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Buchanan-Renard #13
Wired
A beautiful computer hacker and a bad-boy FBI agent must collaborate—in more ways than one—in the sizzling new novel from bestselling author Julie Garwood.
Allison Trent doesn’t look like a hacker. In fact, when she’s not in college working on her degree, she models on the side. But behind her gorgeous face is a brilliant mind for computers and her real love is writing—and hacking—code. Her dream is to write a new security program that could revolutionize the tech industry.
Hotshot FBI agent Liam Scott has a problem: a leak deep within his own department. He needs the skills of a top-notch hacker to work on a highly sensitive project: to secretly break into the FBI servers and find out who the traitor is. But he can’t use one of his own. He finds the perfect candidate in Allison. Only, there’s one problem—she wants nothing to do with his job and turns him down flat.
What Liam doesn’t know is that Allison is hiding secrets that she doesn’t want the FBI to uncover. But Liam will do nearly anything to persuade her to join his team, even break a few rules if that’s what it takes. A temptation that could put his job—and both of their futures—on the line...
Allison Trent doesn’t look like a hacker. In fact, when she’s not in college working on her degree, she models on the side. But behind her gorgeous face is a brilliant mind for computers and her real love is writing—and hacking—code. Her dream is to write a new security program that could revolutionize the tech industry.
Hotshot FBI agent Liam Scott has a problem: a leak deep within his own department. He needs the skills of a top-notch hacker to work on a highly sensitive project: to secretly break into the FBI servers and find out who the traitor is. But he can’t use one of his own. He finds the perfect candidate in Allison. Only, there’s one problem—she wants nothing to do with his job and turns him down flat.
What Liam doesn’t know is that Allison is hiding secrets that she doesn’t want the FBI to uncover. But Liam will do nearly anything to persuade her to join his team, even break a few rules if that’s what it takes. A temptation that could put his job—and both of their futures—on the line...
320 pages, Hardcover
First published July 4, 2017
2121 people are currently reading
7554 people want to read
About the author
Julie Garwood
151 books12.5k followersWith more than 35 million books in print and 26 NEW YORK TIMES bestsellers, Julie Garwood has earned a position among America's favorite fiction writers.
Born and raised in Kansas City, MO, Ms. Garwood attributes much of her success to growing up in a large family of Irish heritage. "The Irish are great storytellers who relish getting all of the details and nuances of every situation. Add in the fact that I was the sixth of seven children. Early in life, I learned that self expression had to be forceful, imaginative, and quick," says Ms. Garwood.
She began her writing career when the youngest of her three children entered school. After the publications of two young-adult books, she turned her talents to historical fiction. Her first novel, GENTLE WARRIOR, was published by Pocket Books in 1985. Since then, she has branched into other genres including contemporary romantic suspense. Today, her name appears regularly on the bestseller lists of every major publication in the country, and her books are translated into dozens of languages around the world. Her bestselling novel FOR THE ROSES was adapted for the HALLMARK HALL OF FAME television movie ROSE HILL.
Ms. Garwood lives in Leawood, KS and is currently working on her next novel.
Born and raised in Kansas City, MO, Ms. Garwood attributes much of her success to growing up in a large family of Irish heritage. "The Irish are great storytellers who relish getting all of the details and nuances of every situation. Add in the fact that I was the sixth of seven children. Early in life, I learned that self expression had to be forceful, imaginative, and quick," says Ms. Garwood.
She began her writing career when the youngest of her three children entered school. After the publications of two young-adult books, she turned her talents to historical fiction. Her first novel, GENTLE WARRIOR, was published by Pocket Books in 1985. Since then, she has branched into other genres including contemporary romantic suspense. Today, her name appears regularly on the bestseller lists of every major publication in the country, and her books are translated into dozens of languages around the world. Her bestselling novel FOR THE ROSES was adapted for the HALLMARK HALL OF FAME television movie ROSE HILL.
Ms. Garwood lives in Leawood, KS and is currently working on her next novel.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,264 reviews
June 8, 2017
Holy shit, Julie Garwood. Holy Shit...
*Rant Ahead*
All I can say is...
What hath happened to one of my favorite authors?
Seriously, I can't even with the mourning here, people.
It's like owl suicide watch up in these parts, yo.
In fact, let's have a moment of silence for the death of my Garwood reading joy.
Some background:
I just checked my shelves and, according to GR, I have read over 25 Julie Garwood novels.
Some of my favorite reads of all time are Julie Garwood novels.
Some of my fondest reading memories involve Julie Garwood novels.
I started reading her when I was 12 years old.
Thus: Nostalgia.
Which makes this suck even more.
The funny part of this is that, as I was preparing to read this, I thought to myself, "Self, I hope this isn't as shiteous as The Ideal Man. Surely that one was a fluke of heinous. SURELY this one can't be as bad as that, right Self?"
Well, all I can say is this:
*
*
*
SUPER WRONG.
Because folks, this was bad.
Bad as in "not good."
Not good at all.
In fact - when I went back and read my review for Ideal I laughed my ass off, because I could literally copy/paste some of the exact same commentary regarding the characters.
Case in point, here are my comments about the two main characters in Ideal:
You could legit take out the names Max and Ellie and slide in Liam and Allison.
In this book, Liam is also an FBI agent, also a lawyer, and ALSO seemingly the only law enforcement officer in the whole city of Boston, what with how he always seem to show up just in the nick of time. Every time.
And Allison?
Good lord, kill me now.
Not only was Allison a meek personification of patience and self-sacrifice, she was drop dead gorgeous - for real though, not only did she model "on the side" she was supposedly some kind of Versace muse - AND she was such a computer genius that the FBI needed her college-age ass to solve their problems - cause, you know, apparently the FB-fucking-I can't find their own dicks without Allison holding the magnifying glass.
Not only were my rolling eyes hitting the roof of my skull with the ridiculousness of the characters, the plot was seriously all over the place.
And by all "all over the place" I mean:
And the romance?
Sucked.
All that said, I think I will call it quits here with reading any future Garwood books.
As much as I LOVE her earlier works, everything she has published circa 2000 and after have been...less then awesome.
I figure I gave it 17 years, no?
*Rant Ahead*
All I can say is...
What hath happened to one of my favorite authors?
Seriously, I can't even with the mourning here, people.
It's like owl suicide watch up in these parts, yo.
In fact, let's have a moment of silence for the death of my Garwood reading joy.
Some background:
I just checked my shelves and, according to GR, I have read over 25 Julie Garwood novels.
Some of my favorite reads of all time are Julie Garwood novels.
Some of my fondest reading memories involve Julie Garwood novels.
I started reading her when I was 12 years old.
Thus: Nostalgia.
Which makes this suck even more.
The funny part of this is that, as I was preparing to read this, I thought to myself, "Self, I hope this isn't as shiteous as The Ideal Man. Surely that one was a fluke of heinous. SURELY this one can't be as bad as that, right Self?"
Well, all I can say is this:
*
*
*
SUPER WRONG.
Because folks, this was bad.
Bad as in "not good."
Not good at all.
In fact - when I went back and read my review for Ideal I laughed my ass off, because I could literally copy/paste some of the exact same commentary regarding the characters.
Case in point, here are my comments about the two main characters in Ideal:
Not only is Max a Special Agent with the FBI, he's also a lawyer, a graduate of Vanderbilt, and (along with 5 of his six brothers) was adopted after his own parents were tragically killed in an accident when he was 5. His older brother is a quarterback in the NFL and, in his spare time, he talks little boys down from the ledge because he has a "special touch" that apparently no other law enforcement officer in all of St. Louis possesses.
And Ellie? Jesus.
This paragon of perfection is like fucking super woman, people. She's a prodigy genius who started high school at ten years old, schooled math geniuses as a pre-teen, saves choking men in restaurants, and discovers melanoma on gang bangers in police stations just whilst "passing by."
She is also so drop dead gorgeous (of course) that every man present notices her (unbeknownst to her, of course) and was so captivating as an 11 year old that she picked up a stalker from whom she has been running her whole life. And while she's not earning prestigious medical awards that haven't been given out in over a decade prior to her awesomeness, she's giving prenatal advice to wives of FBI agents via phone, and threatening doctors to give people without insurance medical aide.
Holy shit, someone give me the Heimlich Maneuver, because I'm choking on the pretentious bullshit that is this character.
You could legit take out the names Max and Ellie and slide in Liam and Allison.
In this book, Liam is also an FBI agent, also a lawyer, and ALSO seemingly the only law enforcement officer in the whole city of Boston, what with how he always seem to show up just in the nick of time. Every time.
And Allison?
Good lord, kill me now.
Not only was Allison a meek personification of patience and self-sacrifice, she was drop dead gorgeous - for real though, not only did she model "on the side" she was supposedly some kind of Versace muse - AND she was such a computer genius that the FBI needed her college-age ass to solve their problems - cause, you know, apparently the FB-fucking-I can't find their own dicks without Allison holding the magnifying glass.
Not only were my rolling eyes hitting the roof of my skull with the ridiculousness of the characters, the plot was seriously all over the place.
And by all "all over the place" I mean:
And the romance?
Sucked.
All that said, I think I will call it quits here with reading any future Garwood books.
As much as I LOVE her earlier works, everything she has published circa 2000 and after have been...less then awesome.
I figure I gave it 17 years, no?
March 30, 2018
Review available at Under the Pages.
July 14, 2017
I'm rating this book 2 stars. I had major issues in this book and sadly i couldn't get past them. When I first read the book summary i was excited to read this because the hacker concept seemed interesting. And in this book the hacker concept was my favorite thing out of this entire read. Honestly, this book didn't hold my interest and i was really bored. Throughout this read i felt the book had a lot of text fillers. Extra text and paragraphs that didn't really need to be in this book and could have been cut out. And, the ending was very abrupt like the final bad guy gets taken care of and then, The End. There was no epilogue which this book should have had. I felt no real romance in this book it really is more of just an FBI or CIA type book without romance. I would call it a thriller but it was boring so i don't really know what to call a book like this. My biggest issue was with Allison. She was an annoying unrealistic character. First thing, Allison's normal schedule aka hack all day, go to college, gym time for 2 hours, and lets not forget dysfunctional family issues. It unrealistic because no one could do that much in 1 day. Another unrealistic thing is her modeling career/ side gig. It was annoying how she was such a pushover to her family and it took awhile for that to change. Finally, my biggest issue is at the beginning of the book when she's like "I’ll just risk being in prison for 30 years because some random old lady on TV is sad". Overall i didn't like this book but i think that if you can not find this book boring you could enjoy this read. Although i didn't enjoy it at all.
November 10, 2017
Ladies, we all need to feel bad about ourselves because we aren't as good as the heroine in this book:
She's a beautiful model that makes every male's head turn and is the muse of a famous designer.
She's so smart that people ask her to solve 1,000 piece puzzles at parties because she can do it in minutes.
She is a computer genius to the point of walking through an FBI office and doing something in minutes that a room full of experts can't do in days or weeks. (she's a college student)
She is a super-hero hacker because she hacks into banks and fixes any viruses or internet problems they may have without them knowing. She also hacks into an account to find millions of dollars that some old people were cheated out of because the news story made her sad.
She's the sweetest, most humble girl ever. She has no idea that she's so beautiful or smart. She's like Taylor Swift at an awards show.
Yeah, yeah. We get it. Beautiful, talented, humble.... better than us.
Allison gets recruited by sexy FBI agent, Liam to find a leak within the bureau. Don't worry, Liam has a super-power too. He is able to transform into the Invisible Man after having sex. It's not that uncommon of a super-power, really, but it is his.
Every time Allison has sex with Liam, she is sure not to see him for at least a week. Sometimes it is months. His invisibility cloak must be unpredictable in how long it works after each charge.
Superheroes are such jerks.
