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Evidence #11
Broken Falcon
From USA Today bestselling author Rachel Grant comes a sizzling romantic suspense where a damaged hero's search for missing girls endangers the one woman he can't live without.
Chase Johnston is leading a double life. After two years of psychological torment, the quiet, highly skilled Raptor operative now has a darker side, and he’s hellbent on bringing human-traffickers to justice—using any means necessary. The only relief he finds for his troubled mind is a woman he’ll never meet in person.
Eden O’Keeffe is also leading a double life. By day she’s a grad student and barista, but at night she sits in front of a camera and provides companionship for those seeking entertainment, titillation, or simple conversation. She enjoys the freedom of being a siren online, but her secret career comes with risks that force her to hide her true identity at all costs.
When Chase walks into a coffee shop and comes face to face with the one person who makes him feel again, it seems his long nightmare may be coming to an end. But in entering Eden’s world, he’s bringing that nightmare—and the danger that comes with it—to her doorstep.
Chase Johnston is leading a double life. After two years of psychological torment, the quiet, highly skilled Raptor operative now has a darker side, and he’s hellbent on bringing human-traffickers to justice—using any means necessary. The only relief he finds for his troubled mind is a woman he’ll never meet in person.
Eden O’Keeffe is also leading a double life. By day she’s a grad student and barista, but at night she sits in front of a camera and provides companionship for those seeking entertainment, titillation, or simple conversation. She enjoys the freedom of being a siren online, but her secret career comes with risks that force her to hide her true identity at all costs.
When Chase walks into a coffee shop and comes face to face with the one person who makes him feel again, it seems his long nightmare may be coming to an end. But in entering Eden’s world, he’s bringing that nightmare—and the danger that comes with it—to her doorstep.
406 pages, ebook
First published December 28, 2021
131 people are currently reading
941 people want to read
About the author
Rachel Grant
49 books1,632 followersCOMING SOON
AVAILABLE NOW:
USA Today bestselling author Rachel Grant also writes thrillers as R.S. Grant. She worked for over a decade as a professional archaeologist and mines her experiences for storylines and settings, which are as diverse as excavating a cemetery underneath an historic art museum in San Francisco, survey and excavation of many prehistoric Native American sites in the Pacific Northwest, researching an historic concrete house in Virginia (inspiration for her debut novel, CONCRETE EVIDENCE), and mapping a seventeenth century Spanish and Dutch fort on the island of Sint Maarten in the Caribbean (which provided inspiration for the island and fort described in CRASH SITE).
She lives in the Pacific Northwest with her archaeologist husband and demanding cat.
AVAILABLE NOW:
USA Today bestselling author Rachel Grant also writes thrillers as R.S. Grant. She worked for over a decade as a professional archaeologist and mines her experiences for storylines and settings, which are as diverse as excavating a cemetery underneath an historic art museum in San Francisco, survey and excavation of many prehistoric Native American sites in the Pacific Northwest, researching an historic concrete house in Virginia (inspiration for her debut novel, CONCRETE EVIDENCE), and mapping a seventeenth century Spanish and Dutch fort on the island of Sint Maarten in the Caribbean (which provided inspiration for the island and fort described in CRASH SITE).
She lives in the Pacific Northwest with her archaeologist husband and demanding cat.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 92 reviews
October 27, 2021
Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) provided by the Author and Publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an fair and honest review.
First, let me say that Rachel Grant is one of my favorite authors. She always has a hot romance and a great suspense/mystery plot. This book, however, has several elements that I just don't care for and it seems that the author doesn't really care that longtime fans might be uncomfortable with the leftist ideology portrayed here.
Chase Johnston, a character from "Incriminating Evidence", is a tragic, broken hero who just calls out for an HEA. He is a hand-to-hand combat expert for Raptor who suffered untold agony being used for a nasty villain's guinea pig for mind control experiments. He survived, but has deep scars. As these experiments became sexual in nature, Chase lost control of his free will in regards to his own body. Now, he pays an online sex worker known as Desiree and only feels in control during these erotic online encounters as Falcon.
Eden O’Keefe is leading a double life. By day, she is a graduate student and research assistant and part-time barista. By night, she is an online sex worker online, Desiree. Eden has had a very hard live and finds that by being an online sex worker, she can regain and profit from her body as she chooses.
Chase has a secret vigilante mission to rescue young girls from sex trafficking and it is after one of his rescues that his online life smacks up against his secret life when he encounters Eden at a coffee shop. He immediately recognizes Eden as Desiree, but she has no no clue that Chase is Falcon, her favorite online customer. When Chase's quest for the traffickers puts Eden in danger, he will do whatever it takes to keep her safe and make her his own.
First, let me say that Rachel Grant is one of my favorite authors. She always has a hot romance and a great suspense/mystery plot. This book, however, has several elements that I just don't care for and it seems that the author doesn't really care that longtime fans might be uncomfortable with the leftist ideology portrayed here.
Chase Johnston, a character from "Incriminating Evidence", is a tragic, broken hero who just calls out for an HEA. He is a hand-to-hand combat expert for Raptor who suffered untold agony being used for a nasty villain's guinea pig for mind control experiments. He survived, but has deep scars. As these experiments became sexual in nature, Chase lost control of his free will in regards to his own body. Now, he pays an online sex worker known as Desiree and only feels in control during these erotic online encounters as Falcon.
Eden O’Keefe is leading a double life. By day, she is a graduate student and research assistant and part-time barista. By night, she is an online sex worker online, Desiree. Eden has had a very hard live and finds that by being an online sex worker, she can regain and profit from her body as she chooses.
Chase has a secret vigilante mission to rescue young girls from sex trafficking and it is after one of his rescues that his online life smacks up against his secret life when he encounters Eden at a coffee shop. He immediately recognizes Eden as Desiree, but she has no no clue that Chase is Falcon, her favorite online customer. When Chase's quest for the traffickers puts Eden in danger, he will do whatever it takes to keep her safe and make her his own.
October 7, 2021
Everyone knows I love Rachel Grant's stories and finally we get Chase's happily ever after! I've loved this guy ever since he appeared in INCRIMINATING EVIDENCE.
BROKEN FALCON is a sensuous love story set within a complex plot. A must-read for Romantic Suspense fans.
BROKEN FALCON is a sensuous love story set within a complex plot. A must-read for Romantic Suspense fans.
October 4, 2021
BROKEN FALCON is a roller coaster of powerful and complex emotions. It’s intriguingly slow build toward suspense, as well as within Chase and Eden’s relationship, gradually draws you in deeper until you can hardly put it down. This is an extremely compelling tale with heart-stopping action and heartbreaking drama that will keep you enthralled from beginning to end. There are continuing threads from previous novels that only add to the overall entertainment and in no way make this difficult to read as a standalone. Although this intense storyline deals with difficult and possibly triggering subject matter, it is handled in a sensitive manner and within the concepts of the narrative. It’s an engaging romantic suspense with well-drawn characters who will capture your hearts while their story captures your mind.
October 26, 2023
I've given this an A for narration and a B for content at AudioGals.
