#Review - A Fate of Wrath & Flame by K.A. Tucker #Fantasy #Romance

Series: Fate & Flame # 1
Format: Kindle, 547 pages
Release Date: May 25, 2021
Publisher: K.A. Tucker
Source: Kindle Unlimited
Genre: Fantasy / Romance

She would know the world of vengeful gods and monsters, and the lengths one would go for love. And nothing would ever be the same for her again.

Gifted thief Romeria has flourished from her days as a street kid pilfering wallets to survive. Now she thrives, stealing jewels from the rich under the involuntary employ of New York City’s most notorious crime boss. But when an enigmatic woman secures her services at swordpoint, Romeria is plunged into a startling realm of opposing thrones, warring elven, and elemental magic she cannot begin to fathom.

Her quest is straightforward: Steal a stone from Islor’s sacred garden without anyone discovering her true identity, which would earn her certain death. But the identity she has inexplicably assumed is that of the captured Ybarisan princess—an enemy to Islor after she poisoned their beloved king and queen on the day she was to marry the prince.

Her betrothed, the newly crowned King Zander, detests her with every grain of his handsome being. Fortunately for Romeria, she is more valuable to him alive than dead. Zander gives her a choice: life in a cell, or an acquittal of all charges in exchange for her help in exposing the growing plot against him.

Romeria sees no other option and embraces the tricky role of smitten queen-to-be until she can escape, a ruse that brings her far closer to the king than she anticipated and threatens more than her safety. As she digs deeper into this sacred garden and the ancient feud between Ybaris and Islor, she discovers monstrous truths that could spell ruin for all.

A Fate of Wrath & Flame is the first installment in author K.A. Tucker's Fate & Flame trilogy. First, this story starts in 1739 with a key character named Sofie and her husband Elijah being separated thanks to a God named Malachi and trapped in a place called Nulling. Flash forward to the year 2020, where we find a woman named Romeria. As a Gifted thief, Romeria has flourished from her days as a street kid pilfering wallets to survive. Her father, who is basically homeless, warns her of a Demon with Flaming Hair and warns that her mother is searching for her after she was abandoned for monsters.

She normally thrives, stealing jewels from the rich under the involuntary employ of New York City’s most notorious crime boss. But when an enigmatic woman (Sofie) secures her services at swordpoint, she finds herself in a pickle with no way out. Sofie claims she needs Romy to save her husband Elijah who has been not quite dead for 300 years. Her quest is straightforward: Steal a stone from Islor’s sacred garden without anyone discovering her true identity, which would earn her certain death. 

But the identity she has inexplicably assumed is that of the captured Ybarisan princess Romeria; an enemy to Islor after she poisoned their beloved king and queen on the day she was to marry the prince. Romeria is plunged into a startling realm of opposing thrones, warring elven, and elemental magic she cannot begin to fathom. Her betrothed, the newly crowned King Zander, detests her with every grain of his handsome being. Fortunately for Romeria, she is more valuable to him alive than dead. 

Declared a killer and a traitor, she is thrown into prison, but her claims of innocence are helped by the fact that she remembers absolutely nothing of her life before waking up from what was most definitely a fatal wound, and she is clearly very different from the woman she once was. Romeria sees no other option and embraces the tricky role of smitten queen-to-be until she can escape, a ruse that brings her far closer to the king than she anticipated and threatens more than her safety. 

As she digs deeper into this sacred garden and the ancient feud between Ybaris and Islor, she discovers monstrous truths that could spell ruin for all and she becomes closer with people like Elisaf. There is a conspiracy and an army is raising to take the Islorian throne and Zander has plenty of enemies that don't see eye to eye. Being thrown in a completely different world where Romy's lack of finesse and unusual colloquialisms was frowned upon, you can imagine it also was quite funny at times.  

A Fate of Wrath & Flame is a slow burn, enemies to lovers fantasy romance with a riveting storyline, filled with politics and intrigues, and a stunning cliffhanger ending. As I would love to see what happens next, I'll hope that the sequel drops in price so that I can buy it, or request it from my library.

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#Review - Teaching the King (Witchling Academy, #1) by D.D. Chance #Fantasy #Romance

Series: Witchling Academy # 1
Format: Kindle
Release Date: September 29, 2021
Publisher: Elewyn Publishing
Source: Publisher
Genre: Fantasy / Romance

How do you break a promise to the King of the Fae?
Yeah. Good luck with that.

For centuries, Hogan witches were bound in a trumped-up contract to teach magic to the High King of the Fae. Then, a hundred years ago, we escaped that prison sentence and never looked back.

