Rating: 2 stars
Buy Link: Amazon | iBooks | Amazon UK
Length: Novel
Julian Davis has worked hard to become the Vice President of CyNapse and he’s made a few enemies along the way, but security isn’t something he worries about. He leaves that to Tarek Kettner, one of the company’s most highly trained bodyguards. Tarek has wanted Julian for a long time, but he doesn’t want a one-night stand and Julian isn’t known for his lasting relationships. Not to mention how a fling could affect their professional lives.
When someone starts targeting Julian, he and Tarek grow closer. For the first time, Julian starts wondering what a life with Tarek would be like and he finds himself willing to take the risk of loving him. But unless they can stop his attacker, Julian and Tarek won’t get the chance to manage a happily ever after.
First let me say that Kaleidoscope is the second in the CyNapse Security series. While Kaleidoscope can be read as a stand alone, I wouldn’t recommend it. I didn’t read the first in the series and I was left playing catch up, especially with regards to relationships already in progress. The author does do a good job of providing some background, but reading the first in the series would likely be easier all around for readers.
Kaleidoscope seems to start off with good intentions, but the plot quickly becomes distracted by random other topics. There’s a lot of dog talk and playing with dogs. And I like dogs, but I wasn’t really sure what this added to the story. There was also a lot of being distracted by sex and sexy thoughts. Incredibly serious conversations are taking place and Tarek and Julian can’t stop thinking about how attractive and hot the other is. If someone was threatening my life and I was actively discussing how to stay safe, I’m not sure I’d also be capable of thinking about shapely someone’s butt was. But I’m not that great at multi tasking so maybe that’s just me. Sufficed to say, there were so many odd and unnecessary sidebars that whatever plot Kaleidoscope might have had was lost along the way. There is also the sense that parts of the story are being left out. For example, in one chapter Julian is being moved to a more secure location, but by the next he’s back home, with literally no action taking place at the other location. What’s the point of adding it to the story when it isn’t even used again?
Neither Tarek or Julian are anything resembling well formed characters. Both are flat and uninspired. We know nothing about them and beyond their interest in one another, we are not given insight into who they really are. It’s frustrating because as a reader you want to care about the people on page and that just didn’t happen here. There’s nothing to draw the audience in and make them a part of the story or the characters.
I love a good bodyguard story, but I found Kaleidoscope decidedly lacking. There isn’t much of a story and the book tends to sidetrack off into dead end avenues that fail to connect with anything. The characters are bland and their lack of dimension left me wanting more. I’d have to recommend giving this one a pass.