I’ve been eagerly looking forward to Broken Falcon – book twelve in Rachel Grant’s terrific Evidence series – for months. Ms. Grant is my favourite author of romantic suspense, and I’m always impressed by her ability to craft tense and exciting stories with clever plots and interesting, engaging characters. Also, this book’s hero, Chase Johnston, was an important secondary character in Incriminating Evidence, one of my series favourites – if you haven’t read or listened to it, I’d recommend doing so before this, as Chase’s backstory is incredibly important to this story (note – there are spoilers in this review) and given his role in that book, I was especially keen to find out what happened to him ‘after’ and for him to find love and get his own HEA.
When we catch up with Chase at the beginning of the book, we find out that he’s devoting much of his free time to preventing runaway teens from being sucked into a sex-trafficking ring. Together with Isabel Dawson, the wife of Senator – and Raptor boss – Alec Ravissant, Chase helps the teens to get to a shelter set up specially to help prevent them being sent back to abusive family situations. He’s fairly sure the trafficking ring is linked to a legitimate business, a cam-girl site called Cam Dames – although he hasn’t yet been able to find any evidence to tie the two together. On this particular evening, Chase has cut things a bit fine; it takes longer than he’d expected to persuade the girl he’s ‘intercepting’ to go into the next-door coffee shop to meet with Isabel, and she has only just gone inside when a couple of goons show up looking for their quarry. Chase is Raptor’s expert in unarmed combat (having learned martial arts from a very young age, he’s got Mad Ninja Skillz!) and it doesn’t take him long to run them off.
Later the same night, he’s called back to the coffee shop after a call alerts him to the presence of the same two thugs hammering on the door and demanding entry. By the time Chase and his fellow operative Tariq arrive, the men have gone, but they check the place out anyway – and Chase is stunned to recognise the woman at the counter as Desiree, the cam-girl he’s been ‘visiting’ online for the past few months.
Psychology grad student Eden O’Keefe has a part time job at the university as well as one at Vivace Coffee but doesn’t usually work at that particular branch; she stepped in to do a shift as a favour for a friend who was sick. But what with school fees, mortgage payments and set-up costs for her online business, she needs to earn more money than she can earn as a research assistant and barista. Heavily disguised to maintain anonymity, she works as a cam-girl; she’d started out working for Cam Dames, but decided to leave and set up on her own a while back. It’s going well; quite a few of her old clients followed her to keep her financially viable, she enjoys what she does and has no qualms about being a sex-worker. And why should she? She’s doing nothing illegal, and is providing a valuable service for some of her clients, men she suspects may have difficulty finding sexual fulfilment in other ways. Eden has no idea the hot young Raptor operative who enters the coffee shop is the client she knows as Falcon – but Chase certainly gets her motor running in a way nobody has for the last couple of years. She has a strict no-dating rule while she’s working as a cam-girl, knowing a boyfriend will likely not be happy with it, and while she does sometimes bring herself to orgasm with clients, she misses the physical closeness and intimacy of sex with a flesh and blood man. She’s highly attracted to Chase – but doesn’t expect to see him again.
Given what happened to him, Chase has had a tough time getting used to being ‘himself’ again. A couple of years earlier, he’d had a chip implanted in his brain as part of a secret experiment to develop an infrasound weapon; when used, the chip controlled his actions and turned him effectively into a sleeper agent within Raptor. Not only that, he was repeatedly raped by the woman who was heading up the experiments – his therapist Dr. Parks (who is now, thankfully, in prison.) Since the chip was removed a few months earlier, Chase has come to realise the extent to which it suppressed his emotions, and he sometimes struggles to process them or to feel anything – plus there are still holes in his memory, although those are gradually being filled. The sexual assaults have naturally had a profound effect, but ‘meeting’ Desiree online (and anonymously) has given him the confidence to start to reclaim his sexuality in a safe space. But now, recognising Eden is Desiree, the first woman to have made him feel anything other than numb for a long time, Chase is faced with a dilemma. It’s been over a month since he’s visited Desiree online and he had actually intended to stop, but seeing her – Eden – standing right in front of him… he can’t tell himself to stay away. He also can’t tell her who he is – not until he’s sure she’s not somehow involved with the traffickers.
The sex-trafficking plotline is woven skilfully through the story as Chase and Eden become closer and it becomes clear that there’s a lot more to the trafficking operation than Chase had at first believed. But while I’ve always admired the author’s ability to balance romance and plot, here, that balance is off. I’m often complaining that books in this genre are all plot and no romance, but while that isn’t the case here, I can’t say that the reverse is true either; the plot is certainly intriguing, but there’s not enough of it, and the pacing isn’t as tight as usual owing to a LOT of internalisation, sometimes in the middle of dialogue or action. And sad to say, I wasn’t convinced by the romance, because it felt as though most of the romantic development had taken place off page. Chase and Eden are halfway to being in love by the time we meet them, and I didn’t feel a great deal of chemistry between them. The book alsohas a heavier emphasis on sex than in Ms. Grant’s other novels, which, considering the heroine is a sex worker, isn’t a surprise, but the first half or so is dominated by sex scenes and they overpower any sense of emotional connection or romantic development. There’s no doubt that Ms. Grant writes great sex scenes, the book is very sex positive and it’s 100% clear that Eden is a sex worker because she wants to be – but I was tempted to fast forward through the sex to get back to the actual story.
However, I loved Chase and the author does a fantastic job of revealing the true extent of the utterly horrific treatment he was subjected to, and treats his trauma and recovery with great sensitivity. He thinks of himself as broken, but he doesn’t give himself enough credit – he doesn’t realise how much respect his teammates have for him, or how strong he really is to have been through what he’s been through and come out the other end determined to put his life back together and to help others. His HEA is very well deserved… I just wish I’d been more convinced by it!
Greg Tremblay and Nicol Zanzarella have teamed up again for the narration, which is – no surprises – superb. Their performances are clearly differentiated, well-paced, and wonderfully nuanced; Mr. Tremblay delivers a compelling and highly emotional performance during that chapter that will make you want to howl with anger, marvel at the character’s inner strength and make you tear up, all at the same time. Ms. Zanzarella’s portrayal of Eden is excellent, too – the character’s confidence, compassion and determination come through strongly. Both are great at voicing characters of the opposite sex, and, as experienced narrators of romance, perform the sex scenes with exactly the degree of confidence and flair needed to pull them off convincingly.
But ultimately, Broken Falcon is a bit of a mixed bag. The narration is excellent, but the plot, while interesting, wasn’t as riveting as I’d hoped it would be. The pacing issues and overdone internal monologuing were problematic enough for me to drop the grade a bit, and the emphasis on sex at the expense of romance caused me to drop it a bit further. I’ll certainly be picking up whatever Rachel Grant comes up with next, because her books are always worth reading and I continue to be a big fan. But this one didn’t quite hit the spot for me.
Note: there is frequent discussion of sexual abuse and one chapter (27) in which it takes place on the page; these details are part of the author’s note at the beginning, so you might want to check that out first if this is a potentially triggering subject.
This review originally appeared at AudioGals .