But, don't worry, he'll be back for his next charge. And, she will resist him for about 5 seconds before she caves in. Nothing like doing the same stupid thing over and over again and then wondering why you're hurt.
This book was about as believable as a comic book, and I'm fine with that if a book is set in a supernatural world, or alternative reality. Unfortunately, this was supposed to be realistic and a contemporary story, and I just wasn't buying what she was selling. Give me a heroine that has at least an ounce of something I can relate to. That's all I'm asking for.
She's a beautiful model that makes every male's head turn and is the muse of a famous designer.
She's so smart that people ask her to solve 1,000 piece puzzles at parties because she can do it in minutes.
She is a computer genius to the point of walking through an FBI office and doing something in minutes that a room full of experts can't do in days or weeks. (she's a college student)
She is a super-hero hacker because she hacks into banks and fixes any viruses or internet problems they may have without them knowing. She also hacks into an account to find millions of dollars that some old people were cheated out of because the news story made her sad.
She's the sweetest, most humble girl ever. She has no idea that she's so beautiful or smart. She's like Taylor Swift at an awards show.
Yeah, yeah. We get it. Beautiful, talented, humble.... better than us.
Allison gets recruited by sexy FBI agent, Liam to find a leak within the bureau. Don't worry, Liam has a super-power too. He is able to transform into the Invisible Man after having sex. It's not that uncommon of a super-power, really, but it is his.
Every time Allison has sex with Liam, she is sure not to see him for at least a week. Sometimes it is months. His invisibility cloak must be unpredictable in how long it works after each charge.
Superheroes are such jerks.
But, don't worry, he'll be back for his next charge. And, she will resist him for about 5 seconds before she caves in. Nothing like doing the same stupid thing over and over again and then wondering why you're hurt.
This book was about as believable as a comic book, and I'm fine with that if a book is set in a supernatural world, or alternative reality. Unfortunately, this was supposed to be realistic and a contemporary story, and I just wasn't buying what she was selling. Give me a heroine that has at least an ounce of something I can relate to. That's all I'm asking for.
June 29, 2017
2.5 stars
***Full Review***
I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Allison is close to finally graduating and after carrying the weight of taking care of her aunt, uncle, and cousin, she is ready to move cross country and start her life anew. Her life seems on track until the FBI comes knocking on her door wanting to know just how good of a hacker she really is.
Special Agent Liam has been so dedicated to his job, he wouldn't even know how to have a normal relationship but when he sets eyes on Allison, he wants some changes. Her brains and beauty pack a punch while her sweetness has his protective side flaring to life.
Cousins, jealous colleagues, and traitors try to derail these two but Allison and Liam make quite the team.
The thirteenth installment in the Buchanan-Renard series, Wired, immerses us back into the world of FBI agents and life and death action. There were a couple appearances by past couples but newcomers to the series could start here and be ok.
The beginning starts the reader right off into the action but with a timeline that fast forwarded awkwardly, it all felt a bit jumbled. We get some information dumps to thrust us into the story and with some repeats, the editing felt a bit off. As the story went on, it started to smooth out as our leads and characters took over.
Being with him even topped writing code, and how freaky was that?
Allison is a likeable heroine but with every reminder about how gorgeous she is, models high fashion on the side, and how amazingly brilliant she is at hacking along with her overly sweet "I must do everything for everybody" attitude, she became a bit eye-rolling. Her awkwardness is cute and empathetic to a point, about the millionth time I heard about her amazing legs and how she doesn’t need make-up point. Her inability for most of the story to stand-up to her over-the-top villainous aunt and uncle was also a bit much; it started to feel like unnecessary conflict that was dragged out.
Letting out a low whistle, he shook his head.
"She's gonna be trouble."
Liam for all his protective man in charge attitude still came off somewhat wooden. I never felt like his personality was too delved into, he was always on the go without the reader having time to really get to know him, let alone Allison. After I finished the book I can't even say for sure if they had an extended conversation. They did have moments of chemistry but their interactions were such hit and runs, nothing ever felt flushed out. The beat in their relationship just felt off.
Allison and Liam were two very analytical characters and that could be why they were harder to connect with as their thought patterns were pretty decisive but it also had them coming off a bit stiff. The over abundance of villains and obstacles thrown in their way was too much and clogged up the story. Allison had to battle her aunt and uncle, a jealous fellow student, and the FBI, all too much for only 300pgs.
Even though I felt the heroine was too sweet, the hero was a bit cardboard cut-out, and one too many bad guys running around, Garwood's writing still has a readability that can't be denied. The story was interesting with action and intensity but our hero and heroine didn't get a chance to rise a bit above the antics and emotionally shine.
***Full Review***
I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Allison is close to finally graduating and after carrying the weight of taking care of her aunt, uncle, and cousin, she is ready to move cross country and start her life anew. Her life seems on track until the FBI comes knocking on her door wanting to know just how good of a hacker she really is.
Special Agent Liam has been so dedicated to his job, he wouldn't even know how to have a normal relationship but when he sets eyes on Allison, he wants some changes. Her brains and beauty pack a punch while her sweetness has his protective side flaring to life.
Cousins, jealous colleagues, and traitors try to derail these two but Allison and Liam make quite the team.
The thirteenth installment in the Buchanan-Renard series, Wired, immerses us back into the world of FBI agents and life and death action. There were a couple appearances by past couples but newcomers to the series could start here and be ok.
The beginning starts the reader right off into the action but with a timeline that fast forwarded awkwardly, it all felt a bit jumbled. We get some information dumps to thrust us into the story and with some repeats, the editing felt a bit off. As the story went on, it started to smooth out as our leads and characters took over.
Being with him even topped writing code, and how freaky was that?
Allison is a likeable heroine but with every reminder about how gorgeous she is, models high fashion on the side, and how amazingly brilliant she is at hacking along with her overly sweet "I must do everything for everybody" attitude, she became a bit eye-rolling. Her awkwardness is cute and empathetic to a point, about the millionth time I heard about her amazing legs and how she doesn’t need make-up point. Her inability for most of the story to stand-up to her over-the-top villainous aunt and uncle was also a bit much; it started to feel like unnecessary conflict that was dragged out.
Letting out a low whistle, he shook his head.
"She's gonna be trouble."
Liam for all his protective man in charge attitude still came off somewhat wooden. I never felt like his personality was too delved into, he was always on the go without the reader having time to really get to know him, let alone Allison. After I finished the book I can't even say for sure if they had an extended conversation. They did have moments of chemistry but their interactions were such hit and runs, nothing ever felt flushed out. The beat in their relationship just felt off.
Allison and Liam were two very analytical characters and that could be why they were harder to connect with as their thought patterns were pretty decisive but it also had them coming off a bit stiff. The over abundance of villains and obstacles thrown in their way was too much and clogged up the story. Allison had to battle her aunt and uncle, a jealous fellow student, and the FBI, all too much for only 300pgs.
Even though I felt the heroine was too sweet, the hero was a bit cardboard cut-out, and one too many bad guys running around, Garwood's writing still has a readability that can't be denied. The story was interesting with action and intensity but our hero and heroine didn't get a chance to rise a bit above the antics and emotionally shine.
July 3, 2017
College student Allison Trent has serious computer skills, so much that she's attracted the attention of FBI Special Agent Liam Scott. She got on his radar via her friendship with Jordan Clayborne, his partner Alec Buchanan's sister. Jordan's considered an expert herself but even she is awed by Allison's talents. There's an internal leak at the agency and Liam needs her to hack their system and identify the source.
The story starts off really interesting with a very compelling history for Allison. She and her sister had a tough start in life and it was inspiring to see them thrive despite their upbringing. I also liked her experiences with the Bureau, including her encounters with sexist behaviors that seem to be a reality. Even her initial relationship with Liam rang true, he not looking for any level of commitment and she unsure if she's capable of a casual one. There were a number of other sticky situations that showed some promise of intrigue and suspense.
I kept waiting for things to progress, specifically for Allison to develop a spine. Unfortunately, that never really seemed to happen (with one exception). I really, really liked her and expected at some point she'd see her own value. But time and again, she let Liam treat her dismissively and never demanded more for herself. The romance never worked for me and his turnabout seemed to come out of the blue. Her tolerance of her relatives was inexplicable and I never understood why.
I liked the story, a lot, through the first 60% of the book. It just didn't deliver by the end, which was unfortunate given the promise shown in the beginning. And Liam? Needed him to grovel. I'm a fan of the series and really couldn't put this book down until I neared the end. I was just disappointed in how things wrapped up.
(I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review)
The story starts off really interesting with a very compelling history for Allison. She and her sister had a tough start in life and it was inspiring to see them thrive despite their upbringing. I also liked her experiences with the Bureau, including her encounters with sexist behaviors that seem to be a reality. Even her initial relationship with Liam rang true, he not looking for any level of commitment and she unsure if she's capable of a casual one. There were a number of other sticky situations that showed some promise of intrigue and suspense.
I kept waiting for things to progress, specifically for Allison to develop a spine. Unfortunately, that never really seemed to happen (with one exception). I really, really liked her and expected at some point she'd see her own value. But time and again, she let Liam treat her dismissively and never demanded more for herself. The romance never worked for me and his turnabout seemed to come out of the blue. Her tolerance of her relatives was inexplicable and I never understood why.
I liked the story, a lot, through the first 60% of the book. It just didn't deliver by the end, which was unfortunate given the promise shown in the beginning. And Liam? Needed him to grovel. I'm a fan of the series and really couldn't put this book down until I neared the end. I was just disappointed in how things wrapped up.
(I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review)
March 23, 2020
Since reading The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (Millennium #1) I've had a soft spot for female hackers. Not only a soft spot. It's more than that. I've been truly fascinated by their straight forward and no-nonsenes personalities. These characters are far from swoony and tittery heroines that crack at the first sign of danger. They might be naive in an adorable social way, but their analytical brains pick up the slack tenfold.
So, diving into Wired (Buchanan-Renard #13) by Julie Garwood without so much as reading the blurb I was delighted to find out that Allison Trent was a hardcore hacker. She was the REAL DEAL!!!
From the very beginning I adored her. Allison Trent was incredibly humble but also self-aware of her skills. She had so many characteristics that made me smile and chuckle. She reminded me a bit of the Julie Garwood's historical heroines that I adored. Strong but also very tenderhearted and caring. Sometimes a bit socially awkward but also very good at compartmentalizing and letting things go. She was such a refreshing character.
Liam Scott was a typical FBI agent - mysterious and secretive. Allison and Liam met and he was immediately fascinated by her smarts. He saw something behind her gorgeous looks that interested him and didn't let him go. He struggled mightily with it. Not only because he was her supervisor and was concerned about the possible consequences but also because of his growing feelings for her. Lately his life had been one long sequence of hotels, and living out of suitcases. He flew from one far flung location to the next, and he acknowledged that there was no place for a relationship or a future family. Allison made him rethink all that.
But what I loved about this story the most was that even though from the very beginning there was a palpable attraction between the couple, they didn't jump each others bones. The plot allowed Allison and Liam to get to know each other in a timely manner -and because of that I didn't feel like their relationship was rushed or skipped important steps. Both were mature individuals that handled their relationship like grown ups - LOVED IT!!!!
I thought the plot was perfectly plotted, and very well balanced. Julie Garwood knows how to spin a captivating tale and her portrait of a female hacker checked all my boxes. And Liam was the perfect hero, he handled Allison exceptionally well. I'm still chuckling whenever I think of certain scenes - I loved those two interact, they were adorable.
All in all Wired (Buchanan-Renard #13) by Julie Garwood was wonderfully entertaining, a solid performance by the author, and utterly captivating. I thoroughly enjoyed this book!!!
ARC generously provided in exchange for an honest review.
