Book Blurb:
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, DC, 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.
My Review:
3 Out Of 5 Stars
Genre: New Adult--
Clara is given the opportunity of a lifetime to work undercover for the FBI to bust a car thief ring. Her undercover assignment is to become the girlfriend of a possible suspect and gain his trust so that he reveals his secrets. Clara never expected her target to be so good looking or so good hearted. Luke wants to be part of his uncle’s world, no matter what shady things go on, and he is not at all interested in having a girlfriend. Little did either of them know that they might just need each other to survive.
I am a huge fan of KA Tuckers Ten Tiny Breaths series so I was excited to read more by her. This is actually the second book in the series, but each is listed as a standalone so I figured it would be ok to plunge right in. And in the beginning it was ok because I was being introduced to two new characters, but as the plot progressed there was a lot of back story about Luke, his friends and his uncle’s business that I feel like I missed out on. The story stood well by itself, but I personally wanted to know more. Which I guess is good motivation to read the first book Burying Water. That being said, I did not like this book as much as her other books and I think it is mainly due to the fact it was incredibly hard to get into. It wasn’t until I was like 150 pages in that I started to feel a connection to the story and invested in the characters. At times I felt bogged down by police procedural details and hierarchy that I personally don’t really care about. I know it is just me and my interests, and I am sure others will eat that kind of thing up, but it just was not for me. Also, everything was sooooo slow to happen. I felt like some things just dragged on with little to no action at all, just some introspection about what could happen. Everything dramatic that the story was based on played out in the last 50ish pages, with a quick wrap up.
I am such a ridiculous jerk, but it bothered me that Luke was 24 and Clara was 26. I wanted them to be the same age or him to be older, but we can’t always get what we want I guess. Luke started out as a very immature child, all about what possessions he could have, who he could get quick sex from without drama, ultimately what someone could provide him and what he felt he deserved. Yet at the same time, he had a hidden sweet side that allowed him to feed the homeless and love his dog unconditionally. As the book progressed, I found myself growing to really like Luke and the sweet naivety that he had hidden under his cocky shell. The way he was with Clara even after everything kinda broke my heart, but in a good way. Clara was a different matter all together. She has an adult job to do, but she ends up throwing everything away for this man-child that got under her skin without warning. In the beginning she seemed to only care about her potential job failure and her bruised ego, but then underwent a 180 and she was willing to give that up for Luke. I feel conflicted over if I like Clara or not as a character. It was hard to get to know her when she was playing a role she crafted for most of the story, which was necessary for her but not helpful in creating her as a whole person I could really like. I thought the few stolen moments where they were together and real were the best parts of the book.
I will read everything that Ms. Tucker writes no matter what because she has made a fan out of me, this book just ended up falling a little flat for my tastes. I love her writing style as well as the flawed characters she creates, making you love them regardless. There is also the potential in the next book to see a very intriguing character that is in this story who may or may not have ulterior motivation… And I hope to see a glimpse in the future of Clara and Luke as well.
I received this book from the publisher in exchange for my honest review.
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