I’ve been eagerly looking forward to Broken Falcon – book twelve in Rachel Grant’s terrific Evidence series – for months. Ms. Grant is my favourite author of romantic suspense, and I’m always impressed by her ability to craft tense and exciting stories with clever plots and interesting, engaging characters. Also, this book’s hero, Chase Johnston, was an important secondary character in Incriminating Evidence, one of my series favourites – if you haven’t read or listened to it, I’d recommend doing so before this, as Chase’s backstory is incredibly important to this story (note – there are spoilers in this review) and given his role in that book, I was especially keen to find out what happened to him ‘after’ and for him to find love and get his own HEA.
When we catch up with Chase at the beginning of the book, we find out that he’s devoting much of his free time to preventing runaway teens from being sucked into a sex-trafficking ring. Together with Isabel Dawson, the wife of Senator – and Raptor boss – Alec Ravissant, Chase helps the teens to get to a shelter set up specially to help prevent them being sent back to abusive family situations. He’s fairly sure the trafficking ring is linked to a legitimate business, a cam-girl site called Cam Dames – although he hasn’t yet been able to find any evidence to tie the two together. On this particular evening, Chase has cut things a bit fine; it takes longer than he’d expected to persuade the girl he’s ‘intercepting’ to go into the next-door coffee shop to meet with Isabel, and she has only just gone inside when a couple of goons show up looking for their quarry. Chase is Raptor’s expert in unarmed combat (having learned martial arts from a very young age, he’s got Mad Ninja Skillz!) and it doesn’t take him long to run them off.
Later the same night, he’s called back to the coffee shop after a call alerts him to the presence of the same two thugs hammering on the door and demanding entry. By the time Chase and his fellow operative Tariq arrive, the men have gone, but they check the place out anyway – and Chase is stunned to recognise the woman at the counter as Desiree, the cam-girl he’s been ‘visiting’ online for the past few months.
Psychology grad student Eden O’Keefe has a part time job at the university as well as one at Vivace Coffee but doesn’t usually work at that particular branch; she stepped in to do a shift as a favour for a friend who was sick. But what with school fees, mortgage payments and set-up costs for her online business, she needs to earn more money than she can earn as a research assistant and barista. Heavily disguised to maintain anonymity, she works as a cam-girl; she’d started out working for Cam Dames, but decided to leave and set up on her own a while back. It’s going well; quite a few of her old clients followed her to keep her financially viable, she enjoys what she does and has no qualms about being a sex-worker. And why should she? She’s doing nothing illegal, and is providing a valuable service for some of her clients, men she suspects may have difficulty finding sexual fulfilment in other ways. Eden has no idea the hot young Raptor operative who enters the coffee shop is the client she knows as Falcon – but Chase certainly gets her motor running in a way nobody has for the last couple of years. She has a strict no-dating rule while she’s working as a cam-girl, knowing a boyfriend will likely not be happy with it, and while she does sometimes bring herself to orgasm with clients, she misses the physical closeness and intimacy of sex with a flesh and blood man. She’s highly attracted to Chase – but doesn’t expect to see him again.
Given what happened to him, Chase has had a tough time getting used to being ‘himself’ again. A couple of years earlier, he’d had a chip implanted in his brain as part of a secret experiment to develop an infrasound weapon; when used, the chip controlled his actions and turned him effectively into a sleeper agent within Raptor. Not only that, he was repeatedly raped by the woman who was heading up the experiments – his therapist Dr. Parks (who is now, thankfully, in prison.) Since the chip was removed a few months earlier, Chase has come to realise the extent to which it suppressed his emotions, and he sometimes struggles to process them or to feel anything – plus there are still holes in his memory, although those are gradually being filled. The sexual assaults have naturally had a profound effect, but ‘meeting’ Desiree online (and anonymously) has given him the confidence to start to reclaim his sexuality in a safe space. But now, recognising Eden is Desiree, the first woman to have made him feel anything other than numb for a long time, Chase is faced with a dilemma. It’s been over a month since he’s visited Desiree online and he had actually intended to stop, but seeing her – Eden – standing right in front of him… he can’t tell himself to stay away. He also can’t tell her who he is – not until he’s sure she’s not somehow involved with the traffickers.
The sex-trafficking plotline is woven skilfully through the story as Chase and Eden become closer and it becomes clear that there’s a lot more to the trafficking operation than Chase had at first believed. But while I’ve always admired the author’s ability to balance romance and plot, here, that balance is off. I’m often complaining that books in this genre are all plot and no romance, but while that isn’t the case here, I can’t say that the reverse is true either; the plot is certainly intriguing, but there’s not enough of it, and the pacing isn’t as tight as usual owing to a LOT of internalisation, sometimes in the middle of dialogue or action. And sad to say, I wasn’t convinced by the romance, because it felt as though most of the romantic development had taken place off page. Chase and Eden are halfway to being in love by the time we meet them, and I didn’t feel a great deal of chemistry between them. The book alsohas a heavier emphasis on sex than in Ms. Grant’s other novels, which, considering the heroine is a sex worker, isn’t a surprise, but the first half or so is dominated by sex scenes and they overpower any sense of emotional connection or romantic development. There’s no doubt that Ms. Grant writes great sex scenes, the book is very sex positive and it’s 100% clear that Eden is a sex worker because she wants to be – but I was tempted to fast forward through the sex to get back to the actual story.
However, I loved Chase and the author does a fantastic job of revealing the true extent of the utterly horrific treatment he was subjected to, and treats his trauma and recovery with great sensitivity. He thinks of himself as broken, but he doesn’t give himself enough credit – he doesn’t realise how much respect his teammates have for him, or how strong he really is to have been through what he’s been through and come out the other end determined to put his life back together and to help others. His HEA is very well deserved… I just wish I’d been more convinced by it!
Greg Tremblay and Nicol Zanzarella have teamed up again for the narration, which is – no surprises – superb. Their performances are clearly differentiated, well-paced, and wonderfully nuanced; Mr. Tremblay delivers a compelling and highly emotional performance during that chapter that will make you want to howl with anger, marvel at the character’s inner strength and make you tear up, all at the same time. Ms. Zanzarella’s portrayal of Eden is excellent, too – the character’s confidence, compassion and determination come through strongly. Both are great at voicing characters of the opposite sex, and, as experienced narrators of romance, perform the sex scenes with exactly the degree of confidence and flair needed to pull them off convincingly.
But ultimately, Broken Falcon is a bit of a mixed bag. The narration is excellent, but the plot, while interesting, wasn’t as riveting as I’d hoped it would be. The pacing issues and overdone internal monologuing were problematic enough for me to drop the grade a bit, and the emphasis on sex at the expense of romance caused me to drop it a bit further. I’ll certainly be picking up whatever Rachel Grant comes up with next, because her books are always worth reading and I continue to be a big fan. But this one didn’t quite hit the spot for me.
Note: there is frequent discussion of sexual abuse and one chapter (27) in which it takes place on the page; these details are part of the author’s note at the beginning, so you might want to check that out first if this is a potentially triggering subject.
This review originally appeared at AudioGals .
