ready to resume her life. Before she can barely unpack a General has a super-secret mission for her, training a new team of Boston cops for an unspecified reason. One of the trainees, Jen, is trouble waiting to happen. She is brash and stubborn, willing to take risks and is too fast to say what’s on her mind…If only Alex weren’t wildly attracted to her, and Jen to her! When they figure out what the mission is and how deep it goes, the officers are in for the fight of their lives… Will they all make it out alive?
OMG! WHEW! This book is AMAZING!! I loved every single second of it! There was romance, drama, intrigue, action, thrills and chills and so much sitting on the edge of your seat, bouncing with anticipation and excitement… I didn’t know what to do!! (And of course when I got to critical points in the book, my cat repeatedly climbed on my chest and pushed the book out of my hands… Obviously, she did not grasp the seriousness of my plight, rotten cat!! Good thing I love her. :D) Anyway, I was taken by this book and transported to another world, immersed into the story, while living through these wonderful characters. It was so darn good! I kind of suspected early on why the military and Boston PD were working together and why everything was so hush hush but it did not in any way take away from my enjoyment of this saga. I love a lot of books but this was the first time in a while that I was so invested… I KNOW I am going to have to read this book again and again!
February 24, 2020
Loved this book. It's so well written and it just sucks you in. I couldn't put this down. While the romance is good it's not the main aspect. Alex and Jen are amazing together. It's a slowburn but so intense.
Loved the whole team. Their camaraderie and trust was one of the highlights of this book. The training and team building were top notch. The mystery is also really well built. Action packed and with multiple POV, I'd recommend this book to anyone. I hope that there'll be another book.
*ARC provided by the author via Gay Book Promotions in exchange for an honest and unbiased review
Loved the whole team. Their camaraderie and trust was one of the highlights of this book. The training and team building were top notch. The mystery is also really well built. Action packed and with multiple POV, I'd recommend this book to anyone. I hope that there'll be another book.
*ARC provided by the author via Gay Book Promotions in exchange for an honest and unbiased review
July 5, 2020
I've been lucky to be on a roll with good books recently and this one definitely continued the trend. I couldn't put this book down. I loved the balance between the intrigue and the romance. I'm a fan of military romances and cop romances separately, so combining the two was always likely to lead to a good thing for me.
Knowing this was the author's debut I was pleasantly surprised by the quality of the writing.
The book is set up really well by a great opening, leading to a slow burn that's pretty satisfying. There's lot of detail on the missions, which I didn't mind at all as it served to show the MCs struggle between mission and personal life.
I loved both MCs and the balance between the toughness required for the job and the gentleness underneath for both of them. The best friends provide important insights and are well integrated. The wider team needed some more development but I can understand why this might have been overlooked as the rest of the team are male.
I debated back and forth with myself over the rating on this one, but have settled for five stars as I think it has a lot of aspects that were better than some of the other four stars I've handed out recently.
The book ends with an opening for a sequel and I hope we'll be getting one!
Knowing this was the author's debut I was pleasantly surprised by the quality of the writing.
The book is set up really well by a great opening, leading to a slow burn that's pretty satisfying. There's lot of detail on the missions, which I didn't mind at all as it served to show the MCs struggle between mission and personal life.
I loved both MCs and the balance between the toughness required for the job and the gentleness underneath for both of them. The best friends provide important insights and are well integrated. The wider team needed some more development but I can understand why this might have been overlooked as the rest of the team are male.
I debated back and forth with myself over the rating on this one, but have settled for five stars as I think it has a lot of aspects that were better than some of the other four stars I've handed out recently.
The book ends with an opening for a sequel and I hope we'll be getting one!
May 3, 2020
What I Think: This tale started with me being awestruck by Alex. Damn, what a woman! Then we’re given another woman who’s apparently her equal in every way. Only for them to be thrown together under sealed tape circumstances. And this is just chapter 2! I found Alex’ apartment very intriguing because it’s so at odds with her soldier personality. Being a former interior decorator, I learned you can tell quite a lot from a person’s home, and now, I can tell the kind of romantic she’s going to be and I’m loving it. I predict that this romance is going to be rocky and tumultuous before it settles down. Let’s see if I’m right? Alex and Jen cross paths that leave them more shaken than it should because when the heart knows, it knows. It just takes a while for other parts to wake up and realize it. And then the sparks fly in such a tender way that my heart turned to goo only for me to be brought to an abrupt halt! The real battle begins as Alex reveals what she was brought to do, dousing the flames readying for an eruption.