Now there's a new king in town. Brutally gorgeous, mouthwateringly fierce—and seriously pissed.

He's coming for me, and he won't take no for an answer.

But I don't care how much Mr. Tall, Dark, and Deadly makes my heart pound and head spin, a ridiculously unwanted side effect of that goddess-forsaken contract. I've dedicated my life to creating a safe haven for those in need—whether they’re rogue witches escaping their persecutors or monsters desperate for somewhere to hide. If I leave my tavern unprotected, every last soul I’ve helped will be hunted down, recaptured. Killed.

Not gonna happen.

So I'll just have to find the contract that’s bound me to the most deviously sexy ruler across all the realms…and break it for good.

Before the High King of the Fae breaks me.

Teaching the King is the first installment in author D.D. Chance's Witchling Academy series. 25-year-old Belle Hogan first appeared in the authors finale of the Monster Academy series. Now, she gets her own series and her own problems and even more sexier and dangerous Fae who refuses to take no for an answer. Belle is the owner/operator of White Crane Tavern. She's a healer as well as a barkeep, and she keeps the lights on for those who most need safety and security. 

For 100 years, the Hogan's have run the White Crane Tavern in the middle of the richest, most elite neighborhood in Boston where both Twyst Academy and Monster Hunter Academy are located. It's a safe place for Witches and monsters alike. Belle is the last of her line. Her grandmother is gone, and so is her mother, and she has no intention of swallowing her pride and returning to the coven of the White Mountains who would be shocked if they knew that the Hogans were right under their noses.

Whenever a new Fae king was crowned, a Hogan witch is supposed to travel to him and teach him witchling magic. 100 years ago, Belle's great-grandmother Reagan broke contract with the Fae and returned home leaving the Fae without a teacher and magic that is slowly fading. After years of avoiding her duties, Belle's time comes up when Aiden, the new King of Fae arrives at the Tavern and demands that she complete the Hogan agreement by teaching him magic. Refusal is not an option.

"The will come for you with shackles of steel and an emerald crown, and when they are fixed upon you, there is nothing you won't do for them."

For Aiden, he is in the middle of a war with dangerous wraiths and the worst thing could happen. His magic fails. Reagan Hogan supposedly gifted his grandfather with enough embedded magic into several precious artifacts to magically protect the High Fae for thousands of years. Thanks to his own fathers negligence, Aiden must travel to the human world and demand that whatever Hogan witch is alive, doesn't get to slip out of her commitment of teaching him and his people magic.

As I am the first reviewer out of the box, this is where I will end the summary of the book. I will say that this story alternates each chapter between Belle and Aiden. The situation between the two gets hot and heavy quickly, but don't let Belle fool you. She has a reason for agreeing to help Aiden. She knows her family needs to find a way to complete the contract so that she can be free, and so can any offspring she might have in the future. Especially since there has no seen benefits to her family helping the High Fae with magic. 

My final statement is this, there is a guest appearance in this book of a character you will know if you've read the authors previous series Monster Hunter Academy. I will also say that the book has two distinct cliffhangers one for each Aiden, and for Belle. In this case, the cliffhangers are a good way for me to remember to watch our for the sequel since I must know what's going to happen next, and what other troubles are in store for the couple. 

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#Review / #Blog Tour - Bloodfire Academy by Alexis Calder #Paranormal #Romance

I am thrilled to be hosting a spot on the BLOODFIRE ACADEMY by Alexis Calder Blog Tour hosted by Rockstar Book Tours. Check out my post and make sure to enter the giveaway!

About The Book:

Title: BLOODFIRE ACADEMY (Cursed Magic #1)

Author: Alexis Calder

Pub. Date: August 24, 2020

Publisher: Alexis Calder

Formats: Paperback, eBook

Pages: 206

Find it: Goodreads, Amazon, Kindle, B&N

Read For Free With A Kindle Unlimited Membership!

When things go sideways, what a girl really needs by her side is a sexy wolf shifter, a steamy incubus, and a smoldering mage. Prove me wrong.

Everyone has heard of Bloodfire Academy. It’s an elite school that takes the best of the best in the supernatural world. The students at Bloodfire are the children of members of a secret order. Think Illuminati but for the magical world. But even more powerful.

Membership is inherited and it turns out my late mother was one of them. Who knew? Up until now, magic hasn’t really been my thing. But a girl can fake it, am I right?