January 9, 2022
3.5 Stars
Whoa. Whoa. Whoa. Sometimes you just have to buckle in and hold on for a wild ride!
Rachel Grant was a new-to-me author a little over two years ago when I discovered her through NetGalley after requesting an ARC of Poison Evidence…which was actually three years old (at the time) and the seventh book in the Evidence series.
While most of the in the series books are standalones, Broken Falcon is about a hero whose tragic backstory took place in a previous book - which I knew this because things relating to Chase’s past were referenced in book 10. However, I wasn’t able to figure out which book had his "origin" story. Did it make a big difference? Eh, not really - we get a general idea of how Chase was previously used for sinister purposes. But I think this book would be more meaningful if I’d read book four (Incriminating Evidence) before diving into this one.
That being said, Broken Falcon continues Ms. Grant’s style of perfectly balancing the suspense and steamy sides of the stories. At first I was a little concerned this one would lean more heavily on the steamy side - the heroine is an online sex worker and we get a front row seat to her online activities with the hero. Quite a bit of it actually, which made it seem like this story would have less substantial suspense than what I look for from this author.
But things picked up at about 40% and became the non-stop, action-packed story I was looking forward to reading. The heroine was great - strong, smart, feisty, and the hero’s past was heartbreaking and compelling. But most of all I loved how their relationship developed and that the author didn’t take their conflicts the cliched routes, which is especially great because Chase and Eden are in their late twenties - an age where romance characters frequently let their emotions drive their actions. I’m a big fan of mature characters, and in a story when both the hero and heroine had plenty of reason to act irrationally, it was refreshing to not see that happen.
I still need to read the second through sixth books in this series. When will I get to them? Who knows. But I fully intend to…eventually!
* thank you to NetGalley and Janus Publishing for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review
Whoa. Whoa. Whoa. Sometimes you just have to buckle in and hold on for a wild ride!
Rachel Grant was a new-to-me author a little over two years ago when I discovered her through NetGalley after requesting an ARC of Poison Evidence…which was actually three years old (at the time) and the seventh book in the Evidence series.
While most of the in the series books are standalones, Broken Falcon is about a hero whose tragic backstory took place in a previous book - which I knew this because things relating to Chase’s past were referenced in book 10. However, I wasn’t able to figure out which book had his "origin" story. Did it make a big difference? Eh, not really - we get a general idea of how Chase was previously used for sinister purposes. But I think this book would be more meaningful if I’d read book four (Incriminating Evidence) before diving into this one.
That being said, Broken Falcon continues Ms. Grant’s style of perfectly balancing the suspense and steamy sides of the stories. At first I was a little concerned this one would lean more heavily on the steamy side - the heroine is an online sex worker and we get a front row seat to her online activities with the hero. Quite a bit of it actually, which made it seem like this story would have less substantial suspense than what I look for from this author.
But things picked up at about 40% and became the non-stop, action-packed story I was looking forward to reading. The heroine was great - strong, smart, feisty, and the hero’s past was heartbreaking and compelling. But most of all I loved how their relationship developed and that the author didn’t take their conflicts the cliched routes, which is especially great because Chase and Eden are in their late twenties - an age where romance characters frequently let their emotions drive their actions. I’m a big fan of mature characters, and in a story when both the hero and heroine had plenty of reason to act irrationally, it was refreshing to not see that happen.
I still need to read the second through sixth books in this series. When will I get to them? Who knows. But I fully intend to…eventually!
* thank you to NetGalley and Janus Publishing for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review
October 24, 2021
If you are not a fan of steam or thinking that the woman in a book is not allowed to have a healthy outlook on her sexuality….then this book is not for you. I find it hypocritical that if a man had the occupation that Eden has in this read, it would be OK and even welcomed in a book, but is slammed in some reviews because the roles are reversed. Also more importantly to note, that any explicit scenes are not with other men, that is all reserved for Chase aka Falcon.
Another warning that could be a trigger for some, is the abuse and I have to applaud this author as once again it is the man who suffered under the hands of woman predator, and there are some detailed scenes but a necessary to get to depth of the abuse and understand what Chase went through, if it was not there, it would have left the reader not understanding since it’s easier to understand the reversal, a woman being abused….once again hypocritical in the way society thinks and is conditioned to believe that a man can’t be abused OR that they would enjoy it.
NOW onto the book itself….OH MY GOODNESS, Chase has been a character in previous books and now that we get his full story, HOLY SMOKES. I loved that the author didn’t get rid of him and brought his story to life and what a story it is. The abuse, the manipulation, his strength to fight back and finally feel the range of emotions he was denied, the rage, the anger, tears and finally attraction that wasn’t a by product of manipulation. And Eden, who is the only woman who brings Chase out of his shell, makes him feel and is strong in her own way, seeing Chase as NOT BROKEN as that’s how he sees himself. Chase needed a strong woman to help him and see him as a survivor not a victim.
An AMAZING read with suspense, twists and turns, surprises and great characters that come in the form of not only Chase and Eden but the Raptor family, who stand by and support Chase and don’t judge either of them.
KUDOS to the author for brining life to Chase and not shying away from a very tough topic, ruffling some feathers with the role reversal and a HEA for a character who was more deserving than any other.
*I voluntarily read an advanced copy and expressed my honest opinion*
Another warning that could be a trigger for some, is the abuse and I have to applaud this author as once again it is the man who suffered under the hands of woman predator, and there are some detailed scenes but a necessary to get to depth of the abuse and understand what Chase went through, if it was not there, it would have left the reader not understanding since it’s easier to understand the reversal, a woman being abused….once again hypocritical in the way society thinks and is conditioned to believe that a man can’t be abused OR that they would enjoy it.
NOW onto the book itself….OH MY GOODNESS, Chase has been a character in previous books and now that we get his full story, HOLY SMOKES. I loved that the author didn’t get rid of him and brought his story to life and what a story it is. The abuse, the manipulation, his strength to fight back and finally feel the range of emotions he was denied, the rage, the anger, tears and finally attraction that wasn’t a by product of manipulation. And Eden, who is the only woman who brings Chase out of his shell, makes him feel and is strong in her own way, seeing Chase as NOT BROKEN as that’s how he sees himself. Chase needed a strong woman to help him and see him as a survivor not a victim.
An AMAZING read with suspense, twists and turns, surprises and great characters that come in the form of not only Chase and Eden but the Raptor family, who stand by and support Chase and don’t judge either of them.
KUDOS to the author for brining life to Chase and not shying away from a very tough topic, ruffling some feathers with the role reversal and a HEA for a character who was more deserving than any other.
*I voluntarily read an advanced copy and expressed my honest opinion*
October 2, 2021
I love romantic suspense, so of course I enjoyed this.
I did however have some minor issues with how the focus seemed to be on Eden's sexual acts and not on the story or their relationship. They fell in love really quickly and I personally prefer more of a slow burn.
I loved Chase though, he got through his issues thanks to Eden and their entire backstory was a mindfuck (probably because I haven't read the previous novels in this series yet)
The ending was satisfying and I didn't anticipate the bad guy either!
