Ethan is known as the Iceman. Stoic, detached from his protectees, and a top Secret Service agent for over ten years.  When Jack is elected as President, Ethan is faced with an undeniable draw to his new charge. Jack's presidency is already difficult. With terrorism attacks across the globe and other foreign aggressors, the last thing he needs is the scandal of falling for a man. The danger only escalates when a rogue Black Ops unit secretly plots to destroy it all. 

Ethan and Jack are an unexpected couple. Jack has never been attracted to a man before while Ethan doesn't do relationships or break the rules. At first they're just friends but as they lean on one another through the harder times of the presidency, Ethan can't help but fall for the smart wit and innate goodness in Jack. Jack trusts Ethan without fail, not only as security but as a sounding board and has deep respect for his opinions. While I feel like we missed some of the moments in the lead up to them falling in love, there is no doubt  that their love is deep and passionate and they would truly do anything for one another. 

I read Adam and Faisal's prequel chapters online before I started this, and I was a lot more invested in what happened to their relationship. I highly recommend reading them on Tal's website because they're so good. I hope we get more of them in the second book because I'm obsessed! 

I don't read a ton of political thrillers so I wasn't quite sure what to expect. The first half was a little slow for me. It's the build up of Ethan and Jack's relationship, with a lot of Ethan in a constant state of existential crisis. However the whole time you know there's a double agent in the White House, and I was just impatiently waiting for the other shoe to drop. I liked the romance, but when the action hit in the second half I was way more invested. It was wild, heartbreaking, and fast-paced and I have a feeling it's only the beginning of how intense it gets. 

I'm planning on reading the holiday novella next that was published later to keep things chronological. I'm interested to see how Ethan and Jack deal with the challenges thrown their way and keep their relationship strong in the midst of the chaos.

Read if you like: 
• forbidden romance              
• romantic suspense    
• sexual awakening