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All Things Burn
A woman forced to take dark, desperate measures for the sake of her safety seeks out a man who deals exclusively in doling out death sentences. What sparks between them is just as unavoidable as it is life-changing.
Halle Temple is a good person; she doesn’t know anything as surely as she knows that. A successful black woman who uses her expensive law degree to work full-time at a women’s legal aid center, she has no doubt that her entire existence is being spent in the service of others. That perfectly normal life takes a deadly turn, however, when she crosses paths with a man who is willing to go to extreme measures to take possession of her.
After he sets his threats on her family, Halle begins to question every moral she has ever held dear as she realizes that there is only one way to get him out of her life for good. To do that, though, she needs a bit of help.
Callum Byrne is an Irish-American hitman who has made a life out of robbing others of their own. Darkness has always lurked inside of him and he has no qualms about setting it free - especially for profit. Halle enters his life suddenly, bringing with her an intensity that he has never felt before. It isn’t long before Callum’s narrow view of himself is twisted and challenged.
As the job she’s given him becomes more complicated by the minute...so do Callum’s feelings for her.
Note To All Things Burn contains themes of violence and murder along with mentions of domestic violence.
Halle Temple is a good person; she doesn’t know anything as surely as she knows that. A successful black woman who uses her expensive law degree to work full-time at a women’s legal aid center, she has no doubt that her entire existence is being spent in the service of others. That perfectly normal life takes a deadly turn, however, when she crosses paths with a man who is willing to go to extreme measures to take possession of her.
After he sets his threats on her family, Halle begins to question every moral she has ever held dear as she realizes that there is only one way to get him out of her life for good. To do that, though, she needs a bit of help.
Callum Byrne is an Irish-American hitman who has made a life out of robbing others of their own. Darkness has always lurked inside of him and he has no qualms about setting it free - especially for profit. Halle enters his life suddenly, bringing with her an intensity that he has never felt before. It isn’t long before Callum’s narrow view of himself is twisted and challenged.
As the job she’s given him becomes more complicated by the minute...so do Callum’s feelings for her.
Note To All Things Burn contains themes of violence and murder along with mentions of domestic violence.
273 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 15, 2019
278 people are currently reading
1460 people want to read
About the author
Jodie Slaughter
8 books737 followersJodie Slaughter is a twenty-something romance author who spends most of her days hunched over a computer for her day job and her nights hunched over a different computer for her novels. While her back is definitely suffering, she wouldn’t have it any other way. She loves love, so she writes romance novels full of heart, passion, and heat. When she isn’t putting steamy scenes or declarations of devotion on the page she can normally be found being generally hilarious on twitter, dreaming about brisket, or consuming way too much television.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 148 reviews
May 15, 2021
I guess all things aren’t so bad in this dark/mafia romance reading journey I’m on. This was really enjoyable, not perfect, but I guess this was closer to some elements I enjoy in my stories.
The premise was enough to grab me - woman hires a hitman to deal with her abusive, stalker ex-boyfriend and subsequently falls for said hitman. Amazing. Also I needed some more Black authors within this genre since it’s so overwhelmingly white and so I was sold on those two aspects.
I wish it was darker. For a hitman, he was surprisingly sweet. I enjoyed the suspense elements though, which I do like in my stories. Seeing characters get revenge on people who have crossed their side of the line into abusive territory always makes my heart sing.
This was a well-rounded story. I wish some elements were expanded upon, but this won’t be the last book I read by Jodie Slaughter.
The premise was enough to grab me - woman hires a hitman to deal with her abusive, stalker ex-boyfriend and subsequently falls for said hitman. Amazing. Also I needed some more Black authors within this genre since it’s so overwhelmingly white and so I was sold on those two aspects.
I wish it was darker. For a hitman, he was surprisingly sweet. I enjoyed the suspense elements though, which I do like in my stories. Seeing characters get revenge on people who have crossed their side of the line into abusive territory always makes my heart sing.
This was a well-rounded story. I wish some elements were expanded upon, but this won’t be the last book I read by Jodie Slaughter.
February 24, 2021
3.5 stars
I really wanted to love this one. And it was great for the first half! Halle is a lawyer and has a stalker and when he take things too far, she wants to take care of the problem. She asks her cousin for a hitman and he gives her Callum's contact information. The moment Callum meets Halle, he wants her. The two spend more time together and slowly fall for each other, even though they have such different lives. Like I said, the beginning was great. But I felt like the job was dragged on and then, when we finally had the hit fulfilled, we still had some filler plot that I didn't really find that necessary. I lost interest around 80% of the book and just wanted to get to the end. I'm excited to try out more from Jodie Slaughter, but this one wasn't my favorite by the end.
I really wanted to love this one. And it was great for the first half! Halle is a lawyer and has a stalker and when he take things too far, she wants to take care of the problem. She asks her cousin for a hitman and he gives her Callum's contact information. The moment Callum meets Halle, he wants her. The two spend more time together and slowly fall for each other, even though they have such different lives. Like I said, the beginning was great. But I felt like the job was dragged on and then, when we finally had the hit fulfilled, we still had some filler plot that I didn't really find that necessary. I lost interest around 80% of the book and just wanted to get to the end. I'm excited to try out more from Jodie Slaughter, but this one wasn't my favorite by the end.
June 17, 2020
This is a great book, and I think a really excellent example (to me) of what I want to read when I want something I'd call "dark romance." This doesn't mean putting crime on page, but rather **people who engage with what it means when they find themselves drawn into darkness**
I loved Halle & Callum. I thought this was a terrific debut, and although I felt like there were some minor plot issues that didn't quite tie up, that was minor. I'm about to immediately check out the rest of Jodie's books.
I loved Halle & Callum. I thought this was a terrific debut, and although I felt like there were some minor plot issues that didn't quite tie up, that was minor. I'm about to immediately check out the rest of Jodie's books.
May 21, 2019
"All things burn, Joshua. When we leave here, your corpse will burn with this building and sometime in the future, I don't know how far away, my memory of you will burn too."- Halle Temple
Heroine, Halle Temple has a stalker and she's desperate to get Joshua Morland out of her life for good! She goes to her cousin, Devin asking for a gun to off him but he steers her to someone else... an Irish hitman by the name of Callum Byrne! Callum is immediately attracted to Halle and delays the killing Morland so he can continue to spend time with the lawyer, Halle. He even gets Halle to do recon with him.. this hitman is really into Halle and she him!
"Men like him often were. They used their expensive suits and almost endless wealth to terrorize people in and outside of their lives. They held influence in high places and thought themselves untouchable. Luckily, men like me had no qualms about showing them just how violable they really were." - Callum Byrne
Stalker, Joshua Morland is getting bolder by following Halle's family so she called Callum and this bring them closer together because she can't tell her family.... He comforts her... but he has rules until Joshua Morland comes to him via an associate, Shaun for his assassin skills... paying $500,000... and he took it!