So, diving into Wired (Buchanan-Renard #13) by Julie Garwood without so much as reading the blurb I was delighted to find out that Allison Trent was a hardcore hacker. She was the REAL DEAL!!!
From the very beginning I adored her. Allison Trent was incredibly humble but also self-aware of her skills. She had so many characteristics that made me smile and chuckle. She reminded me a bit of the Julie Garwood's historical heroines that I adored. Strong but also very tenderhearted and caring. Sometimes a bit socially awkward but also very good at compartmentalizing and letting things go. She was such a refreshing character.
Liam Scott was a typical FBI agent - mysterious and secretive. Allison and Liam met and he was immediately fascinated by her smarts. He saw something behind her gorgeous looks that interested him and didn't let him go. He struggled mightily with it. Not only because he was her supervisor and was concerned about the possible consequences but also because of his growing feelings for her. Lately his life had been one long sequence of hotels, and living out of suitcases. He flew from one far flung location to the next, and he acknowledged that there was no place for a relationship or a future family. Allison made him rethink all that.
But what I loved about this story the most was that even though from the very beginning there was a palpable attraction between the couple, they didn't jump each others bones. The plot allowed Allison and Liam to get to know each other in a timely manner -and because of that I didn't feel like their relationship was rushed or skipped important steps. Both were mature individuals that handled their relationship like grown ups - LOVED IT!!!!
I thought the plot was perfectly plotted, and very well balanced. Julie Garwood knows how to spin a captivating tale and her portrait of a female hacker checked all my boxes. And Liam was the perfect hero, he handled Allison exceptionally well. I'm still chuckling whenever I think of certain scenes - I loved those two interact, they were adorable.
All in all Wired (Buchanan-Renard #13) by Julie Garwood was wonderfully entertaining, a solid performance by the author, and utterly captivating. I thoroughly enjoyed this book!!!
ARC generously provided in exchange for an honest review.
July 11, 2017
Check out all of my reviews at: http://www.avonnalovesgenres.com
I was excited and surprised to see WIRED (Buchanan-Renard, #13) by Julie Garwood made available by Net Galley. I enjoy this series, but I have not read the more recent books until I requested this one. It was an O.K. romantic suspense, but not my favorite in the series. The suspense plot was well integrated and interesting with several subplots, but I had some problems with the H/h’s romance.
Allison Trent has a brilliant mind that can solve complex puzzles and problems. When she discovers computers, there is no program she cannot fix or hack. This is her escape from an aunt and uncle who have raised her sister and her after their parent’s death. She is also beautiful and is a model for a local designer part-time. Allison’s main fault is complying with people who take advantage of her rather than confronting them.
Liam Scott is a hot shot FBI fixer. His missions are all secret and he travels the world. He does not believe he will ever be willing or able to settle down in one town with one woman. He is assigned to recruit Allison for her super computer skills.
As in any romantic suspense, this would begin the back and forth romance dance, but Liam comes into Allison’s life and then disappears repeatedly. Allison keeps letting him back in and then regretting it when he is gone. He reappears to solve a problem or save Allison from bad guys and starts to realize he cannot stay away from her, but they never share their feelings until the end of the story. This is just not the type of relationship I hope for when reading this type of book.
For me, this is book was not up to my expectations from previous books in this series. The way Allison thinks was interesting, as was the suspense plot. The romance was lacking for me.
Thank you to Berkley Publishing Group and Net Galley for allowing me to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review.
I was excited and surprised to see WIRED (Buchanan-Renard, #13) by Julie Garwood made available by Net Galley. I enjoy this series, but I have not read the more recent books until I requested this one. It was an O.K. romantic suspense, but not my favorite in the series. The suspense plot was well integrated and interesting with several subplots, but I had some problems with the H/h’s romance.
Allison Trent has a brilliant mind that can solve complex puzzles and problems. When she discovers computers, there is no program she cannot fix or hack. This is her escape from an aunt and uncle who have raised her sister and her after their parent’s death. She is also beautiful and is a model for a local designer part-time. Allison’s main fault is complying with people who take advantage of her rather than confronting them.
Liam Scott is a hot shot FBI fixer. His missions are all secret and he travels the world. He does not believe he will ever be willing or able to settle down in one town with one woman. He is assigned to recruit Allison for her super computer skills.
As in any romantic suspense, this would begin the back and forth romance dance, but Liam comes into Allison’s life and then disappears repeatedly. Allison keeps letting him back in and then regretting it when he is gone. He reappears to solve a problem or save Allison from bad guys and starts to realize he cannot stay away from her, but they never share their feelings until the end of the story. This is just not the type of relationship I hope for when reading this type of book.
For me, this is book was not up to my expectations from previous books in this series. The way Allison thinks was interesting, as was the suspense plot. The romance was lacking for me.
Thank you to Berkley Publishing Group and Net Galley for allowing me to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review.
July 3, 2017
Wired by Julie Garwood is a 2017 Berkley publication.
After a long absence between Julie Garwood novels, I picked this series back up not so long ago. I love romantic suspense, but the twelfth installment was only an okay read for me. I was hoping this one would make up for that.
Allison has a real knack for hacking computers, but despite the illegality of it, she only does it to right wrongs. She has also found success as a model, but her hard earned money all goes to her aunt and uncle who took her in after her parents died.
Working her way through college, Allison suddenly finds herself being strong armed into working for the FBI by Liam Scott.
Liam discovered there was a leak in his department, so he set out to find a top-notch hacker. Allison Trent is the definitely the woman for the job, but Liam is about to get much more than he bargained for.
This book got off on the right foot, has some real potential involving the FBI leak, and made use of some comical situations. I like offbeat, genius characters, and right at this moment in time, I could use a fast- paced story, with some quick -witted dialogue, and a unique plot line. But, for some reason, Allison frustrated me. She put up with Phillips, her cousin, Will, and her aunt and uncle for far too long. Liam was also a little bossy, and held Allison at arm's length emotionally, and I thought she deserved much better.
I wanted Allison to be more assertive, to stop taking crap off people, but the other parts of the story were pretty interesting. Allison has more than one threat thrown her way, and the way it came together added a little action and a few small twists to keep things interesting.
The chemistry between Liam and Allison was bland, sex based, without much romance or deep emotional connection, which is the same problem I took issue with in book twelve, if I’m remembering correctly.
So, once again, an okay read for this series. It did have some entertaining moments, and was a nice diversion from reality, which is always nice.
3 stars
After a long absence between Julie Garwood novels, I picked this series back up not so long ago. I love romantic suspense, but the twelfth installment was only an okay read for me. I was hoping this one would make up for that.
Allison has a real knack for hacking computers, but despite the illegality of it, she only does it to right wrongs. She has also found success as a model, but her hard earned money all goes to her aunt and uncle who took her in after her parents died.
Working her way through college, Allison suddenly finds herself being strong armed into working for the FBI by Liam Scott.
Liam discovered there was a leak in his department, so he set out to find a top-notch hacker. Allison Trent is the definitely the woman for the job, but Liam is about to get much more than he bargained for.
This book got off on the right foot, has some real potential involving the FBI leak, and made use of some comical situations. I like offbeat, genius characters, and right at this moment in time, I could use a fast- paced story, with some quick -witted dialogue, and a unique plot line. But, for some reason, Allison frustrated me. She put up with Phillips, her cousin, Will, and her aunt and uncle for far too long. Liam was also a little bossy, and held Allison at arm's length emotionally, and I thought she deserved much better.
I wanted Allison to be more assertive, to stop taking crap off people, but the other parts of the story were pretty interesting. Allison has more than one threat thrown her way, and the way it came together added a little action and a few small twists to keep things interesting.
The chemistry between Liam and Allison was bland, sex based, without much romance or deep emotional connection, which is the same problem I took issue with in book twelve, if I’m remembering correctly.
So, once again, an okay read for this series. It did have some entertaining moments, and was a nice diversion from reality, which is always nice.
3 stars
July 10, 2017
FBI agent Liam Scott has a leak in his office, but not being sure who he can trust he needs an unconventional way to find the bad guy. Someone who can hack into their systems without alerting the perpetrator. Enter gorgeous college student, Allison Trent; not a woman you’d peg as a computer genius, but looks can be deceiving. She’s not thrilled with the job offer, Allison doesn’t want to draw the attention of the FBI because of some secrets of her own, but not many can say no to Liam. He’s persuasive and downright sexy. Not that she should notice, because Liam is all about his job, and Allison doesn’t want to get hurt. Still, they can’t help the growing attraction building between them. Every time Liam resolves to stay away that irresistible pull between them brings him back to her.
Allison was a quirky character, very smart, beautiful, but a little socially awkward. Her mind works a little differently and so it completely escapes her that she has so much power just from her looks alone. It’s completely by accident she was discovered for a modeling job, and if it weren’t for her aunt and uncle pressuring her to take jobs for the money it brought them Allison would’ve never accepted.
Her aunt and uncle were completely horrible people, but, unfortunately, Allison’s guardians since the age of four when her parents died tragically. They were such losers! Thankfully, Allison doesn’t let them use her as a doormat, not since she came of age, but it didn’t stop them from trying throughout the story.
Then there’s the security program Allison has been working on that makes her another kind of target. Honestly, danger just seemed to follow her around. Allison handles all these issues well, but the fact that Liam had her back every time she needed him spoke volumes about his devotion to her. He was protective without being condescending.
Their relationship didn’t start out with the feel of permanence, especially since Liam makes it clear his job isn’t conducive to long term, but the gradual realization that they couldn’t live without each other was fun to watch. There was a lighthearted, amusing feel to their romance, and I found myself laughing in more than a few spots.
Wired was a fun, engrossing story full of action, danger, and a hot romance. I was so caught up with these two I read this straight through in one sitting!
A copy was kindly provided by Berkley Books in exchange for an honest review.
Allison was a quirky character, very smart, beautiful, but a little socially awkward. Her mind works a little differently and so it completely escapes her that she has so much power just from her looks alone. It’s completely by accident she was discovered for a modeling job, and if it weren’t for her aunt and uncle pressuring her to take jobs for the money it brought them Allison would’ve never accepted.
Her aunt and uncle were completely horrible people, but, unfortunately, Allison’s guardians since the age of four when her parents died tragically. They were such losers! Thankfully, Allison doesn’t let them use her as a doormat, not since she came of age, but it didn’t stop them from trying throughout the story.
Then there’s the security program Allison has been working on that makes her another kind of target. Honestly, danger just seemed to follow her around. Allison handles all these issues well, but the fact that Liam had her back every time she needed him spoke volumes about his devotion to her. He was protective without being condescending.
Their relationship didn’t start out with the feel of permanence, especially since Liam makes it clear his job isn’t conducive to long term, but the gradual realization that they couldn’t live without each other was fun to watch. There was a lighthearted, amusing feel to their romance, and I found myself laughing in more than a few spots.
Wired was a fun, engrossing story full of action, danger, and a hot romance. I was so caught up with these two I read this straight through in one sitting!
A copy was kindly provided by Berkley Books in exchange for an honest review.
June 17, 2017
This review can also be found at Carole's Random Life in Books.
I really didn't get a whole lot out of this book. Julie Garwood is an author that I have been wanting to read for ages so when I saw this book offed on First to Read, I jumped at the chance to read it. I ended up being completely underwhelmed by the story. I had no trouble getting through the book but there was never a moment where I couldn't wait to see what was going to happen next. I just never really got hooked by the story and in the end it was really pretty forgettable.
Allison is the focus of this story. She is an incredibly smart programmer finishing up her last year of college. She is also a model because of course she has to be drop dead gorgeous. She was raised by her aunt and uncle along with her sister after her parents died. She didn't get a lot of support growing up and her family make her life very difficult.
