#AmReading

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The Takedown by Carlie Walker
Published by Berkley on October 3, 2023
Age/Genres: Adult, Romantic Suspense

Goodreads

An undercover CIA agent is sent home to investigate her sister's criminal fiancé but the last thing she expects is to fall in love with his bodyguard along the way in this sexy romantic comedy.

It’s been a long time since Sydney Swift has gone home. An unrelentingly successful CIA field officer, she has spent the last three years pretending to be someone — anyone — other than herself.

But this year, the festive season is coming with some added surprises. Sydney’s beloved little sister has just announced that she’s engaged to Johnny Jones, the heir of an organized crime dynasty. With her built-in cover and her best-in-class reputation, Sydney is approached by the FBI as their way to infiltrate the Jones family at last.

Sydney has until Christmas to gather enough evidence on Johnny to take him down before he pulls off his most dangerous heist yet, all without losing her sister forever. But she hasn’t counted on the challenge of pulling this off right under her family’s nose or the complications of a romantic entanglement with Johnny’s handsome friend and bodyguard, Nick. Sydney always gets her man — but this time love is a target she can’t afford to miss.

I was this many days old when I learned that Carlie Walker is a young adult author I LOVE - Carlie Sorosiak. No wonder I adored this book so much!

Sydney Swift had proven her worth as a CIA operative and was now being tapped by the FBI to nab a crime boss who happened to be marrying her sister. It was complicated for sure, as Sydney could not reveal the truth to her family while also dealing with how overwhelming it was to be returning home. The exploration of those feelings brought a lot of emotion to this story and was expertly blended with all the comedy, action, suspense, and romance elements.

Let's talk about that romance and Nick Fraser. -Sigh- I loved him from his rom-com meet-cute with Sydney. He was sweet and charming, and it was hard to believe he had spent several years as a crime lord's bodyguard, but now, he was Sydney's target. It may have started out as purely professional for her, and with Sydney's trust issues, she was slow to open herself up, but it happened, and it was a beautiful thing. The chemistry and connection between these two was undeniable, and there were details I learned that reinforced how perfect I thought they were for each other.

Though I am not a huge suspense reader, I gobbled this up whole. There was something perfect about the mix of romance, mystery, action, and holiday magic that kept me flipping the pages. Fast-paced and fun, I adored spending the Christmas season with Sydney, Nick, and the rest of the Swift clan, and I am left excited for more adult releases from Walker.

*ARC PROVIDED BY THE PUBLISHER

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The Measure by Nikki Erlick
Published by William Morrow on June 28, 2022
Age/Genres: Adult, Fiction

Goodreads

Eight ordinary people. One extraordinary choice.

It seems like any other day. You wake up, pour a cup of coffee, and head out.

But today, when you open your front door, waiting for you is a small wooden box. This box holds your fate inside: the answer to the exact number of years you will live.

From suburban doorsteps to desert tents, every person on every continent receives the same box. In an instant, the world is thrust into a collective frenzy. Where did these boxes come from? What do they mean? Is there truth to what they promise?

As society comes together and pulls apart, everyone faces the same shocking choice: Do they wish to know how long they’ll live? And, if so, what will they do with that knowledge?

The Measure charts the dawn of this new world through an unforgettable cast of characters whose decisions and fates interweave with one another: best friends whose dreams are forever entwined, pen pals finding refuge in the unknown, a couple who thought they didn’t have to rush, a doctor who cannot save himself, and a politician whose box becomes the powder keg that ultimately changes everything.

If you were presented with a box holding a string that indicated the length of your life, would you open the box? This was the situation all the characters in The Measure were faced with.

I must commend Erlick for the way she navigated this situation. I felt as though she explored it from many different angles, positing both pros and cons. There was inclusion of how society at large could be affected and prejudices that could arise. That stuff was all interesting, but this tale was all about the people and  the way "the box" impacted their lives and the choices they would make about their futures.

From Hank, the ER doctor short-stringer, to Amie, the school teacher who did not open her box, I grew to love all these characters. I got to know some as they grappled with the revelation that they were short-stringers in a support group. I got to know others who were connected to one of those short-stringers, while there were characters who seemed wholly unconnected. Each story was compelling enough on its own, but they turned magnificent for me when the threads started coming together.

The concept of this book was thought provoking, and I can imagine many book clubs using this book, but it was the connections and the way these people bonded and dealt with their humanity that made it a wonderful and uplifting read for me. I think of those last few chapters as "the ugly cry chapters", but as I shed those tears, I did so with a bit of a smile on my face. This is one of those books that left me with much food for thought and other things to ponder. 

Would you open the box?
Let us know in the comments!