I did however have some minor issues with how the focus seemed to be on Eden's sexual acts and not on the story or their relationship. They fell in love really quickly and I personally prefer more of a slow burn.
I loved Chase though, he got through his issues thanks to Eden and their entire backstory was a mindfuck (probably because I haven't read the previous novels in this series yet)
The ending was satisfying and I didn't anticipate the bad guy either!
November 27, 2021
This is book 11 in the Evidence Series and is finally Chase's story. Both Chase and Eden lead double lives, Chase works for Raptor but is also on a personal quest to bring human traffickers to justice. Eden is a grad student and barista but a night she is Desiree, an online sex worker who provides companionship and entertainment or simple conversation to those who engage her. Chase walks into the coffee shop and comes face to face with the woman who makes him feel again after his abuse and control by Dr Parks when he was bombarded with infrasound, but she is unaware of who he is. His quest brings danger to her doorstep. Grant does an excellent job of intricately weaving Chase, Eden's school and job and the sex traffickers together into a tangled web that is difficult for the reader to unravel before the end. She also handles the intense story matter with sensitivity and keeps it within the realm of the story. It is a compelling and complex romantic suspense novel that is well crafted and included the Raptor Family as well as a reference to Trish in Toni Anderson's Colder than Sin. Given the complexity of the story, I would not recommend it as a stand alone.
Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and author for an ARC in exchange for an unbiased review.
Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and author for an ARC in exchange for an unbiased review.
November 5, 2023
I voluntarily reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy of this book. Wow, that is some serious shit you won't be able to put down. The only thing Chase wants is for Eden to be safe. Unfortunately, with him entering her Life that won't be a possibility. His past is mixing with his present and catching up on him in a way no one would thought of. Absolutely brilliant story that is losely bound to Toni Andersons book "colder than sin" - namely by refering to Trish's survival of an attack in Indonesia. Fabulous.
October 9, 2021
This book was very overwhelming. The author had the great ability to create a plot that entangled all the characters into a skein, difficult to unravel. I admit, initially I had a hard time placing these characters into the story but as the story developed I started realizing how much all of them were interconnected with one another. A suspense mixed with a steam increasing more and more. Despite all their serious issues the main characters were depicted as positive and proactive people, who still firmly believed in second chances. This is the perfect romantic suspense book to read and enjoy.
December 4, 2025
I was enjoying the story as a whole but can't get past an MMC who needs consent and control because of past sexual abuse ignoring the fact that he's taking away any sort of ability to consent from the FMC -- continuing an online 'relationship' as cam girl and client when he knows who she is in real life, but she doesn't. I was into it, but he should've stopped paying for her services as soon as he got to know her irl.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 12, 2021
Chase and Eden light up the pages. Steamy steamy stuff. A rich story with vibrant characters. You will fall in love with them.
November 27, 2021
Loved this, but don't have the brain space to do a review justice
January 25, 2022
Reviewing for Dear Author.
https://dearauthor.com/book-reviews/r...
https://dearauthor.com/book-reviews/r...
October 14, 2021
Rachel Grant has written another masterpiece with Broken Falcon – Chase and Eden’s story. Not only is this another one of her masterpieces, but it’s probably the hottest novel she’s written. Usually these types of novels are heavy on the suspense, and a little lighter on the romance – and not just with Rachel Grant but with all authors of this genre. But holy smokes – this was a hot one!
Chase is still working out his demons while recovering from the torment he receives at the hands of Dr. Parks. I won’t get into the specifics – and the opening pages of this novel has a trigger warning for those that may be sensitive to the subject of rape. Chase is a master at hand to hand combat and has taken it upon himself to try to rescue girls that are being sex trafficked. He has also found himself attracted to Desiree. Desiree worked as a private sex worker. She worked behind a camera and had online interactions with men. She also made him realize that he could feel again – feelings on his own that weren’t controlled by Parks.
Eden is a graduate student working on getting her PhD in psychology. She is working three jobs to pay for her schooling. One of those jobs is as Desiree. She disguises herself so no one in the real works recognizes her. Until one night. She’s covering a shift for a coworker at the coffee house where she also works when two men try to break in to get information on one of the girls that Chase has rescued from being sex trafficked. Calling the Raptor operatives for backup/assistance, Chase is one of the men sent. He immediately recognizes Eden as Desiree. He decides not to tell her because he wants to continue to see Desiree since she’s helping him get control over his own feelings. But there is a definite attraction between the two of them.
The mystery of who is behind the sex trafficking and how it ties into Eden’s job as Desiree and her schooling, not to mention how Chase is tied into everything is expertly woven into a tangled web that even I had trouble dissecting – and I read these novels all the time and am pretty good at figuring things out. And when I say I had trouble dissecting, I mean that in the greatest sense. I love it when I am shocked at how things go down.
The romance in this novel may be better described as erotic. It was hot as hell. The scenes in which Desiree and Chase (as Falcon) have their online interactions was super hot. And the scenes in which Eden and Chase had their real life interactions, was hot yet sweet. The sex scenes sure made me glad that no one could read over my shoulder as I was reading it!
Overall this novel had everything one could want in a romantic suspense. I am not sure how the authors of this genre plan out everything so that it make sense and nothing is over-the-top ridiculous. Nothing takes me out of storyline faster than a plot that would never makes sense in the real world and Rachel Grant’s novels are always well researched. I cannot wait until her next novel!
Chase is still working out his demons while recovering from the torment he receives at the hands of Dr. Parks. I won’t get into the specifics – and the opening pages of this novel has a trigger warning for those that may be sensitive to the subject of rape. Chase is a master at hand to hand combat and has taken it upon himself to try to rescue girls that are being sex trafficked. He has also found himself attracted to Desiree. Desiree worked as a private sex worker. She worked behind a camera and had online interactions with men. She also made him realize that he could feel again – feelings on his own that weren’t controlled by Parks.
Eden is a graduate student working on getting her PhD in psychology. She is working three jobs to pay for her schooling. One of those jobs is as Desiree. She disguises herself so no one in the real works recognizes her. Until one night. She’s covering a shift for a coworker at the coffee house where she also works when two men try to break in to get information on one of the girls that Chase has rescued from being sex trafficked. Calling the Raptor operatives for backup/assistance, Chase is one of the men sent. He immediately recognizes Eden as Desiree. He decides not to tell her because he wants to continue to see Desiree since she’s helping him get control over his own feelings. But there is a definite attraction between the two of them.
The mystery of who is behind the sex trafficking and how it ties into Eden’s job as Desiree and her schooling, not to mention how Chase is tied into everything is expertly woven into a tangled web that even I had trouble dissecting – and I read these novels all the time and am pretty good at figuring things out. And when I say I had trouble dissecting, I mean that in the greatest sense. I love it when I am shocked at how things go down.
The romance in this novel may be better described as erotic. It was hot as hell. The scenes in which Desiree and Chase (as Falcon) have their online interactions was super hot. And the scenes in which Eden and Chase had their real life interactions, was hot yet sweet. The sex scenes sure made me glad that no one could read over my shoulder as I was reading it!