Liam is an FBI agent. He travels all over the world cleaning up problems and he thinks that Allison can help him clean up his current problem. There is a computer leak in the government and he wants her to help him find it. He is very protective of Allison since she is his asset and seems to know just what to say and do when things go wrong.
I really didn't have a whole lot of feelings for any of the characters. Liam would be missing for big sections of the book and really felt like a stereotype when he was in the story. He is the super cool FBI guy there to save the day but we really don't get to know a whole lot about him. Allison was way too perfect and her character just never really felt completely developed. I never felt that wow factor between them that I look for in a romance.
I think that this book probably had too much going on. If Liam and Allison could have focused on the FBI case, that would have probably been enough. In addition to that, Allison's family has went absolutely crazy and her former roommate is causing all kinds of problems. The funny thing is that everyone in this book seems to screw up and then blame Allison for it. Everything in the world is probably Allison's fault.
This story is told from both Allison's and Liam's points of view. It was strange though because the points of view would just switch from paragraph to paragraph without any notice. You would be learning what Allison thought about something and then suddenly you are in Liam's head. I found that this style didn't work out very well for me and I would keep looking back to see which point of view had just read. It just all seemed very odd to me.
I wouldn't recommend this book to others. It is readable and I am sure that some readers will enjoy it more than I did. I just found it to be a lackluster overall story. I would like to read some of Julie Garwood's earlier works at some point.
I received an advance reader edition of this book from Berkley Publishing Group via First to Read.
Initial Thoughts
I am really somewhere between a 2 and 3 for this one. I grabbed this book because I wanted to try Julie Garwood's writing. I don't think that this was the right book to pick. How many people can really do bad things and blame someone else? Allison seems to be the one at fault for just about everything in this hemisphere if you listen to anyone else. I guess it just got old. I didn't really care for her character and really don't feel like I got to know Liam's at all. The book would change points of view from one paragraph to the next which felt very strange.
I really didn't get a whole lot out of this book. Julie Garwood is an author that I have been wanting to read for ages so when I saw this book offed on First to Read, I jumped at the chance to read it. I ended up being completely underwhelmed by the story. I had no trouble getting through the book but there was never a moment where I couldn't wait to see what was going to happen next. I just never really got hooked by the story and in the end it was really pretty forgettable.
Allison is the focus of this story. She is an incredibly smart programmer finishing up her last year of college. She is also a model because of course she has to be drop dead gorgeous. She was raised by her aunt and uncle along with her sister after her parents died. She didn't get a lot of support growing up and her family make her life very difficult.
Liam is an FBI agent. He travels all over the world cleaning up problems and he thinks that Allison can help him clean up his current problem. There is a computer leak in the government and he wants her to help him find it. He is very protective of Allison since she is his asset and seems to know just what to say and do when things go wrong.
I really didn't have a whole lot of feelings for any of the characters. Liam would be missing for big sections of the book and really felt like a stereotype when he was in the story. He is the super cool FBI guy there to save the day but we really don't get to know a whole lot about him. Allison was way too perfect and her character just never really felt completely developed. I never felt that wow factor between them that I look for in a romance.
I think that this book probably had too much going on. If Liam and Allison could have focused on the FBI case, that would have probably been enough. In addition to that, Allison's family has went absolutely crazy and her former roommate is causing all kinds of problems. The funny thing is that everyone in this book seems to screw up and then blame Allison for it. Everything in the world is probably Allison's fault.
This story is told from both Allison's and Liam's points of view. It was strange though because the points of view would just switch from paragraph to paragraph without any notice. You would be learning what Allison thought about something and then suddenly you are in Liam's head. I found that this style didn't work out very well for me and I would keep looking back to see which point of view had just read. It just all seemed very odd to me.
I wouldn't recommend this book to others. It is readable and I am sure that some readers will enjoy it more than I did. I just found it to be a lackluster overall story. I would like to read some of Julie Garwood's earlier works at some point.
I received an advance reader edition of this book from Berkley Publishing Group via First to Read.
Initial Thoughts
I am really somewhere between a 2 and 3 for this one. I grabbed this book because I wanted to try Julie Garwood's writing. I don't think that this was the right book to pick. How many people can really do bad things and blame someone else? Allison seems to be the one at fault for just about everything in this hemisphere if you listen to anyone else. I guess it just got old. I didn't really care for her character and really don't feel like I got to know Liam's at all. The book would change points of view from one paragraph to the next which felt very strange.
June 27, 2017
Allison Trent is a hacker of the highest caliber. She has spirited away millions and millions of dollars .. and then emailed the FBI giving them the information where to retrieve that money. She's also in college, working on her degree, and to support herself, she also does some modeling on the side.
Her mind has been compared to a computer. She seems to see patterns that no one else can decipher. Her dream is to create a program that could revolutionize the tech industry.
FBI Agent Liam Scott is aware of a leaker deep within his own office. He can't put any of his own people on it, but he's heard about Allison. He needs her help to spy on the FBI department and track down where the leaks are coming from.
Thinking that someone as young as Allison would jump at the chance to work for the FBI, he is amazed at her look of horror while she turns him down flat.
What Liam doesn't know ... what no one knows .... is how many laws she has broken in order to take down some bad guys. She's never kept any money for herself, but laws were still broken. And Liam is not easily persuaded to look elsewhere.
The attraction between Allison and Liam is smokin' hot. But Liam doesn't 'do' relationships. Although after meeting Allison, he doesn't want a one-night stand either.
As Allison's life takes on a sinister turn, Liam will do anything he can to protect her.
For a Romantic Suspense, with a humorous bent, the reader can't go wrong with Julie Garwood. Although a part of a series, each book is fine as a stand alone. The characters are well defined and I loved how they interacted. She's independent, used to doing for herself, so it's not easy for her to accept help. Liam is the ultimate alpha-male, but he knows he must use an easy touch with Allison. The sex is hot & sweaty ... and comes in great detail.
Many thanks to the author / Berkley Publishing Group / Netgalley for the advanced digital copy. Opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.
Her mind has been compared to a computer. She seems to see patterns that no one else can decipher. Her dream is to create a program that could revolutionize the tech industry.
FBI Agent Liam Scott is aware of a leaker deep within his own office. He can't put any of his own people on it, but he's heard about Allison. He needs her help to spy on the FBI department and track down where the leaks are coming from.
Thinking that someone as young as Allison would jump at the chance to work for the FBI, he is amazed at her look of horror while she turns him down flat.
What Liam doesn't know ... what no one knows .... is how many laws she has broken in order to take down some bad guys. She's never kept any money for herself, but laws were still broken. And Liam is not easily persuaded to look elsewhere.
The attraction between Allison and Liam is smokin' hot. But Liam doesn't 'do' relationships. Although after meeting Allison, he doesn't want a one-night stand either.
As Allison's life takes on a sinister turn, Liam will do anything he can to protect her.
For a Romantic Suspense, with a humorous bent, the reader can't go wrong with Julie Garwood. Although a part of a series, each book is fine as a stand alone. The characters are well defined and I loved how they interacted. She's independent, used to doing for herself, so it's not easy for her to accept help. Liam is the ultimate alpha-male, but he knows he must use an easy touch with Allison. The sex is hot & sweaty ... and comes in great detail.
Many thanks to the author / Berkley Publishing Group / Netgalley for the advanced digital copy. Opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.
January 11, 2024
01/11/2024 - Liam Scott. Because the first time I read this book it was three years after the last one and I didn't catch that Liam was the mysterious Australian contact. Well, it appears he was FBI. Because of this I really took notice of his character, and he made a wonderful Garwood Hero. Reading this series one a month has shown up some plot ploys that Garwood uses consistently through the series. One of them is the Heroine's nasty family and another is the Hero who isn't about to give up his bachelor ways, his job, and tends to disappear for periods of time without communication with Heroine. Plot ploys for sure, but no one writes a sweet Romantic=Suspense like Julie Garwood.
07/06/2017 - I've truly missed Julie Garwood. There is not a book she has written that I have not absolutely loved. She has a whole universe of characters, historical and modern, who are interrelated and connected. In "Wired" she picks right up as if it hadn't been three years since her last book was published. Since I've read everything she has written, I love seeing past characters pop up in this book. This one is heavy romance and light suspense, until the last 20% then it's pure suspense, Julie Garwood style.
Allison Trent is a "White-Hat Hacker". She hacks computer systems and only steals from the bad guys. Any money she recovers and the info to put the baddies away is sent to the FBI, anonymously, of course. Her relatives, with the exception of her sister, use her as a personal piggy-bank and tell her constantly how ungrateful she is. She is model beautiful and a caring and compassionate person soon to graduate from Boston College, move to California and begin her life.
At least that was the plan until FBI Special Agent Liam Scott enters her life and throws a kink in her plans. The FBI has a serious leak and needs someone to find it and Allison comes very highly recommended by Jordan Clayborn. When Liam and Alec Buchanan show up, Allison thinks she is about to be arrested, but they want her expertise and make her a deal she can't refuse. Something else she can't refuse is the smoldering, hot Agent Scott. But it's that caring and compassionate nature that will get her and her computer brain in a situation she can't hack out of.
07/06/2017 - I've truly missed Julie Garwood. There is not a book she has written that I have not absolutely loved. She has a whole universe of characters, historical and modern, who are interrelated and connected. In "Wired" she picks right up as if it hadn't been three years since her last book was published. Since I've read everything she has written, I love seeing past characters pop up in this book. This one is heavy romance and light suspense, until the last 20% then it's pure suspense, Julie Garwood style.
Allison Trent is a "White-Hat Hacker". She hacks computer systems and only steals from the bad guys. Any money she recovers and the info to put the baddies away is sent to the FBI, anonymously, of course. Her relatives, with the exception of her sister, use her as a personal piggy-bank and tell her constantly how ungrateful she is. She is model beautiful and a caring and compassionate person soon to graduate from Boston College, move to California and begin her life.
At least that was the plan until FBI Special Agent Liam Scott enters her life and throws a kink in her plans. The FBI has a serious leak and needs someone to find it and Allison comes very highly recommended by Jordan Clayborn. When Liam and Alec Buchanan show up, Allison thinks she is about to be arrested, but they want her expertise and make her a deal she can't refuse. Something else she can't refuse is the smoldering, hot Agent Scott. But it's that caring and compassionate nature that will get her and her computer brain in a situation she can't hack out of.
May 23, 2017
It turns out I have some pretty fierce opinions about this book. I didn't even realize it until I wrote my review...
This book was a huge letdown for me. I had high hopes since I'm a coder and I thought a coding/FBI/romance/thriller book just sounded AMAZING. But it wasn't what I hoped it would be. :(
It sounded like it was written someone who didn't know code
I don't expect all authors to be experts in what they write about, but a certain amount of research would be nice. To be blunt, I felt like the author just threw around the same words over and over again and hoped that would be good enough for a book about a "coder". They all sounded like this though:
We never got any details into what they were actually talking about. Just, "Oh then we talked about codes and bugs and hackers." Those same phrases were all that were repeated over and over again.
Two things:
1) Something about that word and "codes" (plural) felt really unnatural. I've just never heard coders talk like that.
2) This was literally the extend of the coding and technical stuff in the book. Even when the character was doing actual coding there still wasn't any other technical descriptions or explanation of how things got done. It was just, "I threw on my headphones, hunched over my laptop, and chased the puzzle." The author could have at least thrown in ever-so-slightly more advanced technical words like "SQL injection" or "traceroute". It didn't feel like it was read by anyone technical at all.
And here's another quote:
You can't "sell a bug". You can sell knowledge of a bug (or exploit), but you wouldn't sell the bug itself. It doesn't really make sense.
I saw zero chemistry in the romance
The romance was a huge part of the book. In fact, given the lack of depth in the coding part, the romance was arguably the whole point of the story. So it was a huge bummer that I didn't connect with it AT ALL.