There’s no faking it when I meet the sexy wolf shifter, steamy incubus, and smoldering mage. Seriously, this semester is going to be hot.

Then the attacks start. I thought I could figure out the magic part, but nobody said anything about monsters. Turns out Bloodfire Academy is more about survival than GPA.

This is book one of three in the Bloodfire Academy series. 

Bloodfire Academy, by author Alexis Calder, is the first installment in the authors Cursed Magic series. Bloodfire Academy is a full length, new adult paranormal academy romance where the heroine doesn't have to choose who she falls in love with. Protagonist Tansy Lennox just received a shocking invitation to attend Bloodfire Academy which is a school for legacy family members of mages, shifters, demons, and fae. As the last member of her family, but without magic of her own, the invitation is both a curious moment in time, and an opportunity to join the very exclusive Order of the North Star.

The only problem is that Tansy was raised in the human world, even though her brother and parent’s were magical. She literally knows next to nothing about why she's the only one in her family that is still alive, yet not able to access her magic. The other issue is that nobody knew that she existed. Tansy must spend the next (3) years at the academy learning everything she can about her magic in order to take the next step. That means getting the usual mean girl treatment, finding new girlfriends, falling for (3) different men; sexy wolf shifter, steamy incubus, and smoldering mage, and finding out a way to connect to her magic. 

Tansy really needs to uncover the truth about her families legacy and what happened to them when Tansy was (8) years old since so much is riding on her families past. In order to do so, she needs to begin to trust people and open her heart. When strange monsters attack the school, Tansy is the only one who seems to be able to stop them which paints a target on her back. It is apparent that there is something darker happening in the Academy. Tansy and her allies need to find out what role Tansy is expected to play, who is behind the attacks on the school, and stay uncover from the Guardian's who are always watching.

The last part of this story was the best in my opinion. There are plenty of twists to go around for everyone. Tansy is an interesting character, and it will be fun to see how her character grows from here. I will say that this isn't my first rodeo when it comes to a heroine falling in love with 3 or 4 different men. I will also say that they are similar in that sex is the driving factor to pump up the volume on their magical abilities. This story is also a mystery of sorts. Thankfully, Tansy found some interesting fellas to help her out.  

 

About Alexis:

Alexis Calder writes sassy heroines and sexy heroes with a sprinkle of sarcasm. She lives in the Rockies and drinks far too much coffee and just the right amount of wine.

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Tour Schedule:

Week One:

8/24/2020	Two Chicks on Books	Excerpt
8/24/2020	Jaime's World	Excerpt
8/25/2020	Twirling Book Princess	Excerpt
8/25/2020	Jazzy Book Reviews	Excerpt
8/25/2020	underneath the covers	Excerpt
8/26/2020	A Dream Within A Dream	Excerpt
8/26/2020	The Book View	Excerpt
8/26/2020	Books A-Brewin'	Excerpt
8/27/2020	Find your next reading	Excerpt
8/27/2020	TMBA Corbett Tries to Write	Excerpt
8/28/2020	Gizmos Reviews	Review
8/28/2020	Lindsey Reads	Review

Week Two:

8/31/2020	bookriot	Review
8/31/2020	Sweet Things	Review
9/1/2020	BookHounds	Excerpt
9/1/2020	Books a Plenty Book Reviews	Review
9/1/2020	Bri's Book Nook	Review
9/2/2020	Adventures in Literature	Review
9/2/2020	Shelf-Rated	Review
9/3/2020	callmekaare	Review
9/3/2020	rajivsreviews	Review
9/4/2020	Book Briefs	Review
9/4/2020	Jotted by Jena	Review
9/4/2020	TheReadingCornerforAll	Review

#Review - Initiation by Heather Renee #New Adult #Fantasy

Series: Elite Supernatural Trackers #1
Format: Kindle, 198 page
Release Date: January 9, 2020
Publisher: Amazon
Source: Amazon Kindle Unlimited
Genre: New Adult / Fantasy

A supernatural prison, a feisty fairy sidekick, and four alpha males. What could possibly go wrong?

Being sent to prison just after my eighteenth birthday wasn't exactly what I had in mind after getting my first taste of freedom. Neither was ending up in cell block B with all male prisoners. There had to be some sort of mixup, right? Wrong.

After a too-close-for-comfort attack, I'm taken in by the Fabled Four--a group of guys who aren't known for playing by the rules and are prisoners here just like me. The only difference is they know what the warden wants from them and I have no idea.

