Book tour: Inescapable Fate - Hanleigh Bradley (The Fate series #1)

When Georgia Kentley breaks up with her long-term boyfriend Darren over Christmas, she really can't wait to return to work on the 27th of December.

The excitement dies when she meets her new boss, Walker Trent. DCI Trent is a misogynistic pain in the arse. Being a young police officer, Georgia has met her fair share of men who don't understand that she can hold her own. Every single time she has proven them wrong.

Will she be able to prove to Walker Trent just how capable she is or will she get herself into a heap of trouble, danger and chaos? And when chaos ensues who will be there to save her?

My opinion.

They say "don't judge a book by it's cover", and that's definitely what you shouldn't do with this one. The blurb convinced me to read this book - and I'm glad I did! Because the cover, to me, does not sell or represent the book. It's not the right fit for the genre, and I feel it does not do the strong, independent Georgia justice. (Sorry!)

There's no lack of interesting characters and this first installment in The Fate series sure introduces us to some of them already. I do feel, however, that - maybe because this was so clearly set out as being only the first book in a series - those character introductions were a bit rushed and their dynamics insufficiently explained or defined. This keeps you as a reader from getting truly invested in them or their relationships. There's some information about their personal lives, their past on the job and some horrible cases that definitely need a bit more time than they're given now. Because all of it, characters, cases and events, is definitely intriguing enough!

The fireworks between Georgia and Trent create a wonderful tension as we ease into the story. I loved their dynamic and the atmosphere it created. But almost from one chapter to the next, the fireworks seem to disappear when the "crime/thriller" part of the story heats up, and their relationship loses all its excitement and tension.  I could have used some more build up in their relationship, and a better balance between the fast paced, thrilling part of the story on the one hand, and the romance on the other. It's almost as if there's two different books into one, with the first part being romance and the second a crime thriller, with an unsuccessful (hospital) scene in the middle that tried to merge the two.

That being said, when the crime/thriller part of the story picks up when there's a serial killer on the loose, I couldn't put the book down and at one point it even gave me goosebumps. I love the dynamics of a police force and all the different personalities that come with it, the crime element mixed with some romance and friendship & family bonds - even though that mix hasn't been balanced out correctly yet.

And the ending is such a torturing cliff-hanger!! I actually tried swiping a couple of times before realizing that, yes, I actually had reached the last page. I cannot wait to see how this police force handles the rest of the case, what will happen with the killer and between Georgia and Trent. All things considered, a promising start to a new series.