Review: Assassins in Love

Assassins in Love (Assassins Guild - Book 1) by Kris DeLake

Publication Date: March 6, 2012
Publisher: Sourcebooks Inc.
Genre: Sci-Fi Romance
Pages: Paperback, 356pp
ISBN-13: 978-1402262821

ISBN: 1402262825

(Received for an honest review from Sourcebooks Casablanca)

Purchase: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Book Depository, IndieBound

Kris DeLake (Kristine Kathryn Rusch) on the WEB: website,  facebook, twitter

Excerpt from Assassins in Love

Synopsis:


WHEN ONE KILLER FALLS FOR ANOTHER

AGENT: Misha
PROFILE: Highly trained in every method the Assassins Guild has to offer. Always goes by the book.

AGENT: Rikki
PROFILE: Rogue assassin who kills only to rid the world of hardened criminals. Hates organizations. Always does it her way.

LOVE BECOMES A MATTER OF LIFE AND DEATH

Misha's mission it to get Rikki to join the Guild or give up her guns. He completely underestimated the effect she would have on him... and what heat and chaos they could bring to each other...

Thoughts: 


Kris DeLake a pen name for Kristine Kathryn Rusch, a prominent writer in many genres. As DeLake she brings readers the first in a new sci-fi romance series that set in a futuristic world where space travel is the norm instead of the impossible. Assassins in Love blends science fiction romance with romantic suspense and provides the reader with a novel that is both surprising and entertaining. This book is heavy on the romance and light on the science fiction in some ways, but readers are sure to enjoy the cross.


I will probably always consider science fiction one of my first loves as a reader. I don't read much of it these days, as there are so many other choices out there, but when I do, I generally expect a lot. Assassins in Love is written by an author who I have read before under other names and generally find enjoyable, if not overly complicated. The primary science fiction related part of the book is in the transportation. There are no aliens in this book. No strange languages or technologies to try to understand or really anything that makes it what I consider true sci-fi. Though the society is futuristic and they do travel around in space craft, it's not quite what I was expecting, but that doesn't mean it isn't good. The other part of the story, the romantic suspense part is quite entertaining and carries the book.


In DeLake's world assassins are are fact of life. There are those who work for the Assassins Guild who follow very strict rules and guidelines and those that color outside the box who are considered rogues. If I were an assassin, I would definitely be of the rogue sort. Rikki is a character that has a mind of her own and she doesn't want to be told what to do. She wants to play by her own rules and take on the assignments she wants, not the ones she's given. DeLake writes Rikki with a lot of fire in her, passionate and intense. It stands reason she would not want to be tamed by the Guild.


Misha on the other hand is more refined, even elegant in some ways. He is methodical and determined. It is his mission to either get Rikki to join the Guild or get her to give up the assassin trade. What he doesn't figure into the equation is his physical and emotional reaction to her. He ruffles his well plumed feathers, gets under his skin and makes him a whole lot less in control. When the two of them figure out that their paths have crossed before, there is a lot of miscommunication, mistrust and down right feuding. When they aren't passionately making love they are intensely making war with each other. It was an interesting dynamic that DeLake pulls off well. The dialog could have been a little more in depth but the book still shows a lot of potential for the series. She starts out a little shaky, but that's to be expected with book one in a series. 


I think this book shows what the series could be. There is a lot of potential in the idea of an organization that regulates killing. There are plenty of directions the author could take this. There is enough background and suspenseful moments in this one to carry the book, and open readers up to the possibilities of where the author can take it. I wish there had been more science fiction related things about the book, but that doesn't mean the author can't add more of those elements as the series continues. I liked the overall feel of the book. It was fast paced and provided a lot of action. The Mr. and Mrs. Smith vibe was spot on and the heat was about right, not too little, not too much. 


DeLake has created a good first in a series book that will give the reader a taste of what could be. I'm looking forward to the next book in the series and finding out which direction the author decides to go. I like a good romantic suspense story whether it takes place on a space ship or in in downtown traffic... LOL! This is an author and a series to keep an eye on. 

Assassins in Love is available NOW from your favorite bookseller. 

I'm giving this one 4 out of 5 apples from my book bag!

Kris DeLake is one of writer Kristine Kathryn Rusch's many pen names. In addition to writing as Kris DeLake in romance, Rusch also writes as Kristine Grayson ( who specializes in paranormals) and Kristine Dexter (who prefers romantic suspense). In mystery, Rusch writes as the Edgar and Shamus-nominated Kris Nelscott. In science fiction and fantasy, Rusch is known by her real name. She's a bestselling double Hugo winner in science fiction.