A Beautiful Lie

Playing with Fire #1

by T.E. Sivec, Tara Sivec

He saw her first, but his friend made the move.

She settled for the safer choice, but her heart knew the truth.

They love, they crave, they lie.

Garrett McCarthy, Annabelle Parker, and Milo Roberts were as close as friends could get. They shared in each other's joy during graduations, promotions, and engagements. They consoled one another through heartache and loss.

When one of the friend's life is tragically cut short, it's up to the two left behind to pick up the pieces and find out the truth - no matter the cost. As they slowly start to uncover the nature of his deception, and the very powerful people behind it, they begin to question everyone and everything, even themselves.

Everyone has secrets - some do it for love while others do it for power. Those secrets can change perceptions, alter reality and sometimes destroy lives.

What do you do when you find out your whole life has been a lie?

Genres: Romance, New Adult, Contemporary Romance, Contemporary, Romantic Suspense, Military Fiction, Suspense

388 pages, Paperback

First published January 2, 2013

About the author

Pen name of Tara Sivec

Reviews

[Tough Critic Book Reviews · Rating 5 out of 5]

Your first MUST read of 2013...

Call me a cynic, but my expectations of this book were...I tried not to have any. How can you go from one literary extreme to another? How? Why?

So before reading A Beautiful Lie I hailed Mary, lit a candle, threw some salt, kissed a baby, and gave myself the "you will love this" pep talk. Fail! I did not love A Beautiful Lie. Nope...I more than loved it! I fell so hard I hit something I didn't see coming. I hit something great. T.E. Sivec is able to exist on both ends of the spectrum and she does this flawlessly.

The third person took some getting use to, but it won me over and I loved it. I was given insight to both Garrett and Parker in every situation. It made me feel a connect with the characters that got under my skin; it gave the book life. I was allowed to see how their relationship developed from the very beginning, but at the same time the story progressed. It was the perfect amount of friendship, tension, passion, and love. I can not tell you how much this made me fall in love with...with everything. Made me fall in love with Garrett. Garrett who instantly became one of my favorite male characters of all time. He made my vagina want to jump inside the pages! He made my heart beat faster and defined what it means to be perfect. Everything about him was perfect.

I devour Kristen Ashley books like their crack!!! I love her strong alpha characters and her extreme action packed storylines. ABL took those elements, but took it to a new level; it's own level.

The intimate scenes were hot and passionate without being cheesy; there was no unrealistic during sex banter that made me cringe. Just a simple guttural “fuck” said it all. The “almost” sex scenes were almost hotter than the actual moment. Raw passion.

Of course with any book you love, you never want it to end. But at the same time, the author did a beautiful job giving me everything I needed from this book. I had closure; I was able to let it end. Parker and Garrett didn’t need a sequel, but that didn't stop me from going back and re-reading my favorite moments over...and over...and over again. It stayed with me for days. It's still with me.

I feel like I’ve been reading the same book over and over again lately. T.E. Sivec has brought something new, something intense, something passionate, and something bad ass to the table. Intense circumstances are the best aphrodisiacs; this book was one giant aphrodisiac! This book pulled me in, took me on a ride, and made me fall in love! I’m pretty sure T.E. Sivec is soon to become synonymous with intense passion, romance, and bad assness! Be careful when you touch this book...IT'S HOT!

READ ON!

[Mo · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book blew me away, totally. I loved it. It has been lying
on my kindle for a couple of months - not sure why I had not read it before this.
It is a story about friendship, love, betrayal, loyalty,
life, death - it has it all. Garrett McCarthy, Annabelle Parker,
Milo Roberts - three best friends. But is their friendship based on truth or lies?


… if you were given the chance to go back, to tell the truth
instead of lie to save someone's life and their feelings... would you?

Two best friends fall for the same girl. They had been through so much together, childhood, college, Navy Seal training….


Garrett and Milo are Navy Seals. Parker is a photographer.
Parker and Milo are engaged. One day, Milo gets killed in action in the Dominican Republic. The death seems very suspicious
and Garrett is asked to go there to check it out.
The Navy photographer has been injured and cannot go on the mission ...
Whadda ya know, guess who gets the job?
Yep, Parker - as she is affectionately known.
Garrett is not happy. He has loved her for years but because of his loyalty to Milo,he has never acted on it, not even now that Milo is dead.
They must pose as a married couple ....

Let's just say that it wasn't just the temperature in the
Dominican Republic that was HOT, Garrett and Parker could
sure spin a hot scene once they got going.
Won't go into all the details about the rest of the book -
will leave it to your goodselves to read it and judge.
I paid $4.40 for it and I see that it is now on sale on Amazon for 64 cents.
A BARGAIN - GO AND BUY IT.

AND yes, happily for lil' old me they did get ….


"This one day, a sweet, beautiful girl walked into a coffee shop
and my world came to a standstill.
She was shy and had a smile that could light up a room.
But there was something in her eyes that made me want to
take away all of her pain. I couldn't breathe, I couldn't speak …
I just wanted to know her. But I had a friend who had a rough life.
He was always getting pushed aside and struggling to be happy.
I saw him make that beautiful girl laugh,
and I knew I needed to step back.
I knew I needed to let him grab onto that happiness once and for all.
I stepped aside and I watched them grow together
and love together and each and every moment it tore my heart in two.
I wanted it to be me. I wanted to be the one to love her.
So I did.
She just never knew it….
when something you've wanted for as long as you can remember is finally yours, you can have a hard time believing it's real.
You find yourself wondering if it's just a dream and
in one careless moment it will all be taken away from you ...."


Sigh, I loved Garrett.

"I love you." ….. And in time she knew all of her wounds would heal as long as she had Garrett to love her.


…. And I get my Epilogue - seriously, every book should have an Epilogue …..

Garrett realised in that moment
it was time to say goodbye to the past 
and the beautiful lies he'd told and
say hello to his future.

[Christy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am so impressed! As much as I love Tara Sivec’s Chocolate Lovers series(some of the funniest books I have ever read!) This book is in a whole different league! It is AMAZING! This book had a little comedy, romance and tons of action, suspense and steam! I loved it!!!

But if you were given the chance to go back, to tell the truth instead of lie to save someones life and their feelings... would you?

Parker and Garrett have been best friends for eight years. They have always had feelings for each other, a spark. Parker meets Garrett and Milo her first year of college. They are best friends. Although Garrett gives her butterflies and makes her hear race, Parker is afraid to pursue anything with Garrett from the very beginning. She ends up dating Milo, someone safe and uncomplicated.
She swore she would never let someone take so much of her heart and soul that it would wither away to nothing once they were gone. She gave up on the dream of finding someone to consume her mind, body, and soul. It only ruined you in the end. It left you broken and unable to live.
He was the one person that could make her change her mind about everything and it scared her to death.
Garrett loves Parker, but he never acts on it because Milo has been his best friend since he's been a kid. He has always been there for Milo to protect him and defend him. He assumes Milo and Parker are happy, good for each other, and in love. He would never interfere with his two best friends relationship.

