* original post at Romance Refined *

Why I picked this book up: Last year I read my first Catherine Mann book, a romantic suspense titled [b:Cover Me|9733621|Cover Me (Elite Force, #1)|Catherine Mann|http://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1296315548s/9733621.jpg|14622643], loved it, and immediately read the rest of the Elite Force series. When I saw this new title from her available as an ARC (Advanced Review Copy) from NetGalley, I was excited. Even if I hadn’t already been a fan of the author, the blurb would have sold me with the idea of Monte Carlo and romance in a marriage!

I was also curious to read a category romance, which this is, because it’s not the romance format I usually go for.

My favourite thing about this book was that the romance was between a man and wife on the brink of divorce. Let’s face it, marriage isn’t always a romantic walk in the park, so I always love to read about couples that are in the ‘real life’ stage of their relationship. Granted, most women can’t blame their marital issues on their husband being a secret agent (although, it would explain a lot …). Knowing that a marriage was on the line made me feel extra invested in Jayne and Conrad.

The best surprise was the locale change about halfway through the book, to the plains of Africa. From the private compound with a panic room to the wildlife gathering at the waterhole out back and a nearby hospital for poor villagers, I felt transported. The flipside is that I was really excited about the Monte Carlo setting mentioned in the blurb, yet despite that the first half of the book was set there, I didn’t feel that it came alive as a unique setting, instead feeling like a fairly typical glamorous area.

What got old was the wishy-washy love–leave tug of war. There was such a focus on the emotional turmoil that I sometimes found myself bored, wishing for more variety to drive the story, and I didn’t always buy into the reasons for why the characters couldn’t come to terms with their pasts and with each other. Then again, I have to remind myself that this is precisely the formula for category romance, so this comes down to my personal preference.

The biggest disappointment for me personally was the lacklustre ending in regards to the semi-suspense element that drove the external element of the plot. However, since All or Nothing is part of the Desire line from Harlequin, I can hardly fault the author for toning down this element since part of the parameters of the Desire line are that the stories not be classed as romantic suspense. Even still, the ending in regards to the external plot did feel rushed and convenient.

For my personal reading tastes I’d rank this book in the 3 star range, but for the type of book that it is, I think it’s well written and many readers would feel it was near perfect, hence my given rating of 4 stars.

Series: book 2 in the The Alpha Brotherhood ( )

I love a good fantasy spy story, and this book works. The writing was impeccable, and I enjoyed the story.

However, I would've liked a bit more than, "Oh, looks like you were safe after all."

I know this wasn't an 'Intrigue' title, so I really shouldn't pick nits. A little more peril would have added an extra dimension, taking this tale to a higher level.

A fun, quick, semi-light read. ( )