Title: Tried & True (THIRDS: Book Ten)
Author: Charlie Cochet
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
Length: 254 Pages
Category: Urban Fantasy, Mystery/Suspense
At a Glance: I’m completely thrilled and blown away that Tried & True is the tenth book in this series, and that it was just as fantastic as I hoped it would be.
Reviewed By: Jules
Blurb: When THIRDS agent Dexter J. Daley met Team Leader Sloane Brodie, he couldn’t have imagined how slamming into his new partner—literally—would shake both their worlds. Now four years later, they’ve faced dangers, fought battles both personal and professional… and fallen deeply in love. Now their big moment is finally in sight, and they’re ready to stand up together and make it official. Unfortunately, as the countdown to their big day begins, an enemy declares war on the THIRDS….
With their family in danger, Dex and Sloane are put to the test on how far into darkness they’ll walk to save those they love. As secrets are unearthed, a deadly betrayal is revealed, and Dex and Sloane must call on their Destructive Delta family for one last hurrah to put an end to the secret organization responsible for so much devastation.
Dex and Sloane will have plenty of bullets to dodge on the way to the altar, but with happiness within their grasp, they are determined to get there come hell or high water….
Review: Dex and Sloane are getting married!!! Yayyyy! Well…at least, that’s the big hurrah that we’re leading up to in Tried & True, the latest book in Charlie Cochet’s much loved THIRDS series (and the final book in the series as we know it). But, if you think it’s going to be just an easy saunter up to the altar, you maybe haven’t been paying close enough attention to the shenanigans these guys have been a part of throughout the first nine books in the series. Because of course the final stretch of the road to matrimony for these two is going to be paved with obstacles and secrets, and have some unanticipated curves thrown in. We wouldn’t even know what to do with ourselves if our heroes didn’t have to avoid threats or capture, or otherwise save friends or family or the world from certain doom. In this book, Cochet gets back to the action and mayhem that have been at the heart of this series from the beginning. And, it’s fantastic.
The training Dex and Sloane have been going through for their new roles with TIN is intense—although, really, it’s pre-training, since they aren’t officially starting in the new program until after their honeymoon. But, when the Makhai disrupt their wedding plans, and once again try to take over and bring chaos to the THIRDS, Dex and Sloane are pretty prepared to do what needs to be done. I loved how fast-paced and emotional this book was. It was the perfect mixture of ass-kicking and romance. Even in the midst of all the emotional turmoil and the battles, the Dex and Sloane swoonfest was there. Sloane was maybe the most starry-eyed and romantic we’ve ever seen him, in this book, and it was awesome. Their respect and adoration for each other is one of the reasons we love these books after all.
The two grooms-to-be can’t fight these bad guys on their own, though, so all of Destructive Delta finds themselves also suiting up for battle, along with a few other teams from the THIRDS. I loved the way Charlie brought alllll of the guys and gals in for this showdown. While not everyone is officially moving forward with TIN, I know we’ll still see some of our faves in the new series, so it was great to see them all working together here. I have to say that Austen was particularly fun in this book. I’m still so looking forward to his and Zach’s story. I hope it’s still in the works. Also, Wolf’s presence in the book was, as always, totally riveting. He is such a fascinating character; I can’t wait to see more of him moving forward.
I don’t think it’s a spoiler to say that the wedding we’ve all been waiting for does somehow come together in the end—I think Cochet may have had to go into hiding if it didn’t 😉—and it was a true Dex and Sloane affair, that is not to be missed. I loved it all. I may have even gotten a little teary-eyed a time or two.
I’m completely thrilled and blown away that Tried & True is the tenth book in this series, and that it was just as fantastic as I hoped it would be. I’m sure everyone else is also completely blown away by the staying power of this series. Charlie Cochet has kept it alive and thriving not only through ten books, but also through her Beyond the Books collections, which are comprised of her popular THIRDS Thursdays installments. Cochet has been leading us toward what is going to be her new TIN series, and I know I’m not alone in anticipating that it is going to be just as fun and action-packed and sexy as THIRDS has been. As a send-off, though, this final book truly was the perfect wrap-up for Destructive Delta and the rest of the THIRDS family. I can’t wait for the many devoted fans of the series to get to read this story.
You can buy Tried & True here:
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