You know how the term "B movie" is used for all those movies that are just to cheesy, over-the-top or just plain not well acted enough to really be taken seriously, but are sometimes fun to watch just the same? Well, this book would be the perfect example if there were a term like that for books (MAN, I wish there was!) The premise is great, the suspense is good, but the actual experience is a lesson in annoyance and frustration if one is looking for intelligent, believable romantic/suspense. If, however, one is just looking for a frolic that doesn't necessarily make any sense but is fun to read, here's your story!Why? Let me list a few of the reasons... First and foremost the heroine. There is not enough eye-rolling in the world to cover this chick. TSTL can't explain it because, for all the stupid, and I mean STUPID decisions she makes, Ms. St. Clare, insists she is such a go-getting genius that she should be considered among the worlds best protective service agents. Whhhaaaaat??? That is so far-fetched, the mind can't even begin to wrap around it. Second, Alex (our hero)... While he is the epitome of "Latin Lover," he is not given enough depth to make any of the emotions real. We are told about him but we never get enough actual insight to see anything of him - aside from the hot physical stuff, of course. That takes frustrating to a whole new level in this book. We WANT to feel those emotions we are being told about - why can't we?!?! Maybe it's all those incredibly, sexy Spanish expressions that pepper almost every page that ARE. NEVER. TRANSLATED! Those of us who don't speak that language are left in the dark every time he says anything that might allow us to delve into his feelings. Or it might be the fact that, although he repeatedly expresses his commitment to stay with Jazz forever throughout the book.... he leaves. *blahlelalalala* (that is being done while rattling the head.)And third, the vast majority of the plot itself if made up of cliche's one would find in the worst B movie. From the ultra conservative Christian wacko (oh get over that, already!) to the wallpaper porn story bad guys, to the accomplice that is just trying to save her kid, each come across as titillating - at the expense of intelligent - writing.OK, ok! Enough of the grousing. I know I am in the very small minority here and though it may not seem so, I have read other Roxanne St. Claire offerings and have absolutely loved them. Many others highly recommend this series so I'm choosing to believe this is a fluke and will assuredly pick up another of her books, hoping for the best.
3.5 stars...Kill Me Twice is the first book in Roxanne St. Claire’s Bullet Catcher series. This book introduces Lucy Sharpe’s security firm Bullet Catchers. This elite group of men and women protect hand-picked clients, mostly royalty, heads of state, and the very rich.Kill Me Twice focuses on Bullet Catcher Alex Romero. Come on, even his name sounds sexy. Alex is tall, dark, handsome, sculpted, drop-dead gorgeous, and a bit of a ladies’ man. Alex disgraced the Bullet Catchers on his last assignment with an unplanned dalliance. This next assignment is his last chance to redeem himself. His job – protect news anchorwoman Jessica Adams from a stalker.Jessica has a twin sister, Jasmine. Jasmine, or Jazz as she is called throughout the book is a private investigator based in San Francisco. Jazz agreed to fly out to Miami and impersonate her sister while Jessica researches a story. As Jazz enters Jessica’s apartment, she is accosted by Alex who is waiting to tell her all about her security deficiencies. And so begins the sexual tension between Alex and Jazz…The Heat Factor : The story is set in Miami. It’s hot and steamy there – and I’m not only talking about the weather. The hero is originally from Cuba and sounds so sexy when he speaks Spanish. Which he does often, especially when Jazz turns him on… ”If I kissed you querida, nothing would be dry.” Her lips parted as she sucked in a tiny breath, moving infinitesimally closer to him. “Is that a promise or a threat?”Nice chemistry between these two characters.The Story: This was an enjoyable read for me. It was a nice escape for a summer afternoon read by the pool. There were some great twists and turns here and there, but it was a little predictable. I loved the actions scenes near the end. If I ever needed a body guard, I ‘d want the Bullet Catchers team on my side.The Characters: Alex was really easy to like. Most of the time alpha males are in conflict with the women in their lives, but in this book, Jazz just seemed to put Alex a little bit off balance. There was more to Alex than hired muscle. Alex was dedicated to his family in Cuba and sent them quite a lot of money. I adored Jazz. She did have her impulsive moments, but for the most part she used her intelligence and her mad computer skills to help find her sister.If you enjoy romantic suspense, hunky alpha males and intelligent heroines then this may be the series for you. There are 8 books and 2 short stories in this series.Check out my review at Badass Book Reviews
What do You think about Kill Me Twice (2005)?
A plot twist right at the end redeemed the book somewhat, but I still felt the plot line was a tired one. The writing was a little overly dramatic, as well, and there were two or three big information dumps including two "bad-guy soliloquies" that were unfortunate. Lastly, I didn't like Lucy, who seems likely to be a major player in future books. I really don't want to read about another "cool, crisp, put-together, in control" female lead who resembles a cold fish. I'll have to see if she gets her own story, or if she simply remains Bullet Catchers' top-dog...or top-b*tch, as it were.
—Carrie
Overall this was a pretty good book. I think this series has a lot of potential. Kill Me Twice reminded me of Cindy Gerard's books; both because of the characters and the plot.Alex Romero has Cuban ancestry and family ties in Miami, Florida. He's boss, Lucy Sharpe, knows this and has deliberately given Alex an assignment in Miami, as a test. Alex must act as the Bodyguard for Jessica Adams, a rising star in TV journalism.But there is a catch. When Alex arrives in Miami, Jessica is nowhere to be found. In Jessica's place is her identical twin sister, Jasmine-Jazz-Adams. Jazz is a PI out of LA, and she has come to Miami because her sister called and said she needed help. But with Jessica going AWOL Jazz and Alex must work together as a team to discover what has happened to Jasmin's sister.
—Kayla
I was pleasantly surprised by 'Kill Me Twice'. I personally don't think it's a great book but it was better than what I'd expected. Alex Romero is a top Bullet Catcher (aka bodyguard) who's assigned to protect Jessica Adams. However, he ends up protecting her twin sister Jasmine (referred to as Jazz) instead as the latter has agreed to impersonate Jessica who's carrying out a secret assignment of her own. It's pretty predictable that Alex finds himself deeply attracted to Jazz while they both work together to figure out what's really going on.Alex is the typical sort of hero - described as good-looking and somewhat mysterious and dangerous. He was stereotypical but I felt that he and Jazz did have believable chemistry. Jazz on the other hand was constantly described by Alex as someone who's tough, strong, independent and smart but I didn't feel like she was as amazing as he made her out to be. There were several times when she didn't realize the obvious (such as failing to acknowledge the fact that something was terribly wrong with the whole Jessica case and not admitting that she was missing etc). The case itself wasn't complex - it was evident that Jessica was in trouble and the explanations were decent. Overall, 'Kill Me Twice' was entertaining and though it wasn't a masterpiece it was a quick, easy read.
—Elusive