Overall this novel had everything one could want in a romantic suspense. I am not sure how the authors of this genre plan out everything so that it make sense and nothing is over-the-top ridiculous. Nothing takes me out of storyline faster than a plot that would never makes sense in the real world and Rachel Grant’s novels are always well researched. I cannot wait until her next novel!
October 21, 2021
4.5*
Rachel Grant is one of my favourite authors-- I’ve read all her work and think most, if not all, of it is excellent. I especially appreciate how all her heroines are smart, independent women accomplished in their own rights and the antithesis of TSTL-- but still able to be helped out by sexy alpha males in some situations (because, honestly, who doesn’t love the occasional assist from a hottie-- and the scorching sex that follows?). I also love how she’s not afraid to tackle controversial but topical subjects in her books, which always makes them feel relevant and insightful-- and am amazed at how she’s consistently able to do so in a sensitive, poignant, and respectful way that is not only emotional but also educational. I’ve been intrigued by Chase Johnston from the second he came on the scene in that remote Alaskan Raptor compound, and in BROKEN FALCON we finally get his story-- and well-deserved HEA. BROKEN FALCON deals with several hard-hitting subjects-- mental and sexual abuse, sex trafficking, human experimentation, and sex work-- that form the backdrop for an emotional roller coaster of a romance and pulse-pounding page-turner of a suspense. These topics are not easy to deal with and can be triggering to survivors of the same abuses, but Ms. Grant tackles them in a sensitive, respectful manner: these themes are central to the narrative (both in terms of the plot and the character arcs) rather than gratuitous or employed for shock value.
So if you’re looking for a tautly-written page-turner with a heartbreaking but emotional--and incredibly sexy and sex-positive--romance, do yourself a favour and pick up BROKEN FALCON, stat! The book is best read and understood within the context of the whole Evidence series given the importance of some of the secondary characters and their stories, but it can absolutely be read and understood as a standalone: the rest of the series merely enhances the experience.
Rachel Grant is one of my favourite authors-- I’ve read all her work and think most, if not all, of it is excellent. I especially appreciate how all her heroines are smart, independent women accomplished in their own rights and the antithesis of TSTL-- but still able to be helped out by sexy alpha males in some situations (because, honestly, who doesn’t love the occasional assist from a hottie-- and the scorching sex that follows?). I also love how she’s not afraid to tackle controversial but topical subjects in her books, which always makes them feel relevant and insightful-- and am amazed at how she’s consistently able to do so in a sensitive, poignant, and respectful way that is not only emotional but also educational. I’ve been intrigued by Chase Johnston from the second he came on the scene in that remote Alaskan Raptor compound, and in BROKEN FALCON we finally get his story-- and well-deserved HEA. BROKEN FALCON deals with several hard-hitting subjects-- mental and sexual abuse, sex trafficking, human experimentation, and sex work-- that form the backdrop for an emotional roller coaster of a romance and pulse-pounding page-turner of a suspense. These topics are not easy to deal with and can be triggering to survivors of the same abuses, but Ms. Grant tackles them in a sensitive, respectful manner: these themes are central to the narrative (both in terms of the plot and the character arcs) rather than gratuitous or employed for shock value.
So if you’re looking for a tautly-written page-turner with a heartbreaking but emotional--and incredibly sexy and sex-positive--romance, do yourself a favour and pick up BROKEN FALCON, stat! The book is best read and understood within the context of the whole Evidence series given the importance of some of the secondary characters and their stories, but it can absolutely be read and understood as a standalone: the rest of the series merely enhances the experience.
October 18, 2021
Get the hankies at the ready!
Chase has been with the series for a few books now and as such I was waiting with bated breath for his HEA. He thoroughly deserves one and Eden is just the woman to smooth all his edges.
Chase thinks he can never have a relationship - his past is too traumatic and he doesn't know if or when he'd be triggered and possibly put a partner in jeopardy. So he uses a Camsite - one which leads him to the alter ego of Eden. But his current "hobby" mission of going after sex traffickers leads him to meet Eden IRL. He can't exactly out her in the real world, not everyone would be understanding of her side-job but he doesn't feel comfortable lying to her either.
OMW Chase and Eden are perfect together. I cried, I laughed and I hurt with them. Chase thinks he's broken beyond repair buy Edencan see the good man beneath those hair line cracks - one who is good to the core. There were plenty of twists and turns and I cheered then the big bad went down.
TW: Sexual/Mental abuse (historic), sex-trafficking, alternative lifestyles
I received an ARC, via NetGalley, but am voluntarily leaving this review
Chase has been with the series for a few books now and as such I was waiting with bated breath for his HEA. He thoroughly deserves one and Eden is just the woman to smooth all his edges.
Chase thinks he can never have a relationship - his past is too traumatic and he doesn't know if or when he'd be triggered and possibly put a partner in jeopardy. So he uses a Camsite - one which leads him to the alter ego of Eden. But his current "hobby" mission of going after sex traffickers leads him to meet Eden IRL. He can't exactly out her in the real world, not everyone would be understanding of her side-job but he doesn't feel comfortable lying to her either.
OMW Chase and Eden are perfect together. I cried, I laughed and I hurt with them. Chase thinks he's broken beyond repair buy Edencan see the good man beneath those hair line cracks - one who is good to the core. There were plenty of twists and turns and I cheered then the big bad went down.
TW: Sexual/Mental abuse (historic), sex-trafficking, alternative lifestyles
I received an ARC, via NetGalley, but am voluntarily leaving this review
October 15, 2021
Wow!! This is an amazing story. Another hit for Rachel Grant. Once again, her persuasive writing transported me directly to the scenes, evoking strong feelings and emotions. I was involved with the characters from the first page. Chase believes he is a broken man because of past barbaric experimentations. Eden, having a turbulent past of her own, is trying to achieve and succeed with her life’s goals. Each one, leading a double life. Each time, their paths cross under uniques circumstances. Their relationship develops surrounded by powerful drama, which was compelling and truly intensified as the story progressed. Yes, it is very steamy. So if you prefer cozy mysteries, this one is not for you. But by passing up on this book, you will miss an awesome story filled with intense drama, twists and turns and an extraordinary romance. I highly recommend this book. I received an ARC, but am voluntarily offering my opinion.
October 23, 2021
Broken Falcon gives us a broken hero. Chase Johnston (whose story started in Incriminating Evidence) is a tortured man after the hell he was put through. He still isn't back to normal but trying to keep things together working as a Rapture agent.
The heroine is also someone who is very different. Its their broken pieces that call to each other that make them fit perfectly together.
I'll never forget the story line in Incriminating Evidence whose plot was original and creative. The unknown loose ends are brought front and center and resolved in this book. Chase is one character that deserved getting a HEA and I'm happy he finally got it.
The heroine is also someone who is very different. Its their broken pieces that call to each other that make them fit perfectly together.
I'll never forget the story line in Incriminating Evidence whose plot was original and creative. The unknown loose ends are brought front and center and resolved in this book. Chase is one character that deserved getting a HEA and I'm happy he finally got it.