Garrett and Milo are both Navy Seals. Parker is an accomplished photographer. Parker and Milo are engaged to be married. Then one day, Milo gets killed during a secret mission to the Dominican. Things look suspicious so Garrett volunteers to check things out... Parker goes with him. She has some secrets of her own. She is a really a badass CIA agent
They take a team there, and try to uncover some truth to what has happened to Milo...
He’d been one person with Garrett and another with Parker. And obviously, he’d been a third person with both of them. Garrett had no idea which Milo was the real one.
I would love to go into this book, but I don’t want to give too much away- I was shocked when a lot of things came to light, especially in the end. Parker and Garrett discover so much about each other that they never knew. Obviously, with Milo out of the picture... they start to explore there feelings for one another.
“But he doesn’t look at you like he just wants to be friends, little ninja. He looks at you like you’re the key to his soul and like he wants to devour you.”
The ‘almost’ sex scenes and the sex scenes in this book were passionate and hot... crazy hot!

I fell in love with Garrett in this book! He is such a great guy, he’s kind, loyal, protective, sexy and just completely lovable. I also really like Parker a lot. She was a tough cookie and I was really shocked with what came to be with her character. I connected with both of them and loved the chemistry between them. Milo... I wasn’t so shocked when I found out he was alive, but holy crap... mother of all deception! I was so surprised with what happened with him! Ultimate betrayal with Parker and Garrett, his only real family. I was disgusted with him. I mostly felt heartbroken for Garrett and Parker. How much of the last eight(much longer for Garrett) years of their lives with Milo were real and what was fake

I was hooked from the beginning of this story. I loved everything about it! I don't read a lot of third person pov's, but it was cool to see a little bit inside of everyones head. It had more action then I’m used to, but a lot of heart also. It kept me on my toes... but it also made me smile, made me cry Oh the letter from her dad... cried like a baby! The truth is, you’re mother wasn’t the love of my life, not really. She was my wife, and I always have and always will love her. But you, my Annabelle, my daughter, YOU are the love of my life. it was just awesome! Take a chance on this book! It doesn’t matter what genre you are used to reading, its got a little something for everyone!

Some of my favorite quotes: (possible spoilers... reader beware :D Garrett is so fantastic! )

“I shouldn’t have waited until I almost lost you. I know love isn’t something that comes easy for you or that you even believe in it. I know and I don’t care. I don’t care if you’re afraid to love me back, I don’t care if you never feel the same way I do. I just need you to know, right here and right now, that I am in love with you, Annabelle Parker.”

“I’m not scared because I can’t give you my love in return, I’m scared because I love you so much sometimes its hard to breathe. I’m scared because I never wanted to lose myself in someone as deeply as my parents did. I’m scared because I was so stupid to realize I would have no control over that where you were concerned.”

“When something you’ve wanted for as long as you can remember is finally yours, you have a hard time believing its real. You find yourself wondering if it’s just a dream and in one careless moment it will all be taken away from you.”

It symbolized their past, present, and future. It represented the fact that through it all, the love they shared could heal even the most severe wounds.

All of the pain, all of the longing and regrets, every single moment was worth it in the end. If he’d made different choices back then, if he’d told the truth and made her his, they might not be where they are right now.

[Aestas Book Blog · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a really hard review for me because I didn't really want to feel the way I did about this book, but I'm going to just be 100% honest here. I adored the Chocolate Lovers series. And I wanted to love this book. I really, truly did. With all my heart. But… this book was not really for me in the end. I ended up sort of liking it, but really not connecting to it in any emotional way – which, to me, is a huge part of what I seek when I read a book.

I should start off by saying that one of the reasons I loved the Chocolate Lovers series was not just because they were funny, but because they also had a bit of a bit of heart and I really cared for the characters.

I didn��t find that with this book though. I felt that the writing style ‘told’ me the story rather than allowing me to ‘experience’ it and as such I felt a bit of a disconnect from the characters.

This is a story about Navy Seals, secret missions, and the requiting of an unrequited love.
When there are suspicious circumstances surrounding the death of their best friend Milo, its up to Garrett and Annabelle to go back to his last known location and figure out the truth behind it.
But when they go undercover as a couple, how long can they hold up the pretense before their real feelings start to take over?

"The way they argued, the way they joked, the way they loved, the way they took care of one another - it all boiled down to the fact that they were just meant to be together like this."

I’m going to admit that I feel pretty bad giving this book a 3 star rating but, in the interest of full honesty, I don’t feel I can give it more. However, I will say that it is a happy, full 3. This is not a bad book at all, there were just a lot of elements to it that didn’t make me 'feel' for and be emotionally connected to the story which kept me from rating it higher: the narrative that told rather than showed, the lack of communication and self-imposed UST between the main characters (seriously, I just wanted to lock them in a room and not let them out till their had told each other the truth) drove me a little crazy, and there were a few things that make me look at the page with squinty skeptical eyes. But also, again in the interest of honesty here, I think maybe it might the genre? After reading this book and a few others like it, I don’t honestly think that romantic suspense is my thing. I guess at the end of the day, I prefer more character driven stories where its focused more on the emotional connection with and to the characters than it is about the details of the plot.

Now, this being said, the plot of this book was exciting and engaging in many places and I was interested in it. There were a few steamy scenes - especially the whole 'pool' thing!! Hot! And I also enjoyed how the deeper they dug into the situation, the more the mystery deepened.

But, I don’t know. I guess I just really wasn’t feeling that ‘spark’ with this book.

This being said, I’m still a huge fan of Tara’s writing and am looking forward to her next book. She tells a good story and since this is her first foray into a new genre, I have no doubt that the books will just keep getting better and better.

My casting:




Back cover:

[SueBee★bring me an alpha!★]

FREE today on Amazon US (3/18/2014).
http://www.amazon.com/Beautiful-Lie-P...

[Bayli · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 Action packed and Sexified Stars

OKay.. Seriously They are Perfect!!!!!!

My Cast:

Garrett is played by Henry Cavill


Parker is played by Olivia Wilde


Milo played by Adam Rodriguez


This book should be made into a movie.. Immediately.

Seriously.
Someone needs to get on that like right down- Mark my words. The movie would be a freakin hit!

A Beautiful Lie was not what I expected. I admit I didnt do much research about it, I didnt even read other reviews... I honestly just jumped head first into this beautiful story.