Twists/turns/drama and action, smexy romance and funny banter too! Read this one people... it's another goodread!
"If that man was Danny, then I'm Beyonce' goddamn Knowles hyphen Carter."- Nosey Cheyenne
4 Hit him up stars ****
Heroine, Halle Temple has a stalker and she's desperate to get Joshua Morland out of her life for good! She goes to her cousin, Devin asking for a gun to off him but he steers her to someone else... an Irish hitman by the name of Callum Byrne! Callum is immediately attracted to Halle and delays the killing Morland so he can continue to spend time with the lawyer, Halle. He even gets Halle to do recon with him.. this hitman is really into Halle and she him!
"Men like him often were. They used their expensive suits and almost endless wealth to terrorize people in and outside of their lives. They held influence in high places and thought themselves untouchable. Luckily, men like me had no qualms about showing them just how violable they really were." - Callum Byrne
Stalker, Joshua Morland is getting bolder by following Halle's family so she called Callum and this bring them closer together because she can't tell her family.... He comforts her... but he has rules until Joshua Morland comes to him via an associate, Shaun for his assassin skills... paying $500,000... and he took it!
Twists/turns/drama and action, smexy romance and funny banter too! Read this one people... it's another goodread!
"If that man was Danny, then I'm Beyonce' goddamn Knowles hyphen Carter."- Nosey Cheyenne
4 Hit him up stars ****
November 7, 2021
THE DARK MURDER-FOR-HIRE ROMANCE OF MY DREAMS—BUT WITH WEIRD INCONSISTENCIES
Halle Temple, a Black lawyer in Chicago, is being stalked by her ex-boyfriend. The police are useless (surprise, surprise), so Halle has to find an alternative way of protecting herself: she hires a hitman.
Enter Callum Byrne, an Irishman with a murky past (that never gets explored). He has Rules, but in spite of himself, he falls for Halle.
They come together, they fall in love, nobody remains the same.
And throughout the book, I'm on the edge of my seat, super pumped, because this is the morally ambiguous, dark romance plot of my dreams. Jodie Slaughter went there, and I flew through this book, eager to see how on earth things could be resolved. How do a lawyer and a hitman make it work? And once the author has thrown the gauntlet of murdering the heroine's ex down...how does she resolve it?
God, what a fucking great plot.
Yet for me, this book is a case where the author's weak execution and skill couldn't match up to the quality of the story idea itself. On a high-level overview, All Things Burn does everything right: a desperate woman who's been failed by the police who are supposed to protect her turns to a hitman in order to keep herself safe—then follows a tricky descent into moral ambiguity and shades of gray. It's a perfect, perfect book that embraces the complexity of human lives and shows that not every "Happily Ever After" is the same.
Problem? When you really get into it, at this point in her career, Slaughter just doesn't have the technical skill to pull it off. The book is full of weird inconsistencies and plot holes, and the second half of the novel fails to bring about the emotional depth one would expect from such a dark narrative.
My major point of contention with this book is that the inciting incident for the entire plot, the fact that heroine Halle is being stalked by her abusive ex, is not treated logically by either Halle or Callum (a supposedly seasoned hitman). Of course, I do understand that abuse survivors don't always behave "rationally" and that it's unfair to judge them based on the standards of a distanced bystander. That's not what I'm talking about. My complaint with the characters is more that they tell the reader they feel one thing, but then act in a way that doesn't support their previous assertion.
Case in point: Callum is an experienced hitman. He knows that Halle is being stalked by her ex. Yet he encourages Halle to meet with him frequently, and they go to each others' apartments on the regular. But isn't she being stalked? Shouldn't we be trying to keep a low profile? Why are we hanging out with each other nearly every day? The chances of Halle's stalker seeing her engaged in a romantic tryst with another man seem high; the blowback resulting from that would be even worse. If they're so deeply concerned about Halle's safety, why aren't they being more cautious?
But that's the thing: Halle's stalker never seems all that dangerous. More than anything, he feels like a plot piece—when it's convenient to the story, he's Bad and Scary; when he's inconvenient (such as when the hero and heroine need to have sex or comfort each other in-person), the stalker is nowhere to be found. The author asserts, time and time again, that this guy is gross and demented and will 100% kill Halle when he gets the chance. But on page, we never see him do anything more than send threats via the mail and be creepy. This is obviously very frightening and unacceptable behavior, and I'm not minimizing that. But when Halle claims she's in fear for her life, and follows up on that by hiring a hitman...then meets her stalker for dinner the very next night...it's difficult to feel a sense of urgency or danger.
All Things Burn had all the set pieces together for a brilliant story, but it was almost as if Slaughter was too hesitant with really putting them out there. She spends a lot of time telling the reader that the situation is dire, but the novel's conflict never comes to an intense head like it should. I wanted this story to go deeper and really engage with the subject matter. Halle goes from a picture-perfect civil rights lawyer to an aider and abettor of murder-for-hire, but we really don't see how that changes or affects her at all. She's not angsty about this progression of events at all, which is fine—but why isn't she angsty? Who is Halle, at her core?
I really, really loved the plot and basic storyline of this book. Slaughter's idea is great, and my only disappointment is that she didn't quite execute it with as much finesse as the idea deserved. I wanted the threat of danger to be palpable, a consistent hum in the background of every single scene. I wanted to see the characters really grappling with their situation and their feelings and the choices they make. But instead, I was given a shallow, surface-level only glimpse into the narrative.
All things told, Jodie Slaughter's debut romance is exceedingly promising, and I can only wish it had lived up to that promise. I've spent the preceding paragraphs critiquing the book not because I didn't like it, but because I did like it, and was disappointed by the many moments where things feel flat for me. I believe that this is only a hint at what this author can do, and that's very exciting. All told, I do believe that All Things Burn is a great example of what a romance novel can do when it's unafraid to deep-dive into a world where things are more gritty, grim, and (compared to a large portion of the genre), realistic.
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Halle Temple, a Black lawyer in Chicago, is being stalked by her ex-boyfriend. The police are useless (surprise, surprise), so Halle has to find an alternative way of protecting herself: she hires a hitman.
Enter Callum Byrne, an Irishman with a murky past (that never gets explored). He has Rules, but in spite of himself, he falls for Halle.
They come together, they fall in love, nobody remains the same.
And throughout the book, I'm on the edge of my seat, super pumped, because this is the morally ambiguous, dark romance plot of my dreams. Jodie Slaughter went there, and I flew through this book, eager to see how on earth things could be resolved. How do a lawyer and a hitman make it work? And once the author has thrown the gauntlet of murdering the heroine's ex down...how does she resolve it?
God, what a fucking great plot.
Yet for me, this book is a case where the author's weak execution and skill couldn't match up to the quality of the story idea itself. On a high-level overview, All Things Burn does everything right: a desperate woman who's been failed by the police who are supposed to protect her turns to a hitman in order to keep herself safe—then follows a tricky descent into moral ambiguity and shades of gray. It's a perfect, perfect book that embraces the complexity of human lives and shows that not every "Happily Ever After" is the same.
