Ash had left the police force in Chicago to teach at a college 2 hours away. His brother, Jax, still a cop, visits Ash to tell him hat his former fiancé, Remi, had been murdered. Ash still is in love with Remi - so he travels back to his hometown - Chicago - to see what has happened.

It seems as if "The Butcher" serial killer is up to his old tricks. The victim had a slit throat and a crescent carved on her breast. (The Butcher's "trademarks"). However, It had been five years since the Butcher had last surfaced. At that time, Remi's father, Gage, had been murdered while Remi, his daughter, was rendered unconscious. Gage was Ash's former partner and mentor on the force in addition to being engaged to Gage's daughter, Remi. The two broke up soon afterward. That is when Ash fled downstate.to teach.

I now want to read the rest of the series - there are many different possibilities as to which is the butcher A truly thrilling suspense story that I read easily as a standalone. Great plot, and decisive characterization.

RECOMMEND!!!

Many Thanks to Kensington Books - Zebra and NetGalley for a riveting read!

Ash had a good career as a cop with a loving girlfriend but that all changed when his partner went missing presumed killed and Remi was attacked. They never caught the serial killer and Ash left everything behind to start over. But he has just been told by his brother Jax that they have found Remi and it looks like the serial killer is back. Ash can't believe that she is dead and he will do whatever it takes to find the killer. Things take a turn as the dead woman isn't Remi but someone that has had surgery to look like her and now Ash knows for sure that she is in grave danger but will she allow Ash back into her life.
Remi can't believe that Ash is back she has missed him but after her father's death she needed time and her guilt ate at her every day since. But does she believe that the killer is back now and that she could be the next victim? Can she allow Ash back into her life can her heart handle him again?
Ash knows that he needs to start it slow with Remi and that he can find out who the killer is and hopefully find his dead partner.
Will they find the answers that they are seeking and will Remi get her life back on track? Where will this leave them?
A good read, never saw the killer coming. I was lucky enough to receive a copy via Netgalley & the publishing house in exchange for my honest review.

I guessed at the twist in this one. Although there were a few red herrings. Good story.

Enjoyed the interactions between Ash and Remi. And I loved Ash's family.

Another page turner! I love this series and this is no exception. I was glued to the pages. The serial killer plot is full of action and suspense. I bounced back and forth about who dunnit. Remi and and Ash are my favorite couple so far. Both are strong, passionate, and dedicated. As the mystery unravels the author draws the reader in and keeps them invested. I can't wait for Jax's story. And more of Mama Marcel!

I'm a big fan of Alexandra Ivy and always get excited to read another of her books. I'm usually pretty good at figuring out who the killer is before the reveal when I read any mystery but this time she had me stumped until the very end, wow! This story was chilling, interesting and exciting. I loved Remi and Ash and Ash's family, his brother Nate was in book three of The Agency Series. However, this book stands alone. A must-read for romantic suspense lovers!

This read was fast-paced and kept my interest. There are some parts of the book I hoped the author would flesh out more, but I don’t want to give any spoilers so my statement is deliberately vague. I will say that the plot twist at the end was relatively unexpected (The whodunnit crossed my mind by I dismissed this person). All in all, a pretty solid read I’d recommend.

3* A rom-susp tale with the right number of red herrings, but without enough depth, and with a baddie I couldn't quite see, though there's an explanation for it.

AI is an author with her hands in many pies, and I think she excels at her PNR tales. This one is not bad, don't get me wrong, but here, there needed to be elements of believability and IRL-type stuff, and that's where it lets itself down a little. And, after the discovery of the female lead's beloved father's corpse at the end of the tale, there's no mention of what happens to it - there's no burial, no grieving, no nothing, which is really strange, given that he'd simply disappeared and blood had been left in their house. And, an old family worker ended up shot, with the female lead hoping the cops and medics would arrive in time to save him - did they? What happened to the 2 main red herrings? Did they just fade into the woodwork? I don't know. Did the author forget? I went back and re-read, in case it was my bad, but nope, those bits are left open.

The tale has a second-chance romance in it, but it was lukewarm and I couldn't see passion between the leads. Affection and caring, maybe, but nothing more. It took a back seat to the danger-murder element of the tale, which was right.

The tale itself had the right number of red herrings, but as it got towards its end and those red herrings faded away, it was clear that there was only one person remaining as the baddie, and that person kind of wasn't really visible enough to make them believable. Apparently someone had figured out that they were the baddie, but why would that person not involve the cops?

I'm not sure I'd read the next in this series, as the book had too many things going on in too many different directions and didn't tie things up enough. Yes, there'll be another book in this series featuring the male lead's older brother - wasn't hard to guess - but if it's more of the same, there's not enough attention to detail for me.