I was pleasantly surprised.

I was getting into a bit of a book funk and this cured it.

The heroine was a beautiful woman with spunk to match. She was fierce and powerful and could take care of herself.. You gotta love a female character that is seriously bad effin ass. And Parker was definitely that.

The main man, or as I like to call him my new husband, Garrett, was the hottest thing. Lord. He was down right sexy with his love for Parker and wanting nothing more than to be with her but keeping his feelings from her because his best friend was "in love" with her. The fact that he was a military man just made him that much hotter to me. *fans self*.

The story was rich with action. Twists and Turns were spewing from every direction and half the time I had no idea what would happen next.

I fell in love with Parker and Garrett and wanted to jump into the fighting scenes and kick some serious ass every time there was a fight!

Read this book ya'll! :)

[Kellie Maddox-Ward · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m not going to do my normal review style where I tell you the story and then I give my opinion.

I just want to rant and rave about this book!

WITHOUT GIVING ANYTHING AWAY HOPEFULLY!

You all know what that means yeah?! A GIF REVIEW!

I LOVED IT! I LOVED IT! I SHOUTY CAPITALS LOVED IT!

Tara Sivec is a genius! I loved her other books. PLEASE leave your love for The Chocolate Lovers at the door as this is NOTHING like them.
I LOVED THIS. She can do NO WRONG in my eyes.



Honestly at the start of this I wasn’t sure what to expect.
I thought it was your typical love triangle between Milo, Parker and Garrett.


Oh did I mention that Garrett and Milo are Navy SEALS?!

Well in a way it was… But at the same time NOTHING like I expected!
It was just twist and turn, left hook right hook, uppercut and bodyslams ALLLL the time!

Re-Enactment of me reading this.


LA LA LA THIS IS GREAT

OH WASN’T EXPECTING THAT TWIST..
OKAAAYYYY…

LA LA LA LA *SIGH* GARRETT


SWEET LITTLE BABY JESUS DID NOT SEE THAT COMING!
OKKKAAYY WHERE IS THIS GOING


OOOOooooOOOOOoooooOOOOO
SOO MANY SECRETS AND LIES WHICH IS TRUE WHICH AREN’T?


OOO YEAH I’VE GOT IT FIGURED OUT NOW…..

TO WHICH TARA IS ALL LIKE…

YOU DON’T BITCH
HERE’S 3 RANDOM PUNCHES TO YOUR HEAD TO BLOW IT UP IN A ROW AND KEEP YOU GUESSING!





AWW YEAH?! WELL I DEF KNOW WHAT’S GOING TO HAPPEN NOW!



GODDAMNIT TARA!




At the end of the day?



I can’t recommend this book enough! Most people on here seem to be between 2-4 stars for it. Me personally. LOVE IT!

[K · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book just started off all wrong for me. I really need to start reading the samples before relying on the average review rating to buy a book:

1. One of my absolute biggest pet peeves of writing – third person omniscient. When done well, I don’t mind it – but in this book, the head jumps are just too frequent. From one paragraph to another, it’s disorienting to jump between that many points of view. (I think I could have been okay with switching POV between sections or chapters, but not within the same scene.) I found myself struggling to get through the first few chapters to even make it to the story.

2. Spoon-fed information whenever the author felt like it. Character and story development relied on quasi flashbacks to whatever relevant period of time to provide background. They weren’t well placed, and actually disrupted the flow of the story.

3. I didn’t realize this was some kind of Navy Seal / CIA thriller. If I had, I would have either (a) passed, or (b) found a novel written by an author familiar with the genre. Either way, I bought the book, so I muddled through it. I’m no expert on how Navy Seals and the CIA do things, but I had to suspend disbelief in a couple of areas that seemed so simple:

a. I doubt that, while going deep undercover, a trained CIA agent would carry identifying information for her actual identity. (At one point, she whips out her passport to show the other main character that she worked for the CIA)

b. Not sure why a highly complex mission with elite members would wait until they were onsite to do background/internet research on their targets.

The story was interesting enough, but I found myself distracted by the writing style. Mostly personal preference, but frustrating none the less.

[Fatima · Rating 4 out of 5]

"When something you’ve wanted for as long as you can remember is finally yours, you have a hard time believing it’s real,” Garrett said softly as he moved closer to Parker and her body angled towards him. “You find yourself wondering if it’s just a dream and in one careless moment it will all be taken away from you.”



Woohoo ! Tara Sivec really twists a 360 with this one !! From her hugely acclaimed , laugh-your-ass-out comedy 'The Chocolate Lovers - Seduction and Snacks Futures and Frosting Troubles and Treats ' series to an intelligent military styled romance , she's proved herself to be quite a versatile novelist !



A beautiful Lie basically revolves around 3 best friends , Garrett McCarthy , Annabelle Parker and Milo Roberts . 3 best friends who met each other when they were in college . Milo and Anna fell in love while Garrett always wished for their happiness . It didn't matter that he harbored feelings for Anna , for him the only thing that mattered was Milo's happiness . And Milo's happiness was Anna . So Garrett watched , pretended to be happy and always wished the best for his best friends . Anna wanted her heart to be safe . She did not want to fall in love with someone deeply . She did not want someone else to be able to break the walls around her heart or her heart . She did not want anybody else to have the power of love over her . So she chose the easy way out . Squashed her feelings for Garrett and accepted what Milo had to offer . Because Milo was much easier to handle .

Yo Garrett and Anna ...



Well , moving on .....

Eight years later , things have changed . Changed to a whole lot of mess ! Milo is gone , leaving Garrett and Anna to pick up the pieces and move on . But nothing was as it seemed . Everyone has secrets . Everyone lies for their conveniences , for protecting someone they love , for getting something that has been denied to them for too long . Garrett and Anna want the truth , and nothing but the truth . Even if it meant uncovering their own lies to one another .



But what will they find ?? What will they see when the clouds of deception and lies finally clear out the sky ??? Well , read the book and find out for yourself ..

My thoughts :

Like I mentioned earlier , A beautiful Lie is a very cleverly etched story . The story moves back and forth giving the readers glimpses of Garrett , Anna and Milo's relationship and their history . T.E Sivec manages to keep the reader embroiled in this concrete web of deception and lies that , as a reader you cant help but ask ..



yeah , I found myself asking me that question a lot of times !

The characters are pretty likeable ! My favorite absolutely being Annabelle Parker ! That lady needs no man I tell ya ... She kicks asses and takes no prisoners ! Goooooooo



Absolutely loved her !

Garrett really shined as the always sacrificing best friend ! Although , the guy is a total no-nonsense dude , he always did what he could for his best friends . And Milo , well ... Just Crazy ! Like Crazy with a capital C !!!!

