ARC REVIEW No Easy Target by Iris Johansen

No Easy Target by Iris Johansen a spin -off novel of the Eve Duncan series. The main character Margaret was previously in an Eve Duncan novel. I use to read Eve Duncan but I got burned out because it seemed just the same ole same ole. It really feels like this is suppose to be the replacement for Eve, especially with the ending. (that's all I'm sayin' on that, draw your own conclusions). It started off really good, very exciting a bunch of sexual tension tied with animosity. John and Margaret don't like each other at the start. Margaret is on the run from a sadistic sociopathic arms and drugs dealer and she will do anything to not go back to Nicos. To John, Margaret was just suppose to be a means to an end; the key to getting back his mentor back from Nicos who is holding him to torment John and to teach him a lesson.

John learned everything he could about Margaret, he tracked her down and planned on trading her for Patrick, the one person who understood John and helped put him on the path of special forces to CIA to multi-millionaire. But once John finally caught Margaret and understood how scared she was to go back he changed his plans to that she would never have to go back to Nicos. Margaret's empathic ability that allows her to communicate with animals also lets her feel powerful emotions from people so when she feels the terror and desperation coming from John she agrees to help, but she tells him she will never return to the island, unfortunately sometimes things can't go the way they are planned.

Margaret has to face the man who causes her nightmares. Margaret thought she learned her lesson about getting close to people but Nicos reinforces that lesson in a way she will never forget. It didn't work like Nicos planned however Margaret didn't break she got stronger. Face to face with him again she is stronger than she has ever been. She has keep people at a distance however for her to escape Nicos she must rely on John to help her out. Despite the rocky start Margaret knows she can count on John and his team of security experts to pull her out safely.

Overall, I enjoyed it but it almost felt like I had read the book before the characters reminded me way too much of Sarah Patrick and John Logan and the overall situation reminded me of The Search. I found myself asking if the Eve Duncan series was being rebooted or on an alternate timeline or something.