ARC courtesy of NetGalley and Kensington Books Zebra for my reading pleasure.

great mystery and suspense. I love old flames coming back and second chances. very thrilling and kept me on the edge of my seat

I've truly enjoyed previous stories in this series as the author who I usually associate with paranormal stories really pushes the boundaries. This time it's a second chance romance set amidst what appears to be the reappearance of a Chicago serial killer. When Remi was attacked five years ago her father was apparently also the killers victim but as Remi has no memory of that night she cannot say exactly what happened or indeed where her father's body is ! The stress, strain and sheer grief drove her and Ash apart but when a body is found that's been surgically altered to look like Remi there's no way Ash won't be by her side.
For this reader second chance romance is never really a trope I enjoy and sadly this lacked that special something in the romance department. I think I just didn't understand exactly why Ash left town, changed career and just gave up on the woman he apparently loves so much ! I actually could understand how devastated Remi was although when Ash comes back to Chicago there was sadly a lack of tension between the couple which I would expect. The killer was unfortunately not that believable although I do applaud the author for her originality and I hope when we get Jax's book that I can rate it much higher.
This voluntary take is of a copy I requested from Netgalley and my thoughts and comments are honest and I believe fair

Five years earlier, Remi was saved from a serial killer, and in the present day it seems the killer may have returned after the body of a woman who had had surgery to make her look more like Remi is found. Remi is asked by Ash, her ex, who used to be a police detective working the original case, to help him look through his old files, while Ash's detective brother works on the case more officially. I thought I had the killer pegged in this one, but it was even more ridiculous than I expected. Three stars.

Thanks to the publisher for an ARC to read and give my honest opinion.

Fourth book in the Agency series, and my first. Definitely a stand alone mystery with a second chance romance. Ash Marcel returns to Chicago after new evidence that the Butcher, a serial killer never caught that threatened his ex Remi, is back and looking to finish what he started. Ash leaves his teaching to join the hunt, and finds that he could not bear to think of Remi hurt which leads to a second chance romance.

What did I like? This is the first in this series that I have seen, so imagine my surprise book four... blows my mind. This book has it all. Suspense, second chances, great chemistry, and that ending that I didn’t see coming!

Would I buy this book? Yes...not to mention go back and read the first three. I had no idea this author had branched this way. This is why book stores are a must!

Thoughts for the author? Kudos on a great book and I hope the first three are just as good! Thanks for the read.... freaking loved it.

I read this book in one day. This is the fourth book in this series and I have loved all of them. I really enjoyed the book and the ending was one that I did not suspect. I am still reeling from who the killer was. Read this if you want to stay up all night reading

Wow this was a crazy wild ride. This is the 4th book in the Agency series. Remi Walsh almost died at the hands of the Chicago Butcher. Ash Marcel was a cop on the case and her fiance. When her father is murdered she pushes Ash away. 5 years later the Butcher is back and so is Ash and he'll do anything to protect Remi. The ending was totally shocking you'll never see it coming. No matter the genre she is writing Ms. Ivy always delivers a amazing story.

What a shocker!! This book had me hurrying to turn the page and finish the last delicious, suspenseful, and shocking page!! If you love a romantic suspense novel with a shocking ending, then you will love this book!!

It's unusual for me to be really surprised by the ending of a mystery, but this book totally got me. Remi's father was murdered by "The Butcher", a serial killer, years ago and now the killer seems to be fixated on Remi. Her ex-fiance, Ash comes back into her life when he hears that she has been killed but it turns out to be a woman who looks exactly like her. Ash never got over Remi and will do anything to keep her safe. An ex-cop and her father's old partner on the force, he plans to solve the case or die trying. Excellent mystery and romance!

Five years again, the Chicago Butcher, attacked Remi and killed her father. Remi's father was on the police force and investigating the murders. It made her push her fiancé away and break her engagement to Ash. Ash was a detective and Remi’s dads partner. He left Chicago and became a teacher at a college. Then a woman is found and Jax, Ash’s brother, contacts Ash and tells him it’s Remi. Ash goes to see the body, only it’s not Remi but someone who had a striking resemblance to Remi. Ash goes to Remi and let’s her know the butcher is back and apparently fixated on her. So Ash goes and stays with Remi and is secretly helping his brother investigate. When Remi was attacked five years ago, she never remembered what happened but the memories are slowly coming back but will she be able to handle the truth? A little slow in the beginning but quickly picks up. Action, suspense, and mystery. A man who’ll do anything to protect the woman he loves and will always love. A woman trying to put the past behind her, only to start to relive the worse night ever. So good. Be prepared to read way into the night. * Voluntarily read and reviewed this for NetGalley *

If you love mysteries this book is for you. And wow I didn't see the ending.

When a serial killer has returned and he has to tell his brother that his ex-fiance is in the morgue Jax Marcel isn't prepared for what's to come, and neither is Ash. So when Ash looks and takes a good look and realizes it isn't Remi they are both equally relieved and petrified at the same time. The Butcher tore their lives apart once and it looks like he's back to try and finish the job.

