Cold Rage gives us Nora Deacon and Sebastian Black’s story. Their relationship started out with plenty of friction; however, they found common ground in their search for a missing nine-year-old girl. This task left them with no choice but to put their differences aside and work together. And what a team they make!
Nora is a National Park Service Ranger and search and rescue specialist. I enjoyed watching her in her element. She is strong, determined, capable, and willing to put everything on the line to save a child. Knowledge of her past helps readers to understand her passion for her job. Her K9 partner, Chance, makes a wonderful addition to the story.
Sebastian is an FBI Hostage Rescue Team sniper who is equally determined to get the girl home safely. Watching these two navigate the harsh Montana wilderness, dangerous terrain, booby traps, a raging blizzard, and a gunman who will stop at nothing kept me on edge.
Anderson filled the story with lots of tension. The search for the missing girl had me turning the pages. The winter setting added another layer of danger, with the freezing temperatures and blizzard making an already desperate situation scarier. There was always something happening, and I never quite knew what was coming next.
There is more to Nora than meets the eye. Her past continues to haunt her and drives her need to locate the missing girl. Sebastian’s growing feelings for Nora added another emotional layer to the story, especially as he became determined to protect her. Their romance takes a backseat to the search for the missing child. However, their attraction and developing feelings were still there without taking away from the suspense.
I also enjoyed the secondary characters and the familiar faces from previous books. They added another layer to the story and made this world feel even more connected. While Cold Rage is part of the Cold Justice: Most Wanted series, it works well as a standalone, so new readers can jump in without feeling lost.
What really stood out to me was how much emotion was packed into this story. Beneath all the action and suspense are themes of family, betrayal, vengeance, survival, acceptance, and love. There were moments that were heartbreaking, moments that had me holding my breath, and moments that reminded me why I enjoy romantic suspense so much.
Cold Rage delivered everything I expect from a romantic suspense: danger, tension, strong characters, an emotional storyline, along with a romance that develops naturally in the middle of the chaos.
| Story Evaluation | |
|---|---|
| Plot |
4.5 |
| Characters |
5 |
| World Building |
5 |
| Writing Style |
5 |
| Pacing |
5 |
| Cover |
4 |
| Enjoyment |
5 |
| Ending |
5 |
| Overall: |  |
About Toni Anderson
Toni Anderson writes award-winning, bestselling, FBI Romantic Thrillers. She is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author, RITA® finalist, science nerd, professional tourist, dog lover, gardener, mom. Anderson’s books have won the Readers’ Choice Award, Aspen Gold, National Excellence in Romance Fiction, Book Buyers’ Best. Originally from a small town in Shropshire, England, Toni studied Marine Biology at University of Liverpool (B.Sc.) and University of St. Andrews (Ph.D.) with the intention she’d never be far from the ocean. Well, that plan backfired and she ended up in the Canadian prairies with her biology professor husband, two kids, a rescue dog, and a laid-back leopard gecko. Toni started writing while pregnant with her first child and never stopped. Her greatest achievements are mastering the Tokyo subway, climbing Ben Lomond, snorkeling the Great Barrier Reef, and surviving fifteen Winnipeg winters (fingers crossed). She loves to travel for research purposes and was lucky enough to visit the Strategic Information and Operations Center inside FBI Headquarters in Washington, D.C. in 2016. She also got to shove another (police) car off the road during pursuit training at the Writer’s Police Academy. Basically she has way too much fun!
My love of reading started at an early age when a family friend gave me a copy of Wuthering Heights. That was all it took. I was hooked, and I’ve rarely been without a book since. I’m not particularly picky when it comes to genres. Give me a good story, characters I can connect with, and a plot that keeps me turning the pages, and I’m happy. Books have taken me on countless adventures and allowed me to experience so many different lives, places, and stories. I created this blog to share my love of books, connect with other book lovers, and hopefully help you find your next addictive read. If a book keeps me up way past my bedtime, you’ll probably hear about it here!
When I’m not reading, I enjoy cooking, listening to music, and watching television.
