Review: Hug It Out by Davidson King

Title: Hug It Out

Series: Haven Hart Universe: Book Two

Author: Davidson King

Length: Novel

Category: Contemporary, Suspense/Thriller

At a Glance: Despite my reservations, it doesn’t take away from the fact that Davidson King is a solid writer. Her stories are entertaining and really well done.

Reviewed By: Sammy

Blurb: Riordan Darcy has spent the last fourteen years building a name for himself as a notorious assassin. He travels the world taking the lives of some of the worst humanity has to offer, leaving his signature on every victim.

Riordan becomes unhappy and withdrawn from the world after a job goes horribly wrong and he makes the decision to get out of the life he was forced into, so long ago. When his meddling, older sister gives him a birthday gift that’s impossible to refuse, his plans to leave his life of crime take a backseat when he’s forced to protect the life of a veritable stranger.

When professional hugger and TLC provider, Teddy Harris, is offered a month-long companionship contract, he’s hard pressed to turn it down. Cuddler by day and a video game reviewer by night, Teddy’s need to make people feel loved and cared for is what drives him. When he meets Riordan Darcy, professional challenge and personal temptation collide, making it nearly impossible for him to endure a whole month with the gorgeous, enigmatic man without falling head over heels in love.

When a mole is discovered within Riordan’s organization, relationships are compromised, and people’s lives are in danger. Time isn’t on their side, and they discover answers can’t always be found by hugging it out when someone is hell-bent on eliminating each and every one of them. Can Riordan and Teddy survive long enough to fall in love, or will they die trying?

Review: Riordan Darcy is a troubled man. Trapped in a profession he did not choose and tied to it by a previous crime of passion being held over his head, Riordan is haunted by the things he has done. A professional assassin whose last job mistakenly took the innocent lives of a woman and child, he grapples with the fact that previous to this assignment, he always knew the target he was going after deserved it in some way. Riordan’s sister recognizes that his job is slowly alienating him from her and their parents, and takes steps to get him help.

Teddy Harris is a professional hugger, giving care and comfort to everyone from motherless babies in the hospital to grieving widows. He is a nurturer who enjoys interacting with people who are in need. When his services are gifted to Riordan, he reluctantly takes the job, thinking the man is a government operative who cannot speak of his job. While the two get off to a rocky start, a certain chemistry develops and, despite his attempting to keep their interactions professional, Teddy becomes physically involved with Riordan only to have an emotional attachment develop soon after.

However, the organization Riordan works for has got a traitor in its midst, and every one of the team is in danger. Teddy, by association, is now a target as well. Riordan is going to have to come clean about his job and risk alienating the sweet man he has grown to care for deeply. Not only that but Teddy will need to know he is the potential target of a lethal assassin.

Hug It Out is the second novel in Davidson King’s Haven Hart Universe series. With Snow and his husband taking a fairly important role in this novel, it would behoove you to read the first book, Snow Falling, in order to get the maximum enjoyment out of this one. Having said that, I could be convinced to call this one a standalone as well, for the author does a great job of giving some of the needed background on the returning characters. Also, please be aware this review may contain a few spoilers if you haven’t read the initial story in the series.

Unlike Snow, Teddy is a very innocent man with no past experiences of violence or abuse like Snow endured. This is important to note, because it definitely impacted my response to the idea that Teddy could fall in love with an assassin who was known for some very violent behavior when it came to taking a trophy from each of his kills. In fact, the description of Riordan’s method of killing along with a fairly comprehensive list of how the other team members killed was a particularly gruesome aspect to this novel.

I grappled with how Teddy seemed to readily accept Riordan’s occupation. I get that he killed really nasty bad guys, but until two innocent lives were involved, he seemed to take it in stride. For someone like Teddy, who was incredibly sweet and empathetic, it was a pretty big stretch to see him so easily involve himself in a relationship with Riordan and barely grapple with the misgivings dating a murderer would understandably provoke. It felt like any hesitancy on Teddy’s part was quickly glossed over in the interest of keeping the story moving. That really gave me pause on more than one occasion while reading this book. However, there was no denying the incredible chemistry between these two guys, and that is a sure sign this author knows how to write romance. Also, while I might have figured out the mole fairly quickly, I do think the mystery element of the story was solid. The book was action packed from the get go, and I really enjoyed how King pulled in previous cast members like Snow and his husband, Christopher Manos, and tied them to the story so seamlessly.

I did enjoy this novel, but I can’t help wish that somehow more focus was put on the idea that Riordan was trapped in a life that began under the threat of blackmail. I also wished that he didn’t seem to relish his kills, as evidenced by the way in which he proved their deaths by taking a rather gruesome trophy from each victim. I felt it would have been more reasonable to understand Teddy’s sometimes blind affections if Riordan were a bit more tortured and troubled by his profession. There was definitely some of that in the story, but I just felt it wasn’t quite enough with Teddy being such an innocent foil to Riordan’s violent nature.

Despite my reservations, it doesn’t take away from the fact that Davidson King is a solid writer. Her stories are entertaining and really well done. Hug It Out was an intense nail-biter of a mystery, coupled with a lovely romance marked by tenderness and forgiveness. I look forward to the next story in this series.

You can buy Hug It Out here:
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