Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Avid Reader – ☆☆☆☆
M/F Thriller Romance
Triggers: Stalking, Murder, Kidnapping

This is the fourth book in the series, but I have not read the previous books. I never felt that I was missing anything in the story.

Remi survived the Chicago Butcher. But what she lost in the process was her lover, her father, and her sense of security. Now that she is doing something she loves, seeing Ash back, Remi knows that it can't be good news.

Ash removed himself from Remi's life after she was almost the victim and he lost his partner. He also left the police force. But when an eerily similar crime to the Chicago Butcher shows up at his brother Jax's desk, Ash comes back to protect Remi and finally figure out who is killing these women.

With a rush on time and people not telling the truth, Remi's dad's clues from the grave just leave more of a puzzle to solve. Jax, Ash's brother, Ash, and Remi have their work cut out. Can they figure out who has been killing women like Remi before she becomes a target again? Ash will stop at nothing to protect her and figure it out.

This book is full of secrets and twists and turns. It's haunting and thrilling all in one. The romance was very much a secondary part of the story for me and I'm glad that it was. I think had it been a more prominent part of the book, I wouldn't have liked it as much. The only minor issue I had with the writing style was that when the killer was talking, it was sometimes hard to figure out that someone new was thinking and talking because it all blended together. There wasn't any delineation when it changed.

3.5 Stars. This was a well written romantic suspense with quite a bit of suspense and a nice romance but for me the chemistry between Remi and Ash was just a bit lacking. I understood how Remi could be devastated by the murder of her father but I never really got a good grasp on why Ash quit his job and moved away. 5 years later he's back and things with Remi just went a bit quickly without really ever discussing the past 5 years or why they broke up. I guessed the identity of the killer and while it was an unexpected choice by the author I thought there were a few too many clues leading the reader in that direction which ended up ruining the surprise for me. The character that really stood out for me was Jax and I will definitely be interested in reading a book about him in the future.

3.5/5.0*

I definitely want to delve into the first three Agency books, the fourth featured in this review, THE INTENDED VICTIM, can be easily read as a standalone.

Book four, I am only guessing, picks up where book three left off, wherein Remi Walsh was targeted by a serial killer five years ago, and her Police Detective Father dies trying to save her. Grief and guilt cause Remi to pull away from her fiancé at the time, Detective Ash Marcel, who was her Fathers partner.

I don’t want to get into spoiler territory, as each reader should experience this book for themselves; however, I will say based on the synopsis, I was expecting a fast-passed murder mystery, with the focus on finding a serial killer.

After reading a few book blurbs for THE INTENDED VICTIM, one reviewer classified it as a ‘Pulse-raising romantic thriller’, and another as a, ‘...fast-moving tale and the romance sizzles’.

I don’t agree that this book is necessarily a fast-paced thriller, it is most definitely a murder mystery romance thriller with a steamy-hot scene or two of ...well, no spoilers. ;)

The romance aspect of this book works well because this is book four in a series, readers of the previous three will most likely enjoy - and new readers like myself - seeing true love in the middle of what I can only describe as insanity. And, like I said, ‘a steammmy-hot scene or two!’

Though not all aspects of this book worked for me, I would like to go back and reread it now that I know who the serial is, revisiting the snippets of their mindset revealed to the reader throughout the book from the killer’s perspective. I am also looking forward to reading the first three novels in The Agency series.

I want to thank NetGalley and Kensington Publishing Corporation for loaning me an advance eBook of THE INTENDED VICTIM in exchange for an honest review.

It was a great and interesting book. It was so chilling that I had to donate it.. I would recommend it for people like thrilling books with some romance

I am mostly used to reading this author in a different genre but I have since come to the conclusion this author has the ability to create magic with words no matter what genre she writes. This one caught my attention right away. You have Ash and Remi with others that will have this mystery that becomes more deadly as time goes on. This will also intertwine with them having a shot at a second chance which you will root for as you go along. The victims are unnerving with as they re open and go through things you too will try and do your guesses. What comes out as time goes on will only when the time comes for the reveal that you will be thrown for a loop. I was shocked but also digging it because I love when I am fooled. I could read more of her books of this nature.

I have read many books by Alexandra Ivy and I have to admit I love her Romantic Suspense better than her supernatural series.

The story is about the one who got away and while the characters fall in love once again quickly there characters pop off the pages and will have readers questioning everything they read at the beginning as the end of the book arrives giving readers a what they expect. Exciting page turner with characters readers will fall in love with and second chance romance. The author cover mental health, PTSD and how it can effect the brain differently as well as how everyone processes loss. Must read book.



