The Takedown by Carlie Walker | Blog Tour Book Review

[ad/gifted - I received a copy of this book for the purpose of this review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.]

The Takedown by Carlie Walker

My rating: 4/5

Publisher: Orion

Publication date: 3rd October 2023

Blurb:

Sydney's mission is simple:

1. Stop her little sister from marrying a notorious criminal

2. Seduce his bodyguard to gather intel for the FBI

3. Definitely do not fall in love...

Agent Sydney Swift is going home for the holidays. She's just discovered that her younger sister, Calla, is engaged to Johnny Jones - the heir to the nation's most notorious crime dynasty - and she's determined to stop their perfect winter wedding at any cost.

But gathering incriminating evidence on Johnny isn't as easy as she'd hoped, especially as her biggest obstacle is Nick, his infuriatingly handsome and charming bodyguard!

As Sydney spends more time with Nick, lines begin to blur, and while seducing him to gather intel was bad enough, falling for him is even worse.

Soon Sydney is faced with a difficult decision - one that certainly wasn't covered in her training...

Review:

This was a fun little book that really surprised me!

The Takedown is the authors first adult novel, having previously written children's and young adult novels and I absolutely loved it.

Sydney is in the CIA but her family is unaware. The FBI seek her out to gather intel on a crime lord, the reason she has been chosen? Johnny Jones is engaged to Sydney's sister and will be at their home for the Christmas holidays. When tasked to get the lowdown by seducing his bodyguard Nick, she tells herself she absolutely must not fall for him.

I know the plot sounds ridiculously cheesy and cliché but it was cute, had the festive vibes and even threw a few twists in there too. The characters were well developed and you really got a feel for their family dynamics. I loved Grandma Ruby! 

As a reader who loves both crime fiction and romance, it felt like the perfect mix of both. Oh, and the little bit of spice made it even better.

Highly recommended if you want a fun, Christmassy read! 

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A massive thank you to Orion for having me on the blog tour. You can find information about the other bloggers taking part in the tour in the graphic below.