Thank you to NetGalley for the review copy!

DNF at 50%. I don't know why but this book just isn't "clicking" for me. It's not poorly written, there's nothing offensive, it's just...not quite there.

I didn't dislike Thea Paris but I don't find anything particularly enticing about her, either. There have been a couple of interesting plot twists so far that bode well for the rest of the book. The action scenes are okay, but feel a bit mechanical. I think the way the author over-describes things kind of kills the pace for me, like when Thea is mulling over exactly what she's eating and why it's good for her blood sugar.

I'm saving this one on my Kindle because I might come back to it later and finish it just to see how it ends, because I do think it has a decent plot. I also like the potential love interest in Rif--I'm a big sucker for the enemies-to-lovers trope and this one feels well-done. But overall for now this is just an okay-ish book for me so I'm going to set it aside and tackle something else on my TBR.

Thea has to rescue her father who has been kidnapped. She became an expert in recovery because her brother was snatched when they were children. She's a good character and this has a lot of action. It's a good read.

This kidnap-abduction thriller is fascinating. The intrigue will hook you from page one. The characters are deeply drawn. This is my first KJ Howe book, but I am becoming a fan. I definitely recommend this thriller.

This is an interesting book involving hostages and hostage negotiators. The personal aspect and history made the story more interesting. The writing is good and character development well done.

I read this book months ago and sadly things in my life got strange so I forgot to write my review. This was a mistake because this was an interesting book with good characters. I enjoyed it and hope that others enjoy it as well when they have a chance to read it.

Fast paced, action filled novel where I would've given 5 stars but the middle dragged a little too much. Hostage negotiations are no joke! It takes a special skill set and you have to be able to think on your feet. It's certainly not a job I would want and the author does a fantastic job bringing you into Thea's world. Fantastic debut.

2.5.

Thea has specialized in preventing and rescuing people from kidnappers to make up for the fact she couldn't even scream when her brother Nikos was taken right before her eyes. Nikos was never the same, her whole family dynamics changed, and so she had to toughen up. And all that training can't go to waste now it was her father who was taken by a mysterious abductor that acts outside everything Thea has seen in the manual.

This is action-filled and quick-paced. If you like solving mysteries, there are also some. Also, I enjoyed the part about how politics work in African countries, despite feeling the book may have generalized a little a continent so big—but I know nothing about this topic so I got to learn plenty.

My rating will be hard to explain because I loved the plot, the idea for each character, but wasn't a fan of the execution.

Thea is really a badass character, she proves as the story moves. It's true she counts with lots of help and she's naive about her own brother's personality, but she is still a good character. Or was supposed to be, because she never did it for me. I couldn't care less about her. Rif, who is probably going to be a romantic interest further in this series, was also the type of character I'd fall in love with. He does have a little more charisma but he lacked depth, making me agree with Nikos when he calls him Thea's guard dog. And Nikos, who was supposed to be the character with more depth, given everything that his abduction has caused, seemed to be a little... useless? Too much talk and no consequence? I don't know. He always had some plan, and yet, it never gave me any emotion. What was Gabrielle for, by the way? So yes, lots of characters with potential but it's just like the first episode of a TV series, you're yet to see them develop. Which works only on TV. When it comes to a book, that only made me frustrated.

The writing was fine, except for a tendency to substitute names for descriptions, such as "the kidnapper negotiator". That was the only flaw that I've noticed—since this was an ARC, small glitches have been fixed so I can't judge much more, anyway.

And the plot. It's theocratically good and I have no idea why it failed for me. I liked how things would go wrong when or where I least expected, but I never felt any thrill. Now, the conclusion was good. I mean, I didn't like the motivation but that goes back to how the characters developed. I liked how it ended.

This can be the book for those who like action scenes. There are many, and they seem to be good although I'm not a good judge for that. This author can improve a lot for the next book, I like how she dares, she takes no pity on characters. That's always a good feature in a thriller writer, making stories much less predictable. Still, I don't think I will read it before someone tells me she has improved, indeed. At the same time, I am curious about how she'll keep this going, considering how connected to Thea's personal story this first was.

Honest review based on an ARC provided by Netgalley. Many thanks to the publisher for this opportunity.

