Playing Through Every Choices Book, In Order (Part 52: Most Wanted)

Hey! Today we attempt to track down a wicked killer as he enacts a plague of violence upon L.A. Can Dave Reyes and Sam Massey solve the case? If they could put aside their own pettiness, sure...

Next time, we become a struggling single mother whose daughter gets an amazing oppportunity...only for our sleazy ex-husband to come out the woodwork and sue for custody. Can we prevail over him, his equally awful lawyer (who is the PTA head, of course), and our financial struggles? We'll see...

Link to previous reviews: https://www.reddit.com/user/stresseatingdog/comments/sj3s3m/all_choices_reviews_megapost/

SPOILER WARNING, AS ALWAYS!

Most Wanted

M/C: Dave, Sam

Final LI: N/A

Favorite Chapter: Chapter 15

Favorite Character(s): Sam, Nikhil, Marisol, Cassandra

Least Favorite Character(s): Hayley, John

Overall Rating: 8/10

Review:

One of the few books on this app to have little-to-no romance involved, Most Wanted stands out greatly as a mainly plot-focused book. It also has the distinction of being one of the first three books in Choices history, which gives it some notability. I actually appreciated the lack of romance in this book. Don't get me wrong, there is still some shreds of romance, such as Reza and Jessica, or the subtle flirting between Dave and Alyssa/Cassandra/Sam, or Sam's ability to flirt with Ryan and Alyssa, but these are all minor, one off scenes. Neither main protagonist has a "LI" in the traditional sense. There is some romantic tension between the two, but Dave and Sam mostly remain platonic, which is really refreshing! The plot is of course the real stand out here. The mystery aspect is done well, I think, and the twist with Hayley being the mastermind is one I wasn't expecting. The score system for Dave and Sam is done somewhat well, but there are points where you can just use diamonds instead, which is kind of lame. I have to say I like Sam more than Dave, mainly because of her personal connection with the case, her apparent bisexuality, and her more vivacious personality compared to Dave "suave" Reyes. The climax of the story in the plane is really well done, and in general the action is handled well throughout the book. You can die, but the penalty is only starting over from a checkpoint, which isn't too bad. The side characters, excluding Reza (boring straight) and Captain Beckham (cliche gruff police chief) were really good! I love Nikhil, and Marisol kinda reminds me of myself lmao. Cassandra is great, and I hope I get to see her again in Red Carpet Diaries, when I get to that series. John Tull is a good villain in how detestable he is, and I love that he dies by being shoved out of an aloft airplane then blowing up. A satisfying karma, to be sure. I dislike the cliffhanger at the end of this book, though, because it is confirmed that this book will never recieve a sequel. So we'll never know who beheaded Hayley I guess. Point off for that. Also, point off for the dog diamond choice. 30 diamonds for a dog that barely appears after you buy it? Lame. All in all, I really did enjoy this book, despite going into it hesitant about the lack of romance. Too bad about the cancelled sequel though. Much like Hero and Distant Shores, this book could sorely use that sequel. However, the book itself is still quite enjoyable!