As someone who once considered joining the army, the details in this tale are an eye-opener. The amount of research and experience that must have gone into this is humbling yet so necessary as we understand what has molded Alex into what she is today, increasing my respect for her. This tale feels so real that its no joke.
Alex has walls that have walls and I understand why. She needs them just to stay sane but she’s driving herself crazy and hurting Jen in the process and that’s not fair. Jen is loyal to a fault, disciplined but starving for Alex even though she’s making it so damn difficult. Yet, even I can’t solve the puzzle of how their relationship would work given their professional ties. But the kisses, those kisses that are tender one minute before they turn raw, the way Alex melts with Jen and how Jen turns possessive over this hardass who claims not to need anything has me swinging from hope to despair and back. But then the slow burn begins and I’m giggling like a little girl. I’m definitely on Jen’s side because this is Alex’ fault so the slow burn is killing her more than it’s killing me which I’m glad for because Alex is so damn scary. This Authoress really knows how to stretch things out because both Jen and I were frayed and starving. When the capitulation came, it was everything I knew it would be. Especially coming on the heels of light shed on the more painful parts of Alex’ life, it was necessary.
Alex was every bit as sweet and as soft as her hard side is steely. And Jen was perfect as herself. Hungry, and possessive and wanting and so sure of what she wants and needs that I’m surprised a growl or two wasn’t thrown in there. Did I mention that Jen can pick Alex up and carry her to bed? I’ll let you imagine the possibilities and maybe you’ll understand why I just love size differences.
The operation begins with very little information given to the team but we get to know them better through their training. Especially our heroines and there were scenes that just broke my heart and got the waterworks flowing. The tale happens in real-time making it feel as intimate as reading a diary yet the action going on is more than enough to keep the most easily distracted entranced. And the end? Every bit as glorious, righteous, and revenge-filled as it should have been with a solution that gives our forbidden lovers a sweet HFN!
Verdict? Military-style investigation ribboned with a perfectly juicy, forbidden romance.
As someone who once considered joining the army, the details in this tale are an eye-opener. The amount of research and experience that must have gone into this is humbling yet so necessary as we understand what has molded Alex into what she is today, increasing my respect for her. This tale feels so real that its no joke.
Alex has walls that have walls and I understand why. She needs them just to stay sane but she’s driving herself crazy and hurting Jen in the process and that’s not fair. Jen is loyal to a fault, disciplined but starving for Alex even though she’s making it so damn difficult. Yet, even I can’t solve the puzzle of how their relationship would work given their professional ties. But the kisses, those kisses that are tender one minute before they turn raw, the way Alex melts with Jen and how Jen turns possessive over this hardass who claims not to need anything has me swinging from hope to despair and back. But then the slow burn begins and I’m giggling like a little girl. I’m definitely on Jen’s side because this is Alex’ fault so the slow burn is killing her more than it’s killing me which I’m glad for because Alex is so damn scary. This Authoress really knows how to stretch things out because both Jen and I were frayed and starving. When the capitulation came, it was everything I knew it would be. Especially coming on the heels of light shed on the more painful parts of Alex’ life, it was necessary.
Alex was every bit as sweet and as soft as her hard side is steely. And Jen was perfect as herself. Hungry, and possessive and wanting and so sure of what she wants and needs that I’m surprised a growl or two wasn’t thrown in there. Did I mention that Jen can pick Alex up and carry her to bed? I’ll let you imagine the possibilities and maybe you’ll understand why I just love size differences.
The operation begins with very little information given to the team but we get to know them better through their training. Especially our heroines and there were scenes that just broke my heart and got the waterworks flowing. The tale happens in real-time making it feel as intimate as reading a diary yet the action going on is more than enough to keep the most easily distracted entranced. And the end? Every bit as glorious, righteous, and revenge-filled as it should have been with a solution that gives our forbidden lovers a sweet HFN!
Verdict? Military-style investigation ribboned with a perfectly juicy, forbidden romance.
