Publisher: Dreamspinner
Publish Date: Out Now!
How I got this book: NetGalley
Frank Jennings is an FBI agent looking for redemption. Leslie Carlton is an Interpol agent looking for a thief. Attraction flares from the moment they meet on a case searching for a stolen triptych of unique Tiffany windows, but after a single night of stunning passion, Leslie is called back to London to continue his search there.
When the case heats up again, Leslie returns to the States—and to Frank—but their investigation is complicated by their tumultuous feelings. Is it possible for two dedicated detectives to pursue each other while they’re tracking down stolen art and the unscrupulous man who steals it?
*Blurb from Goodreads*
I’ve long been a fan of reading romantic suspense books, add in my newfound love of m/m and it’s a recipe for success. While I liked this book by Grey, I also felt as if there was a little something special missing.
Frank is a hard-hitting FBI officer whose last job didn’t go over so well. He gets put on a case of some missing Tiffany windows, and quickly gets thrown into an ongoing international investigation involving Interpol and their star stolen art agent Leslie. Working closely with Leslie is not always easy, mainly because Frank is so attracted to him. When their case goes cold, they have one explosive night together before Leslie returns home. When a crack comes in their case a few weeks later, Leslie is back ready to get his man: both the bad guy, and the one he left behind.
For me, in a romantic suspense book, the suspense has to play a big part of the story, and for me, this one didn’t. It felt as if the book built slowly up, spending a lot of time building the relationship aspect of the story and not the suspense portion. Once Leslie came back to the states for the chance to really catch the bad guy is when things started picking up, but it didn’t feel as if that part happened until almost the halfway, three-quarters mark. While I like the way the case eventually resolved itself, I wanted a little more.
As for the romance aspect, I was happy with the way it all worked out. I understood why Leslie needed to leave for that time in the middle of things, and why neither of them took steps toward contacting the other. I liked that Frank has some stuff to work through before he could be ready for a full time relationship, and when their relationship eventually resolved itself, I was glad to see the direction the author went with it. Plus. the sexy times were pretty awesome too!
I’m not an expert on international policy or anything like that, but to me, it felt as if at times Grey took some liberties with policy, etc. For fans of their reading being authentic, you this story might make you roll your eyes a few times. I know there were definitely moments when I sat and scratched my head and wondered just how one lowly FBI agent and one lowly Interpol agent could do some of the things they did on the international platform. I definitely had to suspend my beliefs a few times.
All in all it was a charming story, despite the few slow and eye-rolling moments. I liked Frank and Leslie’s relationship and partnership. I liked how well they worked together, bounced ideas of each other and supported one another. There was also a secondary character, Karl, that I found myself cheering for as the story progressed.
I give Artistic Pursuits a C+
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