Okay....this was a decent if aggravating attempt at Romantic Suspense.
On the plus side, I did finish it, and fairly quickly as well. And the overall storyline was pretty interesting, if unoriginal.
Now for the not so great stuff...Them main characters...Seriously?, I didn't, couldn't like either of them.
She's supposedly this kick ass super FBI agent, yet the small town cop gets the drop on her repeatedly? Uh huh...sure...okay. Maybe if we'd seen some evidence of her super FBI-ness, I'd have believed it, but as it is, we're just told she's awesome, again and again. Then there's her work dynamic which IMO didn't make a whole lotta sense either.....she's an expert that was asked to help solve the sex predator crime spree...invited from her home state, to come to Mission Hills...so Who did the asking? And if she's such an expert, why did no one else listen to her! They kept telling her what to do...and half the time she just took it! and the team she worked with was tiny! Which, okay, didn't bug me as much, since the town's not exactly a bustling metropolis, but apparently said team had no women on it? Really?
And Him...oh him. he's an alpha male, but the asshole kind. He's very macho, as in he's the man, and she's the little lady and she'll do as she told, Even if she wasn't an FBI agent, that attitude would piss me off. He's just sooo tough and soo strong and soooo good at his job in his tiny little town that he makes super FBI girl look inept....and what is his background exactly? how is he soooo skilled!? We never learn the answer to either of those questions...and it would help a lot in getting to know the H, and why he is the way he is.
And honestly... If we'd seen a few bits of vulnerability from him....Maybe a few scenes of humility...or hell just one, where our so called expert surprises him and kicks his ass, I'd have liked him better....but it never happens because he won't allow it to. Additionally he's sorta of an idiot...(and I'm going to mention a few scenes from the book here but I don't think they constitute spoilers, but JIC, be warned)
Two times, right in front of the heroine, The totally hot, and amazing and super strong, and smart, who never does any wrong (and yes, that's sarcasm) Hero tells his family that they (the H and h) aren't in any type of relationship (and this is after they're 'sleeping' together and he decides he wants more then sex with his precious h) and that his nieces won't have to worry about calling her "Aunty"...Um Hello? How much of a moron do you have to be, to not get that that's probably not gonna win you any points with the girl? (and she never calls him on this either!) And seriously, almost every non related female character he comes across hits on him. Whether in the midst of discussing the sexual predator going after teenage girls, or in front of grieving parents, it happens again and again... (and later he chews out a younger female officer for inappropriate behavior at a crime scene...um WTH!? Hypocrite much?) And his boss...The Chief....he didn't come off as a concerned cop, or even that qualified. He was more of an asshole, who watched out for his own ass...It seemed like he didn't want any of his cops to be bad, for the sole reason that it would make him look bad. And he had such a freaking attitude! Fine, we get it, you don't like FBI in your territory or thinking one of your own could possibly be guilty.... But there's a different between righteous anger and being an asshole...
and add to my intense dislike for both characters, is that so much goes unexplained! Like okay, she is an undercover cop, so she has cameras doing surveillance in the front of her house...Makes sense, right? the big bad might drive by, but then why are cameras inside the house? (there's no evidence that he (the villain) has ever entered any of his victims homes, so why the added expense? If it's JIC, why isn't that said anywhere? and how did the heroine not know they were there or where they were?? (seriously, this is what you call an expert agent?!) oh oh oh! AND she knows the bad guy's driven by her place. She knows it . Yet she still has no qualms making out with the hero on her front porch/in her front yard for all and sundry to freaking see! with no attempt at discretion! Seriously?
Okay. I realize this has come off more as a vent/rant than a review, so for that (and the over usage of the word seriously) I
apologize. It's really not that bad. I just really really didn't like the characters...or the inconsistencies...or all the unexplained bits...but if you can get past those, it's a really good book! (<--- um, in case you can't tell, that's sarcasm, again)
On the plus side, I did finish it, and fairly quickly as well. And the overall storyline was pretty interesting, if unoriginal.
Now for the not so great stuff...Them main characters...Seriously?, I didn't, couldn't like either of them.