The sexual tension in this book is over-the-rooftop hot ! Garrett and Anna wanted each other but thought about a lot of things , like a shit load of things to act upon their feelings ! All their almost-sex encounters were definitely burning down a few panties somewhere ! * wink wink *

To sum it all up , A beautiful lie is a grip-the-edge-of-your-seats story that will leave the reader feeling like they've just watched a top-notch Hollywood action film with all its glitz and glamor !

I cant wait to read more in the Playing With Fire series !

[Paula · Rating 4 out of 5]

-- A Romantic Book Affairs Review

It’s a beautiful lie. It’s the perfect denial. Such a beautiful lie to believe in.

I really adore Tara Sivec’s Chocolate series but A Beautiful Lie shows just how eclectic and talented of a writer she truly is. I am honored and excited to be able to review this story for her. A Beautiful Lie starts off with a slow build, as the reader gets to know the characters and their past history. And, just when I was growing slightly bored of the character’s back story, I was thrust into a suspenseful story loaded with plot twists, betrayals, secrets, hot passion, smoldering sexual tension, lies, lies, and more lies.

A Beautiful Lie is Annabelle Parker, Garrett McCarthy, and Milo Roberts story. Garrett and Milo have been friends since high school, where Garrett and his family took Milo in from a very violent home where he was abused by his father. Garrett and Milo may not have been blood but they were brothers in every other way. They went to college together and then became Navy Seals together. Garrett and Milo met Parker at a coffee shop one day. Garrett was immediately drawn to Parker, but Milo is the one who claimed her as his. Garrett, the loyal friend that he is, would’ve done anything for Milo, even let him claim the one girl that stole his heart at first glance. And, for the next eight years, these three were as close as best friends could be. While one had the girl, the other wished he had the girl.

Eventually Milo and Parker became engaged to be married. As Parker was planning the wedding, Milo went on a mission to the Dominican Republic. But he never came back home. He died during this mission. Garrett, unable to get over his best friend’s death, is determined to reveal what really happened on the island. So he volunteered to go on another mission in the Dominican Republic. This mission requires a man and woman to pose as a married couple who are a journalists and photographer. Their mission is to get close to the President of the Dominican Republic to expose a scandal.

Parker is a world famous freelance photographer. When she finds out the photographer that originally was supposed to go on the mission, couldn’t go. Parker, stubborn and determined, decides to take her place. Garrett wants to protect Parker and refuses to let her go. But there is something Garrett doesn’t know about Parker which leaves him with no choice but to take her with him.

"If you were mine, I would never be able to walk away from you. If you were mine, I'd worship every inch of your body with my hands, lips, and tongue. If you were mine, I wouldn't be able to stand in the same room as you without running my hands over your skin and tasting your lips. If you were mine..." -Garrett

From the beginning, we learn about Garrett and Parker’s feelings for one another that they have never told each other for eight years. For years he kept his feelings hidden from Parker, and for years he has tried to fill the emptiness and jealousy over Milo and Parker’s relationship with empty relationships. But, even as he struggles with his guilt and shame, because of his love for his best friend’s girl, the battle that has been raging inside him reaches a breaking point. His carefully built walls began to crumble. And eventually fall.

Oh, but Garrett is not the only one who has been hiding his feelings all these years. Parker gave herself to Milo, but her heart always belonged to Garrett. However, after Milo’s death and working closely to Garrett, things between them begin to heat up. And, because Parker no longer had Milo to hide behind, she could no longer deny her feelings for Garrett.

"I’m not scared because I can't give you my love in return she told him softly. I'm scared because I love you so much sometimes it's hard to breathe" –Parker

I really love Garrett and Parker. They truly are friends first and foremost. The emotional baggage they’ve both been carrying around all these years is painful and sad. As they both battle internally with their feelings, I was extremely frustrated. I wanted them to fess up to their feelings, rip their clothes off, and have hot and fiery sex! And, good lord, the sexual tension between these two was off the charts explosive! The “almost” sex scenes were just as intense and smoldering, if not more, as the actual sex scenes. Ms. Sivec definitely knows how write sexual tension to the point my whole body was lit up with excitement.

Not only was the sexual tension incredible, but the mystery behind Milo’s death was also incredibly intense. There are so many secrets and lies and betrayals all tightly woven into the plot. All of these characters have so many secrets. None of them could’ve ever imagined how different their lives would be after this mission. The plot twists were clever and would sneak up on me. I had quite a few “OMG” moments as I began to realize everything is not what it truly seems. Not to mention all of the “what if” moments. What if Garrett stepped forward and claimed Parker first? What if Parker decided not to date Milo? What if? What if? What if?

To sum it up, this story is about how appearances can be deceiving, lies hurt, secrets hurt, and true love is unconditional. This exciting and engaging story kept me on the edge of my seat almost the entire time. The only thing that kept me from rating this book an A is the slow beginning. But if you struggle like I did at first, keep going, it is well worth it. I can’t wait to see what Ms. Sivec comes up with next in her new Playing with Fire series.

Rating:B+
Heat: Hot


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[Farah · Rating 2 out of 5]

2 sad sad stars!!!

This book let me down big time! Words possibly cannot explain!
I think I'm just too irritated that I wasted 2 days reading this!!

The writing was beyond bad! The whole 'writing in the third person' is so terrible!
This already took the book down to 3 stars!

So many shockers!! I was like huh???!!!!!???!!!



The only reason why I carried on reading is because I wanted to see Garett and Parker together... :)
Best friends....



Ok let me sum it up....

Milo is a dick who betrayed everything who thought they knew him!

I'm so happy That there was a HEA for Garett and parker. This saved this book from being 1 star!

The happiest part of my day was finishing this book!

[Jenny - TotallybookedBlog · Rating 5 out of 5]

This and other reviews can be found at http://totallybookedblog.com/

4.5 Stars

I have to honest and say when I initially picked this book up I went into it with reservations. Not about T E Sivec’s (Tara Sivec) talent because I had loved her Chocolate Series and know she can write wonderful characters and engaging stories, but this book about Navy Seals, which has suspense, romance and drama was such a departure from her previous work I did wonder how she was going to pull it off.

Well how misplaced were those concerns and how clueless was I to ever question if she could do this! There is no doubt in my mind that this author nailed this genre! This book had it all. It was intriguing, romantic, suspenseful and not only that but this felt like more than a story, this book was like an adventure on pages and it was a journey I was on all the way!

The story does build quite slowly at first while we’re introduced to the main characters Annabelle (Parker), Garrett (be still my book boyfriend heart!) and Milo and acquire background detail on their story. Three friends who are as close as friends could get. These three have an unbreakable bond. They’ve shared and experienced so much together and you really feel the camaraderie between them.

