4 Smooches!
Synopsis
What if your family had a big secret . . . a life changing secret. My dad, the bigwig CIA agent, was always on the run, whether he was being chased or doing the chasing. I missed him. Then my mom passed away, and my sister was murdered. I turned my solitude to strength because the alternative was too bleak.
But my luck seemed to turn: I met Tango. And while I want him more than I’ve ever wanted anything in my twenty-two years, danger lurks around every corner and I simply can’t take the chance of it finding me. But his tattoos, his smell, his darkness, and his body— that marine has taken over my every thought. But, what if he too isn’t what I think? A ticking time bomb isn’t going to leave me much time to waver. Even the bravest person can be in need of a miracle.
Before she was gone, my mom warned me to know everyone and trust no one. But what was I supposed to do when I found out I am the one not to be trusted? Turns out, I was always the bait in this conspiracy.
In author Shari J. Ryan’s gripping novel, TAG, the canyons hold secrets, the waterfalls provide safety, and romance has a pesky way of showing up when you are sweaty and dirty and least expect it.
Review
TAG for me was a bit of a perplexing but emotional read, it started off brilliantly enough with the Prologue having an eerie Hitcockesque feel to it full of shadows, murder and treachery, as Cali our tragic heroine tells us in her emotional point of view, step by step, the traumatic events that lead her into a world of isolation, self-preservation and revenge. As the story moved along however the plot seemed to waver and go in a direction that never really benefited or progressed the plot except to highlight the lengths that Cali would go to in order to exact revenge and the desperation she feels in her need to carry it out. The synopsis and prologue both hinted of an action-packed, CIA conspiracy extravaganza but what we get is something much much different and just a bit more complex. It’s a tale of revenge but with a message of finding absolution, it’s a story of murder and betrayal from all sides with the entanglement of guilt and despair clouding the path to redemption and love for our two main protagonists
At times Cali’s character came across as very self-contained, aware and strong and at others she exuded the attitude and sarcastic bite of a surly hormonal teenager but taking into account all that leads her on her quest for vengeance and retribution, I did feel slightly amazed that she wasn’t as damaged as she believes herself to be. My only flaw with Cali’s character was the missing connection, I would sometimes feel sympathy or annoyance with her or laugh at some of the witty repartee that occurs between her and Tango but I never fully grasped the inner workings of her even though the story is told in dual points of view.
Cali’s emotional saviour comes in the form of ex-Marine and mysterious Mercenary Tango. A complex and multi-faceted hero Tango was the perfect element needed to help Cali understand that it’s okay to trust someone, to lean on someone else, to have an actual friend. It was a very slow simmer of a romance with these two, there was instant attraction but neither party attempt anything for a good majority of the book. The sexual tension never really amounted to much but the flirtation and verbal sparring still added good entertainment value.
It is a well written book with good use of grammar and dialogue but it was just a little slow and lagging in places. When you get to the last third of the book the action and excitement really kicks in to high gear and that’s what saved the story. There is plenty of intrigue and mystery towards the end so coupled with the beautiful yet fragile romance of untrusting Cali and reluctant Tango TAG is a fairly good read if you don’t mind a slow burn rather than instant gratification.
~Nicole