October 18, 2021
This book. OMG. This is what an emotional roller coaster feels like. Right from the start, I was pulling for these two.
I loved the confidence that Eden had around her body and sexuality, and Chase's connection to her without judgment. Their relationship just worked, like a finely choreographed dance.
Then add in the suspense and the action. Seriously, I couldn't put this down.
Sublime.
I voluntarily reviewed an advanced reader copy of this book.
I loved the confidence that Eden had around her body and sexuality, and Chase's connection to her without judgment. Their relationship just worked, like a finely choreographed dance.
Then add in the suspense and the action. Seriously, I couldn't put this down.
Sublime.
I voluntarily reviewed an advanced reader copy of this book.
August 13, 2025
I absolutely didn't plan on this book becoming my favorite of the series. I did want to know about Chase as a person, and not as a side character that causes chaos. He is such a catalyst for multiple problems in other books, but now we get to actually meet Chase.
Chase Johnston has been used by pretty much everyone for the last several years. After his psychotic therapist implanted a chip to control his mind, he was forced to commit heinous crimes and hurt the people closest to him. However, with the chip removed and his tormenter behind bars, he's free to be himself. His anger and trauma have built a wall around his life though and he's desperate to find an outlet. That's where she comes in...
Eden O'Keeffe is trying to make a life for herself. Growing up with abusive parents that sold her off at a young age, she's been running for a long time without any help. Degrees are expensive so she lives a secret life behind a camera to finance her education. She's not ashamed of what she has to do to make money, but she also doesn't want the world (and her professors) to know.
So when her second job as a barista has a run in with some bad men, she can't help but feel attraction to the handsome security agent who comes to her aid. She can't let him know about his secret career, but that might just be why the bad men came to her coffee shop.
I know that the main focal point of this book isn't often talked about but I thought it was well done. While this is more commonly thought of as a female issue, it absolutely happens to men.
Chase's pain and trauma were heartbreaking and I cried multiple times reading this book. I know this is supposed to be a romance series, but this subject matter is darker and deeper than I expected.
I highly recommend this book. Even if you don't read the series, just read this one. It will break your heart.
Chase Johnston has been used by pretty much everyone for the last several years. After his psychotic therapist implanted a chip to control his mind, he was forced to commit heinous crimes and hurt the people closest to him. However, with the chip removed and his tormenter behind bars, he's free to be himself. His anger and trauma have built a wall around his life though and he's desperate to find an outlet. That's where she comes in...
Eden O'Keeffe is trying to make a life for herself. Growing up with abusive parents that sold her off at a young age, she's been running for a long time without any help. Degrees are expensive so she lives a secret life behind a camera to finance her education. She's not ashamed of what she has to do to make money, but she also doesn't want the world (and her professors) to know.
So when her second job as a barista has a run in with some bad men, she can't help but feel attraction to the handsome security agent who comes to her aid. She can't let him know about his secret career, but that might just be why the bad men came to her coffee shop.
I know that the main focal point of this book isn't often talked about but I thought it was well done. While this is more commonly thought of as a female issue, it absolutely happens to men.
Chase's pain and trauma were heartbreaking and I cried multiple times reading this book. I know this is supposed to be a romance series, but this subject matter is darker and deeper than I expected.
I highly recommend this book. Even if you don't read the series, just read this one. It will break your heart.
October 8, 2021
HOLY GUACAMOLE 😳😱 Rachel Grant sure can take you to a heart racing, page turning, mind effing place in this amazingly terrifying journey that will give you the goosebumps. Grab this edge of your seat, nail biter and see how Chase and Eden handle it all🔥❤🔥❤🔥
October 18, 2021
Another fantastic read from one of my fave suspense authors. In fact, I think this might be my most favourite book yet...until the next one! Thoroughly enjoyable read.
February 16, 2023
Couldn't put it down
October 23, 2021
Finally Chase has a HEA. Really good story with good characters. I will have to reread this one.
October 22, 2021
3.5 stars
Poor Chase has been put the the ringer during this series and I was holding my breath he’d meet his someone with minimal fuss/drama/crazy! I’ve always had a soft spot for him so I was happy part of my wish was granted. Eden was smart and cute, but her school background being in the same field as Chase’s tormentor was a lot to absorb. I get the why behind it and in theory it makes a twisted sort of sense, but yeah…like I said…a lot to absorb! Anyhow, the story had quite a lot happening and plenty of strings to tie together-I didn’t even realize there were sooo many loose ends from Chase’s experiment-before that end surprise! Was anyone else surprised by the actual villain?! I was caught completely off guard! Best highlight was all the Raptor characters making an appearance to help one of their own. Although this wasn’t my favorite in the series, it was still a good read.
I voluntarily read an advanced copy of this book from the author. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Poor Chase has been put the the ringer during this series and I was holding my breath he’d meet his someone with minimal fuss/drama/crazy! I’ve always had a soft spot for him so I was happy part of my wish was granted. Eden was smart and cute, but her school background being in the same field as Chase’s tormentor was a lot to absorb. I get the why behind it and in theory it makes a twisted sort of sense, but yeah…like I said…a lot to absorb! Anyhow, the story had quite a lot happening and plenty of strings to tie together-I didn’t even realize there were sooo many loose ends from Chase’s experiment-before that end surprise! Was anyone else surprised by the actual villain?! I was caught completely off guard! Best highlight was all the Raptor characters making an appearance to help one of their own. Although this wasn’t my favorite in the series, it was still a good read.
I voluntarily read an advanced copy of this book from the author. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
May 17, 2023
El final de esta serie de suspense romántico se aparta un poco de los otros libros: los protagonistas son más jóvenes y sus empleos son también diferentes. Además, mete algún capítulo en primera persona, algo que no había hecho antes.
Chase Johnston, un operativo de Raptor que las ha pasado canutas, se dedica a mirar por internet a una trabajadora del sexo en línea, Eden O'Keeffe, que además de eso estudia psicología y trabaja de camarera.
Para mí, lo mejor, parte sexual. 🔥🔥🔥 El suspense y el romance, escasitos, para cumplir. 😐 Me parece claro el agotamiento de la serie Evidence; es lógico que la autora haya emprendido otros proyectos.
Reseña algo más extensa, en mi blog.
Chase Johnston, un operativo de Raptor que las ha pasado canutas, se dedica a mirar por internet a una trabajadora del sexo en línea, Eden O'Keeffe, que además de eso estudia psicología y trabaja de camarera.
Para mí, lo mejor, parte sexual. 🔥🔥🔥 El suspense y el romance, escasitos, para cumplir. 😐 Me parece claro el agotamiento de la serie Evidence; es lógico que la autora haya emprendido otros proyectos.
Reseña algo más extensa, en mi blog.
October 24, 2021
I normally love Rachel Grant’s romantic suspense stories but this one had some flaws for me. I read another review that said they didn’t feel the chemistry between Eden and Chase but that was actually the only thing that worked for me. The suspense plot, as well as Eden and Chase’s entanglement, was rather confusing. We also spent a lot of time in their heads and there were breaks in the action several paragraphs long of them pondering their backstory solely for our benefit. The other thing that annoyed me was the inclusion of a lot of… well, “wokeness” for a lack of a better term. Don’t get me wrong, I agree with these points (sex workers deserve respect, non-consensual sex should be called rape, etc) but they felt shoehorned in in a way that removed me from the story momentarily.
