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7/28/2017 c13 ForeverDancingInShadows
Hola crap. Ever since starting your story Vertigo, I've been completely engrossed and unable to put it down. I haven't reviewed up until now, but I hope I can make up for it with a long and well thought out review. I know by now your story is quite old but I figured I'd review anyway because I'm sure you'd still appreciate it. I went into this looking for a romance with more substance than "boy meets girl and they fall in love instantly, have hot sex, the end" What I got was better than I expected or hoped though!

Characters: really well fleshed out! Even the unlikable characters I feel like we really get a sense of who they are. Well, maybe Ben is a bit underdeveloped, but I suppose maybe he isn't so important in the grand scheme of things. You probably don't want readers getting too attached to him. ;) I think Boone is the best developed, even more than Gemma surprisingly who tells the story. I like his character a lot, but even if I didn't, it wouldn't change that he is very much Boone. Gemma is also a great female lead. She's strong, she's cute, shes VULNERABLE and she's occasionally sassy without being over the top. She was much more likable to me than many female leads in romances. She isn't stupid or clumsy, or immediately googly eyed at a boy which is so common, even when they start out being badass. The only problem I have with her is sometimes I think you took it a bit too far in the other direction. So far she's always been the one to save the day, and it borders on being... I don't want to start touching on Mary Sue territory, because it's not that. But still. So far she's been the one to tap the phone call of Volkov, go into the club undercover and take out four armed men by herself AFTER drinking on a mission , got the all important envelope, remembered the calls from Miami, and gone to the hotel (with Laura, it's true) to copy the hard drive. So far it's about Gemma - 5, everyone else - 0.

Plot: Wow. You definitely did your research. The details are amazing. The story is very believable. I love the action parts where Gemma is in the field. I feel like I'm right there with her. As for the romance, I really like that you did a very slow build up. I feel like the characters are earning it. In the first chapter when you introduced Boone I didn't even realize he was the love interest, even when Gemma mentioned counting his freckles haha. Now I'm right in the middle of when he's captured and they are trying to get him back and all I can say is I'm rooting for them hard.

Writing: I love your style. It puts me there. I feel like I'm in Gemma's head and it's a nice place to be haha.

Okay I can't wait to get back to the action, so I'm going to stop yapping now. Thanks so much for writing an incredible story. I'm so happy there's a sequel. Hope this review helped, or at least made you smile. )
2/5/2017 c24 1Du
Just finished, again! And I really am running out of chapters to review. But I just love this story so much. Gemma is wonderful. She is always so calm and collected. So the opposite of Boone actually - he seems to always be the one who is calm and keeps a levelled head, but in emotional matters he is such a mess, whereas Gemma is so grounded. I enjoy their bickering so much, you did a wonderful, wonderful job in writing both characters. I am off to reread for the nth time Ricochet, thank God for vacation!
2/4/2017 c15 Du
Just wanted to say, I'm pretty sure you work for the CIA. There is no way all of this just comes out of your head and your research (as thorough as that may be). This is my favourite part of Vertigo, these action-filled chapters. The thrill is just..! So I'm off to continue (because it's 1am on a Saturday night and that is how much social life I have). I love this next chapter!
2/4/2017 c6 Du
"Ready, rook?" Those are probably my favourite words in these stories. I love how Gemma is so oblivious to the inner workings of Boone's mind, how she keeps teasing him about Gibson.
I enjoy reading your writing so much. You are amazing at story-telling, at building up to suspense, to action, to love. But you are especially good at descriptive writing. Everything is clearly pictured in my mind as I read it. You include details which may seem whimsical or chosen totally at random, yet they work perfectly in sucking you into Gemma's world. It is all just so outstanding, I think I'm gushing but I can't help it. I'm a fan with lots of spare time.
2/4/2017 c3 Du
Hi. It's been a week since I am finally free from any studying, so I came back from my FP hiatus. I tried reading a dozen stories, but none of them seemed right. Then I came to your profile, and... Just one chapter in, I am so hooked all over again (I am still on chapter 2, but am running out of chapters to review)! So I just had to drop in a line (or two - who am I kidding, I always ramble). I love reading Gemma's story. She is such a wonderful protagonist, so normal, so human. And I can't wait to read Boone struggling with his emotions.
As always, thank you so, so much for writing this wonderful story, for keeping it posted and not taking it down. It's bloody brilliant. Perfect.
I'll drop you another line here and there as I read through. In the meantime, I hope all is well in your life. Cheers! :)
PS: I knew I couldn't go a review without mentioning it, and you knew too. So here it is: oh that Adam's apple, dammit! There, I said it.
5/27/2016 c25 10Lilchany
Wow...Just WOW. You are definitely quite the wordsmith. Your writing is incredibly amazing. You are one of the few persons who can be quite descriptive without it becoming overwhelming (I'm the kinda person who will skip very flowery descriptions so thumbs up there). Although the beginning was slow at times, it really picked up the pace and became extremely exciting. You did the action scenes quite well, which I can imagine must have been difficult to write at times. I don't have much knowledge about the CIA (and I don't know how much you did before writing this) but the research you put into this must have been quite extensive. I also loved how you built up the tension between Boone and Gemma and although the the ending is bittersweet, I'm glad it ended that way. It was true to Boone's character and I appreciated the consistency. However, I'm excited to read more about their relationship in the sequel! I usually don't write such long reviews (or really review at all anymore), but your work deserved it. I hope you publish this, because I can see this being a great movie one day!
4/26/2016 c10 Fine Inspiration
I'm currently crying my eyes out. I've been praying for something to happen between the two.. He has super terrible timing.
4/19/2016 c3 luzanima
I can't wait to see the scene on the airplane (and picking Gemma up that morning from her apartment) from Boone's POV! I'm really hoping those scenes make it into "The Rookie" :)
3/15/2016 c26 xoxo12
Alright, so I am sort of new in this site and this is the 4th story I've read since Friday (it's Tuesday in my place right now). I have nothing but good words for this story. I sort of found it difficult to pause for a few moments as I also have work to do but during my spare times at work, I can't help but to continue reading the story. I started reading the story last Sunday afternoon and I've just finished today. I am so pumped up to read the sequel but I'm also afraid to continue as I do not want to say goodbye yet to Boone, Gemma and the rest of the crew. :(

