I received this book for free from Author in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
When Colleen contacted me, letting me know that there was another Shelby book coming to read I was so excited. And Shelby in Paris! What could be better?! Not much, it turns out. Devious Minds was easily one of my favorite Shelby adventures.
What Worked
- Shelby is of course the main reason I love these books! I wouldn't enjoy spending so much time in some people's mind - but Shelby is just great. She's so honest with herself that she's hilarious. And she does find a way to get herself into all kinds of trouble. Paris was no exception. She may have gotten herself in deeper here than she has in a while!
- Ramos! I got nervous that this book wasn't going to have Ramos in it, but thankful Colleen found a way to mix him in. And even though I'm not a fan of the way Shelby and Ramos skate so close to THAT line, I do love him and a book without him would be a bummer. I probably even like their flirtation more than I want to admit...
- Paris!!! Duh, right? But Paris through Shelby's eyes is a whole different adventure. For one, she's seeing some things that you'd expect to see as a tourist, but she's seeing them after being chased by terrorists and in bullet torn clothes. It's a different vantage point. And the challenge of foreign language is always great with Shelby's mind reading abilities. It's a real challenge that really helps Shelby step in it that much more!
- The plot was, as always, great. It wasn't so much a mystery to solve as much as a spy adventure this time, but as always it was faced paced and I was always guessing.
- As usual, I enjoyed Wendy Tremont King's Narration. She IS Shelby at this point and I don't care if she messes up accents. Which I'm thinking she probably did for the French. Not being an expert I can't say for sure, but it didn't quite sound right to me. But it didn't bother me at all either :)
What Didn't Work
- As much as I liked being in Paris, I missed Uncle Joey, Billy, Dimples, Chris, etc. I saw a bit of them at the beginning but I would have liked more. Is this a fair complaint? No. You can't have your cake and eat it too... or so I've been told.
- I just wish Ramos and Shelby wouldn't push the flirting line quite so far. I get more and more worried they're going to have an affair with every book. And that would stink. I like that Shelby is in a happy relationship. But I do love Ramos!
All in all, a great read and I can't wait for more adventures with Shelby! If you haven't picked up these cozy mysteries, you really must!