A Thin Disguise by Catherine Bybee tells the story of a former assassin who jumped in the path of a bullet meant for a FBI Agent. She lost her memory as a result and ended up falling for said FBI Agent.
Title: A Thin Disguise
Author(s): Catherine Bybee
Series: Richter Series #2
Also in this series: CHANGING THE RULES
Narrator(s): Lori Prince, Joe Arden
Published by Brilliance Audio on July 6, 2021
Length: 9 hours and 13 minutes
Genre(s): Romantic Suspense
Source: Kindle Unlimited, Netgalley
Format: Audiobook, eArc 
Purchase: Amazon|Audible
Rating: 
Series Rating:
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A former gun for hire and a federal agent find themselves on the right side of love but the wrong end of a bullet in this Richter installment from New York Times best-selling author Catherine Bybee.
On a fateful night in Las Vegas, FBI agent Leo Grant is working on a critical detail in a high-profile child prostitution trial when a beautiful woman jumps into the path of a bullet meant for him. Little does Leo know that the woman is Olivia, an ex-assassin who is seeking redemption one good deed at a time.
One minute, Olivia is lunging in front of Leo on the Vegas Strip. The next, she’s waking up in the hospital in a haze of pain with no memory of her past, her enemies, or even her own name.
With Olivia suffering from memory loss and completely unaware of the danger she is in, it’s up to Leo and Neil MacBain’s team of operatives to keep her safe. With Olivia and Leo both unaware of her past crimes, the two have little reason to avoid their growing attraction. Slowly her past seeps in through the cracks as she struggles to find the answers of who she is. When the veil is lifted and her dark past is staring her down, Olivia must turn her back on Leo and the love she can never allow herself to have, and race to find her would-be killer.
I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
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A Thin Disguise didn’t wow me as I hoped it would be based on the premise of the FBI agent falling for an assassin. I thought book one was better in comparison.
The story was classified as a romantic suspense, but personally I thought it was lacking in the suspense. The story began on an exciting note, but the excitement ended after the heroine, Olivia, lost her memory. From that moment, the focus was on her trying to regain her memory and her growing relationship with Leo. I expected a change with the return of her memory, however this was not forthcoming. It was not until near that some action was forthcoming. It did not give me the adrenaline pumping feeling one would expect from the genre.
Unfortunately, I couldn’t relate to the characters. I know Olivia has been through a lot. Orphaned at an early age and sent to study at Richter, and on completion of her studies was forced to become an assassin. She now seeks to make amends for her past actions, hence her current situation. Despite this, I found it difficult to feel anything for her. Too aloof for my tastes, I guess her being an assassin made her that way.
Leo was adorable. Having met him in book one, I was happy to know he would get his own story. I like how he stepped up to protect Olivia at the risk of his job. Even after finding out about her past, he stuck by her.
I never thought I would say this, but the romance was boring. They shared flirtatious moments, but their chemistry was non-existent and don’t get me started on the intimate scenes, which felt off. I never felt the passion one would expect from these scenes.
The pacing was not what one would expect from the genre. Parts of the story dragged and there were a few times when I lost focus.. Honestly, I kept reading, in the hopes it would get better.
For me, the best parts of the book were the camaraderie between the characters and the epilogue. The characters shared a few humorous moments, which had me smiling on a number of occasions. The author delivered a swoon worthy epilogue.
Conclusion/Recommendation
To conclude, A Thin Disguise did not deliver as I hoped it would. However, don’t let m opinions discourage you as it appears I am in the minority based on the many rave reviews I have seen for this installment.
Narration
When I discovered that the audio version was available through Kindle Unlimited , I chose to listen. Once again Joe Arden and Lori Prince narrated. The male did a wonderful job in his portrayal of the characters. With regards to the female narrator there was improvement when compared to Changing The Rules. However, her accents needed more practice.
Story Evaluation
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Characters
World Building
Writing Style
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Cover
Narrator (Audio)
Enjoyment
Ending
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About Catherine Bybee
New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today bestselling author Catherine Bybee has written twenty-eight books that have collectively sold more than five million copies and have been translated into more than eighteen languages. Raised in Washington State, Bybee moved to Southern California in the hope of becoming a movie star. After growing bored with waiting tables, she returned to school and became a registered nurse, spending most of her career in urban emergency rooms. She now writes full-time and has penned the Not Quite Series, the Weekday Brides Series, the Most Likely To Series, and the First Wives Series.
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Romantic suspense is not my go-to, but I have enjoyed Bybee’s books in the past. Sorry this one disappointed.
This one didn’t go so well with me. I have not read any of her books in the contemporary romance genre so I am not in a position to make a comparison.
That’s a shame this was a letdown after the first one.
Definitely a shame and to know I was looking forward to it.
What a wonderful review you have of this one. I have been intrigued by this author for quite a while. Sorry to hear that this book was disappointing and didn’t meet your expectations.
I preferred the first book This one had a few good points, but I have read better.
always unfortunate when a book is not as expected.. hopefully your next read wows you..
Yes, unfortunate indeed. My next book was so much better. ?
Sorry the book didn’t wow you. Great review. Glad it wasn’t all bad.
It had some good points.
Ugh, so sorry this one didn’t wow you, but I’m glad there were things you did enjoy about it.
Yes, there were a few enjoyable things, but not enough to put in the four star bracket.
Yes, the premise sounds fab, but oh no, a boring romance!
Yep, it was indeed boring.