mjex19's review against another edition
2.0
They sure do eat a lot for spies- if only the book was as interesting as the food
magbb's review against another edition
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.0
honyomuneko's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
ellena91's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
emmaaxtco's review against another edition
1.0
What do you do when you have about 150 pages left and it's due back at the library in 24 hours? You sigh and power through, I guess.
Had this not been for book club I'd probably have given up and deemed it one of those books that's just not "for me." I'm not terribly familiar with the spy genre, but I won't be back anytime soon. Whether or not this is Matthews' fault, I can't really say it matters.
I expected a James Bondian adventure with twists, turns, dynamite action sequences and steamy sex scenes. What I got was a disjointed story with moments of interest and intensity being dragged down by too many names and too many details about which I didn't give a crap. And to make matters even worse most of the action happens off screen, and we only hear about it through boring conversations after the fact. Classic failure to show, don't tell.
I wanted to love Dominika, but she didn't feel like a fully fleshed out person for me (though she was the closest thing in this book). Her relationship with Nate was insane. I didn't believe it for even a moment.
Around page 276 when we meet Senator Boucher is when I seriously contemplated just chucking the thing across the room, but I was too bored to work up the energy. I also began Googling detailed plot summaries so I wouldn't have to finish it, but no luck.
I have now confirmed I have no interest in the nuances of counterintelligence and spy games. Perhaps my clouded boredom with the details weighed me down too much to enjoy the actual plot.
But mine is an unpopular opinion, it would seem. I'm not baffled that people like this book, I guess, I just know now that I am 100% not the target audience.
Had this not been for book club I'd probably have given up and deemed it one of those books that's just not "for me." I'm not terribly familiar with the spy genre, but I won't be back anytime soon. Whether or not this is Matthews' fault, I can't really say it matters.
I expected a James Bondian adventure with twists, turns, dynamite action sequences and steamy sex scenes. What I got was a disjointed story with moments of interest and intensity being dragged down by too many names and too many details about which I didn't give a crap. And to make matters even worse most of the action happens off screen, and we only hear about it through boring conversations after the fact. Classic failure to show, don't tell.
I wanted to love Dominika, but she didn't feel like a fully fleshed out person for me (though she was the closest thing in this book). Her relationship with Nate was insane. I didn't believe it for even a moment.
Around page 276 when we meet Senator Boucher is when I seriously contemplated just chucking the thing across the room, but I was too bored to work up the energy. I also began Googling detailed plot summaries so I wouldn't have to finish it, but no luck.
I have now confirmed I have no interest in the nuances of counterintelligence and spy games. Perhaps my clouded boredom with the details weighed me down too much to enjoy the actual plot.
But mine is an unpopular opinion, it would seem. I'm not baffled that people like this book, I guess, I just know now that I am 100% not the target audience.
myrdyr's review against another edition
4.0
3.75/5 stars. This book was a bit of a mess, but I enjoyed it anyway. It wavered between being a spy novel, a romance, and a ladies home journal, but it didn't actually commit to any of them. I wouldn't have pegged me for its target audience, but I think I probably was. The inclusion of the recipes baffled and frustrated me. The lack of measurements rendered them useless as actual recipes, so I am unclear as to their purpose. Since they didn't contribute to plot advancement, I would have preferred complete recipes included in an appendix as opposed to these overviews. I wish Matthews would examine some of the stereotypes that reoccur throughout the book, as they are a bit insulting. As an end note, I found the whole idea of grandma's antique long curvy handled hairbrush repurposed as a dildo to unlock Dominika's "secret self" and the repeated references to it to be creepy and superfluous, never mind the lack of hygiene. Eww.
crownofcrafting's review against another edition
2.0
0/10 would recommend!! It had a lot of blatant sexist/misogynistic language and a rape scene or two. Believe it or not writing about people’s trauma as a plot point is pretty f***ing broke.
macfiar's review against another edition
3.0
This book would have been much without the main character's weird obsession with sexual gratification.