Thea is a world renowned hostage negotiator. For Quantum International Security. She is the daughter of oil tycoon and ruthless businessman Christos Paris who is on the radar of any kidnapper wanting a high ransom payment and her brother is Nikos. Nikos is damaged as he had been kidnapped for nine months when he was twelve years old and had been trained to be a killing machine. Thea has survivors guilt as she is the one that was suppose to have been taken not her brother. But she seen her brother taken right from her bedroom right before her very eyes at eight years old when they lived in Kanzi, Africa. Nikos hates his father. Thea is the team leader to a six man Special Forces agents team. Their record of recovery is very good. Thea has diabetes but is tough as nails but she does get along with others. Thea is heading to Greece to celebrate her father's sixteenth birthday. She gets to his yacht and finds the deck covered in blood the staff all murdered and her father gone. But his cell is still there with a cryptic Latin message so this wasn’t just a kidnapping there was no ransom message or other demands. So twenty years later Nikos kidnapping her father is kidnapped on .his sixteenth birthday Thea tries to keep Christos kidnapping from the media. Someone else is being called into investigate also. Gabrielle Farrah who is former CIA agent and is currently on the Hostage Recovery Fusion Cell. Gabrielle was on her way at the invitation of Maximus Heros who is part of the Greek police force. Farrah is Heroes ex. Gabrielle has experience dealing with hostages. Heroes and Farrah through themselves into the investigation and help anyway they can. Thea also has to handle Nikos. Nikos remains scarred with his memories of his own kidnapping from his African captors. But Nikos has made a name for himself as a philanthropist and advocate against child soldiers. THe longer Tea investigates the more cryptic messages using famous quotes appear. Then an important negotiation for Paris Industries to secure oil rights un Kanzi. Theo goes to Kanzi to represent her father and also tries to find him. Nikos has his own plans and seeks to secure the best deal to ensure money- an incentive for all the strings he pulled. But Nikos is thrust into his memories a sThea gets closer to learning where their dad is. Someone slips Thea all the relevant documentation involved with her brother’s kidnapping and captivity.
I loved reading this story. I felt it was well written and had a great plot and a fast pace. You felt like you were right there with Thea through the whole story and you have no problem with your attention drifting The story has: drama. Action, family, trauma, survivor guilt, suspense, action, villains, excitement, anger,revenge, denial, betrayal, and so much more. I did drag a very little at times but it really didn’t disrupt the story or my enjoyment of it. Anyone who enjoys a good crime story i recommend to read this. I loved the characters and the twists and turns of this book and I highly recommend

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley.

I thoroughly enjoyed this adventure novel. I learned a lot about the kidnapping and ransom world. There are many twists and turns that kept the outcome unknown until the end. The book has a strong female protagonist. I look forward to other books by K.J. Howe.

The plot has an interesting and compelling premise with a strong female protagonist and therefore many readers are likely to be drawn to this novel. I had some difficulty with several of the characters because they seemed a bit 2 dimensional and lacking in depth. When that happens, I begin to lose interest in what will happen to them. At times it didn't ring true when the MC is billed as the best of the best, yet seems to make some decisions that will predictably lead her to danger. The book started out strong, then when it dragged in the middle, I wasn't invested enough in the characters to finish. Now that it is published, I've seen that other readers say the ending is worth it. Nonetheless, I think it's good to hear about why some readers might put it down.

3.4*
There is a lot to like in this book if you like action packed thrillers. However, it does have some flaws.
The opening chapters give you details about the main characters:
Thea--She is the head of an operational team from Quantum International Security, which specializes in rescuing high profile kidnapped people, sometimes by an armed team, others by ransom.
Thea's brother Nikos, who was kidnapped at 12 and returned nine months later a changed and hostile person.
Rif--Thea's second on her team. He is a West Point graduate and is invaluable. He adores Thea, but she keeps him at arms length.
Christos, Thea and Nikos father. He is head of a global oil company and about to close on a deal that will make his company the biggest in the world.
Christos is kidnapped and Thea mobilizes all her father's resources plus her own to find her father.
Gabrielle is a US government agent is charge of coordinating hostage recovery.
Pros: There are double crosses all over the place in this book. The plot moves along briskly, with nonstop action. The ending ties up all the threads quite well.
Cons: The characters lack depth. Examples--Gabrielle has a rule: Only have sex for 1 night with a man then move on to the next man. Nikos makes no secret of bedding many women.
Thanks to Quercus for sending me this book through NetGalley.

Thank you! Enjoyed it.. Will enjoy more books by this author. can't wait for the released date. Will get copies for all my family and friends. Will get lots of copies to give away for my volunteer work.

I have to admit, I really enjoyed this action adventure/mystery novel. Thea’s job is get back people who have been kidnapped, whether through negotiation or rescue operations, and she’s good at it. So when her father is kidnapped she can’t trust anyone but her team to get him back. Of course, it’s not simple. We’ve got arms dealers and African politicians and oil magnates all vying for power, with her father smack dab in the middle of it. And we’ve got a love interest for Thea. It’s got a lot going on, but exciting and fast-paced.
Thea’s a great character, smart, tough, and skilled. She’s also a bit blinded by her feelings toward her family. This is one of those instances where the reader knows a lot more about what’s going on than the protagonist, but even at that there are a few surprising twists.
The author has clearly done her research into kidnappings and hostage situations. I also appreciated that Thea is a diabetic. It’s not often that we see women in fiction checking their blood sugar levels before jumping out of airplanes or worrying about whether her insulin will stay cool enough in the heat of the desert. Being diabetic doesn’t hamper Thea, it just means she has to be even more prepared.
Over all, a great start to a series. I’m looking forward to reading more, hopefully with a little less focus on crazy family drama.

