Colonel Liam Wessex is thrilled his best friend is getting married, but it’s just further proof that his own life is breaking apart. With his classified identity revealed to the public, Liam is struggling with the transition into civilian life. Becoming reacquainted with MI6 Agent Oliver Archer forces Liam to reconcile his past actions with a future that just might be the answer to all of his problems.
Oliver thought he’d done enough to cut Liam out of his life. When their professional lives collide, he’s forced to accept the fact that Liam is no longer the spoiled prince he once knew. When terrorists target London and the unthinkable happens, Oliver and Liam learn that second chances come with a price neither can afford to pay.
Comment: This is the last installment in the Metahuman Files series by author Hailey Turner. I have enjoyed this series quite a lot, some books more than others, but I was obviously interested in reading this final one. I think I've read the author wasn't planning on writing more after the shorter stories before this installment, but since thee were still some loose threads, she did so and we are able to have Liam's HEA as well, for he had been an interesting secondary character.
In this final story we start by following the wedding day of Jamie and Kyle, finally rewarded their formal HEA even though it was already a given they would take this step. One of the guests is Liam, their British connection, who has been friends with Jamie for years. Liam is facing the same situation as Jamie, his family is pressuring him to retire from active duty since his identity is now known. Liam feels this isn't what he wants but he knows he can't just put others in danger because of him either, so he is reluctantly thinking about it. There's still time for one last mission, the fight against potential terrorist attacks in the UK and that is how he is, again, working with Oliver Archer, someone he knew since they both attended Eton. However, things didn't really go well back then between them... could it now be time for them to finally talk?
For those who, like me, have liked the previous books, this is another good read and a good addiction tot he series, simply for the fact it continues the story line and has the same tone of the other books. It's something to be expected and it delivers exactly that. The plus side is that it offers the HEA of a different couple and it's is always nice to see a new type of romance develop.
I liked Liam and Olivers's story well enough. We knew, from the previous stories in which they were secondary characters, that something had happened between them to make them behave with animosity towards one another, and I was looking for to wade through the angst to see them become a couple. This did happen so I can say that, in the romance department, things went the way I hoped. As for why they weren't friends now, it was understandable, for they have an history.
Some might label this a "second chance romance" but to me it felt more like "enemies to lovers" and I like this trope way better and, besides, they weren't friends now trying to make it work, they were both reluctant but we know they would change their opinions after a serious talk. As one can imagine, this wasn't done too quickly, so we get to see them interact a bit and do other things while "processing" which, to me, makes the final HEA so much more believable. At the same time, I feel they didn't have enough situations in which to think of the other unless it was under stress so, maybe that could have been done more convincingly.
The romance is tender in some moments and I liked they tried to go past who they had been. I especially liked Oliver's personality and character and I feel he is a nice addition to this "world". Their personal lives were complex enough to make me think how them being a couple in the future might be like, not impossible but with some challenges and I think the author addressed the issues enough. not as much as I would have liked, considering everything else, but I was glad they ended up together.
What probably made me dislike this book a little was the inclusion of the intimacy scenes between Jamie and Kyle. One of them was way too long for a book not centered exclusively on them and, to be honest, I just don't enjoy reading about their sex life as they have a dynamic I don't find appealing at all, so I skipped the pages in which these things happen. When they are interacting with others or to each other among others, that is different, and of course I like knowing what they are up to.
As for the plot development and closure, I don't think it's any surprise to say the good guys find a way to solve the problems and to deal with the pending subjects. The author does plan the action scenes quite well, they are detailed without being too boring or complicated and I tend to go through them more or less easily, which adds this "professional" vibe to the overall story line. Things end well for those we are rooting for, of course.
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