I just couldn't see any chemistry there. From my perspective, there was nothing drawing the characters together. Honestly I started skimming through the romancey bits.
Plus, it turned into major insta-love.
The plot seemed unfocused
There were four major plot points:
1) Finding a leak in the FBI.
2) Dealing with a testy person in the FBI who's upset about Allison finding said leak.
3) Someone stealing Allison's computer program.
4) Allison dealing with her horrible family issues.
I don't know if there were four big plot points to keep us guessing or what, but to me it just felt unfocused more than anything. My brain didn't know which event to focus on or which was supposed to be the main part of the story (and ).
Parts of the plot were actually quite fun to read, despite the lack of actual technical stuff. I do think there was some potential there, but it could have been much stronger and more interesting if they just picked ONE (two tops) event and really focused in on it.
The format was kind of jarring
The book has two main points of view:
1) Allison's
2) Liam's
But there aren't neatly organized chapters where it switches between the two. Nope. Instead, it just switches randomly from paragraph to paragraph. I hate this format in general; I prefer neatly organized chapters that swap back and forth. But it was made even worse in this case because the voices between the two characters weren't distinct at all. The book often switched points of view and I didn't even realize, then I'd get confused and have to backtrack a little to find out when it switched.
Also, the book sticks to those two points of view for 90% of the story, then randomly switches to a different character's point of view for like one useless page. That REALLY confused me. I had to reread the first paragraph of that chapter like three times before my brain realized what had happened and who's point of view I was reading from. Then it did this again with a different character a few chapters later. I thought these two chapters were unnecessary and just made the book weirdly inconsistent.
After all that, two stars probably feels like a generous rating... and maybe it is. But to be honest, until the last 10% of the book I did kind of enjoy reading Wired. I was unsatisfied with it—sure—but I was actually fully intending to give it three stars until the ending. Allison became Then there was that whole ridiculous thing with
So much potential in the plot, but turns out it wasn't for me... *sigh*
This book was a huge letdown for me. I had high hopes since I'm a coder and I thought a coding/FBI/romance/thriller book just sounded AMAZING. But it wasn't what I hoped it would be. :(
It sounded like it was written someone who didn't know code
I don't expect all authors to be experts in what they write about, but a certain amount of research would be nice. To be blunt, I felt like the author just threw around the same words over and over again and hoped that would be good enough for a book about a "coder". They all sounded like this though:
"she and Jordan had plenty of time to sit and talk about languages and codes, and writing programs, and bugs, and hackers."
We never got any details into what they were actually talking about. Just, "Oh then we talked about codes and bugs and hackers." Those same phrases were all that were repeated over and over again.
Two things:
1) Something about that word and "codes" (plural) felt really unnatural. I've just never heard coders talk like that.
2) This was literally the extend of the coding and technical stuff in the book. Even when the character was doing actual coding there still wasn't any other technical descriptions or explanation of how things got done. It was just, "I threw on my headphones, hunched over my laptop, and chased the puzzle." The author could have at least thrown in ever-so-slightly more advanced technical words like "SQL injection" or "traceroute". It didn't feel like it was read by anyone technical at all.
And here's another quote:
"there are some people who have sold various bugs and viruses for a lot of money."
You can't "sell a bug". You can sell knowledge of a bug (or exploit), but you wouldn't sell the bug itself. It doesn't really make sense.
I saw zero chemistry in the romance
The romance was a huge part of the book. In fact, given the lack of depth in the coding part, the romance was arguably the whole point of the story. So it was a huge bummer that I didn't connect with it AT ALL.
I just couldn't see any chemistry there. From my perspective, there was nothing drawing the characters together. Honestly I started skimming through the romancey bits.
Plus, it turned into major insta-love.
The plot seemed unfocused
There were four major plot points:
1) Finding a leak in the FBI.
2) Dealing with a testy person in the FBI who's upset about Allison finding said leak.
3) Someone stealing Allison's computer program.
4) Allison dealing with her horrible family issues.
I don't know if there were four big plot points to keep us guessing or what, but to me it just felt unfocused more than anything. My brain didn't know which event to focus on or which was supposed to be the main part of the story (and ).
Parts of the plot were actually quite fun to read, despite the lack of actual technical stuff. I do think there was some potential there, but it could have been much stronger and more interesting if they just picked ONE (two tops) event and really focused in on it.
The format was kind of jarring
The book has two main points of view:
1) Allison's
2) Liam's
But there aren't neatly organized chapters where it switches between the two. Nope. Instead, it just switches randomly from paragraph to paragraph. I hate this format in general; I prefer neatly organized chapters that swap back and forth. But it was made even worse in this case because the voices between the two characters weren't distinct at all. The book often switched points of view and I didn't even realize, then I'd get confused and have to backtrack a little to find out when it switched.
Also, the book sticks to those two points of view for 90% of the story, then randomly switches to a different character's point of view for like one useless page. That REALLY confused me. I had to reread the first paragraph of that chapter like three times before my brain realized what had happened and who's point of view I was reading from. Then it did this again with a different character a few chapters later. I thought these two chapters were unnecessary and just made the book weirdly inconsistent.
After all that, two stars probably feels like a generous rating... and maybe it is. But to be honest, until the last 10% of the book I did kind of enjoy reading Wired. I was unsatisfied with it—sure—but I was actually fully intending to give it three stars until the ending. Allison became Then there was that whole ridiculous thing with
So much potential in the plot, but turns out it wasn't for me... *sigh*
February 17, 2020
3.5 - 4 Stars!!
Not one of my favorites of the series, but, I did enjoy it. I loved that we had cameo's from Noah, Jordan (who is Alli's close friend), and Alec.
FBI Agent Liam Scott (he was first introduced to us in Fast Track) is trying to find out who in the FBI is leaking confidential information via email. Allison Trent is in her senior year at college, beautiful, and a genius at computers and unfortunately hacking, she's a modern day cyber Robin Hood and earns money to pay for her education (and support her horrid family) by modeling on the side. Liam enlist her help in solving his case by having her work for the FBI Cyber Unit, she doesn't want to, but, because of family troubles she makes a deal.
As brilliant as Alli is, writing code and hacking (which all started very innocently trying to find money that was stolen from senior citizens, she did find the money, placed it in a secure account and sent all the information to the FBI so they could arrest the perpetrators and return the money to the victim's). Now the FBI needs her skills. FBI agent Liam Scott has heard about Allison skills with computers and having observed her, he's certain she's the one who could help solve his case.
Eventually Liam wants to know her on a more personal and intimate level but that's against the rules, not only his rules, but, the Cyber Units rules. His will and resolve will be tested to their limits especially since she's gorgeous, intelligent, caring, sweet, loyal, and she's just as attracted to him.
All-in-all, I enjoyed the newest addition to the series, but, I felt it lagged in some places and there seem to be a lot of unnecessary dialog that felt more like "filler". I still love this series and I'm hoping we'll eventually get the last two Madison Brothers (Spencer & Walker) books!
Not one of my favorites of the series, but, I did enjoy it. I loved that we had cameo's from Noah, Jordan (who is Alli's close friend), and Alec.
FBI Agent Liam Scott (he was first introduced to us in Fast Track) is trying to find out who in the FBI is leaking confidential information via email. Allison Trent is in her senior year at college, beautiful, and a genius at computers and unfortunately hacking, she's a modern day cyber Robin Hood and earns money to pay for her education (and support her horrid family) by modeling on the side. Liam enlist her help in solving his case by having her work for the FBI Cyber Unit, she doesn't want to, but, because of family troubles she makes a deal.
As brilliant as Alli is, writing code and hacking (which all started very innocently trying to find money that was stolen from senior citizens, she did find the money, placed it in a secure account and sent all the information to the FBI so they could arrest the perpetrators and return the money to the victim's). Now the FBI needs her skills. FBI agent Liam Scott has heard about Allison skills with computers and having observed her, he's certain she's the one who could help solve his case.
Eventually Liam wants to know her on a more personal and intimate level but that's against the rules, not only his rules, but, the Cyber Units rules. His will and resolve will be tested to their limits especially since she's gorgeous, intelligent, caring, sweet, loyal, and she's just as attracted to him.
All-in-all, I enjoyed the newest addition to the series, but, I felt it lagged in some places and there seem to be a lot of unnecessary dialog that felt more like "filler". I still love this series and I'm hoping we'll eventually get the last two Madison Brothers (Spencer & Walker) books!
November 1, 2025
WIRED worked for me. Wicked chemistry, strong but growing characters and I think its worth mentioning again...wicked HEAT sizzled between these characters. There was something in Garwood's presentation of her characters that made them real and compelling.
I received this ARC copy of WIRED from Berkley Publishing Group. This is my honest and voluntary review. WIRED is set for publication July 4, 2017.
I received this ARC copy of WIRED from Berkley Publishing Group. This is my honest and voluntary review. WIRED is set for publication July 4, 2017.
January 22, 2024
College student Allison Trent is a busy girl. When she isn't working on her degree, she is using her skills to hack into banks to ensure that people's hard-earned money isn't being stolen out from under them. When FBI Agent Liam Scott learns about Allison's computer skills, he believes she would be the perfect candidate to figure out who is leaking top secret FBI information. The only problem is Allison wants nothing to do with the FBI.
This is the 13th book in Garwood's Buchanan-Renard series and a big disappointment. Liam is a carbon-copy of the heroes in Garwood's last few books. He is enthralled with the heroine; but tells her up front that he wants no commitment. Each time they have sex, he disappears without a word for weeks. Then, near the end of the book, he decides that he is in love with her. The character of Allison is even worse. She is a self-sacrificing doormat who puts up with him. She is the hackers answer to Robinhood, who finds stolen money and returns it anonymously to the FBI along with the evidence to convict the person who stole it. On the side, she is also a super model. We get to hear over and over and over again how beautiful she is. Why does she need a job as a super model? Because she must support her deadbeat aunt and uncle along with their criminal son. She is also a TSTL heroine. After being told she is in danger and can go nowhere without her two FBI bodyguards, she decides that a solo trip to the pharmacy is not a problem.
Although Garwood's writing is highly readable, I couldn't get past the heroine putting up with her relative's actions or Liam's attitude. I hope the next book in the series is an improvement. My rating: 2 Stars.
This is the 13th book in Garwood's Buchanan-Renard series and a big disappointment. Liam is a carbon-copy of the heroes in Garwood's last few books. He is enthralled with the heroine; but tells her up front that he wants no commitment. Each time they have sex, he disappears without a word for weeks. Then, near the end of the book, he decides that he is in love with her. The character of Allison is even worse. She is a self-sacrificing doormat who puts up with him. She is the hackers answer to Robinhood, who finds stolen money and returns it anonymously to the FBI along with the evidence to convict the person who stole it. On the side, she is also a super model. We get to hear over and over and over again how beautiful she is. Why does she need a job as a super model? Because she must support her deadbeat aunt and uncle along with their criminal son. She is also a TSTL heroine. After being told she is in danger and can go nowhere without her two FBI bodyguards, she decides that a solo trip to the pharmacy is not a problem.
Although Garwood's writing is highly readable, I couldn't get past the heroine putting up with her relative's actions or Liam's attitude. I hope the next book in the series is an improvement. My rating: 2 Stars.
June 14, 2017
This is the first book from Julie Garwood that I've gotten a chance to read. I've seen her books everywhere and wanted to give one a chance. Unfortunately, this one just wasn't for me. I really thought this sounded like my type of book. Computer hacker and FBI agent, what's not to love, right?! Not so much. Wired is the 13th book in the Buchanan-Renard series, but all books can be read as standalones.
The two biggest issues I had with this one was the plot and the romance, so that pretty much ruined the story for me. Because this is a book involving an FBI agent and hacker combo, I really expected more suspense. Allison hacking for the FBI felt REALLY anticlimactic. I also felt no chemistry between either of the MCs. It was really strange.