June 26, 2021
I had high hopes for this book being in the military world since birth until the present, but I was completely lost in all the minute details that actually seemed to take away from the story for me. Lots and lots of repetition of days that could have been chopped down significantly or not even included at all and it wouldn’t have taken anything away from the story. It just seemed to drag out chapters where nothing really happened. Give more background to the characters so we can try to relate. I was also surprised that the author chose Hanscom AFB of all places. Did I miss something? I’m pretty sure Hanscom is a non-flying base so they definitely aren’t doing supply flights for the AF. Even though it is fiction, I think that part pretty much ruined the credibility for me. It would have been better to have just made up a fictional base in my opinion. I think there were definitely some editing issues with using the wrong character’s and words. Keeping track of all the names of everyone involved with this story started getting difficult because you had no real back story to identify them with. I was really confused when at one point there was a name mixup with two characters that had similar last names but one was a good guy and one was a bad guy and the bad guys name was used when it was supposed to be the good guy. I really wished I had liked this more because it was a premise I would usually like but the execution was flawed.
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March 8, 2020Trust
This was a awesome read and story by this author Aprille Canniff. A story about a Master Sergeant Alex who on coming home after another deployment in Afghanistan is given another task this time training a new team of the best police officers. She meets Jen the night before but run away on finding out she is joining the group. Alex has eight weeks to train them. She get rid of two on the first day and now has five left. She doesn't know what the job is as information is being held back.
This story flowed from the beginning right to the end. The training is brutal,,but gradually they start to become a team. There is comradeship,love interest, guns,,shootings,drugs, betrayal and more
There Aprille Canniff did a brilliant job writing this and he to read more from this author and also more stories about the team.
Highly recommend this and a well deserved 5 **stars
This was a awesome read and story by this author Aprille Canniff. A story about a Master Sergeant Alex who on coming home after another deployment in Afghanistan is given another task this time training a new team of the best police officers. She meets Jen the night before but run away on finding out she is joining the group. Alex has eight weeks to train them. She get rid of two on the first day and now has five left. She doesn't know what the job is as information is being held back.
This story flowed from the beginning right to the end. The training is brutal,,but gradually they start to become a team. There is comradeship,love interest, guns,,shootings,drugs, betrayal and more
There Aprille Canniff did a brilliant job writing this and he to read more from this author and also more stories about the team.
Highly recommend this and a well deserved 5 **stars
January 27, 2020
Well written with complete details.
This was a book you can not put down. Well written wonderful characters. Details that made you feel you were part of the team.
This was a book you can not put down. Well written wonderful characters. Details that made you feel you were part of the team.
February 13, 2020
Outstanding!!!
This book was simply amazing. From drama ,comedy,romance, good guys,bad guys military and our officers working together... it had everything you wanted in a great story... One thing for the author please make a sequel...
This book was simply amazing. From drama ,comedy,romance, good guys,bad guys military and our officers working together... it had everything you wanted in a great story... One thing for the author please make a sequel...
January 27, 2020
Wow
Could not put this one down. Lots of action . The story very relatable was even better. I hope to see more of you writings soon.
Could not put this one down. Lots of action . The story very relatable was even better. I hope to see more of you writings soon.
January 11, 2020
I recommend this book
I really enjoyed this book. The characters are well developed and the love story between the two main characters is intense. The training the team went thru and the team building was really good. This could easily be a series. Thanks for a very enjoyable read.
I really enjoyed this book. The characters are well developed and the love story between the two main characters is intense. The training the team went thru and the team building was really good. This could easily be a series. Thanks for a very enjoyable read.
September 26, 2021
I liked the premise of this book, and it got off to an exciting start. The plot, while somewhat predictable, was well thought out and it kept the pages turning. I also enjoyed the relationship between the two mains. I liked that they both had damaged pasts, but had not been destroyed by it and they were able to help each other come back to the land of the living, so to speak. It was a bit insta-attraction though.
The author clearly knows their military stuff (which is not surprising considering their background), and a lot of the novel was spent with the characters going through a rigorous training regime that was well described. I could picture things in my head. The novel comes to an action-packed conclusion that is both seat-of-your pants and satisfying.
My only problem with the novel was it needed a thorough edit. I got through the first 200 pages only jotting notes every few pages, but then my editing hat got stuck and I ended up doing a full on edit for the last 120 pages.
