Perception (Brass, #2)

by Kaithlin Shepherd

[Nadz@Totally Addicted to Reading]

I have been looking forward to the second book in the Brass series ever since I read Admission.  My experience with Admission was enjoyable as such I was expecting a similar or even better encounter with Perception.  Unfortunately, the story left me disappointed.
 
There was romance, suspense, and action, all the necessary ingredients to make for an exciting read. However, the plot was a mirror of what took place in Admission. It felt as if I was reading the same story but with different characters.  As such this story did not hold much of a surprise for me.
 
It tells the story of two friends, Annabelle, and Connor, who have been in love with each other for as long as they both could remember. However, fears, insecurities, and emotional scars were preventing them from admitting to what was staring them in the face. However, they were forced to face their feelings when they were both assigned to work on a case involving a notorious Russian crime boss.
 
The story is told from the alternate POVs of Annabelle and Connor.  I found Annabelle to be strong.  She has been through a lot, but she was able to overcome.  What I respected about her was she did not allow the lack of love from her parents to make her feel unworthy. It helped that she was surrounded by friends who loved her unconditionally.
 
Connor believes that he is not worthy of Annabelle.  As such he keeps his distance as much as he possibly can.   When his reasons for not wanting to get close to her was revealed I was rather disappointed. For the life of me, I could not fathom why he would believe that Annabelle would not understand his fears.  It's my belief that his actions were selfish. He was not willing to get close to her yet he did not want to see her with anyone.  He is protective by nature. He would willingly lay down his life for those he cared for.
 
I set up the dialogue a bit repetitious at times. The romance was ok, however, I found the back and forth with Annabelle and Connor tiresome.  I wished Connor would get his act together and let Annabelle in. 
 
I enjoyed the suspense even though it was not nail biting.  I say this because it was easy  to figure out who was the crime boss' payroll. There was one particular person who I knew for certain was involved, although I was secretly hoping I was wrong.
 
Bottom Line: The story was ok. Although it did not live up to my expectations I would still recommend it to readers who enjoy romantic suspense.