Problem? When you really get into it, at this point in her career, Slaughter just doesn't have the technical skill to pull it off. The book is full of weird inconsistencies and plot holes, and the second half of the novel fails to bring about the emotional depth one would expect from such a dark narrative.
My major point of contention with this book is that the inciting incident for the entire plot, the fact that heroine Halle is being stalked by her abusive ex, is not treated logically by either Halle or Callum (a supposedly seasoned hitman). Of course, I do understand that abuse survivors don't always behave "rationally" and that it's unfair to judge them based on the standards of a distanced bystander. That's not what I'm talking about. My complaint with the characters is more that they tell the reader they feel one thing, but then act in a way that doesn't support their previous assertion.
Case in point: Callum is an experienced hitman. He knows that Halle is being stalked by her ex. Yet he encourages Halle to meet with him frequently, and they go to each others' apartments on the regular. But isn't she being stalked? Shouldn't we be trying to keep a low profile? Why are we hanging out with each other nearly every day? The chances of Halle's stalker seeing her engaged in a romantic tryst with another man seem high; the blowback resulting from that would be even worse. If they're so deeply concerned about Halle's safety, why aren't they being more cautious?
But that's the thing: Halle's stalker never seems all that dangerous. More than anything, he feels like a plot piece—when it's convenient to the story, he's Bad and Scary; when he's inconvenient (such as when the hero and heroine need to have sex or comfort each other in-person), the stalker is nowhere to be found. The author asserts, time and time again, that this guy is gross and demented and will 100% kill Halle when he gets the chance. But on page, we never see him do anything more than send threats via the mail and be creepy. This is obviously very frightening and unacceptable behavior, and I'm not minimizing that. But when Halle claims she's in fear for her life, and follows up on that by hiring a hitman...then meets her stalker for dinner the very next night...it's difficult to feel a sense of urgency or danger.
All Things Burn had all the set pieces together for a brilliant story, but it was almost as if Slaughter was too hesitant with really putting them out there. She spends a lot of time telling the reader that the situation is dire, but the novel's conflict never comes to an intense head like it should. I wanted this story to go deeper and really engage with the subject matter. Halle goes from a picture-perfect civil rights lawyer to an aider and abettor of murder-for-hire, but we really don't see how that changes or affects her at all. She's not angsty about this progression of events at all, which is fine—but why isn't she angsty? Who is Halle, at her core?
I really, really loved the plot and basic storyline of this book. Slaughter's idea is great, and my only disappointment is that she didn't quite execute it with as much finesse as the idea deserved. I wanted the threat of danger to be palpable, a consistent hum in the background of every single scene. I wanted to see the characters really grappling with their situation and their feelings and the choices they make. But instead, I was given a shallow, surface-level only glimpse into the narrative.
All things told, Jodie Slaughter's debut romance is exceedingly promising, and I can only wish it had lived up to that promise. I've spent the preceding paragraphs critiquing the book not because I didn't like it, but because I did like it, and was disappointed by the many moments where things feel flat for me. I believe that this is only a hint at what this author can do, and that's very exciting. All told, I do believe that All Things Burn is a great example of what a romance novel can do when it's unafraid to deep-dive into a world where things are more gritty, grim, and (compared to a large portion of the genre), realistic.
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October 23, 2020
What a let down. I've liked other work this author has done, so I was surprised how I felt about this one.
The set up was good. I like the idea of a woman who is being stalked and tormented deciding that she can't sit there and be terrorized when the system can't help her, so she decides to hire a hitman to kill her stalker. I am very ok with that idea.
The writing was good. I mean, there were some places that needed copy-editing, but the actual writing was quite good. Except... the author had this weird fixation on Halle's (the heroine's) thighs. I can't even tell you how many times we had to hear about her 'thick thighs'. I mean...
The problem is the execution of the story. There were too many places where I was reading felt myself going "but.... but...why?" Overall I think logic and character consistency was sacrificed for plot. And in the end, the plotting was rather sloppy.
Callum, the hero hitman, felt like he was way too accessible and gave up too much information about himself to Halle too quickly. If she were an undercover cop, he would have been busted within days. His phone number, his place of residence, his life story .. .he gave up the goodies to her so quickly. I know he was hot in the pants for her and that was supposed to be the explanation but that made no sense to me.
Halle being the type of lawyer she was who worked with domestic abuse victims should have been able to work the system better than she did. Actually, what we saw was that she did not work the system at all. We got one meeting with a police officer who said "sorry you can't prove he is stalking you." In the meantime, she'd meet with her stalker. So why not ... I dunno... record what he is saying during those meetings? Gather evidence about him?
Also he is her STALKER. He Stalks. We are told that he observes her at various hours of the day and night, he had pictures of her and her family going about their day. And yet she goes off to meet hitman Callum in the park or at his place or he comes to her place. Wouldn't her stalker know she is involved with some guy?
Yeah so for a smart lady lawyer and a life long hitman, they did not act too brightly.
And finally the author introduced a plot development with the stalker that felt needlessly complicated and a little too coincidental. Because of course... let's drag this out.
So this was a bummer. I ended up skimming from 60% onward.
The set up was good. I like the idea of a woman who is being stalked and tormented deciding that she can't sit there and be terrorized when the system can't help her, so she decides to hire a hitman to kill her stalker. I am very ok with that idea.
The writing was good. I mean, there were some places that needed copy-editing, but the actual writing was quite good. Except... the author had this weird fixation on Halle's (the heroine's) thighs. I can't even tell you how many times we had to hear about her 'thick thighs'. I mean...
The problem is the execution of the story. There were too many places where I was reading felt myself going "but.... but...why?" Overall I think logic and character consistency was sacrificed for plot. And in the end, the plotting was rather sloppy.
Callum, the hero hitman, felt like he was way too accessible and gave up too much information about himself to Halle too quickly. If she were an undercover cop, he would have been busted within days. His phone number, his place of residence, his life story .. .he gave up the goodies to her so quickly. I know he was hot in the pants for her and that was supposed to be the explanation but that made no sense to me.
Halle being the type of lawyer she was who worked with domestic abuse victims should have been able to work the system better than she did. Actually, what we saw was that she did not work the system at all. We got one meeting with a police officer who said "sorry you can't prove he is stalking you." In the meantime, she'd meet with her stalker. So why not ... I dunno... record what he is saying during those meetings? Gather evidence about him?
Also he is her STALKER. He Stalks. We are told that he observes her at various hours of the day and night, he had pictures of her and her family going about their day. And yet she goes off to meet hitman Callum in the park or at his place or he comes to her place. Wouldn't her stalker know she is involved with some guy?
Yeah so for a smart lady lawyer and a life long hitman, they did not act too brightly.
And finally the author introduced a plot development with the stalker that felt needlessly complicated and a little too coincidental. Because of course... let's drag this out.
So this was a bummer. I ended up skimming from 60% onward.
