Book Review: A Shot of Red by Tracy March

A Shot of Red by Tracy March

Standalone novel

Publisher: Entangled Publishing LLC

Release Date: 22nd April 2014

Tagged under: review copy, 3.5, 2014 read, romantic suspense, romance, book review

Pages: 400

Buy at: Amazon, The Book Depository

Her only ally is the one man she's forbidden to love...

After fleeing DC following an intense one-night stand that left her reeling, biotech company heiress Mia Moncure has devoted every waking hour to working with a humanitarian aid team in Haiti. When the United States is threatened with a flu epidemic, she is forced to return home to unveil a new vaccine. But when the company's PR Director dies in a suspicious accident in Switzerland, Mia soon realizes there is a murderer in their midst. 

Determined to seek justice and reveal the killer, Mia heads to Switzerland. But she quickly becomes a target when she uncovers a conspiracy to sabotage the vaccine. Desperate for backup, she has no choice but to turn to sexy Gio Lorenzo, the one-night stand she can't forget. Millions of people are being vaccinated, and Mia and Gio soon discover there's more than her family's legacy at stake. While struggling with their stormy relationship, they race to expose the deadline scheme, but it just might be too late.

Book Review [Spoiler Free] 

A Shot of Red is a romantic suspense by Tracy March that delves into a complicated plot with murder, millions of lives potentially at stake and amongst all the drama and intrigue, a love story filled with passion. Mia Moncure, while in Haiti both for humanitarian work as well as escaping the personal dramas she left behind in the States, is suddenly called back by her grandmother - head of the Moncure Therapeutics - to head their new PR campaign to get millions of people vaccinated with the new annual flu vaccine. However, once she returns, she discovers that not all is as it seems. The company's PR Director's sudden death in the Alps does not appear to happen the way she was told, there could be more in the vaccine that they are aware of, and someone appears to be after Mia's life.

To make things more complicated, Mia is forced into close proximity to Gio Lorenzo, the one man she escaped to Haiti for as he invokes deep feelings within her that leaves her all flustered and confused. The pair shared one intense night together and with so much left unspoken between the two of them, will they be able to work together to uncover the mystery and stay alive in the process?

The overall story plot is intriguing and incredibly enjoyable to read. While the story does take awhile to build up the pace as there are some background setting and information to convey to the reader, once the ball gets rolling, it is almost impossible to put the book down. Just be careful in the earlier chapters when the narrative flashes between the present and the past.

In addition, all the characters are well-developed. I especially found Mia really relatable. She is an independent woman with her own mind and certainly no damsel-in-distress. Rio, on the other hand, is just the type of man you wish is there on a rainy day to jump in and sweep you off your feet. Even the secondary characters are all three-dimensional with their own personalities and agendas.

Plus, the chemistry between Mia and Rio is palpable across the pages and enjoyable to read. My only minor quibble with the entire book would be how quickly their chemistry is established in the story. I do appreciate that Mia is attractive and Rio is desirable. But their attraction to each other initially felt like a stated fact without much explanation. However, once the story progresses and the pair interacts with each other more, the relationship developing between the couple is more realistic and highly entertaining.

Overall: 3.5/5

I really enjoyed this book and having been a new reader of Tracy March, this book definitely gives me the confidence to try her other books. I'm particularly looking forward to reading her contemporary romances such as the Suddenly Smitten series. For fans of romantic suspense, I'd definitely suggest giving A Shot of Red a try. 

Disclaimer: A complimentary copy of the ebook was provided to me by the author and publisher in exchange of an honest review. The views expressed above are entirely my own and are in, no way, affected by the source of this book.