There was a lot of head hopping and POV changes in the middle of scenes, which sometimes became confusing. The author also has a penchant for the words ‘that’ and ‘as to’. They are scattered everywhere and at times make the dialogue exchanges sound very similar so the characters lose their individuality. It also spoils clarity and makes the dialogue lose strength. Things like:
p. 285 - “I was trying to figure out what it was that was getting to me so badly. I realized that I needed to come to terms with the fact that I had to work with Black. I mean, I know that my problem is with his brother, but still…”
could be rewritten as: “I was trying to figure out what was getting to me so badly. I realized I needed to accept working with Black. I mean, I know my problem is with his brother, but still…”
Or p.255 - “…I can guarantee you that he called the colonel and probably O’Brien as well and informed them as to what information he had to feed to us…”
would be clearer as: “...I can guarantee he called the colonel and probably O’Brien as well and told them what information he had to feed us.”
There was also word confusion in some places, like p. 293 with a ‘courtesy look’ as opposed to a ‘cursory look’; or on p. 229 ‘presents’ instead of ‘presence’. Or various typos a spell checker wouldn’t pick up, like p.25 ‘word of mouth wet out’ instead of ‘went out’; or p. 147 ‘Dawn your equipment’ rather than ‘Don your equipment’; or p.171 ‘Faunal Hall’ instead of ‘Faneuil Hall’.
Word repetition was also an issue that kept pulling me from the story. At one point on p 250, I counted the use of ‘all’ five times in a paragraph, three of which were in one sentence.
‘...and by five fifteen, they were all there and discussing all of the little bits and pieces of the investigation and trying to see how it all tied in.’
On the same page, the word ‘finally’ appeared three times in one paragraph. There were also six unneeded ‘thats’ in the same section of text. I know people tend to put them in without thinking, but they clutter up prose and make it clunky when reading.
Also tautological phrasing like, p 250: ‘She herself did not sleep more than a couple of hours.’ This can be rewritten as ‘She did not sleep more than a couple of hours.’
Clarity of speech is important. If the writer is talking all around the houses with erroneous words, dialogue is less emotive. For instance, on p.260 Tina (Alex’s best friend) demands Alex promise her something. The text reads:
“Promise me that you will do this right. I want those bastards to have to answer for what they did in court. Promise me that you will make sure that happens. Promise me that you will let a judge decide what they deserve...not you.”
If the dialogue is tightened and, made less stilted, it has more power:
“Promise me you’ll do this right. I want those bastards to answer in court for what they did. You make sure that happens, but promise me a judge decides what they deserve...not you.”
Or p.262 - ‘She met his stare with one of her own. “We need some strings pulled.”’
would be stronger simply as: ‘She met his stare. “We need some strings pulled.”’
The author also reused several descriptive phrases throughout the novel. Most often it was in quick succession in back to back scenes, such as pp.206-207 where Alex’s team is left in ‘silent contemplation’ by General Scott and the Chief of Police. In the next scene, the team are talking about what just happened, they ‘break the silence’, Alex talks about experiencing ‘absolute silence’, the team waits in ‘complete silence’, and once again have a ‘minute of silent contemplation’.
Earlier in the novel whenever Alex is embarrassed, she always turns a ‘shade of red’. On p.31 she is eight shades, on p. 36 she is three shades, and on p.41 she is five shades.
Sometimes the repetition occurs in the same paragraph. For instance on p.31: ‘...when Jen turned around and saw Alex appraising her, it took her a minute to realize what she was doing. It wasn’t until Jen made eye contact with ther that she realized what she was doing…’
I believe one sentence is referring to Jen and the other to Alex, but it is confusing.
Overall, I liked the plot and I liked the characters. I enjoyed the depth of description when the author talks about military training, experiences, and hardware. I was rooting for Alex and Jen to find a balance for their budding relationship and triumph over the bad guys. However, I would have enjoyed it a lot more with a comprehensive edit and a polish before being published.
The author clearly knows their military stuff (which is not surprising considering their background), and a lot of the novel was spent with the characters going through a rigorous training regime that was well described. I could picture things in my head. The novel comes to an action-packed conclusion that is both seat-of-your pants and satisfying.
My only problem with the novel was it needed a thorough edit. I got through the first 200 pages only jotting notes every few pages, but then my editing hat got stuck and I ended up doing a full on edit for the last 120 pages.