August 30, 2020
Pretty okayish to me.. i expected more..
Halle has finally got out of a abusive relationship and moving forward with her life but her ex is still harassing her and threatening her family. So she ask her cousin for help and meets hitman Callum (H) who listens to her problem and changes how he's going to handle this kill since its a easy one, but he wants to spend more time with Halle. So he handles this job more lazy in my opinion for a high class Hitman.. he didnt feel like one.
I did wish Halle informed her family she had a stalker since HE WAS TARGETING THEM!! like?? It wasn't that hard to say hey don't speak to my ex he's abusive and stalking me. She put her nephews in more danger of not telling them.
As for Callum he was a good guy with tiny darkness.. i wish he tortured the stalker more I wanted him to get bloody for his woman but didn't happen.. idk why I want my heros to be like "you stalk my woman im cut your toes!" Is that to much to ask for lol.
No ow drama/ some Om drama (stalker ex), no cheating, Drama, sexy times, no virgins no manwhore
Recommend-yes/maybe
Cover-⭐⭐⭐
Prologue
Slow-instaburn
Slight push away from both
Physical abuse
Safe sex/no condom
Tiny anal play
Violence
Hea
Halle has finally got out of a abusive relationship and moving forward with her life but her ex is still harassing her and threatening her family. So she ask her cousin for help and meets hitman Callum (H) who listens to her problem and changes how he's going to handle this kill since its a easy one, but he wants to spend more time with Halle. So he handles this job more lazy in my opinion for a high class Hitman.. he didnt feel like one.
I did wish Halle informed her family she had a stalker since HE WAS TARGETING THEM!! like?? It wasn't that hard to say hey don't speak to my ex he's abusive and stalking me. She put her nephews in more danger of not telling them.
As for Callum he was a good guy with tiny darkness.. i wish he tortured the stalker more I wanted him to get bloody for his woman but didn't happen.. idk why I want my heros to be like "you stalk my woman im cut your toes!" Is that to much to ask for lol.
No ow drama/ some Om drama (stalker ex), no cheating, Drama, sexy times, no virgins no manwhore
Recommend-yes/maybe
Cover-⭐⭐⭐
Prologue
Slow-instaburn
Slight push away from both
Physical abuse
Safe sex/no condom
Tiny anal play
Violence
Hea
July 15, 2021
♡ Hitman hero
♡ Dark romance
I've heard so many good things about this book and this new-to-me author, so I was super excited to finally dive into this one and I wasn't disappointed. I loved so much about this book, but my only complaint is that certain things felt a little too convenient that it was distracting.
Rep: Black author, Black heroine
♡ Dark romance
I've heard so many good things about this book and this new-to-me author, so I was super excited to finally dive into this one and I wasn't disappointed. I loved so much about this book, but my only complaint is that certain things felt a little too convenient that it was distracting.
Rep: Black author, Black heroine
September 26, 2019
I think Ms. Slaughter has a lot of potential. The premise of the book was a good one. The writing style was lively and it flowed well. I hope she continues to write. With more experience she'll be a force to be reckoned with.
This novel, however, just doesn’t cut it. The number of typos and missing words are unacceptable. I don't start counting typos against an author until I start to feel annoyed by them. I started counting them at approx. the 45% mark. From there, I easily counted forty to fifty of them. Vera's gender kept changing. I imagine she was initially a male character and the change wasn't reviewed carefully enough. Someone should have caught these errors before the book was released.
The romance progressed much too quickly. I would like to have seen more tension build up between Callum and Halle. They were a couple because the author told us they were a couple, not because of any chemistry between them.
The plot had too many inconsistencies:
The heroine was an attorney who worked with abuse victims, but was wholly unable to help herself. The police tell her they cannot tie her stalker to the letters she's received, yet when he sends her a message telling her to meet him in a fancy restaurant she doesn’t think to have the detective waiting there for him. Instead she goes alone and sits down to dinner.
Callum is supposed to be an experienced hitman, but he continually throws his hard and fast rules out of the window for Halle's sake. He takes her along with him to meet clients. He forgets to check for cameras. He continually says one thing and then does another. I lost respect for him as a tough guy.
Halle is attacked by a man wielding a knife. She manages to get the upper hand and kills him instead. She calls her hitman boyfriend rather than the police and he comes to clean up the scene and hide the body. She, an attorney, and the detective continually refer to her actions as murder, not self defense.
Her stalker has a run-in with her mother which scares Halle so badly that she feigns illness and goes home. She doesn’t warn her mother that this man is dangerous. In fact, she tries to convince her that nothing happened between them. So her mother will continue to trust Joshua and possibly get killed whenever he finally decides to make a move.
Halle goes home in a panic. She is so frightened that she's looking out of her windows because she's afraid Joshua might be outside. By the way, she lives in a building with a doorman. She calls the hitman and within a few lines of text she is so relaxed that she starts masturbating while on the phone.
The hitman doesn’t intend to kill Joshua right away. He says he'll surprise him “one night.” Halle, who is so afraid of Joshua that she wants him dead, is perfectly appeased by this. In fact, there was never any urgency about killing Joshua. By the time they finally got around to it, I didn’t think he deserved it since he was not an immediate threat. They had plenty of time to turn him in to the police.
All through the story Halle showed that she wasn’t really afraid of Joshua. He was just the plot device needed to keep bringing the hero and heroine together. You don’t have dinner with your stalker. You don’t leave an encounter with him and stop at the grocery store. You don’t insist to your family and police that he's not a threat.
After the hit, the detective tells them he has been ordered to close the case. He tells them he can’t do anything to them but they need to leave town nonetheless. He knows they committed Joshua's murder. In fact, they both confess to it. A couple of pages later, Callum offers to confess to the murder that they have both already confessed to. Halle cries because they’re going to go to prison even though the detective admitted that he couldn’t do anything to them.
There were so many inconsistencies that I cannot detail them all. Unfortunately, they ruin what could have been a great book.
I hope the author will pull this book and work on some of these issues, especially the typos, and then resubmit it.
This novel, however, just doesn’t cut it. The number of typos and missing words are unacceptable. I don't start counting typos against an author until I start to feel annoyed by them. I started counting them at approx. the 45% mark. From there, I easily counted forty to fifty of them. Vera's gender kept changing. I imagine she was initially a male character and the change wasn't reviewed carefully enough. Someone should have caught these errors before the book was released.
The romance progressed much too quickly. I would like to have seen more tension build up between Callum and Halle. They were a couple because the author told us they were a couple, not because of any chemistry between them.
The plot had too many inconsistencies:
The heroine was an attorney who worked with abuse victims, but was wholly unable to help herself. The police tell her they cannot tie her stalker to the letters she's received, yet when he sends her a message telling her to meet him in a fancy restaurant she doesn’t think to have the detective waiting there for him. Instead she goes alone and sits down to dinner.
