★★★ ½ @IsabelJolieBook @edelweiss_squad #FirstLight
What would you do for your family? What if your twin brother does something that is not quite wrong but completely illegal? What if the golden child, if exposed would break your parents' hearts? Cali is in a tough situation with her brother, Erik being a black hat. Or is he? If you want to know what hat Erik really wears, you might need to wait for the next book in this series. Full disclosure, I didn't read the first 2 books and I had no issues following along with this book. I believe this can be read as a standalone.
Cali is the "good girl" who is your girl next door. She partied with her friends and enjoyed her life. When her brother is targeted and Cali may be collateral damage, he hides her on a little island on the East Coast, far away from their West Coast home. In hiding Cali is very different. She has zero social life to speak of and she avoids making friends. Still, as one of a few single on the tiny island, Cali is bound to spend some time with the only single male on the island, Logan. Too bad Logan is a cop and he is on the no-no list for dating, per Erik's strict instructions.
For me, this book had too many oddities and discrepancies. Specifically Cali's strained relationship with her brother Erik. I'm baffled she didn't question him more. There are so many red flags about Erik that I guess I wouldn't have been as trusting as Cali. Then again, I'm a jaded middle-age woman and Cali is a young 20 something gal. What also bothered me was Logan and Cali's interactions.
Cali and Logan's relationship developed slowly because Cali doesn't want to get Logan involved. This guy pushes and pushes until she finally dates him. They get involved, bad things happen to Cali's mother and when the truth comes out about Cali, Logan loses it. In my opinion, he has very little right to be so upset. Cali didn't lie to him directly. She left out information that may be viewed as lying, but he's the one that pushed so hard for this relationship. There were warning signs and he ignored them. Being angry at Cali for his misconception is kind of rude. Makes me think less of Logan. I get he has baggage which makes him more sensitive to Cali's secrets. But they weren't hers to tell and he needed to get his head out of his butt quicker. Disappointing.
Overall, this story is a constant misdirection and sleight of hand. At the end of this story, we still aren't exactly sure if Cali needed to hid or not. We are also not sure if Erik is a white, black, or grey hat. This romantic suspense is recommended to readers who like the girl next door who is more than what she seems theme.
*provided by Edelweiss
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