Thank you to Netgalley and the Author for a copy of Alexandra Ivy Intended Victim

This is a voluntary review of an advanced copy.

Wow, did not see that coming when the name of the Butcher is finally revealed! The book keeps you in suspense as there are some twists along the way and the usual red herrings to keep you guessing.

We also see more of Ash's family especially his brother, Jas. I hope this means that his book is next as he seems to need something in his life besides work! I loved when his mother calls him over and makes him eat and tells him to get away from work for a bit as he is looking "like a zombie."

Remi and Ash were just so tragic as she broke off their engagement so he didn't get hurt and Ash thinks it is his fault. I liked that they got to know each other a bit more before they got personal again and especially after five years had passed, they needed to get know each other again.

Lots of drama and intrigue as their romance starts at a slow pace and then all is revealed about the Butcher and they get their HEA.

Very intense psychological thriller. Romantic suspense We follow.former couple who split after she was attacked.
I liked how it kept you on the edge of your seat. Remi and Ash had good chemistry. Jax was good secondary character.

Another amazing book by Alexandra Ivy. She is one of my go to authors for a reason and I loved The Intended Victim. I couldn’t put it down!

The Agency #4, A standalone, the main characters in this one is brother to the main character in the previous book but that is where the connection ends. Ash Marcel was a Chicago PD Detective until his partner mysteriously disappeared, with the amount of blood left at the scene they all assumed he was dead, and his relationship to his partner's daughter/fiancee ended, now he's a professor. Five years ago Chicago was plagued by a serial killer the press named The Butcher, but after an unsuccessful attack on Remi Walsh and the disappearance/death of her father the murders stopped. Remi was never the same after that. Now, five years later Ash's brother Chicago PD Detective Jax Marcel walks into this classroom telling him The Butcher is back and Remi is dead, only it's not Remi she just looks almost identical to her.

Ash knows it's only a matter of time before The Butcher goes after Remi again and figures he's the best person to protect her. Not just because she's in danger and she's the daughter of his old partner but because he still loves her. Remi still loves Ash also but she's worried things won't go back to the way they were. As Ash and Remi dig into the old files and try to figure out what they missed all those years ago Jax investigates the recent murders.

Overall, it was a great read. It was an intense and interesting read with a good mystery and a nice second chance romance. I really liked Ash and Remi they are a good pair. I do hope Jax is next to get his own story.

Although it’s fourth in a series, I hadn’t read any of the others and felt this worked OK as a standalone. Hero Ash is a former police detective now teaching criminal law, brought back to Chicago in a big hurry when the body of his ex-girlfriend is found slain. Only it’s not Remi, but a girl who looks just like her. Uncannily, artificially unlike her, and the case has all the hallmarks of The Butcher, the serial killer who killed Remi’s father and caused Ash to retire from his job.

With Ash’s brother on the case inside the police department, Ash teams up with Remi who’s just as eager to find out why a girl who looks just like her is dead… and maybe find the murderer who killed her father. As suspects were eliminated, I realized who the killer had to be, unlikely though it was, and the author did a reasonable job of making it sound plausible when the big reveal happened. The romance, however, I didn’t quite buy. Ash just walking away from a traumatized Remi years earlier very much made me side-eye his reactions now; it almost seemed like he didn’t want to bother until she’d ‘fixed herself’, which really doesn’t fit my definition of deep and abiding true love. So she pushed him away; she was grieving, terrified and hurt, and at the time they had no idea whether the Butcher would come back to finish her off. Ash gave up on her and left, which just left her more vulnerable, and I really didn’t like it.

Overall, I’m giving this three stars. A decent suspense plot, but the romance didn’t really cut it for me.

This book is a definite page-turner. This storyline kept me guessing until close to the end. Along the way I cheered on the hero former Chicago detective Ash Marcel as he stood firm in protecting his former fiance Remi Walsh who narrowly escaped death at the hands of the Chicago Butcher five years previously. The Chicago Butcher is back and Remi seems to be a target once again. There's plenty of action and suspense and the plot runs smoothly. I really enjoyed this story. Author Alexandra Ivy did an excellent job telling this story.

Suspense, Romance And Mystery!