I loved the characters of Parker and Garrett instantly. I connected with them and I was invested in these two from the very first page. I liked Milo, but he didn’t have the same pull for me that the other two did.

I know the third person writing can be a distraction for some people but I never felt it in this book at all. I felt the moments and I loved the switch between Parker and Garrett which allowed me to see both sides of the story and therefore feel an all round connection with what was going on around them.

Parker has to be up there as one of my favourite book heroines. This girl has it all. She’s confident, kick ass, full of personality, is strong yet incredibly vulnerable at same time. There are times I just wanted to give her a big. This girl really does get put through the wringer. What a wonderfully refreshing female character Parker was.

I loved the way the story unfolded, I loved the flashbacks which gave us glimpses into their pasts and I was left positively gasping in parts due to the pure suspense of the story. Talk about getting the adrenaline pumping! I have to be honest and say I haven’t read many suspense stories, but if this is anything to go by I need to venture out more because this one definitely kept me on my toes.

I was there every step of the way, I went everywhere they went, I saw it through their eyes and I felt everything they felt and at times it left me breathless!

I was astounded at the level of detail T E Sivec brought to this book. It floored me how realistic the scenarios were that played out before my eyes. I’m guessing a lot of research went into writing this story.

Be sure to dust off a spot on the book boyfriend shelf ladies because Garrett McCarthy is going to steal your heart! This alpha, hot Navy Seal definitely had me fanning myself on more than a few occasions. If I was ever caught in a dangerous situation this is the guy I want by my side. Oh hell, even if I wasn’t in a dangerous situation I’d want Garret beside me!

Did I forget to mention the steam factor in this book? Yep, it’s pretty steamy that’s for sure, but the sex scenes aren’t contrived and felt real. They were passionate, romantic and hot indeed with the chemistry and sexual tension making me anticipate every moment.

As I said before, this story is a slow burner and I urge you to hang on and strap yourself in because once it takes flight you will eventually be taken on a ride through some intense, suspenseful, emotional, dramatic and passionate scenes, in a story that I hope will bring as much to you as it did me.

The conclusion was perfect, the epilogue was beautiful and I even shed a few tears. All in all this was an enjoyable reading experience.



ARC supplied for an honest review

[Lady Gabriella of Awesomeness (SLOW) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ok ,I think I'm finally ready....



So I'll admit, At the beginning, I found this book utterly bored me out. The plot-line dragged on with the whole cliche 'I-love-my best-friend's-girl.Damn ! I wish I could have her !' theme which kinda had Garrett (our tortured male lead ) wallowing in self pity for over 1/2 the book.There was honestly a point when I wondered if I'm ever going to find this book bearable enough to finish it. But I Forced myself to sit down and follow through.Not me babe I'm not a quitter.

A Beautiful Lie by T.E.Sivec is solely based on relationships between Garrett McCarthy, Annabelle Parker, and Milo Roberts .

All 3 best friends who stood together through thick and thin,all 3 best friends that ended up creating the most dangerous love triangle of all times....



The first 1/2 of the book was a total drag with the plot elaborating on the integrity of the NAVYSEALS and the CIA while on the other side droned on and on about Garrett's Self pity and guilt to such an extent.I was ready to take a gun and put it through my head,to end both our miseries.



(I honestly was in half a mind to throw them both into a life boat and leave them stranded all night until they worked their issues out..Serious communication problems are so over done.)

And Finally...Finally ! When I reached page 220;Things really started to pick up! Garrett and Annabelle,both moved down a step while the secondary characters took over and changed the game.It was only around somewhere HERE that I finally started pay actual attention to the plot.

Mystery,romance,pain and drama notched up so quickly I was left shocked and utterly impresssed at the way the writer decided to finish things.And that,my friends,was what lead me to give it a 4 star, It's end.

Recommended to anybody with patience and in need for a light-hearted action read.Nothing really memorable or worth re-reading :/

(Oh and a word to all fans of the 'Chocolate lover' series out there ,This book is very different from those,and humor is defiantly not one of the genre I would use to describe this ....Just thought I'd let u lovlies know ! =)

[Lana ❇✾DG Romance❇✾ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Boy oh boy it pains me to do this.

Let me preface this review by saying I love Tara Sivec's writing. Her Chocolate Lovers Series is forever in my favorites shelf.

This is a huge reason why I was so eagerly anticipating the release of this book. I love me some Romantic Suspense...and judging by Ms. Sivec's previous work, I just knew I would love this book.

That's a huge reason, I suppose, of why I'm so disappointed with this book. :(

Let me start off with what I liked:
1. The story itself was great! The plot was intense and interesting and the twists kept coming and coming.
2. The Characters Garrett, Le Sigh, oh so sexy Garrett. Loved him! and Parker was the ultimate heroine. All the supporting characters were fantastic as well.
3. The Romance I loved reading the romance finally develop between Garrett and Parker after so many years of unrequited love. The love scenes?? GOOD GAWD! they.were.HOT!

Now what I didn't like:

1. The formatting The story flip flopped A LOT, going from past tense, to present tense and back...it made it very hard to keep up with at times due to the formatting of the paragraphs. There was no font change to indicate a change, there was no paragraph indentation or spacing. This became super frustrating for me after a while, since I often would be into the story, and it would switch to 8 years ago, or a few months ago, or a few days or hours ago, without any warning in the writing whatsoever. An italics font would have helped, maybe spacing in the paragraphs between present and past...or I dunno...anything!

2. The writing GAH! this was so frustrating for me. I'm not used to this from this author. I loved her previous books, they just flowed for me. The writing was fantastic. It unfolded for the reader almost like a movie. I did not get that with this book. I felt like the author was "telling" me the entire story, as opposed to showing me. At times this frustrated me so much, I just had to put the book down, and it took me longer than usual to finish.

3. The transitions ummm..where were they?? There weren't any clear transitions between scenes. Also, the flip flopping between character thoughts; it goes from Parker to Garrett back to Parker to another character like Cole and then back and etc with no clear transition between them. It does this VERY frequently throughout the book. The flow is not smooth and it reads very choppy. I dunno how else to describe it.

I feel the problem might have been that Ms. Sivec's previous books (that I've read) were written in first person, and perhaps the transition to 3rd person wasn't as smooth in this novel. Le Sigh.. Either way, it just didn't work for me.

There were some editing issues with this book, but for something that cost me $3.99, I really can't complain about it too much. I've seen editing errors be worse in many published books of more well known authors with editors and publishers that cost much more. The editing issue here was mostly lack of spacing between two words like Garrettmoved...and a few other instances.