Much to their leader's dismay, it's time to figure out the real reason I'm stuck in Mandora Supernatural Prison. Though, if I can't get my magic in check sooner rather than later, I just might get myself, or others I care about, killed.

Let the games begin.

*Please note, this is not a Reverse Harem book and recommended for ages 16+ due to some bully themes and language* 

Initiation, by Heather Renee, is the first installment in the authors Elite Supernatural Trackers series. Protagonist Cara Simmons is accused of breaking witch law on 4 separate occasions as the story opens. She is quickly sent to Mandora Supernatural Prison where Warden Gillian puts her in with the male population. This triggers warning alarms. The Warden quickly ignores any requests by Cara to be told which laws she supposedly broke. She is told by her new cell mate, Anthony, do not challenge the so called Fable Four and other rules that she needs to pay attention to. 

Cara quickly destroys that rule within hours with her snarky, care less, try to stop me if you dare attitude. Cara is supposed to be some weak witch with little powers who was orphaned when her parents died 8 years ago. Dad was "supposedly" a sorcerer, while her mom was a witch. But, the Four easily uncover that Cara is more than she claims to be. The Four are Hawk, Gunner, Ace, and Yeti. Cara is soon called Siren. Gunner claims the Warden wants Cara's powers. Yeti claims that Cara is a mixed Siren/Witch who can manipulate people into doing her bidding. ::Que the light bulb::

The Four work for the warden as trackers. They tend to mess with the other prisoners because they can and nobody has been able to stop them since they arrived. When Cara's fiery ways get noticed by the Four, she's put under their protection. Not only from the other inmates, but the guards and the Warden as well. The Warden has kept track of Cara. He knows that she doesn't play well with others. He orders her to tame the fabled four if she has any hopes of leaving the prison any time soon. 

(I recently wrote a review for another book where I said that I don't much care for reverse harem novels. Both authors say why choose when you can have 4? They also claim that neither book has anything to do with being reverse harems. We shall see!) 

In this word, friends are a liability unless they can offer you something in return. Cara wants to know why the Warden choose her. As the story continues, Cara actually gets stronger whereas others have their powers siphoned by the Warden. Cara and the Four are given a mission to St. Louis to find a trouble making Demon. Cara finds a fairy being named Nixie held hostage who quickly shows she's got as much of an attitude and sass as Cara does. One thing that you can grab hold of. There is more too Jaxon than meets the eyes. The Supernatural world is extremely corrupt. And, Cara has to walk a tightrope between helping Nixie and the Four, to uncovering what she is actually capable of.

 

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#Review - Touch of the Mage by D.D. Chance #NA #Paranormal #Romance

Series: Twyst Academy # 1
Format: E-Book, 280 pages
Release Date: February 4th 2020
Publisher: D.D. Chance
Source: D.D. Chance
Genre: New Adult, Paranormal, Romance

Life at the academy just got… messy.

I’ve always dreamed of getting into a top college, but after a stint in juvie, my school prospects went sideways fast. Now I work at a magic academy…as a janitor. Ironic, right?

Okay, so maybe I get a kick out of secretly solving the arcane equations the professors leave on the board for the rich, entitled student wizards. I’m broke, not stupid.

Except then I get caught by the hottest mage on campus…who ropes me into helping him and his three equally gorgeous friends win a decidedly screwed-up magic competition.

Easy enough, I think—until I start setting things on fire and getting chased by smoke-faced monsters and fighting side by side with four of the sexiest, most powerful wizards ever…and find myself—just maybe—falling in love…

With all of them.

Touch of the Mage, by author D.D. Chance, is the first installment in a brand new series called Twyst Academy. What you should know: The protagonist of the series is 23-year old Maddigan Pierce. Maddie has been working for the Academy, a sort of Elite School of Magecraft, for 6 years as a janitorial services specialist. At night, she sneaks answers to difficult mage problems. At this school, you either pass, or you are washed out. There are no second chances. For years, Maddie has been trying hard to get into Harvard, or MIT, only to be rejected over and over again. 

When Maddie is caught by one of the hottest guys in the Academy, Connor Warin, solving an extremely difficult metaphysical equation, she soon finds that her world has gotten much, much bigger. She meets Connor's friends Luke Broadham, Marcus Winters, and Rafe Twyst who are equally hot. Including Connor, who she crushes on hard, she also finds out that she's attracted to the other 3 as well. I stated that this reminds me of a reverse harem novel where the female has 4 hunky men in her orbit who she falls in love with. My point remains.