Callum is supposed to be an experienced hitman, but he continually throws his hard and fast rules out of the window for Halle's sake. He takes her along with him to meet clients. He forgets to check for cameras. He continually says one thing and then does another. I lost respect for him as a tough guy.
Halle is attacked by a man wielding a knife. She manages to get the upper hand and kills him instead. She calls her hitman boyfriend rather than the police and he comes to clean up the scene and hide the body. She, an attorney, and the detective continually refer to her actions as murder, not self defense.
Her stalker has a run-in with her mother which scares Halle so badly that she feigns illness and goes home. She doesn’t warn her mother that this man is dangerous. In fact, she tries to convince her that nothing happened between them. So her mother will continue to trust Joshua and possibly get killed whenever he finally decides to make a move.
Halle goes home in a panic. She is so frightened that she's looking out of her windows because she's afraid Joshua might be outside. By the way, she lives in a building with a doorman. She calls the hitman and within a few lines of text she is so relaxed that she starts masturbating while on the phone.
The hitman doesn’t intend to kill Joshua right away. He says he'll surprise him “one night.” Halle, who is so afraid of Joshua that she wants him dead, is perfectly appeased by this. In fact, there was never any urgency about killing Joshua. By the time they finally got around to it, I didn’t think he deserved it since he was not an immediate threat. They had plenty of time to turn him in to the police.
All through the story Halle showed that she wasn’t really afraid of Joshua. He was just the plot device needed to keep bringing the hero and heroine together. You don’t have dinner with your stalker. You don’t leave an encounter with him and stop at the grocery store. You don’t insist to your family and police that he's not a threat.
After the hit, the detective tells them he has been ordered to close the case. He tells them he can’t do anything to them but they need to leave town nonetheless. He knows they committed Joshua's murder. In fact, they both confess to it. A couple of pages later, Callum offers to confess to the murder that they have both already confessed to. Halle cries because they’re going to go to prison even though the detective admitted that he couldn’t do anything to them.
There were so many inconsistencies that I cannot detail them all. Unfortunately, they ruin what could have been a great book.
I hope the author will pull this book and work on some of these issues, especially the typos, and then resubmit it.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 18, 2019
3.5 Stars
Halle Temple has an (ex-boyfriend) stalker, Joshua Morland that won't leave her alone. He's already proven that he has no qualms about putting his hands on a woman. The police can't help her and she's tired of the phone calls, notes, photographs and the threats--making her aware of his power to instill fear. Since she can't get help through legal channels, Halle thinks she only has one option -- get a gun and kill Joshua. Her cousin, Devin refuses to give her a gun and offers to help. Halle wants to be solely responsible for the repercussions of her actions if there is fall-out. Devin knows she doesn't have the killer instinct so he gives of the number of a man who does, Callum Byrne.
They meet and discuss the terms and over time Callum drags out the hit because once the job is over he'll never see Halle again. And, he wants to keep seeing her and she wants the same thing too. Aren't they a pair?! When Halle is unexpectedly grabbed off the street, she is forced to fight for her life and in the aftermath calls Callum to assist her. He assures her he's taken care of everything, but they find out he forgot something very elementary. Something that should have been on a clean-up crime scene checklist, much like buy ... 1) duct tape, 2) tarp, 3) shovel, 4) rope and 5) obtain airtight alibi!
When Detective Leo Medina starts nosing around investigating the discovery of a corpse, the same detective that was unable to help her with her Joshua problem, Halle gets nervous. When Detective Medina returns a second time, he tells her an eerie--but true story.
When Callum can no longer drag his feet, an actual plan to end Joshua is set in motion and he wants Halle far, far away for plausible deniability. When Detective Medina returns threatening Halle, I was perplexed at his misguided indignation for (boo-hoo) lawbreakers and killers. His threat didn't work for me because Halle was a victim under the circumstances, and he was just as culpable for his own actions which is called --which makes him no better than Halle. Detective Medina was a thorn that could have easily been removed through legal or illegal means.
I don't condone violence or murder, but under the right set of circumstances, we all have the potential to kill to save ourselves or those we love. Recommended: Read It!
Halle Temple has an (ex-boyfriend) stalker, Joshua Morland that won't leave her alone. He's already proven that he has no qualms about putting his hands on a woman. The police can't help her and she's tired of the phone calls, notes, photographs and the threats--making her aware of his power to instill fear. Since she can't get help through legal channels, Halle thinks she only has one option -- get a gun and kill Joshua. Her cousin, Devin refuses to give her a gun and offers to help. Halle wants to be solely responsible for the repercussions of her actions if there is fall-out. Devin knows she doesn't have the killer instinct so he gives of the number of a man who does, Callum Byrne.
They meet and discuss the terms and over time Callum drags out the hit because once the job is over he'll never see Halle again. And, he wants to keep seeing her and she wants the same thing too. Aren't they a pair?! When Halle is unexpectedly grabbed off the street, she is forced to fight for her life and in the aftermath calls Callum to assist her. He assures her he's taken care of everything, but they find out he forgot something very elementary. Something that should have been on a clean-up crime scene checklist, much like buy ... 1) duct tape, 2) tarp, 3) shovel, 4) rope and 5) obtain airtight alibi!
When Detective Leo Medina starts nosing around investigating the discovery of a corpse, the same detective that was unable to help her with her Joshua problem, Halle gets nervous. When Detective Medina returns a second time, he tells her an eerie--but true story.
When Callum can no longer drag his feet, an actual plan to end Joshua is set in motion and he wants Halle far, far away for plausible deniability. When Detective Medina returns threatening Halle, I was perplexed at his misguided indignation for (boo-hoo) lawbreakers and killers. His threat didn't work for me because Halle was a victim under the circumstances, and he was just as culpable for his own actions which is called --which makes him no better than Halle. Detective Medina was a thorn that could have easily been removed through legal or illegal means.
I don't condone violence or murder, but under the right set of circumstances, we all have the potential to kill to save ourselves or those we love. Recommended: Read It!
March 19, 2021
I just found her level of involvement... unprofessional. 😆
October 13, 2022
i Full body shuddered whenever she said “juices”
Read
February 16, 2021dnf @ 50%
just don’t think this book is for me. it was insta-lovey and a little cheesy. I was hoping for something darker.
also, I’m in a horrible reading slump and that definitely has something to do with my inability to finish this.
just don’t think this book is for me. it was insta-lovey and a little cheesy. I was hoping for something darker.
also, I’m in a horrible reading slump and that definitely has something to do with my inability to finish this.
Want to read
June 22, 2019🎁 FREE on Amazon today (6/22/2019)! 🎁
June 20, 2021
this one has some exceptional moments but other parts were lacking for me to love it completely ...
May 30, 2021
CW: intimate partner violence
I’ve been saving this because I didn’t want to run out of Jodie Slaughter novels but I decided to stop depriving myself. While it didn’t work as well for me as White Whiskey Bargain or Just One More, I’m really glad I read her debut and got to see how her career began. People have described this as a dark romance but it’s more of a gritty contemporary to me and I had to recalibrate my expectations as a result.