She's supposedly this kick ass super FBI agent, yet the small town cop gets the drop on her repeatedly? Uh huh...sure...okay. Maybe if we'd seen some evidence of her super FBI-ness, I'd have believed it, but as it is, we're just told she's awesome, again and again. Then there's her work dynamic which IMO didn't make a whole lotta sense either.....she's an expert that was asked to help solve the sex predator crime spree...invited from her home state, to come to Mission Hills...so Who did the asking? And if she's such an expert, why did no one else listen to her! They kept telling her what to do...and half the time she just took it! and the team she worked with was tiny! Which, okay, didn't bug me as much, since the town's not exactly a bustling metropolis, but apparently said team had no women on it? Really?
And Him...oh him. he's an alpha male, but the asshole kind. He's very macho, as in he's the man, and she's the little lady and she'll do as she told, Even if she wasn't an FBI agent, that attitude would piss me off. He's just sooo tough and soo strong and soooo good at his job in his tiny little town that he makes super FBI girl look inept....and what is his background exactly? how is he soooo skilled!? We never learn the answer to either of those questions...and it would help a lot in getting to know the H, and why he is the way he is.
And honestly... If we'd seen a few bits of vulnerability from him....Maybe a few scenes of humility...or hell just one, where our so called expert surprises him and kicks his ass, I'd have liked him better....but it never happens because he won't allow it to. Additionally he's sorta of an idiot...(and I'm going to mention a few scenes from the book here but I don't think they constitute spoilers, but JIC, be warned)
Two times, right in front of the heroine, The totally hot, and amazing and super strong, and smart, who never does any wrong (and yes, that's sarcasm) Hero tells his family that they (the H and h) aren't in any type of relationship (and this is after they're 'sleeping' together and he decides he wants more then sex with his precious h) and that his nieces won't have to worry about calling her "Aunty"...Um Hello? How much of a moron do you have to be, to not get that that's probably not gonna win you any points with the girl? (and she never calls him on this either!) And seriously, almost every non related female character he comes across hits on him. Whether in the midst of discussing the sexual predator going after teenage girls, or in front of grieving parents, it happens again and again... (and later he chews out a younger female officer for inappropriate behavior at a crime scene...um WTH!? Hypocrite much?) And his boss...The Chief....he didn't come off as a concerned cop, or even that qualified. He was more of an asshole, who watched out for his own ass...It seemed like he didn't want any of his cops to be bad, for the sole reason that it would make him look bad. And he had such a freaking attitude! Fine, we get it, you don't like FBI in your territory or thinking one of your own could possibly be guilty.... But there's a different between righteous anger and being an asshole...
and add to my intense dislike for both characters, is that so much goes unexplained! Like okay, she is an undercover cop, so she has cameras doing surveillance in the front of her house...Makes sense, right? the big bad might drive by, but then why are cameras inside the house? (there's no evidence that he (the villain) has ever entered any of his victims homes, so why the added expense? If it's JIC, why isn't that said anywhere? and how did the heroine not know they were there or where they were?? (seriously, this is what you call an expert agent?!) oh oh oh! AND she knows the bad guy's driven by her place. She knows it . Yet she still has no qualms making out with the hero on her front porch/in her front yard for all and sundry to freaking see! with no attempt at discretion! Seriously?
Okay. I realize this has come off more as a vent/rant than a review, so for that (and the over usage of the word seriously) I
apologize. It's really not that bad. I just really really didn't like the characters...or the inconsistencies...or all the unexplained bits...but if you can get past those, it's a really good book! (<--- um, in case you can't tell, that's sarcasm, again)
Kris G. (CaseyEmma) - , reviewed Strong, Sleek and Sinful (FBI Sex Crimes, Bk 3) on + 286 more book reviews
Sobia A's review (whether you look at it as a rant or a review) hits all the marks. I have to agree, although the book wasn't that bad, the characters just didn't work. The hero didn't come off as a strong, over-protective, alpha, he came off as an asshole. I don't mind the domination stuff if it fits with the rest of the story, but it didn't work in this book for this character. The heroine came off as lost and not as intelligent as she was supposed to be. The dialogue left me feeling kind of flat too. Previous books by Ms. O'Clare have been really good, so I'm hoping this is just a blip.
Pam B. (PamelaK) reviewed Strong, Sleek and Sinful (FBI Sex Crimes, Bk 3) on + 1215 more book reviews
Sobia, you are right on the mark. It's unusual, but I agree with everything you said.
Corky W. (cky15) reviewed Strong, Sleek and Sinful (FBI Sex Crimes, Bk 3) on + 254 more book reviews
liked this book. love the author's books
