Code of Conduct by April White

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Title: Code of Conduct
Author: April White
Series: Cipher Security #1
Published by: Smartypants Romance
Release Date: October 15, 2019
Format: eARC
Pages: 364
Genres: Romance, Contemporary, Romantic Suspense
Source: Social Butterfly PR
Reading Challenges: Lenoreo's 2019 Diversity Reading Challenge, Lenoreo's 2019 New Release Challenge
Find it: Goodreads ✩ Amazon ✩ B&N ✩ Google ✩ Kobo ✩ iBooks
My rating:

Blurb:

There are three things you need to know about Shane P.I. 1) P.I. is not her last name, it's her job title, 2) Her specialty is catching cheaters, and 3) She's a superhuman - kind of.

Gabriel is a security expert for Cipher Security, and a former UN Peacekeeper with a fierce protective streak that finds its focus on the beautiful P.I.

Their attraction is like an elephant in a room full of breakable things, and figuring out how to trust each other with their hearts, and maybe their lives, is the most fragile thing of all.

'Code of Conduct' is a full-length romantic suspense novel, can be read as a standalone, and is book#1 in the Cipher Security series, Knitting in the City World, Penny Reid Universe.

My Review:

I received a free copy through Social Butterfly PR in exchange for an honest and unbiased review/opinion.

4.5 stars — This was a delight from start to finish.  It was so easy to fall in love with ALL OF THE CHARACTERS in this book, most especially Shane and Gabriel.

They both had such interesting struggles to work through in their pasts.  I love how these traumas affected who they are now, but it didn’t define all of them.  I loved that, because of their burgeoning relationship, they were able to work through some of those things and gain new perspectives.  They each helped the other grow, just by being themselves and supporting one another.

Shane is the type of heroine that I don’t always connect with, b/c she’s so hardened by her experiences, and she likes to hide behind her shell.  I’m a soft marshmallow, so I don’t always get that.  But I was able to understand Shane, and connect with other parts of her.  I loved (weird word) her insecurities, they made her accessible to me in that way.  I loved that she was simultaneously aware of her badassness, but deep down there was still a kernel of insecurity always at work.  I love that she didn’t let it stop her though, but fought to prove people wrong.  I loved what I learned from her experiences as an amputee, and all the stuff with the prosthetics.

Gabriel was definitely my kind of hero.  He was soft spoken, kind, confident in who he was (enough to like things that aren’t traditionally masculine).  It was super sexy.  I loved that his strong mother, grandmother, and sister helped to shape him and his views on women.  I see that in my own husband.  I loved how he supported Shane, how he actively worked against his caveman tendencies, how he wasn’t afraid to admit when he was wrong.  And I loved that he wasn’t perfect, that his experiences had made him overly protective of the ones he loves.  I also loved the subtle ways we got to experience what life is like for him as a black man in America…perhaps especially as a British ex-pat.  Some were subtle, some were overt, all were thought provoking.

I loved the scene with his family, and how we got to see him interacting with them.  I also loved what they gave to Shane in return.

I LOVED the new secondary characters we were introduced to, most especially Sparky and Jorge.  God I hope they get their own books eventually and we see more of them.  I have a feeling we will with some of the Cipher Security people (like Dallas, Darius, and maybe even Van?).

And while there was so much to love in this book, the cherry on top of the whip cream on top of the sundae was definitely the cameos from all of our favourite Penny Reid characters.  I will admit I was worried about how well another author would represent them, but each scene was delightful…whether they made me laugh, cry, or think, it was like meeting up with old friends.

I LOVED the chemistry between Gabriel and Shane, and loved watching their relationship evolve over time.  You could feel the undercurrent of chemistry between them, but I appreciated how they worked their way through a working relationship and friendship to testing the waters for more.  My one complaint is that I wouldn’t have minded a bit longer in the sexy times.

I enjoyed the underlying suspense/mystery plot more than I expected to!  It was so on the nose for things going on in our society now, and it actually sparked conversation between my hubby and I about social media, and data, and corrupt influence.  Not to mention the horrors of Boko Haram.

So basically, this was just an overall hit for me.  It was a delight to read, and I always appreciate when a book surprises me in the best ways.