Delayed Call (Assassins, #10)

by Toni Aleo

[Cocktails and Books]

This review was originally posted on Cocktails and Books

I'm a huge Assassins series fan. Shea Adler had me the moment he whipped his contacts out and blindly crashed into things during a photo shoot. So when Toni Aleo said this was her second favorite book behind Shea and Elli's, I was ready to fall in love with Vaughn and Brie.

Vaughn is the current superstar of the Assassins and Brie is the team reporter. They're like oil and water when we first meet them, constantly taking jabs and one another and calling each other names. The bickering and name calling is a cover up for how they really feel for each other. They have a lot of work cut out for them, but they discover there is a very thin line between love and hate.

I will admit up front, this was not one of my favorite Assassins' book. Vaughn, while lovable, was too much of a little kid for me. He had a huge heart and went above and beyond to take care of those who depended on him, but the sophomoric comments and name calling at times were too much. Then there was Brie (who I really had an issue with). Yes, she was Vaughn as a woman with one big difference. She was mean. She said nasty things to Vaughn, hit him, jump to conclusion and accused without giving him a chance to explain. Then when they finally turned a corner in their relationship, she jumped to

Then there was Brie (who I really had an issue with). Yes, she was Vaughn as a woman with one big difference. She was mean. She said nasty things to Vaughn, hit him, jump to conclusion and accused without giving him a chance to explain. Then when they finally turned a corner in their relationship, she jumped to instalove and got mad when he couldn't return her sentiments of love.

Then there was the way she acted towards her brother, Rodney, who has Downs Syndrome. She was extremely overprotective of him, which I get. But what I didn't understand was her immediate refusal to listen to him when he told her he wanted to move. He appeared to be very high functioning and was able to articulate why he wanted to move. She agreed with his facts regarding his current residence, but she refused to listen. In those moments it became all about her, rather than what was good for the brother she so dearly loved.

I get that this is fiction, but I like to be realistic when it comes to the characters. I want to think this person could be someone I'd be friends with, which makes me connect with the character. Unfortunately, that didn't happen with Brie. Not being able to connect with her took away from the story, even had me stepping away from the book for a day (which I rarely do) hoping I could come back with a better frame of mind. When I picked it up again I came to the conclusion that Brie and I were never going to be friends.

DELAYED CALL was a good read, but the story didn't feel the same as other Assassin books. I missed the deep emotional connection between the hero/heroine, the burning need between them that pushed their romance along. While Vaughn and Brie did get their HEA, it didn't feel as genuine (at least to me) like the other couples in the series.