Reader's Review: "Threats By Numbers" by Kimberly A. Rogers

 

Synopsis from Amazon:

Everyone has a number but only a few can see them. I’m one of those few. And now it might get me killed.

I’ve been in hiding all my life. Working as a secretary for a paranormal relocation and PR firm is quiet, simple, and above all filled with low numbers. But then I see a man who’s registering as a Ten — They aren’t supposed to exist. To make matters worse, he’s the firm’s new security specialist.

One incident changes everything. In protecting the firm, I’ve been exposed and now far bigger threats are closing in on me. Hunters who won’t stop until they’ve brought me down. I don’t know who to trust.

The most dangerous man I’ve ever met is offering protection. But trusting him might be the last thing I ever do.

Threats by Numbers is a fast-paced Supernatural Thriller with romance and humor set in an urban fantasy world.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

My Review:

Back in 2015, I encountered Kimberly Rogers for the first time, through her series the Therian Way, which was part urban fantasy, part alternate-universe (where humans, Elves, and Therians--shifters--coexisted in the modern world), and part clean romance, and all of a sudden I had an author and characters I could obsess over! I didn't realize how much I actually enjoyed a good shifter story, because till that point the only shifter novels I'd heard of were Omegaverse smut, or just really dark trashy stuff. 

But this? This was beautiful, enthralling, and absolutely wholesome.

But that is all to say that I have come into the "Rogue Spotter Universe" knowing that Rogers is an author I trust to deliver excellent twists, a well-paced plot, great characters... and the fact that she's currently re-vamping the Therian Way series, so this is pretty much the only way I'll be able to enjoy anything close to those characters for the immediate future! (Boo...)
That being said, in the absence of Therians Baran and Raina.... Lauren and Mathias are a reasonable substitute. I wouldn't say "comparable", but "reasonable."

Not going to lie, I really enjoyed it. First of all, it's set in the Seattle/Olympia area, which very familiar to me, living in the Pacific Northwest my whole life! Rogers nails the vibe of that place, even with her paranormal twists to it--I get definite Grimm or Supernatural feels in this one! Whereas this series seems more focused on Fae factions than actual shifters, Rogers still displays a strong grasp of folklore and masterful ability to create her own original brand of "superpowers", such as the eponymous Spotter, a parahuman with the ability to see a person's threat level, depicted as a number from 1 to 10 hovering over the person's head.

Lauren, a Spotter, has been keeping her head down and staying low-profile for a few years as she's worked for a PR firm that deals with relocating monsters and paranormal entities that threaten the safety of normal people living around them. She's a simple secretary, completely comfortable in maintaining a bubble of low-risk people around her.

Mathias arrives as a security assessor dispatched to the firm to ensure that intimate company secrets are not threatened, no leaks are imminent, and that they can continue their job of cleaning up and quieting down rumors and encounters with paranormal beasties and other sorts, maintaining the safety and status quo of their clientele... but in Lauren's eyes, he's the most dangerous person there.

It's kind of obvious from the start where the whole story arc is headed, at least where Lauren and Mathias are concerned. Just your bog-standard enemies-to-lovers, will-they-won't-they, wholesome romance. It's the part of the plot that doesn't deal with the relationship drama that I found most intriguing, though, and that I think is where Rogers shines. It's a web of mystery carefully constructed and patiently doled out one scenario at a time, with moments you see coming, and twists you don't. And it seems the partnership between Lauren and Mathias has only just begun!

I would give Threats By Numbers a hearty *****4.5 STARS***** and include for good measure an Upstream Writer Certified WHOLEHEARTEDLY RECOMMENDED, if only because it comes from very much a trusted source! It's a bit mundane in its plot in many ways, but if you come for the romance, guaranteed you're going to stay for the intrigue, the world-building, the fantastic lore, and the amazingness still to come!

Further Reading: (Also by the Author/Urban fantasy/Wholesome/Romance)

The Therian Way--Kimberly Rogers
       -Leopard's Heart 
       -Wolf's Path  
       -Tiger's Shadow

Verona: The Complete Mermaid Tales--Pauline Creeden
       -Scales 
       -Submerged 
       -Salt 
       -Surfacing

The Fair Folk Chronicles--Jeffrey Cook and Katherine Perkins
        -Foul is Fair 
        -Street Fair 
        -A Fair Fight 
        -All's Fair 

The Alexander Legacy--Sophronia Belle Lyon
       -A Dodge, A Twist, and A Tobacconist 
       -The Pinocchio Factor

The Bhinian Empire--Miriam Forster
     -City of A Thousand Dolls 
     -Empire of Shadows

Wonderland Guardian Academy Series--Pauline Creeden
       -Red The Wolf Tracker

The Time Tree Chronicles--Lisa Rae Morris
       -The Emergence

-Anamatus--Derrick Tribble