Anyway, keep writing and inspiring us with your stories and I am hoping for you to finish all of 'em despite of life getting in the way. See you in your next story. :)

Xoxo, P
2/25/2016 c26 Guest
This story has been such a joy to read. I love the characters and the plot moved along at a good pace. Gemma's development was thoughtful and read completely natural. I was as excited to see her come into her own with the missions as much as with Boone, and I can't wait to read the sequel. Thank you for sharing this.
2/9/2016 c26 69Shadowswept
Somewhere along the way, I stopped reviewing and just kept reading. I'm going to go back and review every chapter that I missed, because this story is good enough to warrant it. I'm absolutely giddy that there is already a sequel, because I love these characters. Oh my goodness, this story just played out perfectly from beginning to end! I wouldn't change a thing, except for a few typos. Otherwise, it's just perfection.

I love that you didn't change Boone overnight from a commitment phobic bachelor to a besotted romantic. His morning after reaction was realistic, but I like that their professional partnership is still intact. And that Danny is with them, because I adore Danny.
2/6/2016 c10 Shadowswept
Oh my goodness, so much strong emotion in this one! I loved the kiss, but I'm so sad he's leaving. This chapter had a bittersweet quality to it, and it also left me uneasy. I've got a bad feeling about this mission.
2/5/2016 c9 Shadowswept
That was so damn cool! Gemma adapts quickly to the situation and thinks on her feet. I like how she utilized everything she had to outwit the bad guys; her brain, her body, the knife, the gun, and just plain determination. I also like that you didn't make it to easy for her. She didn't just walk away without a scratch. It made the victory more satisfying.

I'm also loving her last line to Boone. It was a perfect conclusion to the chapter.
2/5/2016 c8 Shadowswept
I love your long chapters! They pull me fully into the story and into the lives of the characters. They act like real people and talk like real people, but they are dealing with things most people don't have to deal with. It makes it that much more exciting, because this is not the slick, stylish James Bond version. These are flesh and blood characters rather than the fantasy heroes that we know will always beat the bad guys. So it's lots of fun when Gemma gets dressed up to go undercover, but I'm already worried about her.

Boone is very protective of her. I think it's no coincidence that he sought distraction with Gibson after he cuddled with Gemma. I like how she's holding her own even as she's gradually being drawn toward him. She hasn't lost her edge on the job, and she's focused on the mission. Gibson has also turned into a pretty cool character. She's not disregarding what's important to the mission, and she's not giving deference to Boone just because she's involved with him. I like that you've written them both as strong women. There aren't nearly enough of them in romance stories.
2/4/2016 c7 Shadowswept
Whew! Sigh of relief. Great action sequence in this chapter, and it was incredibly suspenseful. I thought for sure she was going to have to be rescued. You've written a terrific female character. She's quick and resourceful, but she's still realistically afraid of danger. Boone is just the right amount of alpha male, and it's also realistic the way you've written him as wanting to be in charge. Some of it is also feeling protective of her too I think. I see the character development of Gemma and how she's becoming more used to the violence without even realizing it. The shock wore off quicker this time, and she was cracking jokes. Since this is first person, you're limited to writing things from her perspective. Too many writers have the protagonist be all-knowing, but you haven't fallen into that trap.

I know I should go to bed, but I have to read one more chapter.
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