There was a lot of head hopping and POV changes in the middle of scenes, which sometimes became confusing. The author also has a penchant for the words ‘that’ and ‘as to’. They are scattered everywhere and at times make the dialogue exchanges sound very similar so the characters lose their individuality. It also spoils clarity and makes the dialogue lose strength. Things like:
p. 285 - “I was trying to figure out what it was that was getting to me so badly. I realized that I needed to come to terms with the fact that I had to work with Black. I mean, I know that my problem is with his brother, but still…”
could be rewritten as: “I was trying to figure out what was getting to me so badly. I realized I needed to accept working with Black. I mean, I know my problem is with his brother, but still…”
Or p.255 - “…I can guarantee you that he called the colonel and probably O’Brien as well and informed them as to what information he had to feed to us…”
would be clearer as: “...I can guarantee he called the colonel and probably O’Brien as well and told them what information he had to feed us.”
There was also word confusion in some places, like p. 293 with a ‘courtesy look’ as opposed to a ‘cursory look’; or on p. 229 ‘presents’ instead of ‘presence’. Or various typos a spell checker wouldn’t pick up, like p.25 ‘word of mouth wet out’ instead of ‘went out’; or p. 147 ‘Dawn your equipment’ rather than ‘Don your equipment’; or p.171 ‘Faunal Hall’ instead of ‘Faneuil Hall’.
Word repetition was also an issue that kept pulling me from the story. At one point on p 250, I counted the use of ‘all’ five times in a paragraph, three of which were in one sentence.
‘...and by five fifteen, they were all there and discussing all of the little bits and pieces of the investigation and trying to see how it all tied in.’
On the same page, the word ‘finally’ appeared three times in one paragraph. There were also six unneeded ‘thats’ in the same section of text. I know people tend to put them in without thinking, but they clutter up prose and make it clunky when reading.
Also tautological phrasing like, p 250: ‘She herself did not sleep more than a couple of hours.’ This can be rewritten as ‘She did not sleep more than a couple of hours.’
Clarity of speech is important. If the writer is talking all around the houses with erroneous words, dialogue is less emotive. For instance, on p.260 Tina (Alex’s best friend) demands Alex promise her something. The text reads:
“Promise me that you will do this right. I want those bastards to have to answer for what they did in court. Promise me that you will make sure that happens. Promise me that you will let a judge decide what they deserve...not you.”
If the dialogue is tightened and, made less stilted, it has more power:
“Promise me you’ll do this right. I want those bastards to answer in court for what they did. You make sure that happens, but promise me a judge decides what they deserve...not you.”
Or p.262 - ‘She met his stare with one of her own. “We need some strings pulled.”’
would be stronger simply as: ‘She met his stare. “We need some strings pulled.”’
The author also reused several descriptive phrases throughout the novel. Most often it was in quick succession in back to back scenes, such as pp.206-207 where Alex’s team is left in ‘silent contemplation’ by General Scott and the Chief of Police. In the next scene, the team are talking about what just happened, they ‘break the silence’, Alex talks about experiencing ‘absolute silence’, the team waits in ‘complete silence’, and once again have a ‘minute of silent contemplation’.
Earlier in the novel whenever Alex is embarrassed, she always turns a ‘shade of red’. On p.31 she is eight shades, on p. 36 she is three shades, and on p.41 she is five shades.
Sometimes the repetition occurs in the same paragraph. For instance on p.31: ‘...when Jen turned around and saw Alex appraising her, it took her a minute to realize what she was doing. It wasn’t until Jen made eye contact with ther that she realized what she was doing…’
I believe one sentence is referring to Jen and the other to Alex, but it is confusing.
Overall, I liked the plot and I liked the characters. I enjoyed the depth of description when the author talks about military training, experiences, and hardware. I was rooting for Alex and Jen to find a balance for their budding relationship and triumph over the bad guys. However, I would have enjoyed it a lot more with a comprehensive edit and a polish before being published.
January 28, 2020
Trust is a really great read. I usually don't go for crime/romance books but sometimes it's nice to pick up something different than on any other day. Turns out, I thoroughly enjoyed this one. In fact, I read it in lightning speed!
So, you have this tough military chick Alex who comes home from a rather unpleasent deployment, just to directly get new orders: To train some Boston PD people. Alex is anything else than delighted, especially since the group of cops is not what she would consider a good team that can rely on each other. But well, that's the job, to get them to work as a well-greased machine and figure out what kind of shady business is going on in town.
