ARC Review: High-Heeled Wonder by Avery Flynn

I read a lot of dark and gritty romantic suspense featuring deranged serial killers, drug & human trafficking, terrorists, etc., so I'm sometimes in the mood for something more lighthearted that still packs an action punch and keeps me guessing and turning pages. And what's more lighthearted and full of intrigue than the fashion world? So when a story about a supposedly anonymous fashion blogger receiving increasingly disturbing threats from a stalker and the security specialist tasked with keeping her safe came across my desk, it sounded like the perfect change of pace. New-to-me author Avery Flynn's HIGH-HEELED WONDER hit the spot with its witty dialogue, breezy and approachable writing style (even for someone whose idea of 'fashion' consists of trackies & trainers), fun but emotionally complex characters, and underlying suspense plot with a touch of darkness.

Plot-wise, HIGH-HEELED WONDER is fairly straightforward: when New York fashionista Sylvie Bissette—the woman (secretly) behind the must-read fashion blog, The High-Heeled Wonder—is harassed by an internet troll, her overprotective designer fathers turn to former-cop-turned-security-specialist Tony Falcon for help. Tony goes ‘undercover’ as Sylvie’s boyfriend to infiltrate the insular fashion world and uses the assignment as cover to investigate his former partner and best friend’s murder at the hands of one of Harbor City’s glitterati. Murder & mayhem, plot twists, scorching sexytimes, and hijinks ensue. But what makes this book such a great read is its delightful cast of characters. I really liked Sylvie, whose overt self-assuredness belies her fear of putting herself out there and failing. A foster kid with a learning disability and a temper, she sees herself as the reason her younger sister was passed over for adoption many times until designers Anton and Henry took a chance on them and even now fears her fathers will regret their decision if she’s not perfect and successful at everything she does. That she waited until two months after the adoption was final to unpack her suitcase says a lot about her character, so watching her decide to go for it with Tony (especially after her unwitting stint as her former long term boyfriend’s beard) was really rewarding. And hilarious (case in point: chapter 1).

What can I say about Tony, other than “can I clone him?”? Not only does he have a fantastic sense of humour—his security firm is called Maltese Security in homage to The Maltese Falcon—he is also the boy-next-door from the other side of the harbour with a protective-but-not-overbearing streak and an unshakable commitment to solving his partner’s murder. Tony blames himself for the undercover-drug-sting-gone-wrong that resulted in his partner’s death and is willing to do—and use—anyone to avenge him. Until he actually meets Sylvie and she seriously messes with his head, the rest of his anatomy, and his convictions. The two of them have scorching chemistry and engage in delightfully witty banter, and Tony’s attempts to keep Sylvie firmly in the off-limits ‘client’ camp are both incredibly cute and hilariously futile. And he can grovel like a champ to make up for his inevitable major man moment! I also thoroughly enjoyed all the secondary characters, from Sylvie’s eccentric fathers to her sister and BFF Drea to the other members of Maltese Security—even if they only make brief appearances, each is remarkably fleshed out, and I want to be friends with all of them.

Overall, HIGH-HEELED WONDER is a great start to what looks to be a witty, sexy series of whodunits set in the cutthroat world of fashion. From the droll fashion-related epigraphs that kick off each chapter to the abundant pop culture references and witty repartee, the writing is fresh and approachable and draws the reader into a story that’s fun and lighthearted but also has emotional depth and grit. I look forward to Tony’s sister Allegra’s story later in the year, and checking out Ms. Flynn’s backlist!

**ARC provided by Author**

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