I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Strike and Burn by Taylor Hutton Published by Berkley on January 28th, 2025
Genres: Romance
Pages: 358 •Format: E-ARC •Source: NetGalley, Publisher
Goodreads
Honor Stone is all alone in this world. No family, no money, no future. So when she locks eyes with Strike Madden—in the morgue of all places—she’s not in the mood to be seduced. Sure, he’s drop-dead gorgeous, and the sizzle of attraction between them is undeniable, but she’s reeling from her identical twin sister’s murder. It’s the wrong time, wrong place, wrong everything.
But when her twin’s obsessive killer targets Honor, the painful secrets of Honor’s traumatic past will finally be exposed with devastating consequences. Strike will stop at nothing to protect her, uncovering his own bone-chilling demons—a beautifully broken, dark side that doesn’t scare Honor…
It consumes her.
Romantic suspense is a genre I’ve really been wanting to get more into, so I was intrigued when I was offered the opportunity to review an ARC of Strike and Burn. I hadn’t heard of the author Taylor Hutton, but it turns out it’s a pseudonym for two already established authors- that intrigued me further! So I went into Strike and Burn with little expectations but a whole lot of curiosity, and I wasn’t disappointed!
Protagonist Honor Stone has lost everyone she loves, most recently her twin sister. While at the morgue identifying her twin’s body, she meets an alluring, darkly handsome man named Strike. While the chemistry sizzles between them, they end up going their separate ways in life, with Honor dealing with her grief for her sister’s death, her frustration regarding secrets her sister kept from her that are now coming to life, and fear that her sister’s killer (who she suspects is her sister’s toxic and abusive ex) is targeting her next as some sort of twisted proxy. On top of all of this, Honor is deep in debt and struggling to keep her boutique that she ran with her twin open. Desperate for additional income, she decides to start selling her art (of which she’s very private and protective of) online, which leads to her receiving a job offer to lead the art design for a gaming studio that happens to be owned by Strike (of course). This job offers seemingly solves all of Honor’s problems: she becomes more financially stable, gets to spend time with her mystery man, and is able to get her mind off of her grief and fear when she’s at work at a secure location. However, her sister’s killer is still on the loose and targeting her.
I haven’t read much romantic suspense (maybe one or two novels prior to this) and found this story to be atmospheric if not a bit simplistic in the suspense elements (it was always obvious who was targeting her). However, since the “suspect” was someone Honor had known most of her life it did add a very sinister feel, as he didn’t make it a secret that he was watching her, believed he’d get away with his crimes, etc. I felt Honor’s stress was palpable and valid, and I was angered on her behalf for the mess her twin had left her in (she was an imperfect victim, and Honor rightfully struggled with her grief and anger at her, which I thought was a nuanced take). There was definitely a looming feeling of dread that followed Honor (waiting for the other shoe to drop, etc.) but it added to the tension for me as a reader!
The romance was alright. I actually wish this book had been a bit longer (not something I say often) so the relationship between Strike and Honor could have developed a bit more. I definitely needed more time with Strike and his tragic backstory (especially since Honor’s childhood circumstances are fleshed out in quite a lot of detail which helps a lot with her character development, whereas Strike’s seemed more of a bomb dropped for dramatic effect but lacked impact). The romance relied a bit more on tropes than I’d like (brooding, vigilante, billionaire, damsel in distress, etc). I did appreciate that for a darker romance, Strike wasn’t “morally grey” in the way he treated Honor (often in darker romances the MMC’s behavior borders on abusive, which just really ain’t it).
Overall: A quick, atmospheric read with some elements of romantic suspense and dark romance. Make sure to check the triggers before diving into this one!
*Thank you to the publisher for providing an ARC via NetGalley!
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