Acquired on January 24, 2019 Amz
October 4, 2017 – Finished Reading

[b:Cold Pursuit|22042892|Cold Pursuit (Cold Justice, #2)|Toni Anderson|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1399331062l/22042892._SY75_.jpg|41366314] by [a:Toni Anderson|2820461|Toni Anderson|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1607125087p2/2820461.jpg]
Genres: Adult, Crime, Romance, Suspense
4.5 Stars

Starts off fast paced.

Filled with suspense and mystery.

Great characters and a perfect blend of adult romance.

Some repetition and typos/editing errors.

All and all, this is a great series. ( )

Cold Justice Book 02

Cold Justice #2

Since I really don’t remember what happened in the first book I can assure you this second story can easily be read on its own so if you pick up at this point no fear you will fit right in.

“Cold Pursuit” starts with a bang. Shopping at a mall with her son, Vivi finds herself in the middle of a terrorist attack...then when things got worse Jed, an off duty FBI agent, springs into action and comes to their rescue...but unknown to Vivi and Jed the attackers think that her son can identify them and they need to illuminate him....and the action starts.

The tension is thick and taut as Vivi tries to protect her son and Jed tries to thwart all attacks that come their ways. No place is safe for Vivi and her son even while they are in police protection the bad guys manage to find them. Filled with suspense this is one of those story that kept me on the edge of my seat hoping all good guys would turn out unscathed and there to live another day. This story may seem to be a thriller but there is so much romance and sex to be labelled anything other than a romantic/suspense. Lust is in the air for Vivi and Jed and yep they went for it...really...

The plot nicely gives us a little bit of everything: some politics, terrorism, betrayal and the dilemma of who to trust. But in terms of romance it is kinda weak and failed to be brilliant...Am I a fuddy-duddy? ...maybe.

“Cold Pursuit” is a nice change in pace but is not my preferred genre. ( )

Solid suspense story. Enjoyed the fast pace and believable characters.
This story is a finalist in the National Readers' Choice Award, the Gayle Wilson Award of Excellence, and the National Excellence in Romance Fiction Award ~ for Romantic Suspense. ( )

Cold Pursuit
3 Stars

Trapped in a mall during a terror attack, Vivi Vincent and her young son, Michael, soon find themselves targets when it becomes clear that Michael may have witnessed details about the terrorists' future plans. Placed in protective custody with FBI agent Jed Brennan, Vivi must face the threats not only to her life but to her heart as well.

Enjoyable overall, but there are several troubling elements that undermine both the story and the characters.

Vivi is supposed to be a strong and independent single mother struggling to cope with her traumatized son's psychological problems. Sounds like the perfect heroine, right? Unfortunately, Vivi's excessive and repetitive musings on her past relationship with her jerk of an ex-husband and her overprotective mothering undermine her character.

Jed isn't much better. His constant self-recrimination and reluctance to give into his attraction to Vivi are irritating, and result in a complete lack of romance and chemistry between the leads. Thus, the eventual "I love yous" have no basis in emotion and feel forced rather than natural.

There are also plot and character inconsistencies that undercut the apparent anti-terror message of the story. To begin with the author seems to have trouble reconciling the terrorist theme with her political correctness. The apologetic tone presented via one of the villains appears to imply that terrorist acts could be justified under certain circumstances - an idea that is simply abhorrent. Nothing justifies terrorism.

The revelations at the end of the story, i.e., a conspiracy involving the Vice President and Mossad, are unrealistic and lacking in logic. While Israel's policy of targeted assassination is no secret, it is doubtful that the Mossad would mastermind a terrorist attack to further Israel's agenda. This would undermine Israel/US relations is a detrimental way.

In terms of the character inconsistencies, Viv's ex goes from a complete and utter jerk who would threaten to commit his son to a mental institution and physically abuse his wife to a suddenly caring father and guilt ridden ex-husband. Really?

Moreover, the sudden inclusion of details without foundation and the lack of closure with regard to some plot points are also problematic.

In sum, not as good as the first book, but the hints at stories to come are compelling enough to continue with the series.

( )