BLOG TOUR | Book Review: Cold Cruel Kiss(Cold Justice: Crossfire #4), written by Toni Anderson

Hi everyone! Today I’m excited to participate in the blog tour for Cold Cruel Kiss, written by Toni Anderson, available now from all major retailers.

Cold Cruel Kiss by Toni Anderson

Publication date:January 28th, 2021 
Publisher: Toni Anderson Inc.
Pages:353
Genre: Fiction, Romantic suspense
Buy: Blackwells | Goodreads|Amazon
Synopsis:

When the daughter of the US Ambassador to Argentina is kidnapped in broad daylight on Christmas Eve, the FBI sends one of its best negotiators to investigate.

Supervisory Special Agent Max Hawthorne arrives at an embassy thrown into chaos as US and local law enforcement hustle to track the young woman. Is this a simple kidnap for ransom, or part of a political agenda? Could it be something more sinister?

Lucy Aston has something to hide. Preferring to stay in the shadows, the lowly, fashion-challenged office assistant resents being assigned to help Max. But Max can’t resist a puzzle…he’s starting to suspect Lucy Aston is not what she seems.

When rumors emerge of a suspected Russian spy operating out of the embassy, Lucy’s carefully constructed life begins to crumble. As she and Max race to rescue the ambassador’s daughter, Lucy has to do whatever it takes to keep her cover from being blown—even if that means betraying the man she’s falling for.

Trigger warnings:

rape attempts, mutilation(off page)

– My Thoughts –

Cold Cruel Kiss is the fourth book in the Cold Justice: Crossfire series but it can be read as a standalone.

When the daughter of the US Ambassador to Argentina is kidnapped on Christmas in Argentina, SSA Max Hawthorne from the FBI is called to supervise the case. Upon his arrival, he is assisted by the ambassador’s assistant, Lucy who might be hiding more than he wishes to know.

We hear the story from not only Max and Lucy’s perspective but also Kristen(the ambassador’s daughter) and her friend Irene’s. It’s nerve-wracking to read how Kirsten and Irene are faring and it’s a wild contrast to Max and Lucy’s POV. We follow as Max and Lucy- acting as his chaperone- try to figure out the identities of the kidnappers to swiftly negotiate the release of the teenagers. Besides the kidnapping threat, there’s a hint of foreshadowing in the beginning that Russians somehow might be involved in this case.

There is more suspense than romance but that was not the problem I had with this book. It was repetitive at some points; for example, the constant mention of how Lucy dresses and of her body and of course, how hot Max is. Also, Lucy’s painting of Max as some goody-two-shoes made no sense. Her constant thought of “I’m not good for him.” made me want to shake some sense in her. There wasn’t much character background except for Lucy’s. I couldn’t picture Max at all which is a shame because he’s one of the protagonists.

Spoilers:

When Lucy admits to Max that she was a CIA agent-which I wasn’t expecting-Max says this:“I’m glad you’re not in that world anymore. It would have chewed you up and spat you out.” Why does he say that? It’s directed especially at Lucy and sounds a little sexist.

Overall, I loved the setting, the subplot, and the twist in the end. If you love fast-paced romantic suspense about federal agents, spies operating on foreign soil and unexpected twists, then I recommend you read Cold Cruel Kiss.

Thanks to the author and tour organiser for gifting me an eARC in exchange for an honest review and for including me in the blog tour.

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– About the Author –

Toni Anderson writes gritty, sexy, FBI Romantic Thrillers, and is a New York Times and a USA Today bestselling author. Her books have won the Readers’ Choice, Aspen Gold, Book Buyers’ Best, Golden Quill, and National Excellence in Romance Fiction awards. She’s been a finalist in the prestigious RITA Award from the Romance Writers of America and also in the Daphne du Maurier Award of Excellence. More than two million copies of her books have been downloaded.

Best known for her “COLD” books perhaps it’s not surprising to discover Toni lives in one of the most extreme climates on earth–Manitoba, Canada. Formerly a Marine Biologist, she still misses the ocean, but is lucky enough to travel for research purposes. In January 2016, she visited FBI Headquarters in Washington DC, including a tour of the Strategic Information and Operations Center. She hopes not to get arrested for her Google searches.

For more information about Toni: Website: https://www.toniandersonauthor.com

Download the first book in the Cold Justice Series, A COLD DARK PLACE, on your Kindle for FREE: https://amzn.to/2su7sZm

Thank you for reading! Have you read any of Toni Anderson’s books before? Do you like reading romantic suspense? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below! 

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