Trapped on a cruise ship isn’t how Baha wants to spend his fake honeymoon, especially when his new “fiancé’s” vindictive, deadly ex-boyfriend is in charge of the boat. But Jackson—the brash, careless former fossil thief—is a ticket to the most valuable objects on this earth in Baha’s eyes: the original Spinosaurus holotype. Lost for decades, and thought to be destroyed in World War II, Baha will do whatever it takes to win the fossils, all whilst trying not to kill Jackson in the process. But it’s not the danger of being caught, tortured, or killed that scares Baha most; it’s navigating the treacherous waters of the fake relationship that threatens to pull him under—and for the first time, he’s terrified of sinking. 

Despite this novel and the first (Smash & Grab) being on the shorter side (around 200 pages), Maddox does an incredible job of building the characters and story, with a dynamic central cast and great chemistry between the MMCs. Baha and Jackson are my favourite kind of grumpy/sunshine pairing: growly stoicism versus joyful chaos, and both of their internal dialogues made me laugh out loud. There was some miscommunication in the first half, which I don’t enjoy as a plot device, but I didn’t find it as frustrating as I have in the past; it did make sense from a character perspective in this instance, and the beginning of their unlikely alliance had just the right amount of enemies-to-lovers vibes to set it up well. This unique take on the shifter genre is great fun, but it’s also full of heart—I can’t wait to continue with book three!