Review: Carter Reed by Tijan - Vilma Iris | Lifestyle Blogger

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Review: Carter Reed by Tijan

My Thoughts

Instantly absorbing, raw, daring and exciting.
A thrilling story that kept me at the edge of my seat with the
perfect blend of sexiness, intrigue and danger.

4halfstars

Synopsis

carter reedEmma decided to skip the gym and went home early. It was the last easy decision she made because she found her roommate being raped by the boyfriend.

She had two choices.

Call the cops and be killed by his family’s mafia connections or kill him first and hope to survive. There was no choice to her. She killed the bastard first and went to the one person who could protect her. Carter Reed. He’s a weapon for the rivaling mafia family, but he’s also Emma’s secret. Not only was he best friends with her brother, but she’s the reason he became that weapon in the first place.

My Review

ABSOLUTE ADDICTION. Intriguing. Dangerous. Daring. Bold. With an unstoppable chemistry that sets the pages ablaze. I had never read a book by Tijan, but the synopsis begged for the story to be read. Tijan’s writing style is quite unique. With the guise of a seemingly simple and straight-forward narrative, she packs swift punches that keep you completely absorbed by the story. It reads like a series of quick jabs, the story rapidly unwinding as we move from one action-packed scene to another. There’s not a lot of fluff, not a lot of build-up, it’s in your face boldness.

And speaking of boldness, immediately we begin with a scene so awful, so violent and revolting that it completely shocked me. When Emma walks in to her apartment, her best friend and roommate is being raped. She takes justice into her own hands and kills the guy… the son of a powerful mafia leader. This one decision would alter the course of her life, and many other lives, from this point forward. Left reeling and uncertain of what to do, she recalls the fateful words of her murdered brother…

“You don’t trust anyone, no one except Carter. Go to Carter. He’ll take care of everything. He’ll take care of you, Ems. I promise.”

In efforts to fix the precarious problem she finds herself in and to help her now broken roommate, she goes to Carter Reed.

Carter Reed. The Cold Killer. 

Carter is her brother’s old best friend… a friend that she too grew up with. A friend that suddenly disappeared from her life after the brutal murder of her brother. Despite seeing him over the years from a distance, there’s been no communication. So who is Carter Reed?

“He was perfect. And he was a killer.”

Carter is a ghost, a fearless predator. He’s a “deadly panther”…  lithe and menacing… a force to be reckoned with.  Since he joined one of the mafia families and garnered infamy as a ruthless killer, he’s widely known… and feared by everyone. And that includes Emma. With their past so long behind, she’s not sure what to expect when she finds him. When she finally comes face to face with Carter, she is simultaneously filled with an unquenchable desire and a foreboding trepidation as she realizes her once normal life is certainly no longer. Standing in front of this gorgeous man with a body defined by pure muscle and eyes that gaze upon her coldly, she’s not so sure she made the right choice. However, what ensues is undeniable proof that she needed protection as the mob launches a search to find her, seeking retribution for the death of the man she killed.

Carter turns out to have a soft spot for Emma and we realize he never really abandoned her. From conversations I’ve had on this book, I know some of you think this was insta-love as they both succumbed to their desires… but to me, I feel like their connection started long ago and was interrupted before anything ever happened. I think the absence of the other over the years, coupled with watching each other from a distance, has ignited the spark that had been ready to burn for so long.

“You’re mine, Emma. You always have been. I won’t let you go.”

With danger imminent, Carter is willing to do anything… kill anyone… to protect Emma. He knows no boundaries for the woman he has loved for so long.

“You did all of that for me?
I would declare war for you.”

Tijan does an great job at fueling the desire between them, teasing us for so long with moments where a single glance scorches and a touch dissolves all bodily control. I couldn’t wait to get to the part where they finally gave themselves to each other.

“As soon as we get home. You won’t walk for a week.”

Truth be told, I think that the build-up was stronger than the satisfaction of them finally getting together, but I didn’t complain too much because I loved watching the dynamic between them. Without revealing too much, the story line packs a lot of action with dark and violent plot twists that had me furiously flipping pages to see what would happen next. I thought Emma was a good heroine, ready to go to war herself to protect the man she loved, gathering more resolve as her character evolved throughout the book. And holy hotness, Carter Reed! Dark and dangerous, he is forever alluring to a girl like me!!! I just loved him and was completely intrigued by him. He’s a powerful, complex and enigmatic character that I wanted to learn more about. I would LOVE to see a second book that gives us more insight into their past as well as into his head and heart. I think that will also go a long way into deepening the connection on an emotional level between him and Emma and also give the reader better understanding into his relationships with other supporting characters like Noah and Gene. I felt like there was more there. So, yes, I think there’s some additional plot development that can make this story even tighter, but sometimes I frankly suspend analysis and realize this was just a damn good book to read! It was fun, addicting and I couldn’t put it down. I look forward to reading more from Tijan.

“I have always loved you… I will always love you, Emma. There’s been no other for me.”

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