Review: Fade to Gray (Triad #1)

Fade to Gray (Triad #1)

by Dee Davis

Blurb:

When Emily Masterson wakes up in a strange bed with a dead man, she does the only thing she can think to do. She calls the one man who can help her. A man who betrayed her years ago—the only man she’s ever loved.

Gideon Sloan might be in the business of helping people, he just never thought one of them would be Emily. After using all his resources to help her, he swears never to see her again, but a second attempt on her life leaves him racing against a clock to keep her alive.

Even as the killer circles closer, passion reignites, but secrets from the past threaten to destroy their fragile truce. Only together can they find answers and—if they survive—a second chance at love.

Themes: Contemporary

Rating: 4 stars

Heat Rating: 

Review:

So when I learned that Dee Davis was releasing a new romantic suspense series I knew I had to jump on the chance to read it, being that I was such a huge fan of her previous series (A-Tac).  I can say with all honesty that I enjoyed this new series and am looking forward to the coming stories as well, though there were definitely moments I felt like I wanted to slap the characters around a bit for being so stupid.  It is always a safe bet that there will be layers and layers of intrigue in any Davis novel, being that she very rarely goes for the obvious villain, but I only guessed the villain in this story a chapter or so before the big reveal, which for me is a big accomplishment because I am usually pretty good at figuring out who’s who within the first few chapters.  I enjoyed the overall premise of the new series as well as the first story itself, but there was so much pain and so many lies for Gideon and Emily to work through I felt sure one or both of them would throw in the towel long before they found a way back to each other. Ms. Davis has a  truly amazing ability to make her characters not only jump off the page but to be totally believable to you, easily allowing you to spot some piece of that character in your own best friends, lovers, or parents, bringing you that much closer to the story.  Emily was one of those characters that you wanted to hate, but at the same time you could understand that her upbringing left her so sheltered she refuses to doubt the most important man in her life could ever be anything less than fully truthful with her.  When she is forced to come to the understanding that her father is as human as the rest of us, and therefore flawed, she quickly grows up and finds a way to uncover the spine that was always inside her and hardened to steel in order to demand her due in life.   Once that woman emerged and we got to see her going for what and who she wanted in her life, I truly came to respect her as a woman.  Gideon on the other hand refuses to understand that a woman grows up, loving her father first, and coming to the understanding, even late in life that he isn’t perfect, comes as a shock and he needs to be understanding about it.  Gideon had his own growing up and standing up to due in order to be the man that earned Emily’s renewed love and commitment.   The love between them was so bright and flared so quickly, that neither of them truly believed in one another enough to overcome the odds when they were faced with seemingly insurmountable ones.  I enjoyed seeing Gideon’s friends coming to his aid, emotionally and physically, as he and Emily fought to overcome the plot to first claim her innocence and ultimately claim her life.   I am dying to know when the next book will be out and which one of the boys we will get to watch fall in love next.  I also loved the little peeks into that previous series I mentioned with the return of Harrison to help the guys in their mission to save Emily, because OMG he’s my favorite!  Please hurry and release the next story Ms. Davis, before I die of suspense.

*ebook provided by publisher (via netgalley) for the purpose of an honest and unbiased review.  No compensation was provided.