Book Review: Titan Takedown

Author: Annabelle Lewis

Maybe it’s the cold and the threat of another foot of snow today, but as I sit to write this review, I envision reading it with my toes in the sand. Book 2 of the Carrows Family Chronicles is precisely the kind of book that should be read when you want to relax and go on a luxury fantasy ride with a wealthy family that does good (albeit in a quite devious manner).

Summary:

After the trauma of her college relationship, Charlotte Carrows is getting married. Naturally, a Carrows wedding will be dripping with style, but her fiance’s sister and her husband have fallen into a shady business situation. In the first book, Charlotte learned a great deal about people and understands what good her family’s name, wealth, and heritage can really do. In Titan Takedown, she and the rest of the family come to the rescue. At the head of Titan Companies, Damien Miller has taken advantage of many hungry entrepreneurs with a scheme that leaves them struggling to make ends meet. He doesn’t see the Carrows coming. Watching the scheme unfold takes the reader on a luxurious and humorous ride that fights to right many of Damien’s wrongs.

What I enjoyed about this book:

In Charlotte McGee, the Carrows family is pretty divided. The healing process only begins toward the end of Book 1. In Titan Takedown, we see the family come closer together and some more rifts mended. We also get to know the family a little more as they prepare for Charlotte’s wedding and scheme to bring down Titan.

The people we meet during the journey to rectify the wrongs implemented by Damien brings a good deal of humor and fun, relate-able characters.

The antagonist, Damien is simply one of the nastiest characters I’ve encountered in a contemporary book. And the way he was implemented was very original.

The dialog in this book and the pacing are very snappy. It just pulls you through the read.

Opportunities within the story:

While there are so many great things within this book, the broad cast of characters is something that takes getting accustomed to. In Charlotte McGee, it’s easy to connect with one protagonist–Charlotte. In this book, you need to start connecting with the whole family. It’s something that took me a while to get my head around when I started reading. If you’re diving into this series, keep in mind that the protagonist in this series is not one person, but THE CARROWS FAMILY. As a result, I felt at times that I could use a little more character development.

Worldbuilding aspects:

In most of my blogging, I try to touch on this to reiterate that worldbuilding is not inherent to fantasy or sci-fi. In this book, the world is built through the experiences in Charlotte’s wedding planning, the developing casino in Atlantic City, and Damien’s home. It’s contemporary New York, but Annabelle Lewis brings us into the wealthy lives of the Carrows through her descriptions of the clothing and atmosphere as well as how Damien and his wife strive to maintain an upper-class appearance but don’t quite live up to the class that’s inherent in the Carrows’s world. It paints the dichotomy of being classy wealthy and being a “wannabe.”

As someone who has never been to any of the general locations (NY or Atlantic City), I really felt that the subtlety of these places and the individual places within allowed the story to stand forward. Furthermore, while the “luxuries” we experience through the Carrows could be considered pretentious, Annabelle Lewis has a way of making it simply feel elegant.

Bottom line:

Definitely worth the read when you’re looking for a fun, contemporary journey. Buy it here:

If you missed Annabelle’s guest post, check it out here: Annabelle Lewis on Worldbuilding

If you missed my worldbuilding interview with Annabelle, check that out here: Worldbuilder Spotlight: Annabelle Lewis

Enjoy!