The way it's written it feels like you're right in the middle of training, eating MREs with the rest of the group, thinking at first Alex is one first-class a**hole, getting to know everyone as well as starting to see where Alex is going with the training, and being exhausted after the rigid exercises Miss Military puts you through. Also, the investigation has you guessing where this is going. Plus the aspects of the personal lives, some background story as to why Alex is how she is, and some romance (the latter being thankfully not the main subject like so many other lesbian books with their awkward in-your-face sex scenes) make this an awesome well-rounded page turner.
Verdict: Read it, dammit!
So, you have this tough military chick Alex who comes home from a rather unpleasent deployment, just to directly get new orders: To train some Boston PD people. Alex is anything else than delighted, especially since the group of cops is not what she would consider a good team that can rely on each other. But well, that's the job, to get them to work as a well-greased machine and figure out what kind of shady business is going on in town.
The way it's written it feels like you're right in the middle of training, eating MREs with the rest of the group, thinking at first Alex is one first-class a**hole, getting to know everyone as well as starting to see where Alex is going with the training, and being exhausted after the rigid exercises Miss Military puts you through. Also, the investigation has you guessing where this is going. Plus the aspects of the personal lives, some background story as to why Alex is how she is, and some romance (the latter being thankfully not the main subject like so many other lesbian books with their awkward in-your-face sex scenes) make this an awesome well-rounded page turner.
Verdict: Read it, dammit!
March 17, 2020
A Joyfully Jay review.
3.5 stars
Alex and Jen balance each other out, each filling a need in the other woman so seamlessly that it feels like fate brought them together. Alex cares for Jen, watches out for her, worries for her … and Jen does the same for Alex. They’re both strong, stubborn, and self-sacrificing, and they’re both driven and determined. They match so well they’re like two halves of the same whole.
The relationship between Alex and Jen is the strongest part of this story, and it’s also given the least focus. Half of this book is training, with team building exercises and small details about why the team was asked to do this or that, and why this was wrong and that was right. Author Aprille Canniff has served in the military and it shows. There are so many little details, both air force and police force, and at times it feels like all of this wealth of information is just taking over the story. By the time the plot is fully introduced — two thirds into the book — the momentum had been lost, for me.
Read Elizabeth’s review in its entirety here.
3.5 stars
Alex and Jen balance each other out, each filling a need in the other woman so seamlessly that it feels like fate brought them together. Alex cares for Jen, watches out for her, worries for her … and Jen does the same for Alex. They’re both strong, stubborn, and self-sacrificing, and they’re both driven and determined. They match so well they’re like two halves of the same whole.
The relationship between Alex and Jen is the strongest part of this story, and it’s also given the least focus. Half of this book is training, with team building exercises and small details about why the team was asked to do this or that, and why this was wrong and that was right. Author Aprille Canniff has served in the military and it shows. There are so many little details, both air force and police force, and at times it feels like all of this wealth of information is just taking over the story. By the time the plot is fully introduced — two thirds into the book — the momentum had been lost, for me.
Read Elizabeth’s review in its entirety here.
March 10, 2020
Air Force Security Forces Master Sergeant Alex Thomas just got back from deployment and her new assignment is to train a new team. The only problem for Alex is that the members of the team are from the Police Department. Officer Jen Miceli is stubborn and doesn’t do well with rules. She’s also one of the members of Alex’s new team. The two women are attracted to each other but Alex doesn't date people she works with. To make things even more complicated the team finds a stash of weapons and drugs and their world is turned upside down.
It’s pretty obvious that the author really knows what they’re talking about when it comes to police and military procedures. The book was so detailed and descriptive, really well written. I did guess who the bad guy was but I still enjoyed the story. Every romantic scene with Alex and Jen was gold. Those two had perfect chemistry. I also loved the friendship that developed between the members of the team.
I received an ARC of this book for an honest review
It’s pretty obvious that the author really knows what they’re talking about when it comes to police and military procedures. The book was so detailed and descriptive, really well written. I did guess who the bad guy was but I still enjoyed the story. Every romantic scene with Alex and Jen was gold. Those two had perfect chemistry. I also loved the friendship that developed between the members of the team.