Callum and Halle have an unusual start. She hires him to take out her abusive ex-boyfriend who is stalking her. This story deals heavily with intimate partner violence, both the heroine’s personal experience and clients she works with at the women’s legal aid clinic, so exercise caution as needed. The heroine is forced to interact with her ex multiple times because of the stalking. When the story begins, Halle is in the hospital after Joshua beat her up. She decides not to press charges and as a result, there’s not much the police can do in the present day when he begins stalking her. Because of this, she decides to enact her own form of justice. Honestly, given how little recourse most people have when they’ve experienced intimate partner violence, I was here for this development.
It was a little trickier for me to believe that the sight of Halle was enough for Callum to basically break all of his personal rules and mix business with pleasure. He made some sloppy decisions, especially in the latter part of the book, that didn’t strike me as believable, given how good he’s supposed to be as a hitman. But I did enjoy them together, even if I had to suspend disbelief about how it all came together.
The book really lagged in the middle for me and the plot choices became more soap opera-esque. There were a lot of logistical issues, The story would have benefited from tighter editing.
Character notes: Halle is a Black lawyer. Callum is a white 31 year old Irish hitman; he came to the US when he was 7. This is set in Chicago.
CW: intimate partner violence (heroine and her legal aid clients), abusive ex, stalker, heroine is physically assaulted and held at knifepoint by client’s abusive partner, , hero is a hitman and there are multiple descriptions of him assassinating someone (including death staged like a suicide), gendered insult, unprotected sex, alcohol, slut-shaming, arson, hero’s parents abandoned him and his sister with their aunt at age 9, reference to hero’s parents massacring a family, reference to a hit who physically abused his son
I’ve been saving this because I didn’t want to run out of Jodie Slaughter novels but I decided to stop depriving myself. While it didn’t work as well for me as White Whiskey Bargain or Just One More, I’m really glad I read her debut and got to see how her career began. People have described this as a dark romance but it’s more of a gritty contemporary to me and I had to recalibrate my expectations as a result.
Callum and Halle have an unusual start. She hires him to take out her abusive ex-boyfriend who is stalking her. This story deals heavily with intimate partner violence, both the heroine’s personal experience and clients she works with at the women’s legal aid clinic, so exercise caution as needed. The heroine is forced to interact with her ex multiple times because of the stalking. When the story begins, Halle is in the hospital after Joshua beat her up. She decides not to press charges and as a result, there’s not much the police can do in the present day when he begins stalking her. Because of this, she decides to enact her own form of justice. Honestly, given how little recourse most people have when they’ve experienced intimate partner violence, I was here for this development.
It was a little trickier for me to believe that the sight of Halle was enough for Callum to basically break all of his personal rules and mix business with pleasure. He made some sloppy decisions, especially in the latter part of the book, that didn’t strike me as believable, given how good he’s supposed to be as a hitman. But I did enjoy them together, even if I had to suspend disbelief about how it all came together.
The book really lagged in the middle for me and the plot choices became more soap opera-esque. There were a lot of logistical issues, The story would have benefited from tighter editing.
Character notes: Halle is a Black lawyer. Callum is a white 31 year old Irish hitman; he came to the US when he was 7. This is set in Chicago.
CW: intimate partner violence (heroine and her legal aid clients), abusive ex, stalker, heroine is physically assaulted and held at knifepoint by client’s abusive partner, , hero is a hitman and there are multiple descriptions of him assassinating someone (including death staged like a suicide), gendered insult, unprotected sex, alcohol, slut-shaming, arson, hero’s parents abandoned him and his sister with their aunt at age 9, reference to hero’s parents massacring a family, reference to a hit who physically abused his son
May 30, 2019
I'm sorry
I'm basically have read only a third of this story and I simply can't finish it and I was looking forward to reading it based on the synopsis. But seriously; the female was simply someone that I couldn't get vested. She worked with victims in a daily basis and couldn't recognize that she was one as well. Once she classified her successful fight for her life as murder; I just deflated. I tried to move passed it; but she kept saying it and I was done at that point. Such potential wasted.
I'm basically have read only a third of this story and I simply can't finish it and I was looking forward to reading it based on the synopsis. But seriously; the female was simply someone that I couldn't get vested. She worked with victims in a daily basis and couldn't recognize that she was one as well. Once she classified her successful fight for her life as murder; I just deflated. I tried to move passed it; but she kept saying it and I was done at that point. Such potential wasted.
February 21, 2021
Y’all! This book was sooooo good! I absolutely loved it. I fell in love with Callum and Halle so quick. Halle is definitely one of my favorite female characters I’ve read.
This book starts in the past with Halle in the hospital after a domestic abuse situation. And then we jump to the future where she is being stalked by her ex boyfriend, Joshua Morland. After he threatens her sister and her sisters kids, she comes to the decision that he needs to be killed for things to stop since the cops can’t do anything. In comes Callum Byrne.
Callum is a hitman that Halle hires to kill Joshua.
Immediately Callum is breaking his rules to get to know more about Halle. And before we know it they are fighting off feelings that neither should have for each other.
This book was the perfect amount of slow burn, while also being really sexy. Callum in the bedroom is just... 🥵🔥 I love their romance so damn much y’all.
“𝘏𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦 𝘬𝘯𝘦𝘸 𝘐 𝘸𝘢𝘴𝘯’𝘵 𝘢 𝘨𝘰𝘰𝘥 𝘮𝘢𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩. 𝘐 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘮𝘢𝘯. 𝘚𝘦𝘭𝘧𝘪𝘴𝘩 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘵𝘵𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘪𝘥𝘪𝘰𝘵𝘪𝘤 𝘢𝘴 𝘐 𝘸𝘢𝘴, 𝘐 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘴. 𝘑𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘴𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘦.”
I highly recommend y’all pick this one up if you love a good dark romance!
This book starts in the past with Halle in the hospital after a domestic abuse situation. And then we jump to the future where she is being stalked by her ex boyfriend, Joshua Morland. After he threatens her sister and her sisters kids, she comes to the decision that he needs to be killed for things to stop since the cops can’t do anything. In comes Callum Byrne.
Callum is a hitman that Halle hires to kill Joshua.
Immediately Callum is breaking his rules to get to know more about Halle. And before we know it they are fighting off feelings that neither should have for each other.
This book was the perfect amount of slow burn, while also being really sexy. Callum in the bedroom is just... 🥵🔥 I love their romance so damn much y’all.
“𝘏𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦 𝘬𝘯𝘦𝘸 𝘐 𝘸𝘢𝘴𝘯’𝘵 𝘢 𝘨𝘰𝘰𝘥 𝘮𝘢𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩. 𝘐 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘮𝘢𝘯. 𝘚𝘦𝘭𝘧𝘪𝘴𝘩 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘵𝘵𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘪𝘥𝘪𝘰𝘵𝘪𝘤 𝘢𝘴 𝘐 𝘸𝘢𝘴, 𝘐 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘴. 𝘑𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘴𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘦.”
