Blue Lines (Assassins, #5) by Toni Aleo

Series: Assassins*

Release Date: December 9th, 2013

Rating: 2.5/5 stars

*Each novel in the series is Standalone

Okay, I have to say that I’m glad that the writer of The Assassins series has improved dramatically from her first book, Taking Shots, with Shea and Elli. The writing to me feels more “real” and not so “fake.” I don’t know if that makes any sense.

Now onto Blue Lines.

I was so excited about this book that I actually pre-ordered it. Now that’s saying something because I never pre-order books … it’s like agreeing to date without knowing anything about the guy!

The writing was good. I actually felt the emotions of both the heroine and the hero (however non-hero-ish he might be, but I’ll come back to that). The supporting characters were believable, as well. However, I found that there were some unresolved issues, for example, Piper always–and still–felt like the family (excuse my language) fuck up. Neither of her parents was that understanding, and to be honest, her sisters were bitches most of the time, especially Harper. I get why Harper was the way she was but no excuse.

But none of all those little issues compares to the big clusterfuck named Erik Titov, the hero. Typically in books that include a shady and abusive past, it’s the heroine that comes from all the problems, resulting in the hero chasing her through more than half the book. But all those ditzy heroines that you’ve read about and despised have nothing on Mr. Titov. His excuse for not wanting to be anywhere near Piper is that he doesn’t want to hurt her, that he’s too broken to be fixed, that he doesn’t want to turn into his father (what if he leaves?) or worse, what if she leaves him? Honestly, Erik got on my nerves so much that I actually started hating on Piper, instead of feeling sorry for her! I hated her because she put up with all his bullshit and half the time she ended up apologizing… and for what? Not knowing how to fall in love with the right guy?

Seriously. Erik freaked out on her because she’s pregnant. That’s fine. He has a right to freak out. He then asks if it’s his… and he’s a famous hockey player so again, I understand. But then he has the nerve, the freaking nerve, to say that it’s all her fault that his careers in shambles and that he’s being put on probation? No, Erik, it’s because you couldn’t keep your dick in your pants!

And on top of Piper knowing that while she was pregnant, he was screwing any girl who was legal and younger than the age of thirty, he starts flipping out on how she told him–when she’s already six months into her pregnancy. And, when his best friend Phillips asks what knowing earlier would do Erik was like:

“Right!” Erik said, pointing to Phillip. “If I knew about all of this, I could have changed it.” “Could have changed it?” “Sure,” Erik said with a shrug. “I would have opted for an abortion. I don’t want kids.”

 At this point, I knew that Erik was going to be a lost cause. Seriously. If the dude didn’t want kids so much, then he could’ve just gotten Piper to sign a non-disclosure agreement saying that she can’t tell anyone he’s the father of her child. She could raise the child by herself, and he can go on living happily ever after with a different woman each night. Also, it’s Piper‘s body; therefore, she’s the one who decides whether or not to have an abortion.

Another thing that bugged me: the locker room scene where the guys on the hockey team are talking about commitment to their wives and the look but don’t touch policy. I understand that people are only human and that people can still be attracted to other people when they’re committed to their spouses, or girl/boyfriends. But the fact that Lucas, one of the guys participating in the locker room chat, was a hero in a previous book–where he had to play the grovelling hero–it did not sit well with me. Books can focus on reality, but in the end, they are still fantasy, and I’d prefer not to have to read about a guy who was so over the moon about his girl in another book only for him to be such a pig in this one.

It’s obvious how Blue Lines was going to end, but there was this part of me that just wanted Piper to give Erik the finger and find a different guy. I understand Erik’s hang-ups, but honestly, there’s only so much a girl can take before she drowning in self-blame. Seriously, that much rejection is going to result in a product of slews like, “why am I not enough,” which was actually said or at least suggested in the book.

Overall Blue Lines wasn’t terrible but Erik was such a horrible distraction that it brought the book down by two stars.

I was really looking forward to this one but sad to say that this potential five-star book fell so short.

Other Books I’ve Reviewed by Toni Aleo

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