Wednesday, August 21, 2013

REVIEW: "Against the Mark" by Kat Martin

Hello everyone! Going along with my author promotion from yesterday, today I have my review of "Against the Mark!" Don't forget to follow the link above to enter the GIVEAWAY for a free copy of the book!!

Disclaimer: I received an e-copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Type: Series, Romantic Suspense, Private Investigators, Art Thieves, Hunky Heroes and Dishy Damsels

About the BookThe perfect murder is a work of art

In one catastrophic instant, Haley Warren's estranged father was taken from her. She never got the chance to reconnect with him, so now she's doing it the only way she's got left: by proving the explosion that killed him was no accident.

When Tyler Brodie, the provocative and handsome P.I. hired by Haley, discovers that her father was investigating a suspected art theft, he knows his death is no coincidence. After all, tens of millions of dollars worth of stolen art could motivate a thief to go to any lengths—including getting rid of anyone poking around where they don't belong.

As Haley and Ty get closer to the truth, the truth gets ugly: Did Haley's dad know too much…or was he in on the take? And although Ty's a consummate professional, he's having trouble focusing on the facts of the case, and not the figure of his gorgeous client. The two are determined to get to the bottom of the case, even if it means they die trying.


My Review: I have had Kat Martin on my to-read list since the original trilogy was released. In fact, I bought all three and they are sitting on my paperback-shelf-of-dreams, which houses all the ones I haven't gotten to just yet but really want to. So when I got the opportunity to read "Against the Mark," I jumped at it. And it was definitely a good decision - I enjoyed this book, and I found myself clicking well with Kat Martin's writing style.

As characters, I enjoyed Ty and Haley. Haley's reaction to her step-mother that she had never met felt incredibly genuine, and while I wanted her to just break down and hug Betty Jean (the stepmother) - it would have been out of her character to do so. And for that reason, I respect the author that much more - she had these characters stick to their guns. Ty was rather hard-edged at times, but that seemed to fit well with his background and experience. He could be calm and cool when the situation required it, and grinning and making jokes during his down time.

Next, the story. I found all the plot turns to be plausible, and made sense considering the case and Ty & Haley's budding relationship. My only criticism would be their big plan for catching the bad guy red-handed. I would never spoil the ending for any excited reader, but the "big plan" just rubbed me the wrong way. I figured Ty to be too smart to agree to something like that.. and even if he thought it would work, I'm not sure he would have been so okay with taking Haley. But you know, even with this little hiccup - I had way too much fun with what was going on to care that much.

Cover Lovin': I like this cover. It's a bit of a change from her previous covers, but I think it's well done.

Recommendation: For fans of romantic suspense - or maybe for fans that like their heroes of the private investigator variety (like myself).

Final Rating: FOUR out of FIVE (4/5). I really enjoyed this book, and it moved quickly for me. I wasn't so sure about their plans to catch the bad guy, but it was definitely an enjoyable read.

Series order:
1. Against the Wind
2. Against the Fire
3. Against the Law
4. Against the Storm
5. Against the Night
6. Against the Sun
7. Against the Odds
8. Against the Edge
9. Against the Mark

Happy reading!
~!~ Amanda ~!~

Review will be cross-posted on Goodreads.com.

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