★★★½ @JulieGarwood #Wired
Hot off of reading Ideal Man, I immediately followed up with Wired. I read through the night and ended up with a book hangover that left me a bit wired for the rest of the day. This is a great follow-up to Ideal man because we have another child prodigy, this time in the form of COMPUTERS! Since I'm in the IT world, this one did appeal to me. I ended up with 1/2 a star less because I didn't like Liam as much as I liked Max from Ideal man.
Yes, yes, Allison is a hacker. I like to think of her as a white hat. What she does is fantastic and I enjoyed learning about her exploits. Her skillsets are off the charts. Her personality quirks are loveable and I find her fear of the FBI adorable. Her insistence to avoid them and the lack of need to prove herself is awesome. What is unsettling and all too realistic, is how others try to take credit for her work. And when proven to be a thief, they are affronted. They even demand reparation due to their image being damaged by her unveiling. The gall of them is incredible. I want to slap those lying cheats upside the head.
Becoming mixed up with law enforcement is the last thing Allison wants. When she is pressed into service against her will, a whole new world opens up for her. Liam's interactions with Allison are a bit lacking for me because it feels like a booty call each time. Or he just wants to use her superpowered brain. I am not sure throughout the story if Liam actually saw Allison for who she really is . . . an abused girl who learned to be wickedly independent and sufficient in order to survive. Her home life is atrocious and I cannot believe that a blood relative would commit such heinous acts. My heart breaks for her.
The suspense part of this story is less focused for me and a bit forgettable. I probably could have done without it. This romance is light on the suspense and focused on character development. Watching Allison come into her own is a thing of beauty. Recommended to romance readers who enjoy devilish smart women who colour outside the lines.