So all in all, it looks as if I'm in the minority once again with my rating of this book among all the great 5 star reviews.

To be fair, I'll give it 3 stars, since my issue wasn't with the story but more with the style of writing.

I will still read the next book in this series, and keep my fingers crossed that perhaps it will be better. (fingers crossed)

[Donna ~ The Romance Cover · Rating 5 out of 5]

Can Tara Sivec write outside her comfort zone????? Oh yes she can, amazing story, amazing characters, suspense, thrilling, romantic, intriguing and totally addictive. I could not put this book down...the chemistry between Garrett and Parker was palpable, the pages literally burned...they were totally engaging, loveable and I was rooting for them from the start. This book is about hot navy seals, kickass CIA agents and a plot to thwart illegal activities in the Dominican whilst the romance between the leading h&h develops and progresses, I am being a bit sparse as I do not want to give the story away but it is a truly amazing piece of literary genius that no doubt I will read again and again, what a start to 2013. Big congrats to Tara she has pulled 5 big fat shiny sparkly stars out of the bag once again...did I say this book was AMAZING...buy it, read it, devour it, you will not be disappointed.

[Natasha is a Book Junkie · Rating 4 out of 5]

“If you were mine, I would never be able to walk away from you. If you were mine, I'd worship every inch of your body with my hands, lips, and tongue. If you were mine, I wouldn’t be able to stand in the same room as you without running my hands over your skin and tasting your lips. If you were mine…”

Oh My… Never in a million years did I expect the woman who only recently left me in stitches and caused me to snort from laughter to now make my heart race and my skin tingle. This book was such a welcome but completely unexpected surprise – it took Ms Sivec out of the ‘funny box’ and catapulted her into any genre she damn wishes to write in. If I’ve learned anything from this book is that no one puts Tara in a ‘box’.

This story starts as many others do – three best friends, a love triangle marked by years of unspoken feelings and regrets. Our heroine, Parker, is a young woman whose past conditioned her to believe that allowing herself to love someone completely and sharing all of herself with another would only lead to disappointment and a broken heart. She watched her own father fade away after the death of her mother, shattered and changed by the intense pain from losing the love of his life. Watching him turn his back on his own daughter scarred her deeply, but it also affected every relationship that Parker entered into after that, always keeping her distance and never allowing herself to love with all her heart.

“She swore she would never let someone take so much of her heart and soul that it would wither away to nothing once they were gone. She gave up on the dream of finding someone to consume her mind, body, and soul. It only ruined you in the end. It only left you broken and unable to live.”

Garrett and Milo have been best friends since they were children, Garrett always taking the selfless role of protector and defender, and never once putting his own ambitions or dreams before Milo’s. He sees Parker first but he does not act on it because he notices his friend’s interest in her as well. For years he then watches his best friend with the woman of his dreams, silently wishing it was him sharing a life with her, compartmentalizing his feelings and turning a lie into his daily truth.

“He buried his feelings, his wants, and desires and stepped aside so his friend could finally find some peace and happiness.”

When Parker meets Garrett and Milo, two young Navy SEALS recruits, in her first year of college, she inevitably goes for the one that doesn’t awaken her body and soul, the one that doesn’t make her heart skip a beat every time he looks at her. She starts a nice and easy relationship with Milo, the ‘safer’ one of the two, a relationship with no complications or expectations, one that progresses at a steady pace but leaves Parker free to keep her distance. Her friendship with Garrett, on the other hand, only grows over the years, making them each other’s confidante and shoulder to cry on, but they never cross that line where they would have to admit their feelings to each other. They both suppress their lingering thoughts about one another, the painful ‘what-ifs’, nurturing their friendship above all else.

And then one day Milo gets killed under suspicious circumstances during a top-secret mission abroad.

What follows is a fast-paced suspense-ridden adventure with secrets unveiled at every corner. We watch Parker and Garrett navigate through endless lies, struggle with what they discover about their friend’s death, but even more with what they are forced to admit to each other. Their chemistry sizzles, takes a life of its own, making this not only an exciting and suspenseful roller-coaster ride of a story, but also a seismic romance between two people who were never meant to be apart. They struggle with their feelings, question what their bodies won’t deny them, desperate to break through each other’s defences and find their happily-ever-after.

“Garrett couldn’t get deep enough, couldn’t feel enough of her body. He wanted to drown in her and shout at the top of his lungs that she was his. It was always her, only her.”

This was such a genre departure for this awesome author and she pulled it off beautifully. If I had to make a remark on anything that perhaps didn’t work so well for me it would be the number of ‘inner voices’ we get to hear throughout the story, even for the most secondary of characters. I would have also preferred more dialogues to be able to read the motivations behind a character’s actions, rather than to be told what they were. The narrative overtook the dialogues and that for me personally was overwhelming at times. But regardless of this, the writing style was mature and engaging, firmly cementing Ms Sivec as one of my favourite authors.

If you are looking for a gripping, fast-moving, stimulating read that will keep you glued to the pages and squeal from delight, look no further. It is a beautiful lie indeed.

“I know love isn’t something that comes easy for you or that you even believe in it. I know and I don’t care. I don’t care if you’re afraid to love me back, I don’t care if you never feel the same way that I do. I just need you to know, right here and right now, that I am in love with you, Annabelle Parker.”

[4.5 STARS}

~ N ♥

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[Anna · Rating 5 out of 5]

So, I wish I had never read this book. In e format, that is. I seriously had to keep going back to triple check that the author of this book was the same one that had me laughing myself to tears with her Chocolate Lover's series. It's unfathomable how the same author wrote these books! This is a sign of pure freaking genius, to crossover with this level of success.

With that out of the way, let me tell you that I lost myself in this book. Milo, Annabelle and Garrett are very solid characters with a very rich history that we get to explore randomly throughout the book, and quite deeply as well. The reader gets a real connection with these people and the friendship and love that exist. Once you start feeling and understanding their pasts, it all starts to fall apart.

THEN...the Navy Seal/CIA type of mystery, investigation and intrigue start. If I was a betting gal, I would say that Sivec grew up reading those romance mystery novels because this novel had some old school romance intrigue feel.

The gunfights, revelations by the bad guys and military type missions weren't overshadowed by the second guessing of true love and loyalties. There was A LOT going on in this book all the time and that made for a must read feel.

I'm may have loved this book because of Tara's place on my fave author list and the fact my expectations were slanted because I wanted to love it out my high hopes for her. I notice from other reviews that this book was a hit with everyone though, no surprise. It was great!!

[Jennifer Kyle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tara Sivec’s Chocolate Lovers series is one of the most entertaining series that I have read to date. So as soon as the first book of her new series was available I clicked purchased and jumped right in.

