Review: Red by S.M. West

My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Standalone - Love in Color #1
Release - February 6, 2017
Genre - Romantic Suspense
Dual POV - 1st person
Heat - 3.5 out of 5
Length - 304 pages

Red. The color of extremes.

Tate Conrad’s existence is annihilated. Destroyed by two men: one, her hero and the other, her worst nightmare. She has nothing to lose.

Determined to survive, vengeance feeds her. There are no limits, no boundaries, not even death, in seeking liberation.

*******

Rylan Wolfe is driven.

A stellar FBI agent close to breaking the case of a lifetime. It’s more than career-making, it’s personal. Tate’s the linchpin to it all.

They need each other to succeed.

For Tate, is he her salvation or ruin?

Warning: This book contains graphic language, explicit sexual scenes and violence.
Recommended for readers 18+

Find it here:
Goodreads | Amazon

MY REVIEW

Honestly, you would never even guess by reading this story that it was the debut novel for S.M. West. I sure didn't and it caught me by surprise. Suzanne, you knocked this out of the park on your first try!! It was well-written, fast-paced, intriguing, suspenseful, sexy and entertaining. If this was her first attempt, I can't imagine how amazing her next book will be!

Tate was trapped in a situation that most of us couldn't fathom. She was used and abused and those she was supposed to be able to trust, those who should have been protecting her, were the worst of them all. She finally found a solution, a way out, but it involved relying on other people and obviously trust didn't come easy for this woman.

Rylan was the FBI agent tasked to help Tate. Their immediate attraction complicated matters and the author made their ride a joy to read. I loved the push and pull between them and enjoyed watching their eventual capitulation. They were extremely hot together, but there was also no denying the intense emotional connection that they shared.

This story started off by breaking my heart, however, I took a chance with this author and had faith that she would deliver me whole on the other side. There were some inconsistencies and instances in which I had to suspend belief and remind myself that this story was fiction, but that didn't take anything away from my overall enjoyment of it. Through the ups and downs, ins and outs, and utter devastation that was contained within its pages, RED gave me a satisfying, if unfinished, ending to Rylan and Tate's story.