I didn't love that Allison had that "special snowflake" quality about her either. She's apparently the most gorgeous person EVER. We repeatedly hear how gorgeous she is and how everyone can't help but stare. Oh and she's also a model part time. Then there's also the fact that without any proper training at all, she is a better hacker then anyone else in the FBI...you know, the guys that actually HAVE been trained. She's just way too perfect!
* I received an ARC of this title via First to Read and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. *
The two biggest issues I had with this one was the plot and the romance, so that pretty much ruined the story for me. Because this is a book involving an FBI agent and hacker combo, I really expected more suspense. Allison hacking for the FBI felt REALLY anticlimactic. I also felt no chemistry between either of the MCs. It was really strange.
I didn't love that Allison had that "special snowflake" quality about her either. She's apparently the most gorgeous person EVER. We repeatedly hear how gorgeous she is and how everyone can't help but stare. Oh and she's also a model part time. Then there's also the fact that without any proper training at all, she is a better hacker then anyone else in the FBI...you know, the guys that actually HAVE been trained. She's just way too perfect!
* I received an ARC of this title via First to Read and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. *
May 27, 2017
First off, I will have to say that this is not the Julie Garwood of old, so longtime fans will just have to get over it... ;-) That being said, the book wasn't a bad read. I liked Liam and Allison, the story was well written and flowed along nicely, and I wasn't bored. Unfortunately, it was also a little slow, predictable, and not much really happened.
Bottom line...it was an enjoyable enough read that I would recommend getting it from the library if you are a JG fan who has come to accept that her books are not quite the same quality reads as in the past.
Bottom line...it was an enjoyable enough read that I would recommend getting it from the library if you are a JG fan who has come to accept that her books are not quite the same quality reads as in the past.
August 12, 2017
Wired (Buchanan-Renard #13) by Julie Garwood
Author: Julie Garwood
Title: Wired
Series: Buchanan-Renard
Cover Rating:
Book Rating:
Buy This Book:
Allison Trent doesn’t look like a hacker. In fact, when she’s not in college working on her degree, she models on the side. But behind her gorgeous face is a brilliant mind for computers and her real love is writing—and hacking—code. Her dream is to write a new security program that could revolutionize the tech industry.Hotshot FBI agent Liam Scott has a problem: a leak deep within his own department. He needs the skills of a top-notch hacker to work on a highly sensitive project: to secretly break into the FBI servers and find out who the traitor is. But he can’t use one of his own. He finds the perfect candidate in Allison. Only, there’s one problem—she wants nothing to do with his job and turns him down flat. What Liam doesn’t know is that Allison is hiding secrets that she doesn’t want the FBI to uncover. But Liam will do nearly anything to persuade her to join his team, even break a few rules if that’s what it takes. A temptation that could put his job—and both of their futures—on the line…and longing for more .
If you haven't read the previous books in this series it won't leave you feeling left out or unable to follow along. Wired reads like a stand alone without so many entanglements in previous plots. It wasn't difficult to relate to the arrangements of Liam and Allison's relationship but after awhile it got a little old and the flip into sudden love felt a little rushed.
I would have liked to have Ali be stronger than she was but she felt like a push over when it comes to everyone she's involved with. She has a lot of brains and strength but she just lets everyone shove her around and dominate her and tell her how to think and what to do and makes excuses for everyone and their actions.
I wish we had gotten more from Liam too because he felt a little too hollow and one sided. Despite the fact that I disliked Ali as a character the story itself was okay.
Until next time book lovers...
Krissys Bookshelf Reviews received a print copy in exchange for an honest review from Berkley Publishing. All thoughts, comments and ratings are my own.
If any of Krissy's Bookshelf Reviews has been helpful please stop by to like my post or leave a comment to let me know what you think. I love hearing from you!
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Author: Julie Garwood
Title: Wired
Series: Buchanan-Renard
Cover Rating:
Book Rating:
Buy This Book:
Allison Trent doesn’t look like a hacker. In fact, when she’s not in college working on her degree, she models on the side. But behind her gorgeous face is a brilliant mind for computers and her real love is writing—and hacking—code. Her dream is to write a new security program that could revolutionize the tech industry.Hotshot FBI agent Liam Scott has a problem: a leak deep within his own department. He needs the skills of a top-notch hacker to work on a highly sensitive project: to secretly break into the FBI servers and find out who the traitor is. But he can’t use one of his own. He finds the perfect candidate in Allison. Only, there’s one problem—she wants nothing to do with his job and turns him down flat. What Liam doesn’t know is that Allison is hiding secrets that she doesn’t want the FBI to uncover. But Liam will do nearly anything to persuade her to join his team, even break a few rules if that’s what it takes. A temptation that could put his job—and both of their futures—on the line…and longing for more .
If you haven't read the previous books in this series it won't leave you feeling left out or unable to follow along. Wired reads like a stand alone without so many entanglements in previous plots. It wasn't difficult to relate to the arrangements of Liam and Allison's relationship but after awhile it got a little old and the flip into sudden love felt a little rushed.
I would have liked to have Ali be stronger than she was but she felt like a push over when it comes to everyone she's involved with. She has a lot of brains and strength but she just lets everyone shove her around and dominate her and tell her how to think and what to do and makes excuses for everyone and their actions.
I wish we had gotten more from Liam too because he felt a little too hollow and one sided. Despite the fact that I disliked Ali as a character the story itself was okay.
Until next time book lovers...
Krissys Bookshelf Reviews received a print copy in exchange for an honest review from Berkley Publishing. All thoughts, comments and ratings are my own.
If any of Krissy's Bookshelf Reviews has been helpful please stop by to like my post or leave a comment to let me know what you think. I love hearing from you!
Thank you so much for stopping by!
Krissys Bookshelf Reviews
Krissys Bookshelf Reviews has a QR code for your phone!
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July 4, 2017
I know I have read many Julie Garwood books in the past and I have enjoyed them. This book had me at a crossroads as far as my feelings. I am torn at a few levels.
On one hand I really did enjoy the story. FBI agents and a brilliant computer hacker is a great basis for the story. It was engaging and enjoyable on many levels.
The one thing that I did not care for at all was the description of the bedroom scenes. Some of the words that were used were extremely old-fashioned and at several points just had me laughing and saying "she really didn't write that". I don't know if these words were chosen because Allison was not very experienced or if it's just the style of writing for this author. But it was very distracting especially in a romantic scene.
If you get past the descriptive portions of the physical romance, the story is very good. I thoroughly enjoyed Liam's character. He was so sweet and caring. I loved his take charge attitude and his care for Allison.
Overall, Julie Garwood is a solid writer that has brought us an interesting and entertaining read. Not really in the contemporary romance genre, but trying.
On one hand I really did enjoy the story. FBI agents and a brilliant computer hacker is a great basis for the story. It was engaging and enjoyable on many levels.
The one thing that I did not care for at all was the description of the bedroom scenes. Some of the words that were used were extremely old-fashioned and at several points just had me laughing and saying "she really didn't write that". I don't know if these words were chosen because Allison was not very experienced or if it's just the style of writing for this author. But it was very distracting especially in a romantic scene.
If you get past the descriptive portions of the physical romance, the story is very good. I thoroughly enjoyed Liam's character. He was so sweet and caring. I loved his take charge attitude and his care for Allison.
Overall, Julie Garwood is a solid writer that has brought us an interesting and entertaining read. Not really in the contemporary romance genre, but trying.
May 5, 2017
DNF
I’ve officially given up on Julie Garwood. I’ve been singing that tune for her past 5-6 books, after each proved to be as big a disappointment as the last... but they’re far enough apart that every time a new ARC comes up for review I always think “maybe this time”. No more. I’m finally breaking up with the author that so wonderfully introduced me to the romance genre many years ago (THE SECRET and RANSOM in middle school).
Admittedly, WIRED is not the worst of her post-FIRE AND ICE work-- that (dis)honour falls to SWEET TALK, in my opinion-- but it is the first of her books that I have put down without finishing. Could I have made the effort and read through the book in a reasonable amount of time? Sure-- I did it with her last 6 books. Would I want to wade through 300+ pages of vapid characters with the personalities of doorknobs and the emotional range of a teaspoon, zero plot, and what feels like the prose a preteen would put in her diary? Not when I have much meatier romantic suspense and thriller tomes that boast knuckle-biting plots, heinous villains, and awe-inspiring displays of craft in my ARC TBR pile. Everything Julie Garwood has written since FIRE AND ICE (or even, arguably, SHADOW DANCE, the 6th book in the Buchanan-Renard series circa 2006) has fallen into a very awkward no-man’s land between romantic suspense and contemporary romance that satisfies neither craving. In RS, I want taut pacing, emotional tension, and an impending sense of urgency… not a tepid attempt at a plot that’s made RS-y simply by having the hero be in law enforcement. In contemporaries, I want humour, wit, sexy banter, and a hero & heroine who give me the warm fuzzies… not an insipid heroine who behaves like an idiot despite being a genius, a cardboard hero, and nothing that approaches realistic human interactions. With WIRED I get… none of the above. And I deserve better as a reader. So, as much as it pains me, Julie Garwood officially goes from the must-buy author of my youth to the never-buy author of adulthood.
I’ve officially given up on Julie Garwood. I’ve been singing that tune for her past 5-6 books, after each proved to be as big a disappointment as the last... but they’re far enough apart that every time a new ARC comes up for review I always think “maybe this time”. No more. I’m finally breaking up with the author that so wonderfully introduced me to the romance genre many years ago (THE SECRET and RANSOM in middle school).
Admittedly, WIRED is not the worst of her post-FIRE AND ICE work-- that (dis)honour falls to SWEET TALK, in my opinion-- but it is the first of her books that I have put down without finishing. Could I have made the effort and read through the book in a reasonable amount of time? Sure-- I did it with her last 6 books. Would I want to wade through 300+ pages of vapid characters with the personalities of doorknobs and the emotional range of a teaspoon, zero plot, and what feels like the prose a preteen would put in her diary? Not when I have much meatier romantic suspense and thriller tomes that boast knuckle-biting plots, heinous villains, and awe-inspiring displays of craft in my ARC TBR pile. Everything Julie Garwood has written since FIRE AND ICE (or even, arguably, SHADOW DANCE, the 6th book in the Buchanan-Renard series circa 2006) has fallen into a very awkward no-man’s land between romantic suspense and contemporary romance that satisfies neither craving. In RS, I want taut pacing, emotional tension, and an impending sense of urgency… not a tepid attempt at a plot that’s made RS-y simply by having the hero be in law enforcement. In contemporaries, I want humour, wit, sexy banter, and a hero & heroine who give me the warm fuzzies… not an insipid heroine who behaves like an idiot despite being a genius, a cardboard hero, and nothing that approaches realistic human interactions. With WIRED I get… none of the above. And I deserve better as a reader. So, as much as it pains me, Julie Garwood officially goes from the must-buy author of my youth to the never-buy author of adulthood.
May 3, 2017
Julie Garwood used to be one of my go-to authors back (way back) in the day—a dim, dark time when only historical romances ruled my world—and I must admit that reading ‘Wired’ was part-curiosity, part-RS-driven-motivation to see how Garwood tackles contemporary romance when so much has changed since then. It’s my first Buchanan-Renard book and ‘Wired’ seemed like an appropriate insertion point to see what the hype is all about.
I wish I could say that it was akin to coming back to an old, trusted friend, but ‘Wired’ wasn’t really that experience for me. I do think though, that my changing tastes are responsible for framing the way I read romances these days and because of that, I found Garwood’s story an odd mix of omniscient narration, inexplicable perspective switches and showing-rather-than-telling, along with protagonists that seem be variants of Mary/Marty Sues. In short, Allison and Liam are perfect protagonists with perfect attributes who can do nearly no wrong—they’re elevated ideals to which I can’t relate at all, let alone empathise with.
