Genre: Romantic Suspense
The Analysis:
First book I’ve read in quite awhile. Carter by Adrienne Bell, lets book review it. A romantic suspense to quinch any thirst.
Heres the Blurb:
After years of heading an elite Special Forces unit, nothing ever gets past Carter Macmillan…until the night slick-talking reporter, Ally Weaver, gives him the slip.
Ally Weaver is used to following the story, but she’s never had a lead blow up on her before…literally. Now one of her confidential sources has been murdered, and she’s determined to find out why. But Ally can’t risk drawing anyone else into this violent mess…no matter how skilled–or gorgeous–he may be.
But a girl can’t always get what she wants. And when the pair find themselves thrust into the crosshairs of a corrupt politician who would do anything to stay in power, they must work together to expose a deadly conspiracy before they become the next victims. But while both Ally and Carter are willing to put their lives on the line to discover the truth, neither is prepared for the danger the other poses to their heart.
It felt good reading this book because it was the first one that I had picked up in a while. The novel reads like a movie. In that way, its both good and bad. Which will go into later, but the first impression of chapter 1 is that the way our couple meets is really cute.
Their witty banter makes you wish there was more of it. Unfortunately, things go from cute to worse for our couple and there immediately tossed into a whirlwind of turmoil.
There wasn’t any one moment that kept me on the edge of my seat wanting more. Yet the book was well written from beginning to end. It was just predictable. It felt like every movie ever written about the security guard saving the woman reporter. Oddly enough, she could have breathed new life into this trope simply by swapping out the genders. A woman security guard and a man reporter.
Then again it wouldn’t exactly be the same trope. Anyhoo. There were no surprises. It was kind of like something bad happens here, and here. And you know its coming. Carter is hot and the romance is palpable. But Carter could literally be every Tom Cruise movie ever invented.
But it wouldn’t be a book review if something didn’t annoy me. Carter’s security team was ridiculous.
They hated Ally and it made no sense why. Just because she gave them the slip in chapter 1. Like whaaa? 🤷 Your security, secure. Once they knew she was innocent they continued to dislike her. Why, because she’s taking the bossman away from them? Are they, children?
And since this is a series, I do wish the author had spent more time with the team. Giving us some basics on who they are and their motivations. There was a short argument between team members at one point and it did leave me curious about everyone. Did they get along? Was it a family atmosphere or a reluctant tribe kind of thing?
In true romance fashion, there’s a happy ending. And she shares this sweet moment with Charlie, a team member of Carters. However, I don’t feel this moment was supported by anything in the story. Like she should have had them bond more before showing this sweet moment between them at the end.
Story At A Glance:
Overall Story:
A typical romantic suspense novel in the vein of what one would expect from the security/reporter trope.
Pacing:
The novel moved along fast, but stopped to rest long enough to develop the romance brewing between the two main mc’s.
Characterization:
I suppose it was perfect because I totally pictured Carter being Tom Cruise and Ally being some B list actress and model.
World/Building Setting:
I definitely got a good picture of the scenes and the chaos.
Language:
Simple. Everyone was speaking English. Easy to follow.
Feeling:
Well written, and as an author, I definitely learned from it.
Recommendation: Yes, a pleasant read if you love the genre.
The Ratings:
My Thumbs Up For:
- Chemistry Between Couples
- Story Pacing
My Thumbs Down For:
- Story Predictability
- Unlikeable Supporting Characters
THE TRS BOOKS SYSTEM:
Book Cover Appeal:
🍓🍓🍓
Story & Narration:
🍓🍓🍓
Romance:
🍓🍓🍓🍓
Sex Scenes:
🍓🍓🍓🍓🍓
OVERALL READING EXPERIENCE:
Carter gets three strawberries from me. Its ranked at 4 1/2 on Amazon.
Book Info:
Pages: 206
Author: Adrienne Bell
Available: On Amazon