CLOAK OF RED by Isabel Jolie: Review

Cloak of Red by Isabel Jolie
Series: Arrow Tactical Security #3
Publication Date: August 31, 2023
Genres: Romantic Suspense
Pages: 316
Source: Review Tour
Format: eARC
Goodreads
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Disclaimer: I voluntarily reviewed a copy of this book. All opinions stated are solely mine.

In this modern-day Little Red Riding Hood, her past intertwines with her present in a dangerous game of make-believe with the one man she can’t resist.

ONCE UPON A TIME

Ten years ago, she was abducted.

After her rescue, he was hired by her father to protect her and keep her safe.

THE HUNT BEGINS

Now, he’s a CIA legend, and she’s a first-year officer. Their first op – gain the trust of another powerful couple. To do that, she needs to become the hot young wife to his successful older man.

All that matters is the mission. But it’s hard for him to see her as anything other than a fragile, broken teen, let alone his “trophy” wife.

But she’s no longer broken, and she sure as hell is nobody’s trophy.

She’ll play his “wife,” even as the lines between fantasy and reality blur. She may not need his protection, but the further down this path they travel, the more she finds herself craving him, even if it means risking everything she’s truly after.

And while he may be a legend, nothing he’s ever trained for could have prepared him for what’s happening between them.

The longer they remain undercover, the harder it becomes to distinguish between what’s real, what’s pretend, and what could get them both killed.

 Cloak of Red is a billionaire, forbidden romantic suspense, age gap, fake marriage romance between two CIA undercover officers. She’s a billionaire heiress, and as a teen and college student, he was her bodyguard. Cloak of Red is the third standalone romance in the Arrow Tactical Series and is part of the Wolf trilogy, a modern-day take on Little Red Riding Hood.

 

Review

CLOAK OF RED was a very entertaining and enjoyable read and while it can be read as a standalone, it appears the previous books in the series provide background information on the main characters in this book. The eye-catching cover is the reason I wanted to read this book; the blurb gave me some pause but I’m glad I got to read this because it was soooo good! All the action and gunfighting was saved for the end of the book, but there is enough tension and suspense to keep you on the edge for the entire book.

Sophie Sullivan is a newish intelligence officer paired with Damian Fisher, a veteran security and undercover agent, as couple on what is supposed to be an easy undercover op to gather information. There are several complications with this assignment – Fisher was her bodyguard when she was a teen; there is a sixteen-year age difference between them; they have to learn to deal with each other differently now and the big one – the attraction between them is unexpected and could blow up their extended relationships. 

Sophie’s past has affected her ability to feel sexual attraction to men, but with Fisher it’s almost instantaneous. Fisher has to learn the adult version of Sophie and in spite of his attempts, he cannot resist her even if it could damage his friendship with her father. 

The age difference between Sophie and Fisher as well as their history made my eye twitch for a bit, but the time the author took to build their relationship for the first half helped me enjoy their connection even more and was my favorite part of the book.

Sophie has a sweetness to her that her work and her past have not extinguished, and Fisher is so gone for her that he’ll do anything to protect her but also give her the space to flourish in her career. They complement each other so well both on and off the job and I really enjoyed their story.

 

 

 

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