GRR Reviews Love & Deception (Agents in Love Book 1 by Chantel Rhondeau

Love and Deception is a contemporary romantic suspense novel that has some good plot twists even though the characters seem to make some rather irrational decisions (but then, this is romantic suspense).

Carlie Hollis had been hiding for six years, desperate to stay hidden against unknown enemies that wanted her dead. She wanted to stay in Sayle, Washington to run her deli, so she cannot reveal to anyone her true identity, and her past. Until she met Nick Kendall, who came to her rescue in the karate dojo. They slowly fell in love. Nick is actually a secret agent in a ultra-secret agency tasked to protect the US through ANY means necessary, and his superiors are convinced that Carlie was a terrorist hiding something that can devastate the US economy. When Nick obtained the truth from Carlie, he was not believed. When the order was passed on to terminate Carlie, Nick did the unthinkable: he activated his bugout plan and took Carlie to Canada... but their enemies found her there...

Without any spoilers, you'll learn why did Carlie had to hide, why was Nick sent after her, why was he not believed, and how the whole thing will be wrapped up near the end, and I can not spot any holes in the plot. My problem was Nick's personality. If he was really that much of a trained agent willing to do anything for his country, would he really commit treason to save the woman? And how can he know he's the only one assigned to the case when this woman was the key?

Category: Romantic Suspense

Primary Plot: Man must befriend a suspected terrorist, who turned out to be just a woman in hiding; but why? Can he save her?

Tropes: disguise, evil boss, conspiracy, protector, woman in peril

Overall Rating:  5/5 (rounded up)