A Beautiful Lie is about as far from the Chocolate Lovers series as you can get. It definitely worked but was it for me? I think so I enjoyed it.

The story is told in the third person, which gives the reader the thoughts of all characters involved in this in depth story of navy seals, FBI agents, CIA agents, crooked leaders and best friends.
The story line was a bit slow in the beginning but I couldn’t wait to uncover all the LIES so I read on.

The two main characters Garrett (navy seal) and Parker (CIA agent), long time best friends decide to go undercover to find out what happened to Parker’s finance Milo in the Dominican. Garrett and Parker play newlyweds and all the feelings that the two have kept hidden are brought to the surface on their quest for the truth.

My favorite character had to be Garrett I found that he was the most relatable as well as pretty hot.

Truthfully, mystery novels aren’t my thing but the promise of romance held my attention throughout the book as well as the reveal of all secrets. I did enjoy the journey and it was a good read.

[Maida · Rating 2 out of 5]

This novel was very long & very tedious, & I'm thankful that it's over.... When an author writes a romantic storyline involving the Navy Seals & government corruption, set against an international backdrop, he/she walks a fine line between excitement & cheesiness. And although I really enjoyed the first 40-50% of this novel, I'm sad to say that (for me) the novel quickly spiraled into cheesy trite territory. I commend the author for trying to write a romance novel with a complex storyline. Unfortunately, I believe that the author was too ambitious & tried to do WAY TOO MUCH. The last quarter of the novel was very difficult to get through-- many of the twists & turns were just too unrealistic & much of it played out like a mediocre soap opera. *2.5/5 stars*

[Anne OK · Rating 4 out of 5]

First time author for me – I have not read Tara Sivec’s “Chocolate Lovers Series” raved about by so many readers. I’m considering myself lucky that I don’t have to compare or fear the change in writing genres. Nope, this “beautiful” reading experience was only between the author T.E. Sivec and me.

Before my applaud and cheers, I mention the only flaw that gave me pause. The division line between past and present in the third person writing style was a bit murky at times. I found myself returning to a paragraph or page to make clear who was talking and was it from past or present day. I want to make clear that it didn’t disrupt long enough to ruin my enthusiasm for this book.

This author has written a well-balanced combination of intrigue, suspense, and romance in “A Beautiful Lie.” With deceit and lies at the center of this story, three best friends find themselves in the middle of a passionate romantic triangle as well as an explosive “generational” secret military mission. Call in the FBI, the Navy SEALs and the CIA! The plot is filled with high octane action. There’s hardly a moment to catch your breath. And it’s really well-written and highly entertaining action. It almost felt like I was watching an action-packed thriller at the movies.

Some reviewers have mentioned the slow build as a negative in the beginning where the plot and characters are being introduced. This slow burn had no adverse effect on this reader. It only enhanced the unfolding story and the well-developed construction of the characters. Sometimes the best things are worth the wait. As was the case here.

A sweet and tender epilogue made for a perfect ending. Looking forward to Brady's story in the second book in Tivec's "Playing With Fire" series.

Highly recommend.

[Vikki ~ *squee* lite ~ · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 Stars

There are lots of good reviews so here is my quick and dirty

What I didn't like

1) the constant changed in POV. I swear we jumped in and out of every characters head, sometimes getting multiple POV's in one paragraph. I got past it, but it almost made me give up on the book

2) near the end the action didn't keep my attention like it should have. I didn't feel a sense of urgency, even though I should have been worried silly.

3) Garrett being a stupid dumbass, more than once and not having faith in Parker.

What I did like:

1) Parker. She was kick ass. Loved her.

2) The plot. It was interesting and original. Loved the twists.

3) Secondary characters. I can't wait for Brady's book!

[Belle · Rating 4 out of 5]

They both knew everything about this moment would change them forever. They both understood there was no
going back.

What an insanely complicated and full-of-twists book. The whole first half of the book was just one mystery after another, and I just wanted to know what Milo's goddamn secrets were! The betrayals, the heartache, the wrong-doings, the love, the happiness and the devastation - well this book just drew me in and spat me right back out.

"I didn't lie to you. I protected you. There's a difference," Parker said softly, her mouth inches from his.

The plot was original, and I definitely loved the unrelenting mystery story that led the way. All the secrets each of the three main characters kept from one another shocked me at every turn, and it left me wanting more.

"Every single day for eight years you were the only one I ever wanted to be completely honest with."

The heroine was one word.. in a nutshell.. KICKASS. She was just freaking awesome. I guess that comes with being a CIA agent I loved how she didn't take crap from anyone but at the same time showed a bit of vulnerability towards the other characters, Garrett in particular.

Love is a blessing which one can only hope for.

Garrett - what character. Selfless, smart, cunning, attractive, loyal, brave - what more could ask for in a leading male. He had me backing him from the very start.

His brain was at war with his libido, and he wasn't positive which would win or which he wanted to win for that matter.

Milo - well he is a complex and effed up character indeed. I will let you read the book to find out just how much for yourself.

It’s always been you.

The love story had bme hooked from the start and I really felt the character's pain when each other's secrets were revealed. Let me tell you know, the wait for the love scene between Garrett and her... was totally worth it. You will not be disappointed. Man that was hot.

“Everything I have to give, it’s yours. It’s always been yours.”

Recommended for those who like mysteries, betrayals, love stories, love triangles and lots and lots of action. I give it a 4/5!

"If you were mine, I would never be able to walk away from you. If you were mine, I’d wor- ship every inch of your body with my hands, lips, and tongue. If you were mine, I wouldn't be able to stand in the same room as you without running my hands over your skin and tasting your lips. If you were
mine..."

[Penny · Rating 1 out of 5]

Warning: If your pet peeve is poor editing, do not read this book.

I really wanted to like this book, but it just had too much stacked against it.
It really and truly read like a self-pub.

* An overly dramatic beginning
* Overly descriptive eg."midnight black hair"
* Constantly changing POV
* A Navy SEAL going on a recon mission as a journalist?
* Is the girl Parker or Annabelle? Pick one.

When it was stated that Parker took a 6-month "hacking" course from Mark Zuckerberg I finally had enough. Could not finish this one.

[Chelcie Dacon · Rating 5 out of 5]

wow. I am completely and utterly blown away.

I think that Tara Sivec is an another that can write in every single genre and still blow me the fuck away.

You want to laugh your ass off? Go read the Chocolate Lovers series.


You want to be hit with so many emotions that you can wipe the tears away fast enough? Go buy Watch Over Me (only in audio cause it's a thing)


You want to read about steamy fucking sex, mixed with suspense and a ton of WHAT THE FUCK IS HAPPENING? Devour A beautiful lie.





