TEST
When Kimmer Reed left her dysfunctional family in western Pennsylvania, she decided she would never go home again. Discovered by the Hunter Agency, a small private investigative/security firm (it’s a little ambiguous in the book), and trained as an agent, she’s dismayed when her most recent case takes her right into the place she never wanted to see again – a small town right next to her old home.
While fighting her apprehensions about returning to her home territory, Kimmer also works hard to accomplish her mission. Her firm was hired by a man who is worried about his fiancée Carolyne Carlsen, a computer genius who’s discovered a weakness in a national missile defense system. She is working to solve the problem, but in the meantime, those who want information are after her.
The situation is complicated by the fact that Carolyne is already being guarded by her handsome cousin Rio, a former CIA agent. Kimmer works undercover trying to get to know the Carlsens and their habits and to protect Carolyne, but without either of them catching on to who she really is. (If it sounds a little convoluted, that’s because it is.) Throughout the story, Kimmer works hard to keep herself undercover and the bad guys at bay – and then there are the interludes with Rio.
While this novel has more romance in it than most other Bombshell novels I’ve read, this is still not a romance novel, but instead is an action-adventure tale with some romantic elements. If you like action, you may well find plenty to like here. Kimmer and Rio are both likable, if a tad underdeveloped, characters, the author’s style is very readable, and the many action sequences flow well. I found myself most drawn into the story at the moments where Kimmer was either plotting her next moves or fending off the bad guys with Rio.
There were some problems with the backstory, though. First of all, I had a nearly impossible time figuring out what exactly the Hunter Agency does. Even though some of the things the Agency manages to do without getting arrested blew my mind, I was willing to accept the premise because I was in the mood for a good adventure story. However, not all of the back story was that easy to swallow.
One of the major themes of this book centers around Kimmer facing her past in Pennsylvania. But while readers get to see her kick butt left and right, there’s just not a lot of meaningful emotional development. It is obvious that Kimmer is more confident than she was in her past, but I could have used a little more exploration of this theme. In addition, the one portion of the story where Kimmer faces down people from her past is also one of the most unbelievable parts of the book and it jarred me right out of the story.
However, even with the weaknesses in the book, Kimmer and Rio are both still basically likable. The story is primarily plot-driven, so the lack of deep character development is not the problem it could have been and, while I can’t say I found this book particularly memorable, it’s not a bad tale. Ultimately, though, despite the Bombshell hype, Exception to the Rule did not turn out to be a daring rulebreaker, but simply a rather average action novel with as many good moments as bad.
Grade: C
Book Type: Series Fiction
Sensuality: Kisses
Review Date: 10/10/04
Publication Date: 2004/09
I enjoy spending as much time as I can between the covers of a book, traveling through time and around the world. When I'm not having adventures with fictional characters, I'm an attorney in Virginia and I love just hanging out with my husband, little man, and the cat who rules our house.
Recent Comments …
Yep
This sounds delightful! I’m grabbing it, thanks
excellent book: interesting, funny dialogs, deep understanding of each character, interesting secondary characters, and also sexy.
I don’t think anyone expects you to post UK prices – it’s just a shame that such a great sale…
I’m sorry about that. We don’t have any way to post British prices as an American based site.
I have several of her books on my TBR and after reading this am moving them up the pile.