Liar City

Warning: This book is not a romance. There is the slightest whiff of a HFN but I think it will be a long journey to get these MCs together. Allie Therin forgoes her historical paranormal series ([b:Spellbound 43620442 Spellbound (Magic in Manhattan, #1) Allie Therin https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1553212283l/43620442.SY75.jpg 67881581], [b:Proper Scoundrels 59338248 Proper Scoundrels Allie Therin https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1634067914l/59338248.SX50.jpg 90594875], etc.) for a contemporary but still magical setting in which a small number of empaths have the ability to read others people's emotions. Although they are avowed pacifists, empaths are mistrusted and feared by many, resulting in laws that limit their involvement in certain fields and think tanks that seek to uncover their potential hidden threats to democracy and our way of life. Reece is one of Seattle's two empaths, and although he is snarky as hell, he's not the one to call for backup in a fight - he becomes physically ill when exposed to violence. After he receives an anonymous phone call tip that his police detective sister Jamey is investigating the homicide of a legislator who introduced a strong anti-empath bill, he rushes to her side, desperate to help in some way. But when he encounters the foreboding Evan Grayson, aka The Dead Man, Reece realizes he has found the one person he can't read. Grayson insists he is not an empath hunter, but an empath specialist, although Reece has trouble understanding the difference. He has no choice but to accompany Grayson for his own protection while Jamey actively pursues the killer. Reece and Grayson manage to get themselves in the middle of danger anyway, as the body count increases and surprising suspects are revealed that will change the way the world looks at empaths. Reece is also hiding a secret about new powers he has recently developed that are unprecedented even for an empath, and may be the first sign of oncoming madness. As I mentioned, this book is not a romance, and the series will have to do some heavy lifting before I will accept Reece and Grayson as a couple. From the beginning, Grayson has all of the information, and he drags Reece around without sufficient explanation. The power differential is disturbing; Grayson is above any other law enforcement agency and can kill with impunity, while Reece vomits whenever he witnesses violence or even anger. Reece's only upper hand in the situation is his insistence on safe driving, which drives Grayson crazy since all Big Tough Guys drive fast and recklessly. The book ends with the apprehension of the legislator's murderer, but it leaves many other questions unanswered. There is a hint that Reece hasn't seen the last of Grayson, but the two haven't even touched yet. I'm not a big fan of the unemotional alpha/Care Bear cinnamon roll pairing; Grayson will have to open up a lot for their relationship to be at least a little believable. ARC received from Net Galley in exchange for objective review.