I highly recommend y’all pick this one up if you love a good dark romance!
October 30, 2022
I thought this would be a tiny dip into dark romance but it didn’t feel dark to me, the darkness was external to the relationship. The heroine hires a hit man to get rid of her obsessed stalker, and falls in love with him. I enjoyed Halle as a character and the discussion of justifiable homicide and being a “good person” - Callum was also nicely protective without being overbearing.
May 16, 2019
4 Stars
This was a pretty decent read. The flow of the book was ok. I liked Callum and Halle, but I wish their romance had a little bit more spice. I didn’t really feel an intense connection between them. Nevertheless, I still enjoyed the book.
This was a pretty decent read. The flow of the book was ok. I liked Callum and Halle, but I wish their romance had a little bit more spice. I didn’t really feel an intense connection between them. Nevertheless, I still enjoyed the book.
August 27, 2020
All Things Burn was a quick, sexy bit of afternoon delight! Halle is being stalked by her college boyfriend. As a lawyer for women suffering domestic abuse, she's all too familiar with how this can end for her. So she takes matters into her own hands by hiring a hit man. Callum is great at his job, but this becomes more than just a job to him. He is instantly attracted to Halle and must protect her at all costs, even if that means going off script a bit to keep her close.
All Things Burn gets straight to the point, since it is pretty short given the limited time frame (the characters repeatedly mention that it's been "weeks," while technically true, the reality is that it's been two weeks). Halle hires Callum and their first meeting is full of insta-lust which carries over to their first phone call. From there, these two cannot keep their hands and lips off of each other! By time the hit comes around, these two are practically living together! Their relationship is surprisingly normal, with no random fight or extraneous drama. Just good sex and conversation.
My only real complaint about All Things Burn is that the stalker plot was very much in the background. It was essentially just used as the way Halle and Callum meet. Joshua had been sending Halle all kinds of "romantic" gifts, as well as some threatening letters. And he even tried to cozy up to her mother at the grocery store! However, after Halle hires her hit man, Joshua disappears. If he was keeping that close of an eye on her, why didn't he notice Callum constantly coming and going from her apartment? I wanted more stalkery goodness! I needed more "If I can't have you, no one can!" At least that piece of crap gets what's coming to him.
I did really enjoy All Things Burn. I just wish there had been more at stake! I was never on the edge of my seat, wondering if Joshua was going to get Halle this time, or go after Callum. I loved how Halle refused to just roll over and take Joshua's abuse though. She does a complete 180 from the woman we met in the prologue. Of course, there's a happy ending. It was surprisingly sweet and domestic, but I found it believable for these two.
All Things Burn gets straight to the point, since it is pretty short given the limited time frame (the characters repeatedly mention that it's been "weeks," while technically true, the reality is that it's been two weeks). Halle hires Callum and their first meeting is full of insta-lust which carries over to their first phone call. From there, these two cannot keep their hands and lips off of each other! By time the hit comes around, these two are practically living together! Their relationship is surprisingly normal, with no random fight or extraneous drama. Just good sex and conversation.
My only real complaint about All Things Burn is that the stalker plot was very much in the background. It was essentially just used as the way Halle and Callum meet. Joshua had been sending Halle all kinds of "romantic" gifts, as well as some threatening letters. And he even tried to cozy up to her mother at the grocery store! However, after Halle hires her hit man, Joshua disappears. If he was keeping that close of an eye on her, why didn't he notice Callum constantly coming and going from her apartment? I wanted more stalkery goodness! I needed more "If I can't have you, no one can!" At least that piece of crap gets what's coming to him.
I did really enjoy All Things Burn. I just wish there had been more at stake! I was never on the edge of my seat, wondering if Joshua was going to get Halle this time, or go after Callum. I loved how Halle refused to just roll over and take Joshua's abuse though. She does a complete 180 from the woman we met in the prologue. Of course, there's a happy ending. It was surprisingly sweet and domestic, but I found it believable for these two.
August 4, 2019
For me, this was the most intense read of 2019. I'm not normally a reader of books with anti-heroes, but I adored Callum. And the heroine, Halle, was written perfectly. I could imagine myself thinking and doing all of the things she did — even when the story became uncomfortable and dangerous.
The second half of the book was filled with heart pounding scenes! All Things Burn had a deep complexity to it, was well-written, and had scorching sex scenes. I was able to buy the motivations behind the characters' sometimes troublesome actions.
Can't wait to read more from this author!
The second half of the book was filled with heart pounding scenes! All Things Burn had a deep complexity to it, was well-written, and had scorching sex scenes. I was able to buy the motivations behind the characters' sometimes troublesome actions.
Can't wait to read more from this author!
July 22, 2021
This is the biggest disappointing book of the year for me.
I’ve read the blurb, I’ve heard reviews and I was ready to bet my liver that it’ll be a 5 stars read.
What a let down.
First of all I’ll start with the good:
Great writing.
Plot with potential.
Great sex scenes.
Gorgeous cover.
And the bad:
1) Really confusing. All over the place plot wise.
2) Bad pacing ( feels rush and messy)
3) Bad characters development.
4)Unbelievable love story ( insta lovey/lust, few scenes with the couple together but the are “in love” bitch please)
5)The bad guy was supposed to be a STALKER ( who happens to know everything about her life by the way, what she wears, where she lives, when she goes out, where she works, picture of her and her family, smelling her on the streets etc) so explained to me how come the guy never finds out that she was having an affair with the hitman? They weren’t even cautious about it for f*ck sake his role was to STALK her and funny enough he never did, what the heck!
6) Lots of “ off pages” scenes that would’ve bring much more to the story and the depth of the characters ( especially Halle’s trauma toward her stalker, it would’ve explained why she was so afraid of her and why he was stalking her) sadly even the revelation was underwhelming.
7) LOTS of inconsistencies ( Halle is supposed to be an attorney but she does know her ways around legal justice, the Hitman is supposed to be a professional but does sloppy work) Why haven’t she revealed to her friends and family what happens? Ugh so frustrating!
It should’ve been much longer or a duet because the wrap up/ ending was a huge mess.
I’m so disappointed I wanna cry.
It had SO much potential!
I’ve read the blurb, I’ve heard reviews and I was ready to bet my liver that it’ll be a 5 stars read.
What a let down.
First of all I’ll start with the good:
Great writing.
Plot with potential.
Great sex scenes.
Gorgeous cover.
And the bad:
1) Really confusing. All over the place plot wise.
2) Bad pacing ( feels rush and messy)
3) Bad characters development.
4)Unbelievable love story ( insta lovey/lust, few scenes with the couple together but the are “in love” bitch please)
5)The bad guy was supposed to be a STALKER ( who happens to know everything about her life by the way, what she wears, where she lives, when she goes out, where she works, picture of her and her family, smelling her on the streets etc) so explained to me how come the guy never finds out that she was having an affair with the hitman? They weren’t even cautious about it for f*ck sake his role was to STALK her and funny enough he never did, what the heck!
