Book Reviews

Book Blurb

Set in the Happily Ever After Mating Agency universe, C.L.A.W. is a secret subsection of MI6 dealing with shifter matters that the rest of the world can’t know about. Andrew Brady was proud to work for such an organization, working behind the scenes on his computer to help keep the world safe.

When the son of a prominent British politician, and a fellow fox shifter, goes missing in Prague, Andrew is forced to go out into the field for the first time. It wouldn’t be so bad if it weren’t for the fact he was partnered up with Lane Roberts, leopard shifter, secret agent, and all round serial flirt.

The two men had been butting heads for two years, dancing around each other in a game of Lane’s making. Putting himself in danger, and having to pretend to be married to Lane Roberts would have been bad enough, but the deeper they go the darker their mission seems to get.

Book Review

A secret subsection within a secret organization is bound to have to deal with some pretty shady stuff, and if this first story in the new ‘Agents of C.L.A.W.’ series is any indication, it’s going to be an exciting and entertaining ride. The agency is based in London and even though it is linked to another series that I have not read, I did not feel lost at all. It looks like the author has taken the time to build this world well enough for new readers not to feel confused. As for the plot: pretend-boyfriend and pretend-marriage tropes have a special attraction for me – because, in fiction, they are designed to lead to actual romances and happy endings. For an incurable romantic like me, this is what great stories are made of. Well, mostly. The kind of suspense and international subterfuge that Jane Wallace-Knight adds in ‘Czech Mate’ certainly don’t hurt, and the stubborn characters who both are very determined not to give an inch made the whole situation, tense as it becomes when they discover who is behind the disappearance, at least a little entertaining as well as nail-bitingly suspenseful.

Andrew is a whiz with the computer, loves desk work, is good at solving puzzles, and isn’t too sure he knows what to do in a social situation. Being sent into the field to find a missing young man isn’t just scary for him, it is terrifying. Adding the fact that he has to work with the biggest flirt of them all and pretend to be married to the experienced field agent who wouldn’t know the word “serious” if he stumbled across it, makes Andrew want to turn down the mission. Except he can’t because a life is at stake and Andrew is not a man to shirk his responsibilities, never mind how he feels about them.

Lane is suave, very social, an equal-opportunity flirt, and secretly fascinated with Andrew. He tried flirting with his serious, intelligent colleague when they first met two years earlier, but after having been firmly rebuffed, he has watched from afar. Lane can only hope he can keep Andrew safe on their mission to find out what happened to the son of a member of parliament who went missing in Prague. Lane loves getting under Andrew’s skin and has become very good at it, so he is sure there will be some fun during the mission.

Between Andrew’s need to prove himself, Lane’s desire to protect Andrew against anyone and anything out to harm him, and their mission to find a missing man, this story turned out to be pretty thrilling. There is more to both men than meets the eye, and watching them open up and share their pasts as they built trust while doing their job was very enjoyable. There were a few hints about their shifter natures, but that side did not play a major role except when their lives were threatened.

If you like spy thrillers, if shifters in secret organizations might just be your thing, and if you’re looking for a read that is amusing, mysterious, hot, and makes you want more, then you will probably like this novella.

 

 

 

 

DISCLAIMER: Books reviewed on this site were usually provided at no cost by the publisher or author. This book has been provided by the author for the purpose of a review.

Additional Information

Format	ebook
Length	Novella, 139 pages/39448 words
Heat Level
Publication Date	08-October-2018
Price	$4.50 ebook
Buy Link	https://www.bookstrand.com/czech-mate-mm