Maddie is something never seen outside of something called the Mage Trials which Connor and his friends are trying to win this year. She's told that she's a war mage which would explain previous issues she's had with spontaneous combustion and seeing supernatural boogeyman as well as her past. Winning the trials gives the winners a boost to their abilities. With Maddie, who is incredibly powerful, on their side, there's a chance that they can actually win this year. But, danger crops up in the form of a female bully, and a revelation that could thwart Team Mage Runners in their epic quest to win. 

I voluntarily choose to read this book because I have read and reviewed the authors previous series. I think this story is a really good beginning to what I hope is an exciting foray in the world of the Mage Trials as well as Maddie learning about her abilities as well as learning how to protect herself from what is surely to come next. The most action in this story comes from the Mage Trials which is fantastic. I'm not usually a fan of reverse harem stories, but was surprised that the author chose to stick to one particular relationship and not have the protagonist jump from bed to bed to bed in order to satiate her hormones.

Recommendation: Yes, read the book! The sequel to Touch of the Mage, Blood of the Mage, is up on Amazon for pre-order if you are interested. 

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#Review - Chasing River by K.A. Tucker (New Adult/Contemporary)

Series: Burying Water # 2
Publisher: Atria Books
Release Date: July 7, 2015
Source: Publisher via NetGalley
Format: E-galley, 336 pages 
Genre: New Adult, Contemporary

Armed with two years' worth of savings and the need to experience life outside the bubble of her Oregon small town, twenty-five-year old Amber Welles is prepared for anything. Except dying in Dublin. Had it not been for the bravery of a stranger, she might have. But he takes off before she has the chance to offer her gratitude. 

Twenty-four-year-old River Delaney is rattled. No one was supposed to get hurt. But then that American tourist showed up. He couldn't let her die, but he also couldn't risk being identified at the scene—so, he ran. Back to his everyday life of running his family’s pub. Only, everyday life is getting more and more complicated, thanks to his brother, Aengus, and his criminal associations. When the American girl tracks River down, he quickly realizes how much he likes her, how wrong she is for him. And how dangerous it is to have her around. Chasing her off would be the smart move. 

Maybe it's because he saved her life, or maybe it's because he's completely different from everything she's left behind, but Amber finds herself chasing after River Delaney. Amber isn’t the kind of girl to chase after anyone. 

And River isn't the kind of guy she'd want to catch.

Chasing River is the THIRD installment in the Burying Water series. The interesting fact about the Burying Water series is that it has a beginning and a happy ending. BUT, Tucker doesn't walk away from her previous characters she's already introduced. Jesse, Alex, Luke, and Gabe are all involved if only in mentions. Tucker takes a step away from Oregon this time out, and travels to Ireland. 25-year old Amber Welles was first introduced to readers of this series in Burying Water as the daughter of Sheriff Gabe Welles, and twin sister to Jesse Welles. But, she has remained mostly in the background ever since along with her mother.

Working hard as a Nurse, Amber saved every penny over TWO years to experience the journey of a lifetime. Ireland happens to be Amber's second stop on her around the world tour and where her entire world gets turned upside down in a matter of moments. Right out of the gate, Amber is running to catch a scheduled bus tour when a young man saves her life from a bomb and runs off before the Gardaí (police) arrive. Amber decides to do some chasing of her own, and tracks down the man who saved her life, 24-year old River Delaney. Amber is definitely not like Jesse in that she doesn't easily take risks. 

She plans and thinks things out, and then makes decisions. I do like that Amber gets an awakening of sorts that her father and brother aren't who she thought they were. I like how Tucker didn't make things easy for Amber. Things in life aren't easy either. Amber's growth and final choices will, I think, surprise you. You have to admit that ANYONE strong enough to travel alone across the world, is a brave young lady.

River is an interesting character all his own. Tied to the IRA by blood, incarcerated for doing something stupid, he's tried really hard not to follow in his older brothers footsteps. Being the middle child, River is supposed to take over his family owned pub while his younger brother Rowen attends college. River struggles to stay on the straight and narrow with the Gardaí watching his every move. River isn't an easy character to describe at times. His decision to save Amber kind of turns things around for him in many ways. He's always been one of those guys who doesn't have to chase women around. They come to him. Life is full of complications, so why would any relationship between Amber and River be easy?  

Story ends up being part history lesson about Ireland, the Irish Republican Army, the Potato Famine, and a cat and mouse romance between Amber and River. There's nothing easy about the romance between Amber and River. Amber has her very own bucket list, while River has some major responsibilities. Will they be able to keep up a long distance relationship, or will one of them be forced to move away from their home? I do like the secondary characters like Rowen, River's parents Marion and Seamus, and River's story about the Potato famine. I liked that Amber's father Gabe cares enough about her to travel 4,000 miles to ensure she's okay. Not a whole lot of families are able to do that.