I never knew what I was feeling, because every page had a different emotion.

The sexual tension I could cut it with a knife.

This book felt like I was watching a highly suspenseful, sexually infused, smack you in the face movie. I didn't want to put it down.

I was in a book slump. I think I had I over done it on the reading. So pulled out my signed copy, GASP, I know. Shocking. But I needed to find the love again.

This book was exactly what I needed and I am so glad I read it in paperback.

This book needs to be read and experienced.

I now move on to the next on in the series.

[Formerly Known as Spoiler W · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars

Some of the story worked for me and some of it didn't.

What worked...

Good story line. Very suspenseful at times. Great characters. Fantastic chemistry between good characters. Wonderful epilogue.

What didn't work...

Too much repetitiveness in 56% of the book. Too much I should have said this, I should have said that. I know. I got it. Got tired of reading it. Also the going back and forth on different POV's and flashbacks bugged me.

Just minor stuff like this put me off. But I'll definitely will be reading the second book. That's all.


*I did get teary eyed with the letter at the end*

[Patty ~ Wrapped Up In Reading Book Blog · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a fantastic story!!
It had angst, action, suspense, and plenty of hot steamy sex.
The chemistry between Garrett & Parker was great.
What an original story!
I have to say I did find myself wanting to shake the shit out of the both of them whenever they let their doubts take control. Other than that I really did love this story and it ended on such a perfect note!!

[Mell]

Could not warm to these characters (some of the narration felt over-the-top, so many description of clothes!)or get into the story, especially the whole secret conspiracy. Not a good match for my reading tastes. 0 stars.

[Saunders · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was good just so good and I cannot believe I have another three to read after this one :)

[Kimberly · Rating 2 out of 5]

Once again I read a book on false claims that it was wonderful! I need to seriously stop reading books based upon their reviews/ratings; this book was HORRIBLE. I think Tara Sivec was in over her head with this one. This book was beyond unbelievable.

I'm not normally into any book that has anything to do with the inner workings of military, CIA, etc., but thought I would give this a go based on it's reviews and book description. Clearly since this isn't a genre/topic I tend to read, I am no expert with anything having to do with CIA, Navy Seals, Black Ops, etc. With that said, upon starting this book, I quickly learned that no extensive knowledge of the topic was necessary to pick up on the unbelievable plot, dialogue, and other various unbelievable happenings of this story.

SPOILER ALERT!!!

Annabelle meets Milo and Garrett for the first time in a coffee shop her senior year of college, okay- got it. They become close friends, then Annabelle and Milo start dating and eventually become engaged, even though Annabelle really loves Garrett and he her, she pushes those feeling aside because after her mother died, her father fell apart from a broken heart and pushed her away, so she decides she's never going to fully let someone into her heart so she doesn't have to be broken like that. For someone who is supposed to be strong and kick ass, not to mention someone who talks about how all her actions are selfless, this is a very weak and selfish thing to do in my opinion.

This is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to all the things I didn't like about this book. Firstly, I loathed the fact that Garrett called Annabelle - Parker throughout this entire book, while she referred to him rarely by his last name, even though at the beginning of the book the author says they call each other by their last names.

I just found the whole "mission" to be very unrealistic. Like I said before, I am no expert, but rarely ever did it seem like these two really had their heads in the game, so to speak. For two people who have as much extensive training as they supposedly had, they sure didn't see that kick ass to me. They were more like children than a Navy SEAL/CIA Black Ops Agent...and on that note, did Annabelle really believe that her friend was killed by the CIA? This is ridiculousness. I realize that Garrett picked up on this quickly, but again, for someone to be so "kick ass" and no even pick up on the this is very unlikely. Her whole photography career was odd too. She became a World renowned photographer in just a few short years after graduating college.

Aside from knowing the names of semi-automatic weapons and the fact that she knew she could use her sex appeal to steal another mans weapon, she really didn't seem so kick ass to me.

I knew from about the fifth chapter that Milo probably was still alive - it was so typical but written very poorly. The overall flow of the book was terrible too. The flashbacks in the middle of scenes that were already hard to follow anyway, what with the terrible dialogue from the bad guys, and the soft porn from Annabelle and Garrett, it just made it almost impossible to really keep up.

So many things, from the way the mission was ran, to the way that Parker and Garrett put the whole mission/fellow agents in jeopardy with their actions, to the God awful dialogue made this book a total dud for me.

I honestly didn't even finish this book. After the first half, it just started to drag out. I skimmed through some and just finally skipped to the end after the were both in the basement of the palace at the end. Even when I skipped to the end, I had to skim through that part because it still drug.

I really wanted to like this book, really I did. It was just over the top unbelievable and drug out like you wouldn't believe - 1/5 stars.

[Autumn Review · Rating 4 out of 5]

You know, it's not always easy for authors to cross genres. Especially when they've developed a huge fan base in another. In this case, I think it worked.

I'm going to go ahead and jump in with my thoughts on Annabelle. Did I like her? Eeh...I felt a bit indifferent towards her at the beginning. Don't get me wrong, I felt bad that she was grieving over Milo, but she didn't reel me in until further into the story. Now, I did end up liking her. She's pretty rad, but I think she had the potential to be bad ass. I would have liked more butt kicking scenes with her. I admire a chick who can throw a dude down.

Ok now Garrett, he kinda of stole the show for me. I had a serious crush on him. Not only is he smart, but he's a NAVY SEAL people! You can only imagine how stacked he must be. Am I right ladies? Anyway...besides his sex appeal, he's a very sweet guy. He's loyal and protective. Oh, and he definitely has skills in the bedroom. My biggest peeve about Garrett and Annabelle was that I got so frustrated that they wouldn't just share their feelings. I mean, can you imagine the torture of being in love with someone for 8 years and not telling them? I know they were dealing with the loss of Milo, but still. Once they got going though, I was thrilled.

Although I had the plot pretty much figured out early on (because I think I'm Sydney Bristow), I still enjoyed seeing the story unfold. Also, this book had such a different feel to it, even down to the writing style. I don't mind reading books in third person, even though it's not my favorite. I did feel like I really had to pay attention to who's voice I was hearing. It bothered me a bit. Not enough to stop reading though.

Overall, I'd say I enjoyed it. This is such a different style for Sivec and I believe that as the series progresses it will get better and better. I look forward to following along with this series. If you like a bit of suspense mixed in with your "love stories", check this one out.

Favorite Quote:
"If you were mine, I would never be able to walk away from you. If you were mine, I'd worship every inch of your body with my hands, lips, tongue. If you were mine, I wouldn't be able to stand in the same room as you without running my hands over your skin and tasting your lips. If you were mine..."-Loc 1558 ARC