Honey Trap

I need a drink......

WHAT A FUCKING RUSH!! Honey Trap is like chasing speed with a Four Loko- exhilarating, intense, epically entertaining, and pure adrenaline. I AM WRECKED- I need book 2 yesterday!<br /><br />While I'm thirsting to marvel and unpack all of the brilliant moves Tate makes in this series opener, I won't just yet- because I don't want to spoil a thing. But, this book is like nothing Tate James has written- and it's my favorite yet. Creatively inspired, unique, trope defying, action-packed, and relationally complicated. Even the narrative approach feels new and fresh- and given the ever changing dynamics of this story, it is most welcomed. These characters are deliciously complicated, and Tate brilliantly mires us not only in the action that surrounds them but their psychological quandaries- which makes for an even more invigorating story. The character voice is just CHEF's kiss, and I am OBSESSED with our heroine. She's somehow Tate's most fierce yet most vulnerable all at once. She's a force and I REVERL every second I spend with her on the page. <br /><br />Prepare to question everything and everyone- and please go in blind. The beauty of this story is trying to figure out just whose story is being told, who is the villain and who is...well, less villainous. Because make no mistake, there are no heroes here. The body counts are high- and that's because our characters are dark, dangerous, lethal, and so much more naughty than you're boring old run of the mill anti-hero archetype. Tate broke the mold yet again- and nothing and no one are as they seem. Well except Stanley, and he's perfect. And that is the experience you are meant to have. Relationships, connections, and trust don't fit into the romance archetype- they are confusing, complicated, misleading, and emotionally risky- and Tate explores just that. With a dynamic, adrenaline filled background (a brilliant parallel to the character journeys) that keeps our hearts pounding from the first page to the last. <br /><br />Even at the end, you'll still be asking yourself just who to root for- and just WHAT this story is going to be. These are not clear cut characters, and they do not have black and white lives, so Tate is giving us a story that mirrors their own unpredictability and complexity- and I am desperate for more! It's not only Tate's most immersive story telling experience to date (AND I MEAN IMMERSIVE- what a ride!), but the relationships are the most psychologically intriguing. HANG ON TIGHT- this is going to be Tate's most vicious, most entertaining, most brilliant, and most complicated series to date, and I could not love it more!

THIS WAS SO FREAKING GOOD. I seriously could not put this book down and want to start book two IMMEDIATELY! Danny is a mercenary and someone is clearly trying to kill her. When her next job is a clear suicide mission, she's not going to back down and takes the job. Leon is also a mercenary who works with Danny and has an unhealthy obsession with Danny. When she attempts to get closer to her target, she ends up getting kidnapped and held hostage on an island. Kai is her target and he is determined to eliminate any threat against him and his family or friends. And that means eliminating Danny. But when the time comes, he can't. The two play games with each other and I loved how in control Danny was of every situation she was in. She was so entertaining and I loved watching her play with her enemies and get them to trust her. And I can't even decide if I like Leon or Kai better. I really hope this ends up being polyamorous because I was obsessed with both relationships! This was action packed and steamy and I am definitely continuing on with this series as soon as I can!