6) Lots of “ off pages” scenes that would’ve bring much more to the story and the depth of the characters ( especially Halle’s trauma toward her stalker, it would’ve explained why she was so afraid of her and why he was stalking her) sadly even the revelation was underwhelming.
7) LOTS of inconsistencies ( Halle is supposed to be an attorney but she does know her ways around legal justice, the Hitman is supposed to be a professional but does sloppy work) Why haven’t she revealed to her friends and family what happens? Ugh so frustrating!
It should’ve been much longer or a duet because the wrap up/ ending was a huge mess.
I’m so disappointed I wanna cry.
It had SO much potential!
January 22, 2022
I did enjoy this story. Although there were spelling errors, overuse of the characters names (a lot of Callum's sentences had Halle's name in them, and I think Vera was initially a male character but not all of the pronouns were changed. However, it was still enjoyable to read.
The balance of the dark, seriousness of murder wasn't lost in this story. I personally don't think there was an insensitive shift from the crime to the sex scenes. I've read a few stories like this that flipped the switch a little too callously and I was more concerned that the characters weren't taking anything seriously. This story didn't have that issue, although there were a few developments I found questionable.
Halle was your typical female protagonist in a story like this. Starts out feeling weak and incapable of dealing with the threat a violent man poses to her life. As the story progresses, she finds out what she's capable of. It's pretty much what I expected, along with her trying to convince Callum he deserves happiness in life.
Callum was a pretty hot protagonist. We sort of side step the question of his morality by making him a killer that has a code and only goes after scum bags and abusers. He's hot, he's Irish, he's extremely protective over Halle and very soft when he's with her. It's pretty much what I expected, but who doesn't love the hot guy that will do anything to protect the woman he loves?
Anyway, I enjoyed this and read it pretty quickly.
The balance of the dark, seriousness of murder wasn't lost in this story. I personally don't think there was an insensitive shift from the crime to the sex scenes. I've read a few stories like this that flipped the switch a little too callously and I was more concerned that the characters weren't taking anything seriously. This story didn't have that issue, although there were a few developments I found questionable.
Halle was your typical female protagonist in a story like this. Starts out feeling weak and incapable of dealing with the threat a violent man poses to her life. As the story progresses, she finds out what she's capable of. It's pretty much what I expected, along with her trying to convince Callum he deserves happiness in life.
Callum was a pretty hot protagonist. We sort of side step the question of his morality by making him a killer that has a code and only goes after scum bags and abusers. He's hot, he's Irish, he's extremely protective over Halle and very soft when he's with her. It's pretty much what I expected, but who doesn't love the hot guy that will do anything to protect the woman he loves?
Anyway, I enjoyed this and read it pretty quickly.
December 22, 2021
TW: Abuse, Murder Possible SA (not clarified).
This wasn’t necessarily bad, but I did have a few issues with it. Halle’s cousin, the cousins wife, and sister all would call her “girl” or “little girl” which okay whatever I don’t mind that, but then the love interest Callum would and i just could not do it. It seemed very convenient for so many people Halle knew to call her “girl”. Another issue I had with this book had been that even though I read only around 60% of the book, the couple got together quite fast. I love angst, longing, and the build up, but this just simply didn’t have those things.
Even though I didn’t enjoy this all that much, it wasn’t horrible, just personally not for me.
This wasn’t necessarily bad, but I did have a few issues with it. Halle’s cousin, the cousins wife, and sister all would call her “girl” or “little girl” which okay whatever I don’t mind that, but then the love interest Callum would and i just could not do it. It seemed very convenient for so many people Halle knew to call her “girl”. Another issue I had with this book had been that even though I read only around 60% of the book, the couple got together quite fast. I love angst, longing, and the build up, but this just simply didn’t have those things.
Even though I didn’t enjoy this all that much, it wasn’t horrible, just personally not for me.
June 16, 2020
Callum and Halle
Hitman Romance? Curiosity piqued! I was almost certain that there was no way I was going to get into this story. Why would any educated woman—an attorney, no less— fall for a hired hitman?
Well! Callum leapt off the page. I was in love with him before he ever revealed his name to Halle. Mr. No Name was hot!He was written as a sensitive and dare I say moral character with a code of honor that belied his chosen profession.
Halle Temple was a perfect foil for Callum Byrnes and their chemistry was instantly palpable. I loved them together. Now, I would love to see what happens with Devin and Cheyenne. There’s something still there, I can tell.
Hitman Romance? Curiosity piqued! I was almost certain that there was no way I was going to get into this story. Why would any educated woman—an attorney, no less— fall for a hired hitman?
Well! Callum leapt off the page. I was in love with him before he ever revealed his name to Halle. Mr. No Name was hot!He was written as a sensitive and dare I say moral character with a code of honor that belied his chosen profession.
Halle Temple was a perfect foil for Callum Byrnes and their chemistry was instantly palpable. I loved them together. Now, I would love to see what happens with Devin and Cheyenne. There’s something still there, I can tell.
December 11, 2023
palhaçada, viu.
é bem meh. temos o ponto de vista de Halle e de Callum, e ele é pra ser um hitman perigosão, mas eu terminei achando que ele tem algum CID e tá tudo na cabeça dele. as tentativas dele ser malzão são meio patéticas.
Halle fica repetitivamente analisando se tudo bem ela gostar dele, se tudo bem ela querer que alguém morra e enchendo o saco o tempo inteiro pra não chegar em lugar algum.
e as partes hot são poucas e fracas.
vale não, viu. se isso é romance dark, eu não vi vantagem alguma. vou ficar com as minhas romcoms que eu ganho mais (até pq menos é impossível rs)
é bem meh. temos o ponto de vista de Halle e de Callum, e ele é pra ser um hitman perigosão, mas eu terminei achando que ele tem algum CID e tá tudo na cabeça dele. as tentativas dele ser malzão são meio patéticas.
Halle fica repetitivamente analisando se tudo bem ela gostar dele, se tudo bem ela querer que alguém morra e enchendo o saco o tempo inteiro pra não chegar em lugar algum.
e as partes hot são poucas e fracas.
vale não, viu. se isso é romance dark, eu não vi vantagem alguma. vou ficar com as minhas romcoms que eu ganho mais (até pq menos é impossível rs)
October 29, 2020
This was a very quick, pretty dark, and pretty hot read. If you haven't read Jodie Slaughter, definitely check her out. I preferred her bootlegger book, but she's going to be an author I keep an eye on.
June 6, 2019
All things burn and they sure did, right off the pages! It was chilling, thrilling, and romantic. Halle and Callum were a match made. Who knew that calling for a hitman would get you a killer boyfriend. A good read through and through.
February 21, 2021
Rating: 4.5
I seriously could not put this down! I devoured it and completely fell in love with Halle and Callum!
I seriously could not put this down! I devoured it and completely fell in love with Halle and Callum!
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