Ehhhhh..... I finished it, so it wasn't absolutely horrible. Did not hold my attention very well, a bit hard to follow. Thank you for the opportunity to read it though!

I'm not a reader of Thrillers, preferring Psychological Thrillers where there isn't so much physical action. This book is action packed. The plot kept moving, which kept me turning pages. The heroine was very interesting--strong of mind and body despite her physical ailment. There were quite a few cast of characters that were delved into, so I expect them to be in the remainder of the series. The story was well written and the author seemed to know her stuff when it came to artillery, negotiations, and weaving a tale full of twists and turns. I enjoyed this book.

KJ Howe is a masterful story teller in The Freedom Broker!
The Freedom Broker takes you on a spellbinding spin from beginning to an unbelievable yet satisfying ending with a strong female lead character.
This is one of my favorites for 2017! It should be yours too!

I received a copy of The Freedom Broker as a granted wish from Net Galley. The thing is though I don’t recall ever asking for this book. It is not one that would call out my name, as I tend to avoid international action thrillers like the plague. I was all set to inform Net Galley of their error, but on impulse decided maybe it was time to do an outside-the-box read as it had been a while. Those outside-the-boxers have been good to me more often than not, so I went ahead and downloaded the book.

Wowwee, good move on my part! I ended up thoroughly enjoying this one. Thea Paris is a hostage negotiator with Quantum International Security. She is the daughter of top oil magnate Christos Paris and sister of Nikos, a damaged soul as the result of being kidnapped for nine months as a twelve-year-old. Thea is team leader of six Special Forces agents, all men, and their record of securing the release of international hostages is excellent. Despite her issues, including fighting type 1 diabetes, she is tough as nails. Unlike a lot of female thriller protagonists these days, she gets along with others well, which is a nice change of pace.

My attention was grabbed immediately as the book kicks off with a tension-filled action scene that many authors would have saved for a grand finale. The plot is multilayered, multithreaded, intricate, and in many ways refreshingly unique. There are also plenty of characters, several of which are very well drawn. Thea’s character in particular is extremely well written.

It is obvious the author has done a great deal of research. This was confirmed by a post she had in Crimespree online magazine the week I was reading the book. She has spent three years extensively researching and interviewing specialists in kidnap and ransom and traveler education. She has spent time with Peter Moore, the longest held hostage in Iraq (1000 days), learning what it is like for the victims. She states she will continue to learn all she can about kidnapping and those who work to rescue hostages as she writes her Thea Paris series. Ms. Howe states that her goal with the series is “to bring awareness about all the hostages out there who still need to come home.”

Other than a bit of a slowdown in the middle of the story, this book is fast paced with a good deal of high suspense and many thrilling action scenes. It is the first thriller I have read in a long while that actually made my stomach flip. And the final showdown was a doozy. I actually yelled out several times (usually OMG!) during the last 10% of the book. It was totally unputdownable at that point.

The characters, the extraordinary plot, the thrills and suspense are all first rate. The slowdown in the middle and an incredible bounceback in a particular character’s health at the end led me to drop one star.

I highly recommend The Freedom Broker to all thriller fans, whether you like the international scene or not. It’s a winner! I very much look forward to Thea Paris book 2.

I'd like to thank Net Galley, Quercus, and Ms. K.J. Howe for a copy of this book. My opinions are mine alone and are unbiased in any way.

This book has a bit of everything: political intrigue, suspense, light romance, and interesting multi-faceted characters. I was sucked in immediately and only put it down to sleep at 2:00 a.m. The character development was excellent and the plot was involved but not so circuitous that you got lost along the way. People are rarely as simple as they seem on the surface and this book certainly brought that fact to life. You were kept guessing until the very end which was messy and not your usual fairy tale. I hope there are many more books to come in this series!

I found the whole idea of e female hostage negotiator really interesting. I like that the story started off with action but I found it unnecessary to include the info about her blood sugar. It threw off something for me. I liked the exotic locations and many of the scenes were quite action packed. the premise of a second kidnapping within the same family seems a bit odd and I would've liked a lot more of the hostage negotiating details and scenes and less of the oil deal. Some of the scenes seemed like the characters weren't acting on ways that made sense. A bomb goes off and Thea escapes with a high level target who goes on to take a nap while she reads diary pages?? I found this odd when the stakes are high and people had just tried to kill them. I'll be interested in what she writes next but let's hope some of these kinks get worked out.

Thanks to NetGalley and Quercus for a review copy of this book.

Wow!- This is a debut novel? The action and storyline of this book is right up there with any fast paced political thriller I have read of late. The characters are engaging- love the strong female role model, and the action is non stop. The story line is engaging with enough twists and turns to keep anyone on the edge of his seat.

If you like political action, fast paced reads- this one's for you!