I received an ARC of this book for an honest review
January 28, 2020
Ms. Canniff's first novel is an intense thriller and an intriguing love story that never fails to surprise. Master Sergeant Alex Thomas is hot off combat deployment in Afghanistan when she's assigned to train a bunch of Boston cops. They're not exactly the gang who couldn't shoot straight, but Alex has her work cut out for her. She butts head with Officer Jen Miceli, but they ultimately find common ground after a cache of money and drugs are found that lead a tortuous path to some Beantown Big Shots. In fact, they find more than common ground amid the crimes of this noirish nightmare. Romance ensues. Trust me when I tell you that TRUST is a twisty tale with lots of tension, action, realistic military and police procedural detail, and romance of the Sapphic variety that provides a freshness that will keep you flipping the pages. Good stuff.
March 9, 2020
Aprille Canniff’s debut book Trust (Page Publishing Inc., 978-1645847588, 2019) is filled with mystery, action, humor, and romance - everything a reader wants in a book.
Canniff’s depiction of crime and the investigations leading to capture are real and sad. Canniff brings life experience to this story which gives it flavor and sensitivity in areas where there usually aren’t any in other books I have read.
The romance part of this book is off the charts. This is one book you might one to keep on the bed side table (wink).
Canniff’s supporting characters are a hoot and make a great support team for Alex and Jen. I cannot wait to see Tina’s story or any other book from this author. Let’s just keep her home this time to write it.
I received an ARC of this book from Gay Book Promotions and I am writing a review without prejudice and voluntarily.
Canniff’s depiction of crime and the investigations leading to capture are real and sad. Canniff brings life experience to this story which gives it flavor and sensitivity in areas where there usually aren’t any in other books I have read.
The romance part of this book is off the charts. This is one book you might one to keep on the bed side table (wink).
Canniff’s supporting characters are a hoot and make a great support team for Alex and Jen. I cannot wait to see Tina’s story or any other book from this author. Let’s just keep her home this time to write it.
I received an ARC of this book from Gay Book Promotions and I am writing a review without prejudice and voluntarily.
May 13, 2020
Excellent Book !!
Wow what an amazing piece of writing ! From the first page you feel drawn into the book & like your there in amongst the action. I read this book in one go without a break or food I couldn’t put it down ! I’m not going to give a synopsis of the story line as plenty of people do as that just ruins the story before your started/ But do yourself a favour & buy this book ! It’s not only a cracker of a story but definitely one that you’ll come back to time & time again !
This is the first time I’ve read anything g from this author it definitely won’t be the last time ! God I hope there’s a follow in book :-)
Wow what an amazing piece of writing ! From the first page you feel drawn into the book & like your there in amongst the action. I read this book in one go without a break or food I couldn’t put it down ! I’m not going to give a synopsis of the story line as plenty of people do as that just ruins the story before your started/ But do yourself a favour & buy this book ! It’s not only a cracker of a story but definitely one that you’ll come back to time & time again !
This is the first time I’ve read anything g from this author it definitely won’t be the last time ! God I hope there’s a follow in book :-)
January 28, 2020
Trust is a really great read. I usually don't go for crime/romance books but sometimes it's nice to pick up something different than on any other day. Turns out, I thoroughly enjoyed this one. In fact, I read it in lightning speed!
So, you have this tough military chick Alex who comes home from a rather unpleasent deployment, just to directly get new orders: To train some Boston PD people. Alex is anything else than delighted, especially since the group of cops is not what she would consider a good team that can rely on each other. But well, that's the job, to get them to work as a well-greased machine and figure out what kind of shady business is going on in town.
The way it's written it feels like you're right in the middle of training, eating MREs with the rest of the group, thinking at first Alex is one first-class a**hole, getting to know everyone as well as starting to see where Alex is going with the training, and being exhausted after the rigid exercises Miss Military puts you through. Also, the investigation has you guessing where this is going. Plus the aspects of the personal lives, some background story as to why Alex is how she is, and some romance (the latter being thankfully not the main subject like so many other lesbian books with their awkward in-your-face sex scenes) make this an awesome well-rounded page turner.
Verdict: Read it, dammit!