The Chicago Butcher has never been caught but the grisly murders stopped five years ago. Suddenly, the murders have started again but the killer has changed his M.O.. The recent victims are now look-alikes for Remi who was the only one to survive five years ago but unfortunately Remi has lost all memories of that fateful night where the butcher also murdered her father (a homicide detective on the case) although his body was never found. Why are murders beginning again? Why is Remi being targeted? Will she regain her memories in time to save other women or herself? Many of these questions will be answered by the time you reach the shocking conclusion of The Intended Victim!

The storyline was very good with a great beginning and a terrific shocker at the end of the book. There were many characters of fun and interest but maybe too many? I enjoyed the story athough for me there were too many situations that were not tied up enough There were four brothers intertwined in the story but one was only mentioned once and never brought up again, also their father was completely ignored throughout the story as well so I felt those two characters probably could have been written out. There was another character who is very important to the story and the book never followed up with what happened to this person and for me this was very disappointing since I had been invested in this character. I know I am in he minority but this book was just too disjointed for me. I really wanted to like this book but the majority of characters were just too shallow to get a realistic feel from them although I really liked the characters of Jax (current detective on the case), and the handyman.
Please, remember these are my opinions only, and many many readers felt differently than I and they gave high ratings about this book!

I want to thank the publisher "Kensington Books" and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this story!

I do recommend this book and forming your own opinions since it was a very good storyline! I have given a rating of 2 1/2 Unfortunate ⭐⭐🌠 Stars!!

Review featured at www.books-n-kisses.com

I have truly enjoyed all the works from Alexandra Ivy. There is nothing she can’t write and I can’t enjoy!

The suspense is well written (but then anything by Ivy is) but I found myself on the edge of my seat a few times. And this is certainly one that I said to myself “one more chapter” and then at the end of the chapter “ok one more”.

Remi and Ash make a great partnership and I hope that Jax (Ash’s brother) gets his own story soon. Because I have to say he was my favorite character in the book.

Another great read from Alexandra Ivy. I would say to read from the beginning of the series but that is just so you can be familiar with Ivy’s Agency. But it can be read alone.

Disclaimer:
I received a complimentary copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

Prepare yourself to follow the intended victim until the very end. I thought I had it figured out and was still surprised.
Remi Walsh put her life on hold after her father was murdered five years ago. She couldn't chance losing someone else she loved. And without being able to remember who kidnapped her she's at a loss for helping find the serial killer. Now she's just trying to make a small difference in the lives of at risk teens.
Ashton Marcel have up more than Remi when she broke their engagement, he left the job he loved as a Chicago Police department Detective. Now when danger comes back and looks like Remi is the target again he has no choice but to return to Chicago. And this time he's not going to let her go. His number one priority is keeping her safe while trying to track down the killer that got away.

Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for a honest review.

The Intended Victim was my first book by this author. And after this read, I will definitely be reading many more by Alexandra Ivy.

The main character, Remi, survived a serial killer five years ago... Unfortunately her father was killed trying to save her.. She barely survived, but now a serial killer is targeting women that look like her.

Will Remi and her past love Ash be able to find the Butcher before it's too late? Will Remi become a victim again?!

Read this book!!

❤️❤️ out of 5
I’m not sure why it is that all romantic suspenses that I read with serial killers all come up short on both the romance and the mystery. Why is there no perfect balance to be found? This book follows in the foot steps of the majority of books I read like it.

Our heroine was once the target of a serial killer and it cost her her father and her fiancé. 5 years have passed and it looks the serial killer is back and this time all the victims eerily look exactly like her. Our hero gave up being a detective when he lost his partner and fiancé, but when she is in trouble he is there to make sure his ex-fiancé is safe from the clutches of a serial killer.

To be honest the characters were bland and I wasn’t that intrigued by their mediocre romance. The mystery of the serial killer on the other hand? I knew 2 chapters in who it was so I just rushed through the book as quickly as possible so I could be reaffirmed to only end with a “huh” from me. So yeah.... not exactly impressed by this one at all.

A big thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Books/Zebra for the ARC. I am voluntarily reviewing this book. I haven't read a book by Ms. Ivy in a while, my mistake. this is an intense, suspenseful story. I liked the characters. I did figure it out but that made it more interesting. 4 stars. Found this truly enjoyable.

I didn’t know this book was part of a series. But having not read the other books I felt it was still easy to dive in and understand the story. The book was slow in parts and dragged along. The story was good but predictable. Thanks Netgalley for the review copy.

Fantastic, I was blowen away wuth this creepy thriler, the author has such a way to draw you into her stories. I loved that this is a second chance romance, and i was here for it. The Butcher is back! who could it be, why are they doing this... Read it to find out.