Review: “Hold Me”
I grabbed a copy of this book via an ARC program. Usually a mob plot is a hard “no” for me — I prefer to watch that kind of content on TV. But the prologue blew me away, and I took a leap of faith. I’m so glad I did.
The Premise
Still reeling from a break-up that involved her taking a broom to her ex’s naked cheating ass, Katie is clearly a force to be reckoned with in her own right. As she pauses at a stoplight with her character of a vehicle (literally, it has a name: Kato), injured FBI agent Luc hops in to escape from the bad guys — and in an instant, Katie’s life changes. Guns, bullets, mobsters and a high-speed car chase — the whole nine yards — quickly ensue, and it screeches to a halt as she knocks the mobster’s vehicle into a quarry pit. The psycho mobster, embarrassed to be shown up like that in front of his mob family and also the police, launches a vendetta against her. Luc takes her into hiding at his castle (that’s right — he lives in a castle) which is guarded by his ginormous dog Spot. However, as they get to know each other, Luc soon realises she isn’t a stranger but she is linked to someone he’s known all his life, and they already have a shared past. Things soon heat up between them, and the danger seems to be momentarily forgotten — but meanwhile, the mobsters are on their trail, and feisty Katie and damaged Luc soon find themselves in way over their heads.
The Pros
This book was insane — in a good way. There was hilarious comedy, fast-paced action, on-the-edge-of-your-seat suspense, fresh dialogue, and characters that kept me turning the pages frantically to see how it would end up. There was so much here that my head was spinning. One minute there are steamy sexy moments, followed by slapstick comedy, and then in come the blazing guns. I felt like I had whiplash, as it went from one thing to the other. There was never a dull moment. I also appreciated that there were some serious issues here, with the foster care background of abuse and long-term marriage relationship issues, but these did not impinge on the overall levity. The characterisation was well done, as I could easily envision the two leads, and there were also a few side characters that stole the show. Even Spot was right there in the middle of everything, a character in her own right — a nice touch!
The Cons
I loved this book, but a mobster book it is not. Mind you, I’m not a fan of mobster books, so this was fine by me. And while it held my interest, the plot seemed at times like it was all over the place. It felt like the author was trying to shove it all in, and honestly — it wasn’t necessary. There was more than enough here to make an amazing book, and all the add-ons just took away from the overall effect. I could have easily chopped off about 10-20% and given this book 5 stars. The mother’s relationship issues I didn’t really care for, the sister’s unrequited love arc didn’t seem necessary, and the hero’s waffling back and forth at the end just didn’t make sense at that point. They’d already been through so much, and suddenly he’s back to square one wallowing in self-doubt. There were also some moments that were funny but seemed entirely unlikely — goading a mobster generally isn’t wise; and some plot choices that I just wish had been left out.
Conclusion
This was a thoroughly enjoyable read, despite my issues I had with the overall plot. I want more of it, so much more. I want more of this author. I want to be inside that head of hers. She is crazy talented, to create a story with so many elements and somehow tie them all in together. I would recommend this book to anyone who needs a burst-your-sides laugh of a rollicking read, with a little sprinkling of psycho mobsters. Yeah, who needs mobsters when you have all the other amazing things happening here?! Despite my hefty “Cons” column, this book was STILL amazing. So trust me, it’s worth the read!