So, you have this tough military chick Alex who comes home from a rather unpleasent deployment, just to directly get new orders: To train some Boston PD people. Alex is anything else than delighted, especially since the group of cops is not what she would consider a good team that can rely on each other. But well, that's the job, to get them to work as a well-greased machine and figure out what kind of shady business is going on in town.
The way it's written it feels like you're right in the middle of training, eating MREs with the rest of the group, thinking at first Alex is one first-class a**hole, getting to know everyone as well as starting to see where Alex is going with the training, and being exhausted after the rigid exercises Miss Military puts you through. Also, the investigation has you guessing where this is going. Plus the aspects of the personal lives, some background story as to why Alex is how she is, and some romance (the latter being thankfully not the main subject like so many other lesbian books with their awkward in-your-face sex scenes) make this an awesome well-rounded page turner.
Verdict: Read it, dammit!
April 11, 2020
Trust
If you would like a book with some depth, great characters, mind blowing action. The more you read, the more you want to know about Alex and her crew. I can see the possibility for more, with characters. Antonelli, Douglas, James, O’Malley, Miceli, and Alex.
It has Police, Air force, Drugs,Guns, of course money, just the kind of book to make your day.
If you would like a book with some depth, great characters, mind blowing action. The more you read, the more you want to know about Alex and her crew. I can see the possibility for more, with characters. Antonelli, Douglas, James, O’Malley, Miceli, and Alex.
It has Police, Air force, Drugs,Guns, of course money, just the kind of book to make your day.
June 13, 2020
A captivating book with good writing. The plot was entertaining and it was steady throughout the book. I found the story and characters wonderful. The characters were developed and thought out. Alex and Jen are the MC’s of this book. I can recommend this book as a good read. I voluntarily read an advance copy of this book for an honest review.
April 13, 2021
Cops and Soldiers, Drugs and Guns...ACTION!
Pretty darn good for a first outing!! A Soldier's soldier and a highly motivated cop create a team to get very well connected military and gang kingpins with all the guns, drugs, and action you could want!! Other than confusing dawn with don this is a pretty good read and gets a good recommendation!!!
Pretty darn good for a first outing!! A Soldier's soldier and a highly motivated cop create a team to get very well connected military and gang kingpins with all the guns, drugs, and action you could want!! Other than confusing dawn with don this is a pretty good read and gets a good recommendation!!!
January 15, 2020
Fast paced action
With a fresh idea of police and military combination
this book was a fast page turner.
From beginning as an unlikable character Alex really developed into someone you could cheer for.
Action all the way through the book.
With a fresh idea of police and military combination
this book was a fast page turner.
From beginning as an unlikable character Alex really developed into someone you could cheer for.
Action all the way through the book.
January 21, 2020
I generally don't do this however,....
This book is well written for a first time author. It has exceptional humor and rings far truer than so many other supposedly military genre books, the LEO aspect seems spot on as well.
It is a well paced book and the romantic bits are tasteful without being garish and lewd.
Sadly, it will leave you with a book hangover.
This book is well written for a first time author. It has exceptional humor and rings far truer than so many other supposedly military genre books, the LEO aspect seems spot on as well.
It is a well paced book and the romantic bits are tasteful without being garish and lewd.
Sadly, it will leave you with a book hangover.
May 26, 2020
Very good read
Not your typical lesbian read and that was a welcomed change for me. I look forward to reading more from this author. I would like to offer up my services as a proof reader as there are unnecessary spelling and grammatical errors.
Not your typical lesbian read and that was a welcomed change for me. I look forward to reading more from this author. I would like to offer up my services as a proof reader as there are unnecessary spelling and grammatical errors.
August 11, 2020
Excellent
I couldn’t put it down from start to finish. Great storyline with well thought out characters. Will definitely look for more from this author and it would nice to see more of theses characters.
I couldn’t put it down from start to finish. Great storyline with well thought out characters. Will definitely look for more from this author and it would nice to see more of theses characters.
September 15, 2020
Enjoyable book. The characters are well developed, good flow, just a couple of missed copy edits. I felt the story was more important than the few romance scenes. This is just a nice, simple, enjoyable police proceedual with likable charactets. I'm looking forward To the next in the series.
February 15, 2021
I'm not sure if its just bad editing, the author's first published work or what... but the amount of grammatical errors, stilted dialogue and mangled technical jargon, just turned me off. The story started off strong, but by the fourth chapter, it was a struggle to want to finish.
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