TDLR; I’m glad Chase got his HEA but they actual story was hard to get through
TDLR; I’m glad Chase got his HEA but they actual story was hard to get through
October 21, 2021
I keep repeating this in every review but Rachel Grant is the gold standard for me when it comes to romantic suspense, so it was pretty much a given that I'd enjoy this book. And I did! I love how incredibly sex positive this book was and that the author was not afraid to write a book with a sex worker heroine who feels no shame in her chosen profession. I'm also glad Chase finally got his HEA after everything he's been through - this is one of those books that wouldn't really work well as a standalone, FYI. However, I have to say I never fully bought into the relationship (more on that below).
Chase is a Raptor operative who's been through hell and back. I've read all the previous books and still I didn't know the depth of his abuse. He's been mentally and sexually abused and he's been forced to hurt some of closest friends and coworkers. At the beginning of Broken Falcon, he's still recovering from the abuse he faced at the hands of his therapist and struggles with trust, relationships, and sexual attraction. The only attraction he feels is when he visits the site of a camgirl named Desiree, our heroine Eden's alter-ego, and he feels comfortable with her because he knows they'll never meet in real life. Except of course they do meet when Chase's vigilante side job helping teenage girls escape sex traffickers brings him face to face with Eden.
There's a lot going on in this book. Chase's psychological torment is deep-rooted and affects not only his ability to form relationships but also his logic and memory. When Chase and Eden meet in real life, he immediately recognizes her of course, but she doesn't, which leads to a multitude of issues because they keep seeing each other - and pretty much falling in love - online in her cam room. Eden also used to work for a site called CamDames, a legal company that Chase believes is involved in the sex-trafficking ring. It's a testament to the author's skill that the she could weave such an intricate plot, but personally, I was a little overwhelmed. There's a lot to unpack here and I'm barely scratching the surface.
All that is fine because side plot is a given in romantic suspense, but I think my biggest issue with this book is that most of the development of Chase and Eden's relationship was mostly done off-page. By the time we meet Chase and Eden - or Falcon and Desiree - they're pretty much half in love with each other already and so from the very beginning I just couldn't fully connect with these characters and their love story. It felt a little too insta-lovey, something that rarely works for me. Some chapters were written in first person POV and were a little jarring. At times it felt like reading NA circa 2014 and were not really necessary imho.
TL;DR: This was a smart, engrossing romantic suspense but I didn't think the romantic relationship was fully developed and the book suffered for it.
TW: sexual and mental abuse, sex-trafficking
3.5 stars
I received an ARC from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
Chase is a Raptor operative who's been through hell and back. I've read all the previous books and still I didn't know the depth of his abuse. He's been mentally and sexually abused and he's been forced to hurt some of closest friends and coworkers. At the beginning of Broken Falcon, he's still recovering from the abuse he faced at the hands of his therapist and struggles with trust, relationships, and sexual attraction. The only attraction he feels is when he visits the site of a camgirl named Desiree, our heroine Eden's alter-ego, and he feels comfortable with her because he knows they'll never meet in real life. Except of course they do meet when Chase's vigilante side job helping teenage girls escape sex traffickers brings him face to face with Eden.
There's a lot going on in this book. Chase's psychological torment is deep-rooted and affects not only his ability to form relationships but also his logic and memory. When Chase and Eden meet in real life, he immediately recognizes her of course, but she doesn't, which leads to a multitude of issues because they keep seeing each other - and pretty much falling in love - online in her cam room. Eden also used to work for a site called CamDames, a legal company that Chase believes is involved in the sex-trafficking ring. It's a testament to the author's skill that the she could weave such an intricate plot, but personally, I was a little overwhelmed. There's a lot to unpack here and I'm barely scratching the surface.
All that is fine because side plot is a given in romantic suspense, but I think my biggest issue with this book is that most of the development of Chase and Eden's relationship was mostly done off-page. By the time we meet Chase and Eden - or Falcon and Desiree - they're pretty much half in love with each other already and so from the very beginning I just couldn't fully connect with these characters and their love story. It felt a little too insta-lovey, something that rarely works for me. Some chapters were written in first person POV and were a little jarring. At times it felt like reading NA circa 2014 and were not really necessary imho.
TL;DR: This was a smart, engrossing romantic suspense but I didn't think the romantic relationship was fully developed and the book suffered for it.
TW: sexual and mental abuse, sex-trafficking
3.5 stars
I received an ARC from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
October 24, 2021
Rachel Grant's Evidence series gets me every single time!! Somehow the tone she hits and the characters are just perfect every time. Chase Johnston has been a character in almost all of the books - and he has NOT had an easy time. He has been recovering from his treatment at the hands of a very evil therapist who controlled him and abused him sexually. The experience's Chase had caused serious damage to almost every aspect of his life. Throughout his recovery Eden (in her guise of Desiree the cam girl) have been his main lifeline.
Eden has a complicated background. She has been working as a Camgirl for the last few years to support herself. She embraces her work as a sex worker as a means to demonstrating her own control over her life and body. She's very good at it - and extremely smart. She truly is perfect for Chase and when they meet in person when their lives collide - they are immediately drawn to each other.
Overall this book is very sexual in nature. Between Eden's job as a cam girl and Chase's past - there is a lot of sex in this book. The consensual sex - is very very sexy - and I think this is purposeful to show how absolutely different it is from the treatment of Chase by the therapist and when others want something from Eden she isn't consenting to.
Rachel Grant provides her own disclaimer as to the content of this book as part of the forward -and reader should not go into this book if sexual abuse is a sensitive or triggering topic for them. But seeing both Eden and Chase reclaim their lives is wonderful.
This evidence series is definitely some of the best romantic suspense out there - especially for readers who love those books heavier on the side of romance and lighter on suspense.
I received this book as an ARC from NetGalley, but these opinions are all my own.
Eden has a complicated background. She has been working as a Camgirl for the last few years to support herself. She embraces her work as a sex worker as a means to demonstrating her own control over her life and body. She's very good at it - and extremely smart. She truly is perfect for Chase and when they meet in person when their lives collide - they are immediately drawn to each other.
Overall this book is very sexual in nature. Between Eden's job as a cam girl and Chase's past - there is a lot of sex in this book. The consensual sex - is very very sexy - and I think this is purposeful to show how absolutely different it is from the treatment of Chase by the therapist and when others want something from Eden she isn't consenting to.
Rachel Grant provides her own disclaimer as to the content of this book as part of the forward -and reader should not go into this book if sexual abuse is a sensitive or triggering topic for them. But seeing both Eden and Chase reclaim their lives is wonderful.
This evidence series is definitely some of the best romantic suspense out there - especially for readers who love those books heavier on the side of romance and lighter on suspense.
I received this book as an ARC from NetGalley, but these opinions are all my own.
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