REVIEWED by Jay V.

TITLE: The Former Assassin’s Guide to Snagging a Reluctant Boyfriend

AUTHOR: Alice Winters

SERIES: The Former Assassin’s Guide #1

PUBLISHER: Self Published

LENGTH: 304 pages

RELEASE DATE: August 26, 2021

BLURB:

Cassel

When I gave up life as a hitman, I thought everything was going to be better. I was going to become a PI, help people, and live normally… and then I met Jeremy, the most perfect man to have ever saved my life (I mean, he might be the only one who has saved my life, but he’s still the best at it). From that point on, it was all over for me—I knew we were meant to be. The issue is that he doesn’t… quite seem to realize that. But when he’s targeted by criminals (literally, someone just shot at his head), he needs to rely on someone, so why not me? He might not know about my past as a hitman or that I don’t need to be protected, but I’m prepared to do everything I can to save the day.

Jeremy

When my past comes back with a vengeance, I’ve never felt so alone and out of my element. That is, until Cassel offers me information that I desperately need, forcing me to drag him straight into danger. The issue is that he’s too sweet and innocent for this world and I’m not sure that I’m strong enough to protect him, but I can’t bring myself to push him away. As truths come to light, I realize that maybe Cassel isn’t quite who I thought he was, and maybe we’re not so different after all.

REVIEW:

Jerebear got his own book!  And Cassel thinks he’s the best, but does Jeremy know this? As his past starts to come back to haunt him, Jeremy doesn’t want to get Cassel involved, as he’s so sweet, but they might just have more in common than either expect.

We’ve all grown to love this group of people created by Winters. But this books spins the tale on it’s head. It’s the first book that’s not from Leland & Jackson’s perspectives – and it gives a glorious insight in to how others view them. Since this book focuses on Cassel & Jeremy, we get a view of the formerly main couple, and some of it is surprising. We get Leland-lite, which in some ways is a tamed version of the craziness – it’s still there but not quite so zany. Sometimes a little less Leland is a good thing. It still has it’s funny moments but it’s also got a serious tone to what is happening to Jeremy and the crew that are helping him out. The story retains its bite & there was a point that I was laughing hysterically out loud, so Winters hasn’t lost her touch there.

Though my heart has always belonged to Jeremy and him putting up with Leland and crew, we get a lot more development of his and Cassel’s pasts, getting a much better backstory on both leading to why they act his way now. Cassel has already been growing on everyone so it’s nice that he has time to shine. It’s also great to see a different perspective on how someone deals with being a former hitman – Leland uses humor where Cassel uses a much deeper method – mostly buried in his computer and his winning, disarming smile. This helps other to underestimate him, including Jeremy. Sometimes subtlety doesn’t pay off – Jeremy and Cassel aren’t sure where they lie in relation to each other.  Both are clueless in different ways and it plays so well against these two.

Though this is labeled as book one in a series, it is continuation of the Hitman books.  One doesn’t have to have read the others, but it’s fun if you have – some of the perspective of past events is funny in how it’s downplayed or interpreted differently.  As the characters develop, a ragtag found family is really forming and it’s nice that Cassel and now Jeremy are getting pulled into the orbit of the group. Where Winters heads with their stories next is hard to tell, but I’m always along for the ride on all these slightly crazy folks.  Oh, and there’s still lots of guns.

RATING:  

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