It's interesting how Tucker gives readers a sneak peek at the next character in her series to be featured. So, say hello to Ivy, the tattoo artist who is half Chinese and half Spanish, and someone Amber would have never thought to hang around if it weren't for her "sister-in-law" Alex. I do like that Tucker does this. I like that Amber and Ivy have absolutely nothing in common, but they can find commonality if they just spend 5 minutes talking things out. 

Next Book in Series: Surviving Ice, October 2015.

**I received this book for free from (Atria Books) via (NetGalley) in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.**

Previous Books in Series

     

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*New Adult Book Review* Becoming Rain by K.A. Tucker

Series: Burying Water # 2
Publisher: Atria Books
Released: March 3, 2015
Source: NetGalley/Publisher
Format: E-Book, 384 pages
Genre: New Adult, Contemporary

Luke Boone doesn't know exactly what his uncle Rust is involved in but he wants in on it-the cars, the money, the women. And it looks like he's finally getting his wish. When Rust hands him the managerial keys to the garage, they come with a second set—one that opens up the door to tons of cash and opportunity. Though it's not exactly legal, Luke's never been one to worry about that sort of thing. Especially when it puts him behind the wheel of a Porsche 911 and onto the radar of gorgeous socialite named Rain.

Clara Bertelli is at the top of her game—at only twenty-six years old, she's one of the most successful undercover officers in the Washington D.C. major crime unit, and she's just been handed a case that could catapult her career and expose one of the west coast's most notorious car theft rings. But, in order to do it, she'll need to go deep undercover as Rain Martines. Her target? The twenty-four-year old nephew of a key player who appears ready to follow in his uncle's footsteps.

As Clara drifts deeper into the luxurious lifestyle of Rain, and further into the arms of her very attractive and charming target, the lines between right and wrong start to blur, making her wonder if she'll be able to leave it all behind. Or if she'll even want to. 

Becoming Rain is the second installment in K.A. Tucker's Burying Water series. Tucker writes dual first person narratives from 26-year old Clara Bertelli and 24-year old Luka (Luke) Boone. I would label Becoming Rain as a new adult romantic suspense novel without all the sexual encounters that we normally see from NA novels. No worries, this wouldn't be a Tucker novel without SOME lustful scenes to entertain readers.

I’ve broken one of the most basic rules of undercover work: don’t get emotionally attached to your targets.

Clara really goes through a transformation of sorts over the course of this story. She's been a cop for 4 years, 2 undercover as part of the Major Crimes Unit in DC but really has no life. She has an outstanding record of closing cases, but wants something more out of life than coming home to an empty house. When given the chance to work a case with the FBI in bringing down a multimillion dollar west coast car theft ring, Clara jumps in feet first becoming Rain Martines. If only she was ready for her heart to open itself to the person she is supposed to be helping bring down.

Luke is Jesse's friend and former roommate from Burying Water. (Jesse, Alexandra, and his father do make a cameo appearance in Rain.) He's into cars, booze, money, and women. When his Uncle Rust finally gives him a chance at running his own car garage, it's like he's just won the lottery. That is until Rain Martines wanders into his life turning him inside out and all about. This is also when Luke gets first hand knowledge of Rust's illicit operations. As Rain gets closer to Luke, she realizes that he not only has a good heart, but he really isn't a bad person despite who his uncle is, or the associates that hang around him.

Tucker is a writer who knows how to write romance. With Clara and Luke, their relationship is not love at first sight. It is tentative, slow burning, and makes Clara do silly things she would never do while luring in a criminal. In a case that could make her entire career, Clara finds herself on the precipice of losing it all just as quickly by falling in love with the person she isn't supposed to have feelings for.

I do appreciate the attempt that Tucker makes of putting readers into the shoes of a female undercover cop. You really could tell the struggles Clara faces as she becomes entangled in Luke's world. I don't think we've had enough opportunities of getting into female cops mindsets, and what makes them choose a career over family, and even friendships.

Favorite Quote:

“It’s not so much that I love rain. I just have a healthy respect for what it does. People hate it, but the world needs rain. It washes away dirt, dilutes the toxins in the air, feeds drought. It keeps everything around us alive.”

**I received this book for free from (Atria Books) via (NetGalley) in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!! This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.**

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