This book has been on my to-read list for a minute. I signed up for the tour and was ecstatic to get a chance to be a part of it! But when issues arose, I went ahead and bought the book -- I really wanted to read it!
Many times, I will receive an ARC, read it, review it, be apart of a tour, but it will take some time before I go ahead and actually purchase it... That's bad of me, I know... I'm a firm believer in helping out authors and musicians, well... arts as a whole... and truly believe that purchasing is what helps them continue doing what they love, so I can do what I love -- and that's read.
The Accidental Assassin by Nichole Chase
Publisher: Nichole Chase (12/1/2014)
Series: The Assassins, book 1
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Source: Purchased
My Rating: ★★★★★
Ava McKenzie is a creature of habit. Life is passing her by and she has nothing to show for it. She’s had the same job since she started college, she orders the same dish every time she goes to her favorite restaurant, and only reads books from authors she knows. There is nothing new or surprising in her life… until her best friend marries a man from London. When her newlywed friend asks her to house-sit while she honeymoons, Ava jumps at the chance. She thinks this could be the very thing she needs to shake up her life. Ava throws herself head first into her new lifestyle; she wants to try everything, go everywhere, and never get stuck in a rut again. Of course, offing a man in a car garage hadn’t been one of the things on her list to try.
Owen Walker spends every day in a new place with a new case. As one of the most renowned assassins in the world, he has his choice of marks—and he’s never failed in a mission. When a new hit takes him back to his hometown, he looks forward to spending time somewhere familiar. What he isn’t expecting is to help an attractive, confused American woman find out how she’s ended up on a hit man’s list.
As Ava and Owen dodge bullets, will they be able to escape their undeniable attraction to each other? Or will all of that chemistry blow up in a shower of hot and dangerous sparks?
connect with Nichole || Website | Twitter | Facebook | Author Goodreads | THE ACCIDENTAL ASSASSIN Goodreads
{ review } .
Right at the get-go, we learn Owen's role -- he is a professional hitman. He is being contracted by Maria to take down a 'gentleman' by the name of Mr. Song.
Now, Owen being a hitman and all... automatically one assumes the worst about him. Because c'mon, now... how can a professional murderer have morals? Oh, but Owen has morals, and he will only take on cases that he feels the mark needs to die -- most of these cases include rape, trafficking, and the like (you want to kill those perps, too, admit it).
Then we meet Ava -- she's from the Southern states and is in London to housesit for her best friend, who is newly married and on her honeymoon. Because Ava's looking for a change of pace in life, she's going all out on her overseas trip and trying to make a life for herself -- she's even managed a job interview.
However, on her way to a job interview.. she accidentally kills a man.
And in swoops Owen.
Owen and Ava met in passing the previous day; Owen's had this nagging feeling of being watched.
Ava takes out his hit...
So obviously he's being watched by the girl with the killer smile and bright eyes.
Or so he mistakenly thinks.
The story moves into a decently fast-paced race as Owen and Ava learn what really happened with Mr. Song (besides the obvious of Ava accidentally killing Owen's mark). Owen has a difficult time with his attraction to Ava (and her sassy/smart mouth):
Monsters didn't belong with the innocent...I knew better than to think I deserved a happily ever after. There would be no picket fence in my future.He has this thought that because he is a killer, he has no right to being happy. How can one love unconditionally, yet kill for a dime? But again, the waging parts of him wants to keep her close.
I knew that if she went off on her own she wouldn't make it long. Even the idiot that had been following her would have an easy time taking her down. I could walk, could disappear for a while and wait for this to blow over, but I needed to know what had happened back there, if for no other reason than to make sure I hadn't been set up. And Ava was my best link to the whole mess. It was also a convenient excuse. My bleeding fucking heart was getting the better of me.
..."Stay with me," I said.
"You're dangerous," Ava pointed out.
"That's why you need me."
She wiped at her eyes, and I could sense she was wavering--but when she finally nodded, I felt relief wash over me. Because at that moment, I understood I had a new job; to protect her.
Shit.
I was definitely involved.As with any good romance, the poor sucker gets roped in, thinking he's going to be doing all the protecting... but, again, like any good romance, the nonassuming pretty little thing swoops in a does some protecting of her own -- thoroughly burrowing her way into the heart of her man.
I liked Owen from the get-go. He has strong morals; even when those morals come to conflict when... familial issues arise, he fights for what he believes in.
I really liked Ava. For such a young thing, she was head strong and working at finding a better life for herself. She didn't take shit. Ava is a twenty-three year old who was written as a mature twenty-three year old, which I greatly appreciated.
Lastly, one of my favorite parts of this book?
I literally laughed out loud, time and time again, starting with Owen thinking Ava was an assassin, to many of their conversations.
"A bomb! There's a bomb in this car? Why is there a bomb in this car? What kind of bomb?"
"The kind that goes boom."
- - -
"No, I am not on Facebook. What kind of self-respecting assassin would have a Facebook group?"
"Let me see your profile picture." I reached for the computer and he moved it further away. "Don't tell me. You're holding a gun, Bond style."
"Bond wishes he was as cool as I am."
- - -
"We need more supplies." I opened the front door and waited for her to go through.
"Duct tape, tarps?" Her lips quirked into a smile.
"Har, har. Look who woke up with a funny bone...I meant more food, maybe some soap. Besides, I have plenty of the other stuff in my super-secret kill room."
She stumbled a bit and shot a glare in my direction. "Not funny."
"You started joke hour."
"I'm officially shutting it down." She tried to look annoyed but couldn't hide the amusement in her eyes.
"Kill joy." I closed her door and moved around to the driver's side.
- - -
"It doesn't look that bad." I sat the bag down on the chair.
"What room are you looking at? It smells like someone died in here."
"It's possible." I shrugged and opened the blinds to look over the street.
"Oh my God."
"Relax. I'm sure they washed the sheets."...and again, and again, and again, I laughed.
And then of course, there's my most favorite of any book -- the part that tells me it's a romance well written...
...the heart clench.
...the best-best part of the heart clench in this book?
......there was more than one; the first one not even 50% through the book yet. Oh, be still my ever-loving fairy tale heart.
"Why? Why would you agree to go in there with her?" He stepped toward me and I took a step back. "With a woman that is suggesting she use you as bait? What part of that sounds like a good idea? You don't even know her."
"I--"
"You could be killed, Ava. I'm trying to protect you and you offer yourself up as the sacrificial lamb! ...You don't belong in this mess. You're going to get hurt." His eyes bore into mine. "I'm taking you to another safe house and locking you up there. I'll come back in the morning and deal with Mavis."
"The hell you are!" I shoved at his shoulder. "You're not locking me up anywhere! I'm in this, Owen! I'm at least going to help get myself out of it. And what about Tess? I still don't know if she's in danger."
"I don't care about Tess!" He growled the words. Slapping his hands against the wall, he barricaded me between his arms and glared down at me. "I care about you!"
- - -
"You think you're useless, but you aren't. For the first time in a long time I don't feel toxic. You do that..."So while writing those two clench-ers... I just realized that every time my heart does a little round-about, flip-over clench...it's usually the guy's 'fault'.
I guess I just love when a guy falls :)
Everything about this book... I just loved. My heart was clenching, I was laughing... It was just a very well written book. I cannot wait for the series to progress, and see where Nichole takes us next time!
