Review: Carter Reed by Tijan

I knew just looking at the cover that I had to read this book. I know books shouldn't be judged by their covers, but sometimes I just can't help myself. After reading the blurb though, I was sure that this one was going to be different. I loved how unique and edgy this story was. It was definitely unlike anything else I have read before, and that was extremely refreshing. Recently I have read so many books with similar storylines that I was looking for something else and this was exactly what I was looking for. This book will not be for everyone. There are some pretty serious things that happen, and you should definitely think about if this book is one you would be interested in. I really liked this book, but there were a few things that kept me from giving this one five stars.

Emma walks in on her roommate and best friend Mallory being raped. Emma kills the rapist, who also happens to not only be Mallory's boyfriend, but also a member of a local mob. Knowing that she needs help getting out of the awful situation she finds herself in, Emma goes to the only person that can possibly help her. Her brother told her before he died that if she ever needed anything, Carter Reed would help her. Carter was her brother's best friend and practically lived at their house. But Emma hasn't seen him in ten years, and Carter is not the same person he was back then. As Carter and Emma reconnect and try to get through everything, their feelings grow stronger than ever. Carter makes it his mission to not only escape his mob connections, but also keep Emma safe as he has been doing forever. But can they possibly have a future together, or are there too many obstacles standing in their way?

I loved Carter! He is sexy and dangerous, and I loved how protective he was of Emma. He is a total Alpha, and you just can't help but love him. There is so much to him beneath the surface and I loved how he had no problems admitting to how strongly he felt for Emma. Sometimes I liked Emma and sometimes I didn't like Emma. I thought that overall her character was weak and wishy-washy. She had moments of strength, but they tended to fade very quickly and she was replaced by this completely different character. I really loved her and Carter together though. They were hot and steamy and yet sweet together. They had a ton of chemistry and you could really feel their connection to each other. Their scenes were written so well and were filled with sexual tension. I was hoping for a bit more of the steamy stuff though, and I really felt that the story could have used a bit more sex between them.

I thought that there were some pacing problems with this one. There was a ton of action and things going on, and yet there were times that the story just seemed to move extremely slowly. I would find myself wanting to skim portions and get to the good stuff. I also felt like the ending was extremely abrupt. Yes we do get an end, and there is an HEA. But regardless, it felt unfinished to me. As far as I know, this story is a standalone. I was just wanting an epilogue or something to sort of give this story more closure. I can only hope that Tijan decides to give us and the characters some more to really feel like Carter and Emma get the ending they deserve. Overall though I really did enjoy this story. I was glad that I picked this one up and I am definitely curious to see more from Tijan. This is the first book by Tijan that I have read, but I will be looking for more in the future. I think that there are some people that will not be able to enjoy this story. But I also think that this one is definitely worth giving a shot. It is interesting and unique and will keep you interested in turning the pages and seeing what happens next. Plus, this book is worth reading just for Carter alone!

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