Monday 21 October 2019

Book Review: CODE OF CONDUCT by April White

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Sharp writing, layered characters, and wonderful tension flow through this book, along with a super-swoon-worthy hero and a kick ass heroine I just love.” -- Elizabeth Hunter, USA Today bestselling author

CODE OF CONDUCT, the first in the romantic suspense Cipher Security series of standalones, from April White is available now!

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There are three things you need to know about Shane P.I.

1) P.I. is not her last name, it's her job title,

2) Her specialty is catching cheaters, and


3) She's a superhuman - kind of.

Gabriel is a security expert for Cipher Security, and a former UN Peacekeeper with a fierce protective streak that finds its focus on the beautiful P.I.

Their attraction is like an elephant in a room full of breakable things, and figuring out how to trust each other with their hearts, and maybe their lives, is the most fragile thing of all.

'Code of Conduct' is a full-length romantic suspense novel, can be read as a standalone, and is book#1 in the Cipher Security series, Knitting in the City World, Penny Reid Universe.


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Download your copy today!
Google Play: http://bit.ly/2m0Tjm3
Add to GoodReads: http://bit.ly/2lZklKt



*****
MY THOUGHTS

There are some shallow reasons why I was inclined to like this book from the start. The heroine is tall and has canoe size feet – like me! The heroine has an array of prosthetic legs that multi-task in a variety of inspector Gadget-ish ways. Not like me, but how cool! The British hero is described as an Idris Elba look-alike who reads Ben Aaronovitch books and enjoys show tunes. Hey, what’s not to like about that?

And above all that, the book is good because we get to meet some new characters, including the odd eccentric, as well as visiting with some old favourites in the Penny Reid Knitting in the City world. CODE OF CONDUCT is the first April White book I have read. I’ve only heard good things but she writes fantasy and I don’t read fantasy.

Shane P.I hates a cheater. She hates them so much, her professional life is all about exposing cheating spouses. One of her targets just so happens to be a Cipher Security client, and when she weaves her special kind of voodoo on said client, she comes to their attention; and especially to the attention of Gabriel Eze.

Gabriel was such a great hero. He was truly fascinated by the ever-so-prickly heroine. He did his utmost to get to know her, to engage her, to make her feel comfortable and to get her to trust him. And let me tell you, that is not an easy task. Shane not only has so many walls built up, she’s surrounded by a figurative moat in addition to having the draw-bridge firmly up.

He slowly chips away at her fortifications, but before he gets to the very heart of her, these two have a merry (for us) and frustrating (for them) time playing cat-and-mouse games with each other. I enjoyed the slow burn of attraction between them. Sure, it was physical, but the witty banter and sense of humour they both displayed made for a fun read.

The suspense element had me interested, and it played out well, but it never overtook the romance and focus between Shane and Gabriel.

I really enjoyed April’s style of writing. The latter part of the book moved at a much faster speed than the first half, but overall, I enjoyed the pacing. I am definitely looking forward to reading more books in the Cipher Security series.


*****
About April White

April White has been a film producer, private investigator, bouncer, teacher and screenwriter. She has climbed in the Himalayas, survived a shipwreck, and lived on a gold mine in the Yukon. She and her husband share their home in Southern California with two extraordinary boys and a lifetime collection of books.

Her first novel, Marking Time is the 2016 winner of the Library Journal Indie E-Book Award for YA Literature, and all five books in the Immortal Descendants series are on the Amazon Top 100 lists in Time Travel Romance and Historical Fantasy.


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