Review: White-Hot Hack (Kate & Ian #2) by Tracey Garvis Graves

Their love story began in Heart-Shaped Hack. Join Kate and Ian for the thrilling conclusion in White-Hot Hack.

When cybercriminals doxed undercover hacker Ian Bradshaw and forced him to flee, he begged Kate Watts for forgiveness and vowed never to hurt her again. He also convinced her to marry him, and when their idyllic summer on Roanoke Island comes to an end, the newlyweds relocate to their new home deep in the heart of Virginia’s horse and wine country. Ian still struggles with boundaries, but he keeps Kate’s lingerie drawer filled with surprises, and there’s no shortage of number-six kisses. There’s even a fast, new car to replace his beloved Shelby.

Ian promised Kate that life with him would never be boring, but spending her days picking out paint colors and going to Pilates isn’t going to cut it. Meanwhile, Ian discovers that building a white-hat security firm from the ground up seems harder the second time around, and he might have underestimated how much he’d miss the undercover work he walked away from. To make matters worse, the hacktivists are threatening national security, and the task force could really use Ian’s help.

Kate and Ian have always worried that their past would catch up to them, and when faced with the biggest showdown of their lives, they must capitalize on the one thing they excel at most: teamwork. Ian claims no one is a better hacker than him, but in order to triumph, he’ll have to prove it. And if he can’t, he risks losing the woman whose heart he worked so hard to hack.

Disclaimer: This is the sequel to Heart Shaped Hack and CAN NOT BE READ AS A STANDALONE! 

Also, this review will contain spoilers for the first book. 

I read Heart Shaped Hack in January, and I couldn’t stop fawning over Ian – I mean, he was and still remains one of my top favorite (and perfect!) book boyfriends EVER! He is not only hilarious, but incorrigible, intelligent and absolutely adorable – though he would argue till he last breath against THAT LAST label *tehehe*

Not to mention how FREAKING PERFECT Kate was for Ian – form their banter, to their loyalty and their love – so much freaking cuteness and perfection that I was smiling days after I kept the book aside!!

“Kate: I’m designing our Christmas card. How do you feel about Happy Holidays from the Bradshaws?”

“Kate: Wait. Scratch that. How about Happy Holidays from the Merricks!

Kate: Damn. Happy Holidays from the Smiths!

Kate: I’ve got it. Happy Holidays from Kate and Ian!

Kate: Shit. Happy Holidays from Will and Diane!

Kate: Happy Holidays—you’ll just have to guess who this card is from!

Ian: I’m glad you find this amusing.

Kate: I’ve embraced our anonymity. We can be anyone.

Ian: Now all I can think about is role-playing.”

And honestly, ever since I found out that lovely Tracey has been working on more of Ian and Kate – I was excited sure, (because IAN!) but a little apprehensive because their story tied up neatly in Heart Shaped Hack – that I was scared to even think what more could Tracey do.

And as usual, I have learnt (again!) that I should never really doubt my favorite authors – there is a reason WHY they became my favorites 😛

This sequel starts off where Heart Shaped Hack left off – with Ian and Kate embracing their new identity and settling into their idyllic married life – so what if they both are a bit restless? At least it’s a bit better than being dead (remember Shelby?).

But beneath it all, their love and loyalty towards each other is still going strong – still as adorable as they were with each other at first – they are now growing together.

Their banter (case in point: above!) is still the same – Ian at his incorrigible best and Kate at her sassy awesomeness – but I ADORED that neither of them let go of their individuality – and they both understood how and why each made their decisions. YASS NO MIS-COMMUNICATION PER SAY AND FULL FAITH! BEST THING IN A RELATIONSHIP AFTER MATCHING ONESIES 😉

“Kate: Phishing e-mail worked! No wonder you love going in the backdoor. The rush is incredible!

Ian: You just shattered my concentration in the best possible way. We should take a break. Seriously, like right now.

Kate: Can’t. I’m very busy. I had to beg my boss for this job and I don’t want to let him down.

Ian: Trust me. No part of your boss is “down” right now, and he’s totally cool with you taking a break.

Kate: Are you sexually harassing me?

Ian: I’M TRYING TO.”

Yes, this book takes off to a slow start – meaning the fast paced romance and mystery w had in the first book, isn’t there – but isn’t that what marriage is all about? Yes, I am being realistic – you JUST can’t expect to have the same sort of relationship you had during your courtship and I AM SOO HAPPY that Tracey decided to show Ian and Kate in a realistic form.

But did that mean there were no villains in this HEA? HA! This is Ian we are talking about 😀
Ian and Kate’s relationship is SOLID – with a strong foundation that no matter what bombs were thrown at it, they barely stuttered and THAT is exactly how I believe all my favorite fictional couple live their lives.

There is mystery and some tying up of loose ends that were left in Book 1 – but most of all, it was absolutely FUN to read more Ian and Kate – this was definitely worth writing but more FUN reading 😛

“Do you know why I call you sweetness?”

She propped herself up on her arm and smiled down at him. “I thought it was just your preferred term of endearment.”

“It is, but I call you sweetness because everything in my life got sweeter the minute you became a part of it. You’re exactly the woman I always hoped I’d find.”

⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ .5