Review: The Takedown by Carlie Walker

The Takedown by Carlie Walker
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I was provided an ARC of this book via Netgalley, all opinion are my own.

This was such a fun read!  I hesitate to call it romantic suspense, because it wasn't very suspenseful it was more of a comedy; however it wasn't a straight-up romance either.  The plot focuses on our main character who is a CIA agent working undercover in her own home over the holidays to take down her sister's fiancé for the FBI.  This book is filled with action, emotion, fun banter, and some comedy to balance out the more serious moments.  Really enjoyed it and if you are looking for a fun holiday read this is a great one to pick up!

Sydney doesn't get home much to spend time with her sister Calla and grandmother Ruby because of her job as a CIA agent.  Her family thinks she works for the Department of Education, and they are thrilled when she surprises them by coming home for Christmas.  What they don't know is that Sydney is on special assignment for the FBI to bust Calla's fiancé Johnny.  Johnny is not only the heir to a successful coffee chain, but he also runs a nasty  organized crime family in the background.  Sydney's job is to cozy up to Johnny's best friend and bodyguard Nick and find out whatever she can to thwart his plans for a holiday heist and protect her sister.  What Sydney didn't expect was to actually be attracted to Nick which is an inconvenience to her plans.  As her mission progresses she is forced to face some of her childhood trauma cause by an absentee parent and the guilt she feels for not being there for her sister.  

There were some unrealistic situations in this book that I don't think the actual FBI and CIA would put it's agents in (conflict of interest and all), but I'm not an agent so I wouldn't actually know.  If you can put that aside, this was a super fun book.  Sydney and Nick worked well together trying to figure out Johnny's plans while also working through their actual romantic feelings for each other.  Sydney's dynamic with her sister felt realistic when it came to discussing their feelings about their dad and being there for each other.  I really liked their sibling dynamic.  It thought this had good character development while still moving the heist plot along at a good pace.  This is my first book by Carlie Walker but it certainly won't be my last.  

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