Review: *****SPOILERS AHEAD!! No major plot spoilers--but if you're sensitive to any kind of details, please don't read. Thank you!*****
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 04 2, 2014
It occurs to me that I use the words "enjoyable," "love" & "awesome" a little too freely.I say this because I want you to know, whoever you are reading this, that when I say...I...LOVE...this book...This enjoyable book is AWESOME.I really, really mean it."I'd never been a very good Catholic. I wasn't fond of guilt, and our church didn't employ any of those handsy priests I'd heard such delightful things about, so I saw no reason to attend."--Chance AssassinI read 535 books last year, almost entirely in MM, not counting the rereads, and this was the absolute best. The standout.Maybe I love it so much because it was unexpected. I hadn't read any reviews, or heard anything by way of internet word-of-mouth. I'd never heard of the author (I think she's self-published? Maybe?).I bought it because I liked the cover & needed a change from my usual diabetic fare.I took a chance, and lo, was richly rewarded."I loved being in Frank's arms. It felt special, being that the only other people he ever picked up were dead."--Chance AssassinI have never enjoyed reading about 2 people roaming the US on an assassin-killing spree so much. I never thought I would actually enjoy anything like that. I like books about criminals & assassins but I've never giggled & felt turned on while reading about a 16/17 year old coming in his pants as he watches his adult one-true-love stab a man to death.Frankly, it's ludicrous. I don't even like Natural Born Killers! (Which this book has been compared to.)(I think it helps that while both seem to have anti-social personality disorders, they do have a moral code.)"I'd created a mental dictionary of Frankspeak, so when he said he'd break my fingers it meant he cared about me, and I'll break your neck was I love you. Threatening to kill me was the best. That translated to I want to [make violent love to] you on the floor right now, but I'm shy so you'll have to tear my clothes off me first."  --Chance AssassinBut Nicole Castle created such great characters--Vincent and Frank are so perfect together and even the baddies are fantastic.I COULD'VE READ THIS BOOK FOREVER.I can see why some people were disappointed in the last quarter or so of the book. There is a definite & sudden change in tone. But reader-me, who was mind-boggled with love for these characters, (**whispers**) really didn't mind. I like gooey happy endings. I was too happy with the book overall to care about the imperfect ending.So, in my firmest, most serious tone I say unto thee, please read this book.Buy this book, for yourself, for your friends, for those friends of your friends who you not-so-secretly dislike & are really kinda jealous of.(But not for your mother, `cause if she's anything like mine, she's too busy reading a diet book about sneaking vegetables into gluten free brownies to read anything AWESOME like this.)Or, you know what? You can borrow it from me. Just ask!"How could I not be in love with a man who folded something after strangling me with it?"--Chance Assassin***Update***: Nicole Castle says "book two [Les Recidivists] will be out soon (I hate to put an actual date on it, but final edits are being done now and I should have a cover within the next few weeks.)" Happy dance! Happy dance! Also, if you'd like more Frank & Vincent, or a taste of what the book is like, go over to Nicole Castle's Not-Blog and click on Greatest Hits (sorry, per Amazon, I'm not allowed to leave an outside link).