Synopsis
honeytrap
noun
a stratagem in which an attractive person entices another person into revealing information or doing something unwise.
Those who have reached a certain level within the mercenary guild, know that it’s not merely a job. It isn’t a hobby or a career or a fun pastime. It’s a calling. A fucking honor.
Being in the Guild is our life…. Or death.
Not everyone is created equal, and not everyone is truly cut out for the work we do. It’s not pretty, it’s not glamorous, and it’s sure as shit not moral or good. The weight of the sins we carry can become too much for some, and they crack.
When they do, they become a threat.
No one quits the Guild. Not really. Either they cut a deal to make themselves useful in another capacity, or they get eliminated.
But who, you might ask, can kill a killer?
Who scares the boogeyman into running and hiding?
Men like me.
The Guild is my life. My love. My very existence.
Anyone who poses a threat to that, is eliminated. No questions, no hesitations, no mercy.
Until her.
Goodreads
This post contains affiliate links. You can read more on my disclosures page.
Review
This is a hard review for me to write. I enjoyed Honey Trap, but the romance angle lacked a lot for me.
These characters are not good people. They are killers and weapons dealers. We all know Tate loves her character to be grey, but these characters were about as close to black as you can get. Did I still love them? Yes, of course, especially Danny! Who doesn’t love a badass female lead? She was tough and intelligent, and I loved her confidence. Unlike the other books in the shadow grove series, this book was told in alternating POV. Generally, I like that a lot, but for some reason, in this one, I almost would have rather had it be from Danny’s POV. I felt like there was a lot more telling than showing when it came to the romance aspect of things in this book.
The story was amazing. I loved seeing the players all interact and see where this whole thing would lead. Of all of Tate’s books, this one was the easiest for me to visualize. It was like a movie playing in my mind. The issue I had was the romance aspect, I just didn’t buy into these characters’ feelings for one another, and I didn’t feel that much of a connection to them. I enjoyed reading about them for sure, but I wasn’t as invested as I would have liked to have been. I think that the next book will help with this.
This book does end with a cliffhanger, but as Tate James reveals and cliffhangers go, this one was nothing. I predicted both of the surprises pretty early, though I love the mystery setup for the next book!
Available on Kindle Unlimited