Not that I have a problem with beautiful, fictionalised characters who are also capable, but Allison bucks even this trend, as she’s gorgeous enough to be a model, and so brilliant a hacker that she tops all the other experts…all before she graduates from college. The rather convenient immunity the FBI grants her after trying her to recruit her for her skills, along with the rather unbelievable dialogue, and the hype about just how good Allison really is, simply got annoying after a while.
In short, I’m afraid that Garwood’s style is just one that I’m not used to anymore. As a result, I had a hard time just getting into the first quarter of the book with scenes that just didn’t seem to further the plot, let alone buy into a romance between two characters who don't seem to have sufficient chemistry together for me to want more.
*ARC by the publisher
(nonetheless grateful, as always)
I wish I could say that it was akin to coming back to an old, trusted friend, but ‘Wired’ wasn’t really that experience for me. I do think though, that my changing tastes are responsible for framing the way I read romances these days and because of that, I found Garwood’s story an odd mix of omniscient narration, inexplicable perspective switches and showing-rather-than-telling, along with protagonists that seem be variants of Mary/Marty Sues. In short, Allison and Liam are perfect protagonists with perfect attributes who can do nearly no wrong—they’re elevated ideals to which I can’t relate at all, let alone empathise with.
Not that I have a problem with beautiful, fictionalised characters who are also capable, but Allison bucks even this trend, as she’s gorgeous enough to be a model, and so brilliant a hacker that she tops all the other experts…all before she graduates from college. The rather convenient immunity the FBI grants her after trying her to recruit her for her skills, along with the rather unbelievable dialogue, and the hype about just how good Allison really is, simply got annoying after a while.
In short, I’m afraid that Garwood’s style is just one that I’m not used to anymore. As a result, I had a hard time just getting into the first quarter of the book with scenes that just didn’t seem to further the plot, let alone buy into a romance between two characters who don't seem to have sufficient chemistry together for me to want more.
*ARC by the publisher
(nonetheless grateful, as always)
June 9, 2017
3.5 stars There's a very slow start to the book while we figure out whose POV we're in, and why we care. But once the story gets going, it's an enjoyable read. The chemistry between Liam and Allison is excellent, and I thought the relationship between Allison and Jordan Buchanan was especially well done. The crime-solving aspect of it was intriguing, although I thought some of the FBI nerds were somewhat broadly drawn. But none of that deterred from my enjoyment of the book. What did bother me was Allison's refusal to deal with the very unhealthy relationship she had with her aunt and uncle, who abused her and her sister as children. Her sister made the healthy choice to get away, but, for some reason, Allison not only stayed, but permitted them to take gross advantage and brow beat her into giving them money. I kept waiting for Allison to stand up for herself, because she seemed so strong in every other way. Again, however, I did love the relationship between Liam and Allison and enjoyed the crime-solving, and I'd still recommend this book.
June 25, 2017
received a copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review
DNF at 21%
I really wanted to like this book. It had such a cool concept but I could tell it wasn't for me pretty much right away.
First, we have that it's told in third person narrative. This made it extremely difficult for me to connect to the characters and I just found myself skipping and skipping pages because I honestly felt nothing for either characters. I would have stopped earlier but I wanted to give this a fair shot, but by 21% I just couldn't bear it anymore. I was trying to get out of a reading slump, not get further into one.
Another flaw was that really nothing happened. Alison hacked into some system to find out who stole money from a nursing home, turns it into the FBI, Liam who works for the FBI (?? May be wrong, again, characters were so forgettable) wants to hire Alison for something and I assume they feel an undying passion for each other and then have sex. I wouldn't know because I got as far as them first meeting and didn't feel any connection between the two.
DNF at 21%
I really wanted to like this book. It had such a cool concept but I could tell it wasn't for me pretty much right away.
First, we have that it's told in third person narrative. This made it extremely difficult for me to connect to the characters and I just found myself skipping and skipping pages because I honestly felt nothing for either characters. I would have stopped earlier but I wanted to give this a fair shot, but by 21% I just couldn't bear it anymore. I was trying to get out of a reading slump, not get further into one.
Another flaw was that really nothing happened. Alison hacked into some system to find out who stole money from a nursing home, turns it into the FBI, Liam who works for the FBI (?? May be wrong, again, characters were so forgettable) wants to hire Alison for something and I assume they feel an undying passion for each other and then have sex. I wouldn't know because I got as far as them first meeting and didn't feel any connection between the two.
July 6, 2017
After a two-year delay in publication, Julie Garwood's latest contemporary novel in her Buchanan/FBI Series has finally arrived. The reviews are up and down the review scale. In my mind, there's no doubt that Julie Garwood is a pro. A bit of a light-weight compared to her other romantic suspense novels, but it's still a good enough read, although that price tag was a bit of a Debbie Downer. I'm not going to pull any punches -- it's not her best -- far from it. But that didn't stop me, and I settled in and actually enjoyed the time I spent with Allison and Liam.
As far as the characterizations go, Liam received a far lesser amount of development than Allison. Of course, those who've kept current with the series, got a peek at him in FAST TRACK, the previous book (#12). There he was described as dynamic, handsome, confident and outgoing. After all those dark-haired, blue-eyed heroes I've fallen for lately, a tall, attractive sandy-blond haired lawman with the physique of a Roman gladiator was a refreshing change. I was particularly enamored with Liam Scott, the bad boy FBI agent, with his first appearance, and I was expecting some additional depth-worthy character development on the Agent. Sadly, no. Other than a few additional sentences about his family, we got nada -- zip.
Allison Trent is an "ace" at hacking -- one of the best, if not the best. Liam Scott is an FBI Agent, and he's looking for a hacker to recruit for help with an extremely difficult case assigned to the FBI Cyber Unit -- but has he found the right one? And then there's that additional problem of somebody wanting Allison out of the picture . . . and Liam is going to make sure that doesn't happen.
Allison and her older sister, who's now married and lives in Seattle, shared a sad and tough childhood. After the death of their parents, a horrible aunt and uncle raised the two young girls. And they didn’t do it out of love either. There was a substantial amount of money bequeathed to the girls. Get the picture? Yes, they were greedy evil people. The girls never saw a dime of that money. And it was because there's a cousin -- the aunt and uncle's son -- and he's prone to getting into lots of trouble. Thus, the need to bail him out of jail and pay his expensive legal fees. And now that they've spent all the money from the inheritance, Allison is hoping to strike a deal where'll she'll work with the FBI in return for probation for her criminal cousin, or he'll go to prison. This is where I felt like this part of the story went off the trolley. I was rather disappointed at the end, when the resolution to this situation felt lacking, and there were some loose ends that needed to be resolved for a more substantial closure.
Besides her brilliant hacking skills, Allison lives in Boston where she's a student and scheduled to soon receive her degree. She's somewhat naïve, but has her heart set on succeeding in the male dominated world of writing computer code and developing cutting edge software. Not only is she brilliant -- but beautiful, too, and has been forced to work as a model for additional income to support herself.
The plot is classic Garwood, that being nothing dark or creepy psychotic. The sex is pretty bland -- okay, lukewarm. Forget sizzle because it ain't happening. And, of course, Liam is one of "those guys" who isn't looking for a serious relationship, but still can't stay away from Allison or keep his hands and other body parts to himself. And Allison has decided that she, too, is going to keep things between herself and Agent Scott strictly business. Again, really? Don't bet on it!
A few old friends from previous books put in an appearance as secondary characters -- the Buchanans and Claybornes specifically -- which made it feel like old home week. It was a treat to meet up again. Always willing to offer a few laughs along with lending a helping hand in solving cases. Even if you haven't read the series, their background is sufficiently explained so there will be no problem following the storyline. The book can easily be read as a standalone.
I sometimes think Garwood gets a bad rap because her extraordinary and amazing historical novels are such favorites with her fans. When she began writing romantic suspense in 2004, readers were hoping for more of her tried and true historicals with a faster turnaround time. It makes me sad to say it, but the longer she's kept the Buchanan/FBI Series going (13 books total) has caused me to think that perhaps she should have pulled the plug on the series about 5 or 6 books back. It has become a bit tiresome, redundant and just lost a lot of the zing the first installments held. Her writing is still top-notch and the plotting is catchy and enticing. It just doesn't reach the top level of the scale. Maybe it's time for something entirely different, a new series in a different setting, with a new cast of characters.
I still found Wired to be sexy and suspenseful with characters that I liked -- just missing some of that old spark and magnetic pull from earlier Garwood books. I'm still a big fan, and I'll probably continue reading any new book she releases, but I might have to reconsider using my library card over purchasing. I'm betting that most of her loyal followers possibly feel the same way.
As far as the characterizations go, Liam received a far lesser amount of development than Allison. Of course, those who've kept current with the series, got a peek at him in FAST TRACK, the previous book (#12). There he was described as dynamic, handsome, confident and outgoing. After all those dark-haired, blue-eyed heroes I've fallen for lately, a tall, attractive sandy-blond haired lawman with the physique of a Roman gladiator was a refreshing change. I was particularly enamored with Liam Scott, the bad boy FBI agent, with his first appearance, and I was expecting some additional depth-worthy character development on the Agent. Sadly, no. Other than a few additional sentences about his family, we got nada -- zip.
Allison Trent is an "ace" at hacking -- one of the best, if not the best. Liam Scott is an FBI Agent, and he's looking for a hacker to recruit for help with an extremely difficult case assigned to the FBI Cyber Unit -- but has he found the right one? And then there's that additional problem of somebody wanting Allison out of the picture . . . and Liam is going to make sure that doesn't happen.
Allison and her older sister, who's now married and lives in Seattle, shared a sad and tough childhood. After the death of their parents, a horrible aunt and uncle raised the two young girls. And they didn’t do it out of love either. There was a substantial amount of money bequeathed to the girls. Get the picture? Yes, they were greedy evil people. The girls never saw a dime of that money. And it was because there's a cousin -- the aunt and uncle's son -- and he's prone to getting into lots of trouble. Thus, the need to bail him out of jail and pay his expensive legal fees. And now that they've spent all the money from the inheritance, Allison is hoping to strike a deal where'll she'll work with the FBI in return for probation for her criminal cousin, or he'll go to prison. This is where I felt like this part of the story went off the trolley. I was rather disappointed at the end, when the resolution to this situation felt lacking, and there were some loose ends that needed to be resolved for a more substantial closure.
Besides her brilliant hacking skills, Allison lives in Boston where she's a student and scheduled to soon receive her degree. She's somewhat naïve, but has her heart set on succeeding in the male dominated world of writing computer code and developing cutting edge software. Not only is she brilliant -- but beautiful, too, and has been forced to work as a model for additional income to support herself.
The plot is classic Garwood, that being nothing dark or creepy psychotic. The sex is pretty bland -- okay, lukewarm. Forget sizzle because it ain't happening. And, of course, Liam is one of "those guys" who isn't looking for a serious relationship, but still can't stay away from Allison or keep his hands and other body parts to himself. And Allison has decided that she, too, is going to keep things between herself and Agent Scott strictly business. Again, really? Don't bet on it!
A few old friends from previous books put in an appearance as secondary characters -- the Buchanans and Claybornes specifically -- which made it feel like old home week. It was a treat to meet up again. Always willing to offer a few laughs along with lending a helping hand in solving cases. Even if you haven't read the series, their background is sufficiently explained so there will be no problem following the storyline. The book can easily be read as a standalone.
