REVIEW: Taking Care of the Target by Cindi Madsen

In Taking Care of the Target by Cindi Madsen, Vince DeMarco will do anything to protect the one woman he’s come to care for safe from the evil of his family. So, when she witnesses a mob hit and then lands herself in the hospital, Vince volunteers to be the one to make sure she keeps quiet on what she witnessed. Except, instead of doing what his uncle has asked of him, Vince is ready to do what’s right. Can he keep Cassie safe while getting the evidence he needs to dismantle his uncle’s organization?

”You learned to stick your finger in your eye.”
“Apparently I’ll do crazy things to get back to you. Even do a reverse Clark Kent and shed the glasses for gross eye-touching.” Cassie dropped her bag on the floor by the couch and pulled him to sit next to her.
“So you’re Superman now?” Vince teased, nuzzling her neck.
“Superwoman, thank-you-very-much.”

Ever since her accident, Cassie Dalton has no memories of the past couple of years. She doesn’t know what led to her accident or that she’s in danger, except for the fact that she gets a strange feeling when she tries to return to her old job. Luckily, Vince is there to help pick up the pieces of her life, even if she doesn’t remember him. But once she discovers the truth, will she still be able to trust him? Or will she learn that blood is thicker than water?

I am a huge fan of Ms. Madsen’s books, but this one is the best so far. Not only because it’s a romantic suspense; a genre I absolutely love, but because of the captivating, fast-paced plot, well-written dialogue and fantastic characters that had me on the edge-of-my-seat with everything they go through. Moments that made this book a real page turner for me, because it doesn’t matter that Vince is part of the family that’s determined to see she doesn’t reveal what she witnessed. If they feel Vince is becoming a threat to the organization, then, he too will be dealt with.

”You know how…the other day…” Speaking at this pace was nearly impossible. “I said I wanted our adventures to be less scary?”
Gun out, Vince looked down the stairwell. He put his hand on her elbow and started the descent to the next floor. “If we get out of this alive,” Vince said, his breathing barely affected, “we’ll go somewhere super boring. You can get your degree and create culinary masterpieces.”
“As long as I’m never shot at again, I’ll work wherever.”

As for the dialogue, it was told from a few points-of-view including an FBI agent, Vince’s uncle and the main characters and was intense due to the main characters back stories and everything that they go through on their journey to happy ever after. Will Vince be able to keep Cassie safe? What will happen when Cassie starts to remember what happened to put her in danger? Will she be able to trust Vince knowing he’s part of the family that’s determined to silence her? However, there were also some light-hearted moments between Cassie and Vince that had me smiling or laughing, and it’s palpable that the hero is already sweet on the heroine before they find themselves in danger.

Both the main characters were riveting, and I couldn’t wait for the moment that Cassie began to recover her memories. What would happen between her and Vince? Will she be able to defend herself if Vince decides to turn on her, instead of continuing to be her protector? Certainly, there are a few good twists and turns that made me uncertain whether Cassie or Vince will survive his uncle’s efforts to make sure Cassie doesn’t talk, and the secondary characters that help would have had me running scared, if I was in Cassie’s position, but I liked how this story continued to surprise me. Moreover, I liked how far Vince was willing to go to protect Cassie.

Cassie is strong, brave, and I liked how determined she was to pick up the pieces of her life after her accident. She needs to be able to take care of herself, yet at the same time, she needs someone to help make her feel safe. Vince is a lot overprotective, yet, still gives her the chance to be the independent woman she once was. Also, I liked how kind and caring the heroine was towards Vince’s brother, because the man needs someone on his side besides Vince to help him. While Vince, he’s confident, loyal to those that deserve his loyalty and I liked how protective he was of Cassie and his brother. He would do anything for the two people in his life to keep them safe, even if it meant putting his own life on the line.

He picked up another muffin. “You better be careful feeding me like this. I’ll just come back every day, like a stray cat.”
Cassie raised an eyebrow. “I’m not making the cat-in-heat noise, so stop fishing.”
He laughed. “”You shouldn’t have reminded me of that, because I can be very persistent.” He took a drink of orange juice and leaned in. “I play dirty, too.”

Overall, Ms. Madsen has penned a wonderful romantic suspense in this book where the strong romance does justice to this couple’s intense chemistry. The way this story ended had me worried for the main characters. Would they survive to see Vince’s uncle in prison for his crimes? However, it was the epilogue that wrapped this story up perfectly, because of Vince’s surprise to Cassie and then the way he asks or more like tells the heroine what the future holds for them. I would recommend Taking Care of the Target, if you enjoy romantic suspense, the friends to lovers trope or the sexy protector trope.

Book Info:

Publication: January 20th, 2017 | Self-Published – Cindi Madsen |

Vince DaMarco always liked Cassie, the shy waitress who works at the restaurant that serves as a front for his mob boss uncle. Unfortunately, she witnesses a back alley hit, and while fleeing, she’s struck by a truck. Now she’s at the top of the hit list. Desperate to stop anyone who’d draw out Cassie’s death, Vince volunteers to take care of it.

Cassie Dalton has no recollection of her accident, but she’s told she’s lucky to be alive. A few years are missing from her memory, and the unsettling feeling that something isn’t right—along with the creepy sensation that she’s being watched—won’t go away.

Vince shows up right when Cassie needs him most. In a world of confusion, the rugged stranger is the one thing that makes sense. But little does she know, she’s found refuge in the arms of the very man who’s been sent to kill her.