Name: Dissident
ISBN: 9781508530954

Cecilia London

She once was important. Now she's considered dangerous. In a new America where almost no one can be trusted, Caroline lies unconscious in a government hospital as others decide her fate. She is a political dissident, wanted for questioning by a brutal regime that has come to power in a shockingly easy way. As she recovers from her injuries, all she has are her memories. And once she wakes up, they may not matter anymore.

Part One in the Bellator Saga

Dissident

Totally Addicted to Reading

The funny thing was that I had purchased this book long before now, but had forgotten all about it until it was assigned to me as part of the Quirky Blind Date with a book program. If it wasn’t for this, it would probably still be sitting on my TBR list. 

When I read the blurb I realised that I was about to be plunged in the US political arena. The closest I have ever come to this scenario is in watching the television drama Scandal. As such I was expecting intrigue and drama. I know nothing about American politics, so I knew I would have some challenges with the terms used. Google became my very best friend while reading this book.

The book started out on a high, with an exciting and thrilling prologue. So far the book was living up to some of my expectations. However, as the story progressed, I slowly lost that high. The intrigue I was looking for was not there, but there was drama galore. What kept me turning the pages of this book was the budding romance between the main characters. At first, I wondered how the prologue tied with this aspect of the story. As I progressed through the book, I recognized that the author’s intention was to have her readers understand what led to the heart-pounding scene at the start of the book.

The story moved between the past and present, with the main focus being on the Jack and Caroline’s romance. During this time, I was curious about the events that were currently transpiring. I was eager to uncover who wanted to destroy Caroline and Jack and why they were dubbed traitors by the US governments. However, this was not made clear and I was left with more questions than before I started the book.

I was fascinated with Jack and Caroline. Here we have two people on the opposite sides of the political spectrum finding love with each other. Their differences lay not only in their political aspirations but also in the way they lived their lives. Jack was a billionaire playboy who worked his way into the political arena and had high aspirations. Caroline is a widow trying her best to raise her two daughters. She was still grieving the loss of her husband and she had no interest in moving beyond being a congresswoman. The thing that they had most in common was that neither was looking for s relationship. However, fate had different plans for these two.

Their chemistry was intense. This was no instant love connection. They started out as enemies and slowly developed a friendship, one that would evolve into something more meaningful. I loved the attention the author gave to this aspect of the story. It made it easy for me to relate to them both. Their romance was refreshing and their connection was palpable. As a result, I understood I was able to understand why Caroline made the decision she did at the start of the book.

This book was a challenge for me in a good way. It made me think and I learned some interesting terms in the process. I found myself revisiting certain scenes in my head. The last couple of chapters were emotional. You that moment when you are about to take a seat, only to realise when it’s too late that the chair is not behind you? Well, that’s how I felt where the last couple of chapters were concerned.

I enjoyed this installment, which in my opinion is a great start to the Bellator saga. Looking forward to continuing the series.

Dissident Part One in the Bellator Saga

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