My first thought when I started reading the first book of Mike Wells' thriller series was, how on earth is he going to impart a lasting impression that will make me want to keep going, in less than 100 pages? It didn't seem possible! Would it be rushed? Would there be gaps in the plot? Underwhelming characters? I was very quickly assured that none of those things would happen and that, yes, I would have to keep reading, because I was hooked. I have books 2 & 3 available to me at the moment and it is very hard not to stop writing so I can go read them, they are that addicting.
What I like most about this book was how easily I could relate to the characters. Most thrillers seem to take place in the hidden depths of Washington, the secret meetings of spies. While good, they tend to ring distant. I instantly fell in love with Elaine and found her relationship with her blue-collar father comfortingly familiar. She is stubborn to a fault, determined and headstrong. Her dedication to her goals burned so strong I was inspired, but she still longed for a fairy-tale love story. I felt my heart breaking for her in those moments of loneliness. I found myself cheering when she overcame various hurdles. There was so much depth in her character that she felt like a real person I would like to have over for coffee.
Despite the complexities of the world of the US Secret Service, I was able to follow along without feeling ill-informed, which was so refreshing for a thriller! I will say, after reading about the grueling process to become a member of the Secret Service I can cross that off my future career choices because whoo, that was something else. Without giving anything away, Elaine had these interactions with differing colleagues that are rarely featured in fiction, but I was so glad they were there, again just another depth of realism.
Now, as you would expect from the title, there is a fantastic dose of romantic themes throughout but is included in a way that doesn't shove it down your throat. You can feel the passion, but there isn't pages upon pages of erotica to wade through.
In fact, everything in this book is concise. Plenty of detail as far as the characters and the settings, but not more than you need. It was perfect. And of course, ending the first book on a cliff-hanging sentence made me want to scream! (In a good way of course)
I seriously have to end this review now, because there is a burning need to go keep reading this awesome series.
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