I have read most of Tate James’ other books and loved all of them. I started reading this knowing that it would be a dark romance along the lines of Madison Kate and Hades, but as I loved both of those series, thought that this book would be great too. <br /><br />I was wrong.<br /><br />Well written, interesting plot, great characters (for the most part) - it was the actions of one character in particular that ruined this for me: Malachi/Kai.<br /><br />I should note that the only warning given about the content of the book is a disclaimer included at the beginning:<br /><br />“The tone and content tends to lean toward the dark, and reader discretion is advised.<br />Please be mindful of your own content triggers and limits.<br />The characters within The Guild series are not heroes or heroines, please kindly don’t hold them to a heroic standard as they will fall short of expectations. They do bad things, and they own their actions.”<br /><br />Specific triggers included in the book aren’t actually listed at the beginning so that you know what you’re getting yourself into - which, in a book with this many triggers, seems unwise. Yes, it states that it leans towards the dark, and it is a book about assassins and gunrunners, so I would expect a darker tone - but I draw the line at <b>a rapist being introduced as the fmc’s (Danny) love interest.</b><br /><br />The rapist (Kai) sexually assaults and rapes Danny, drugs her, abducts her, has her tortured, and tells her she’s an eternal prisoner on his island. Then, to add to the icks - he spends a week refusing to use a condom during sex and actively tries to get Danny pregnant, then has the gall to keep hoping she is pregnant after she escapes. Just, ew.<br /><br />I was not expecting <b>any</b> of the characters to be morally good heroes/heroines, but I certainly wasn’t expecting a rapist to be considered “falling short of expectations” - like, the bar is on the floor dude. To simply not sexually assault/rape someone is not that hard. Kai did several “bad things” (horrible, terrible, disgusting things) and never once “owned his actions”. There were was no apologising or trying to make up - if anything, Kai doubled down and asserted that he wasn’t sorry and he would do it again.<br /><br />Kai is not a ‘dark’ or morally grey/ambiguous guy. He is not a misunderstood, lovable villain. He is a sick, disgusting creep and his behaviour shouldn’t be promoted as acceptable.<br /><br />Again, I realise that this is a ‘dark romance’, but Kai and his actions were just a step too far. We see the sexual assault/rape during Danny’s POV chapters, so we as readers know that she enjoys the experience more than she expects and is happy to play along - <b>but Kai doesn’t know that</b>. He simply sexually assaults, then rapes Danny and enjoys it the whole time - recognising that he just sexually assaulted and raped a woman but somehow justifying his actions. To then be introduced as a current (and I’m assuming future love interest in the rest of the books) is just straight up wrong. <br /><br />To be clear, I’m happy to read a book that features rape play or cnc - so long as it’s clearly listed as a trigger at the start of the book, and it plays out in the book how it should in real life bdsm; ie. a discussion about hard limits, a safe word, consent given prior.<br /><br />Tate James is known for her cliffhangers and ‘are they/aren’t they dead’ characters moments, so I’m truly hoping she redeems this series by killing Kai’s character off. If a rapist love interest continues to be featured, I don’t think I’ll be reading the rest of this series.<br /><br />Ps. As someone who has lived in Aotearoa her whole life, to see someone being called a “miserable pūkeko” as an insult just made me laugh, and not in a good, “that’s so funny!” kind of way. Pūkeko’s are a large, mostly flightless bird - not Aotearoa’s version of Eeyore.

*chef's kiss*

I have to give it to Tate James - Honey Trap is an excellent start to The Guild series. It did everything it needed to, keeping me guessing and enjoying all the characters. <br /><br />Danny is a highly effective, well-trained mercenary for The Guild, an organisation you’ll be familiar with if you’ve read the Hades series. She suspects that someone within The Circle is trying to have her killed and reaches out to an old friend, Leon for help. She's sent on a job in Shadows Grove, where she meets Kai and his family. <br /><br />I really enjoyed Danny’s character, particularly when she was <i>captured</i> and undercover. Her inner monologue was fun and promises lots of good times still to come. <br /><br />In true TJ fashion, this book ends on a cliffhanger, and I'm looking forward to jumping into book two. <br /><br />I had put off starting this series, mainly because of how flat I found the Hades books. I'm happy that Honey Trap has that spark that’s hooked me! I hope it's sustained, and I'm looking forward to a very satisfying showdown between Danny and some of Kai’s family members. <br /><br />Its also very telling that TJ seems to be attempting to include more representation in this series, something that I think was handled very poorly in Hades.

My first Tate James and I have to say I had a great time.<br /><br />I loved how the story, and especially the structure and how it was told, were so different from the same formulaic plot lines we are used to. At first I didn’t know what to expect, but around the 30% mark, I was immersed and loving every second of it.<br /><br />This first book was great but I can see how the next one has potential to be even better, and I can’t wait ?

Tate james is evil. If i fail on my exams its her fault. Period. ?? how do you sleep at night AFTER WRITING THAT KIND OF CLIFFHANGER! i did not know what this book was about or who were the characters, but i trust Tate and it was worth it. Like GIRLLLL. I am done! I need the second book. Just give it to me before i fail on my exams. The story started great, the chemistry was off the charts between the characters but the middle part of the book! When the new character was introduced, bro i mean you gotta read it to understand. These guys are woah. And i loved the heroine, she was really strong and independent! The ending tho ???. These guys are so obsessed with her its cute.

There are no words to properly describe the feeling of a Tate James cliffhanger… I’m speechless! This book was absolutely incredible. Every time I thought I knew where the story was going, I was proven wrong. These are some deadly hot characters…emphasis on the deadly. The anticipation for the next book is going to kill me! This is truly some of Tate’s best work, can’t recommend it enough!

“Beauty and the Beast had nothing on us.” Honey Trap, Tate James<br /><br />Oh yeah. This was it.<br /><br />Mercenaries. Smut. Hot, Broody male leads. Multiple POV. <br /><br />This was all I wanted in a book and I loved every minute of it.<br /><br />The only reason I’m giving it 4/5 stars is because I didn’t agree with how Kai SA’d Danny. There wasn’t a proper trigger warning in the beginning so it just threw me off.