I received this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Alexandra Ivy is one of my favorite authors, and this book did not disappoint. In this book, The Butcher, a serial killer has returned. And the killer wants Remi Walsh, even to the point of the victims going under the knife to look just like her. Enter Reno’s ex love, Ash Marcel. He comes home when he fears she has been killed by the butcher. Finding her alive, they decide to work together, along with his brother Jax to hunt down this killer. Through twists and turns nobody is prepared for the finale that the butcher has planned.

This review is written for the author, so it's not going to be posted on my website or shared beyond NetGalley at present.
Kudos for a straight up detective story, hard masculine detective, beautiful love interest now lost to him, still carrying a grudge over his lost partner’s end. The novel starts out with a sprint–with Ash, the former detective returning to the scene of the crime in a manner of speaking. It could easily be the opening scene instead of the actual one that begins the story.
Crime fiction often shares a common failing with science fiction in not fully developing the characters. The Intended Victim falls into this in places, but is redeemed in others. One gets the feeling an editor could work through the places where the characters are still one dimensional, since the author is very capable. The novel has all the elements of a good crime thriller, and a number of shortcoming dealing with a need for an editor’s assistance. It’s still hollow in places that are totally fixable. The lead characters are likable and a sense of humor runs through good sections of dialogue.
Where the novel stumbles is early when Remi see only the good (and the lustful) in Ash, the love of her life who she walked away from–not an explanation (since it’s the ending’s reveal) but a more convincing reaction by Remi that she’s emotionally not ready to see him. This is such a fulcrum it needs enough attention so the reader cares about finding the actual facts behind it.
Remi needs a better early reaction to convince the reader she really left Ash. A more conflicted reaction also would leave the reader with less hope they’ll reconnect–for increased tension. It’s great that Ash is clearly in love with her; she should be totally in denial at the outset–and not just in Ash’s mind that she is.
If the author feels it’s necessary for a woman to look on him with the eyes that Remi does from the beginning, maybe an unrequited love from a close friend of hers would be useful? There’s no transformational scene before Chapter 16 when she wants to climb in his lap. It should only just dawning on her what she’s lost.
In the scene when Ash and Remi go into the slum, Remi is revealed as a savior of lost souls. “You stay safe,” said the middle aged woman she interviewed. Might this be developed into how she’s made her own way since she left Ash?
Clichés outside of dialogue need to be tamped down. “lush lips? “buttery leather”? “The crisp smell of his warm male skin” Pg 20 “on her upper breast” A typo?
It’s very unlikely that the entirety of Marcel brothers are identically wonderful, handsome, etc. It might make Ash and his brother stand out more if the others went into other directions.
Page 204-206 – After he and Remi’s flirting the night before, wouldn’t Ash be daydreaming about what had just happened when Ash is in the car with his brother w/ time to think about it?
There’s good stuff here. The pacing is brisk, and the characters are here. It wouldn’t take so much to push it over the top.

I’ve not read the rest of the books that preceded ‘The Intended Victim’ by Alexandra Ivy, but this is easy enough to get into as a standalone. The premise is undoubtedly quite an intriguing one: a serial murderer—a.k.a. The Butcher—who’s apparently back after five years and is now strangely obsessed with altering his victims’ faces to resemble Remi Walsh before killing them.

The suspense plot itself is sort of unique, with a twist that I sort of saw coming but was left skeptical in the end. It did lack a bit of forward momentum even as the process of getting to know more about the strange spate of murders was ongoing, getting even disconcerting at times with different POVs belonging to secondary characters popping up from time to time.

There’s a second chance romance in here as well, but this was probably the weakest part of the story for me. Ash/Remi’s history was sort of glossed over; we weren’t told much, only that Remi had pushed Ash away after tragedy touched their lives and that he was only back because she seemed to be in the sights of the same killer again.

I was obviously hoping for harder soul-searching on Remi’s part, but most of it dealt with her determination to try to just look at the future and not the past—and that she only looked at Ash with regret. In this way, Ash/Remi’s second chance romance didn’t quite feel like a justified or a convincing one at all: a pairing brought back together incidentally and not because both wanted it enough to look for each other. Five years on, all we really had of Remi was her weak excuse of wanting to ‘protect’ others by pushing them away and internalising her own mental mess that she’d never bothered to sort out. Through it all, I never quite got the idea that she wanted them as much as Ash pursued her, merely caving to Ash’s insistent pressure and going along with it.

The uptick in the narrative happened at the last quarter, after which, it got engrossing, though everything was wrapped up quite neatly—too neatly perhaps—in the last chapter. Would I recommend this? Maybe. It’s a decent read if you like the usual red-herrings and the clues that come with solving a murder mystery, though romance-wise, it’s not quite a satisfying one.