I sometimes think Garwood gets a bad rap because her extraordinary and amazing historical novels are such favorites with her fans. When she began writing romantic suspense in 2004, readers were hoping for more of her tried and true historicals with a faster turnaround time. It makes me sad to say it, but the longer she's kept the Buchanan/FBI Series going (13 books total) has caused me to think that perhaps she should have pulled the plug on the series about 5 or 6 books back. It has become a bit tiresome, redundant and just lost a lot of the zing the first installments held. Her writing is still top-notch and the plotting is catchy and enticing. It just doesn't reach the top level of the scale. Maybe it's time for something entirely different, a new series in a different setting, with a new cast of characters.
I still found Wired to be sexy and suspenseful with characters that I liked -- just missing some of that old spark and magnetic pull from earlier Garwood books. I'm still a big fan, and I'll probably continue reading any new book she releases, but I might have to reconsider using my library card over purchasing. I'm betting that most of her loyal followers possibly feel the same way.
July 13, 2018
****ARC was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.****
Not as good as Julie Garwood's older historical books.
I really enjoyed this story as a suspense/mystery novel. However, the romance aspect was sadly lacking which is why I only gave this one 3 stars instead of 4 or 5. I really didn't feel the chemistry between the two characters or feel the buildup of why they were in love with each other.
I guess I have to say that I've had to try to forget the awesome historical romances that Julie Garwood used to write. Books like The Bride were one of my favorite romances growing up. If I compared this book to that book the rating of this book would probably be lower. But just looking at this book as an individual and more objectively I did enjoy the story. I haven't read a suspense/mystery since reading Dan Brown books and this one was very enjoyable without having to follow a complicated storyline.
I really enjoyed Allison's character. She was such as sweet person and always willing to help someone and always giving them a second chance. But when she gets mad she does have a little bit of a temper. Now Liam's character is much harder to like. Maybe it is because the author didn't delve too much into his character and we rarely know what he is thinking. This is one of the things I don't like in Ms. Garwood's newer books. I think it has to do with the fact she is trying to move away from the romance genre and break more into the mystery/thriller genre and giving the readers more insight to the hero's thoughts and actions will make the book less suspenseful.
I feel that there isn't as much depth to the characters as there should be. I felt a little ambivalent that Allison and Liam would get together because I was already satisfied that Allison was already the heroine of the story and really didn't need Liam except as a supporting character. In fact, if the author just had a series with Allison as the main character solving problems for the FBI and then bringing in secondary characters like Liam as the love interest and then another character for her the next book this series would be successful.
However this book is listed as a romance and I really didn't feel, as I mentioned before, the chemistry between these characters. In fact, I'm surprised that Allison didn't fall for her housemate, Dan, since Dan spent more time with her and took better care of her than Liam really did. I know that Liam said he let Allison handle her own problems because she would be mad if he interfered and handled them himself, but I really felt this was a pretty weak excuse. I'm an independent woman in reality, but when I read a romance I still want the hero to take care of the problem or at least try to and the heroine would end up handling it herself, but for the guy to just say he will stand back and see how she would handle it really didn't sit well with me.
And Liam kept leaving Allison and not contacting her for weeks or months at a time and he didn't seem to really miss her except for a little bit of lip service that he said he did, but yet he didn't contact her? And it didn't seem like he even kept watch over her at all, or at least didn't have agents tailing her! He left the responsibility for watching her over to Agent Philips. Also, he seemed okay and even amused when she told him how Agent Philips would make her work 80+ hours a week. If he were a real hero he would have a problem with that and want her to be taken care of and not doing all that work and getting herself sick.
I know there are many readers out there who feel like I do that Ms. Garwood's writing has changed so dramatically since her historical novels - the humor and the romance is no longer there. I'm hoping she eventually finds her way back to writing the way she used to.
June 26, 2017
2.5 stars - My review cross-posted from Wit and Sin: http://witandsin.blogspot.com/2017/06...
Wired is a slightly difficult book for me to review. Julie Garwood has written some of my absolute favorite romances and I always look forward to her newest releases. Because I’ve been a fan of hers for more than half my life, it’s disappointing to say that – while Wired isn’t bad and I don’t regret reading it – the story fell flat more often than not.
Let’s start with the good: Allison. Wired is really her story and while some might take issue with how perfect she is (an off-the-charts genius hacker who is also a stunningly gorgeous model with no flaws other than she’s too giving to people who don’t deserve it), this honestly didn’t bother me because I loved her focus, intelligence, and the fact that she’s so confident when it comes to her abilities. She’s a woman determined to make a name for herself in what’s still a largely male-dominated field, so I was willing to suspend disbelief at some of the over-the-top aspects because of this. My favorite thing about Wired is actually her friendship with Jordan (the heroine of Shadow Dance); I loved that the two heroines connected and became friends through their shared intellectual interests.
A heroine as smart as Allison needs a hero who isn’t intimidated by her and appreciates her for who she is, and Liam fits the bill. Liam was a scene-stealer for me in the last Buchanan-Renard book, Fast Track. In that book he practically oozed charisma and hinted at an interesting past that made me incredibly eager to get my hands on his book. Yet in his own story, the intriguing man I’d been so excited to read about was gone, replaced by a rather generic hero without much of a personality. I actually went back and re-read parts of Fast Track to make sure I hadn’t been thinking of the wrong character because I was so surprised. The Liam of Wired is intelligent, handsome, constantly on the move, yet always in the right place at the right time, but that’s about as far as his character goes. There simply wasn’t much to him and I was incredibly disappointed we didn’t get to delve into his character at all. Perhaps in part because of this, the romance between Liam and Allison was a bit of a letdown. There was no chemistry, only a little spark (and that was when they hit the sheets), and there was no natural development in their relationship. It felt like boxes were being checked off in order to fulfill the most basic romance requirements.
The suspense part of this romantic suspense involved not one, but three plots converging around Allison. Between an abusive aunt and uncle harassing her for money, a disgraced FBI agent out to get her, and a former roommate stealing her program, Allison has a lot on her plate. There’s potential in each of these storylines, but over the course of the story they become an increasingly jumbled mess.
Even though I had a number of issues with Wired , I do want to stress that it’s not a bad book. I always enjoy Ms. Garwood’s writing and even though the story didn’t work for me on the whole, it’s still a fun read. Liam and Allison are likeable characters and the scenes where they interacted with past Buchanan-Renard heroes and heroines added a dash of liveliness to the tale. So while I think there were a lot of missed opportunities in Wired , I still believe it would make a pleasant beach read this summer.
FTC Disclosure: I received the e-book edition of this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Wired is a slightly difficult book for me to review. Julie Garwood has written some of my absolute favorite romances and I always look forward to her newest releases. Because I’ve been a fan of hers for more than half my life, it’s disappointing to say that – while Wired isn’t bad and I don’t regret reading it – the story fell flat more often than not.
Let’s start with the good: Allison. Wired is really her story and while some might take issue with how perfect she is (an off-the-charts genius hacker who is also a stunningly gorgeous model with no flaws other than she’s too giving to people who don’t deserve it), this honestly didn’t bother me because I loved her focus, intelligence, and the fact that she’s so confident when it comes to her abilities. She’s a woman determined to make a name for herself in what’s still a largely male-dominated field, so I was willing to suspend disbelief at some of the over-the-top aspects because of this. My favorite thing about Wired is actually her friendship with Jordan (the heroine of Shadow Dance); I loved that the two heroines connected and became friends through their shared intellectual interests.
A heroine as smart as Allison needs a hero who isn’t intimidated by her and appreciates her for who she is, and Liam fits the bill. Liam was a scene-stealer for me in the last Buchanan-Renard book, Fast Track. In that book he practically oozed charisma and hinted at an interesting past that made me incredibly eager to get my hands on his book. Yet in his own story, the intriguing man I’d been so excited to read about was gone, replaced by a rather generic hero without much of a personality. I actually went back and re-read parts of Fast Track to make sure I hadn’t been thinking of the wrong character because I was so surprised. The Liam of Wired is intelligent, handsome, constantly on the move, yet always in the right place at the right time, but that’s about as far as his character goes. There simply wasn’t much to him and I was incredibly disappointed we didn’t get to delve into his character at all. Perhaps in part because of this, the romance between Liam and Allison was a bit of a letdown. There was no chemistry, only a little spark (and that was when they hit the sheets), and there was no natural development in their relationship. It felt like boxes were being checked off in order to fulfill the most basic romance requirements.
The suspense part of this romantic suspense involved not one, but three plots converging around Allison. Between an abusive aunt and uncle harassing her for money, a disgraced FBI agent out to get her, and a former roommate stealing her program, Allison has a lot on her plate. There’s potential in each of these storylines, but over the course of the story they become an increasingly jumbled mess.
Even though I had a number of issues with Wired , I do want to stress that it’s not a bad book. I always enjoy Ms. Garwood’s writing and even though the story didn’t work for me on the whole, it’s still a fun read. Liam and Allison are likeable characters and the scenes where they interacted with past Buchanan-Renard heroes and heroines added a dash of liveliness to the tale. So while I think there were a lot of missed opportunities in Wired , I still believe it would make a pleasant beach read this summer.
FTC Disclosure: I received the e-book edition of this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
January 7, 2024
Fans of the Buchanan-Renard series have been waiting for FBI BadBoy Liam's story and here it is. And he falls for a genius hacker with the face of a model! Just about perfect! I enjoyed this couple and story and am looking forward to the next and final book of the series.
September 26, 2017
I was definitely disappointed in this one.
One of my first reactions to this book as I read it was that it felt like it was written by a high school kid versus a seasoned writer. "Once upon a time", Ms. Garwood was a go to author for me. Now granted, since those times, my reading preferences have changed, but some of my reading requirements have not.
The heroine was for me ridiculous and spineless. She's so beautiful that she models to support herself through school and to pay to keep her criminal cousin out of jail. She's so spineless that her aunt and uncle push her around, rob her, break into her home, etc and she just takes it for years. And on top of this, she is the most genius of all hackers to ever exist. She is still in college, but she can run rings around any other seasoned hacker or computer professional out there. Although we are told this over and over. I didn't feel it. And even professionally she was spineless. Only the stupidest absolute idiot would allow the tracking bracelet that her boss put on her. These characters are just too over the top and without any depth.
Her love interest Liam, felt more like a user and a player than a potential love interest. I didn't like him at all and they didn't feel like a couple. For me it felt like lust on his part, the type where the guy moves onto the next conquest. He didn't communicate with her - just used her. And she was OK with that. Didn't work for me.
The plot felt a little all over the place and undeveloped - although it had potential. The FBI in this definitely felt like the fictional "FBI" versus the real deal.
Obviously since my review reads more like a rant - this book didn't work for me.
One of my first reactions to this book as I read it was that it felt like it was written by a high school kid versus a seasoned writer. "Once upon a time", Ms. Garwood was a go to author for me. Now granted, since those times, my reading preferences have changed, but some of my reading requirements have not.
The heroine was for me ridiculous and spineless. She's so beautiful that she models to support herself through school and to pay to keep her criminal cousin out of jail. She's so spineless that her aunt and uncle push her around, rob her, break into her home, etc and she just takes it for years. And on top of this, she is the most genius of all hackers to ever exist. She is still in college, but she can run rings around any other seasoned hacker or computer professional out there. Although we are told this over and over. I didn't feel it. And even professionally she was spineless. Only the stupidest absolute idiot would allow the tracking bracelet that her boss put on her. These characters are just too over the top and without any depth.
Her love interest Liam, felt more like a user and a player than a potential love interest. I didn't like him at all and they didn't feel like a couple. For me it felt like lust on his part, the type where the guy moves onto the next conquest. He didn't communicate with her - just used her. And she was OK with that. Didn't work for me.
The plot felt a little all over the place and undeveloped - although it had potential. The FBI in this definitely felt like the fictional "FBI" versus the real deal.
Obviously since my review reads more like a rant - this book didn't work for me.
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