“April White writes the kind of books I love to read: romantic but suspenseful, smart yet so consuming. And you’ll love this cast.” – Amy Harmon, Wall Street Journal, USA Today, and New York Times bestselling author

Code of Ethics, an all-new enemy to lovers romantic suspense standalone in the Cipher Security series from April White, is available now!

There are three things you need to know about Oliver Curran:

1) He’s a privileged playboy who happens to be a code-writing genius

2) For once in his life he’s trying to do the right thing

3) Someone wants him dead.

Dallas is a close protection specialist at Cipher Security whose bodyguard skills have already saved Oliver’s life once. But when the assassin gets too close to her uncooperative client, Dallas takes the party boy away from the city where he’s the social king, to the Yukon wilderness where she’s a master of survival.

If Dallas has to put her life on the line for a self-absorbed guy she doesn’t respect, then Oliver has to take orders from the too-serious woman he can’t charm. But living wild brings out their true natures, and suddenly funny is hot, capable is dangerous, and trust is the strongest survival skill of all.

‘Code of Ethics’ is a full-length enemies-to-lovers romantic suspense and can be read as a standalone. Book #3 in the Cipher Security series, Seduction in the City world, Penny Reid Book Universe.

Read Code of Ethics TODAY!

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Start the Cipher Security Series of standalones TODAY!

https://smartypantsromance.com/worlds/seduction-in-the-city/cipher-security/

Excerpt

“Is there something else I can help you with, Mr. Curran?”

“Oliver,” I said automatically, my eyes still looking in the direction Quinn had gone.

“Excuse me?”

“My name is Oliver,” I said, my eyes finally meeting hers, and I dug for my nicest-guy-in-the-room default. “Yours is Dallas, right?”

“Correct.”

She started walking toward the elevators again, and I couldn’t think of a reason not to follow. I assumed it wouldn’t get me anywhere to go after Quinn, and Dallas seemed to be the only one who cared that I was still in the building.

“Proprietary tech is the only game in the marketplace right now. If my code leaks, my program turns into the equivalent of generic drugs—worth pennies instead of millions.”

We’d reached the elevators, and she turned to face me. I was surprised that she wasn’t taller, because her vibe was all ferocity and overbearing disapproval. “You didn’t ask for my opinion, but I’m going to give it to you anyway,” she said.

Of course she would. Women like her couldn’t help themselves. They had to be right—all the time—out loud. I sighed, too exhausted to bother to dig up more charm for her.

“Millions are just zeroes and ones in an account,” she continued. “This is your life, and I think the Russian will do a lot worse than try to knife you if he manages to catch you alone.”

I’d just hit the button, but I whipped around to face her. “The Russian? What are you, partners?”

The woman almost rolled her eyes at me, and I was glad to get a rise out of her. It was way more fun than panicking, which was my other option.

“I heard him swear in Russian,” she said in a voice that was back to ice queen inflection.

“You speak Russian,” I scoffed.

“Enough,” she said. The elevator doors opened behind me, and Dallas reached a hand past me to hold them.

“What did he say, then?” I asked. She took a step forward, crowding me back into the elevator.

“Ty moy, suchka.”

“Which means?” I asked, taking a step forward when I realized that she’d managed to make me move with just her body language.

She let go of the elevator doors. “You’re my bitch,” she said, and I had to jump back as the doors closed between us.  

 

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

 

He also had the kind of manners that Europeans and old-money people had— like they automatically knew which fork to use without getting a raised eyebrow from whichever parent might have been home.

 

It makes him laugh every time I wear it, so I make sure he catches me in it when I’m naked.” Shane burst out laughing. “Naked Baby Yodanna!” Anna flapped her Yoda ears. “When I can make Darius laugh, he looks at me like I’m chocolate and movie night and browned butter all rolled up in one.”

 

His voice is like a thick, creamy salve you put on sunburns when you don’t want to be touched, and when I get sunburny like that, his voice feels like fingers running through my hair—which he does too, by the way.”

 

She wanted me, and being wanted by this woman suddenly felt more than physical. It felt like something that mattered.

 

My Review:

 

Written from a dual POV, this tale had a multiple-layered, slowly paced, and complex plot with uniquely complicated characters, heaping helpings of angst, peril, and a lot of inner dialog and conflict while building to a slow-burn romance. The storylines were intricately woven around the nucleus of a thorny and dangerous threat to a new client with tentacles that spread into family drama, predatory tracking, facial recognition hacking and fraud, and survivalist training and living off the grid in the frozen Canadian Yukon territory.    

It was an interesting twist to use the female main character as the protector and trained survivalist, although I initially found her difficult to fully appreciate, as she was rather rigid, emotionally distant and a cold fish. However, once her background was revealed I was greatly impressed by the author’s thoughtful and perceptive character building. I adored her family yet I was outraged to learn of the past and present discriminatory practices and arrogant attitudes toward Canada’s indigenous tribes, which is as shameful as what occurred and continues to proliferate in the USA towards our own. Then I thought about the similar horrors that occurred in India, Australia, Africa, etc. The arrogance of the British Empire has a lot to answer for.

 

About April White

** Vivian Award Nominee, 2021 **

APRIL WHITE has been a film producer, private investigator, bouncer, teacher, and screenwriter. She has climbed in the Himalayas, survived a shipwreck, and lived on a gold mine in the Yukon. She and her husband share their home in Southern California with two extraordinary boys and a lifetime collection of books.

Her first novel, Marking Time is the 2016 winner of the Library Journal Indie E-Book Award for YA Literature, and all five books in the Immortal Descendants series are on the Amazon Top 100 lists in Time Travel Romance and Historical Fantasy. Code of Conduct was an RWA Vivian Award finalist for romantic suspense, a Next Generation Award finalist for romance, and RONE Award finalist for suspense. And Death’s Door is a Grand Prize winner of the Next Generation Award, and a Foreword Reviews Award finalist. More information and her blog can be found at www.aprilwhitebooks.com.

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