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Code of Conduct: A Sexy Romantic Suspense (Cipher Security Book 1) Kindle Edition

by Smartypants Romance (Author), April White (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 1,561 ratings
See all formats and editions
** 2021 RWA Vivian Award Finalist – Romantic Suspense **

** Finalist in the 2020 Next Generation Indie Book Awards **

“The slow-burn romance between Gabriel and Shane becomes delicious torture. This is a winner.” – Publishers WeeklyStarred Review

There are three things you need to know about Shane P.I.
1) P.I. is not her last name, it’s her job title,
2) Her specialty is catching cheaters, and
3) She’s a superhuman – kind of.

Gabriel is a security expert for Cipher Security, and a former UN Peacekeeper with a fierce protective streak that finds its focus on the beautiful P.I. Their attraction is like an elephant in a room full of breakable things, and figuring out how to trust each other with their hearts, and maybe their lives, is the most fragile thing of all.

'Code of Conduct' is a full-length contemporary romantic suspense, can be read as a standalone, and is book #1 in the Cipher Security series, Knitting in the City World, Penny Reid Book Universe.
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  1. Book 1 of 3
    Cipher Security
  2. Print length
    372 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Sticky notes
    On Kindle Scribe
  5. Publication date
    October 15, 2019
  6. File size
    932 KB
  7. Page Flip
    Enabled
  8. Word Wise
    Enabled
  9. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
  10. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

Review

"The slow-burn romance between Gabriel and Shane becomes delicious torture. This is a winner." - Publishers Weekly Starred Review "A clever, sexy game of cat and mouse that'll keep you on the edge of your seat from start to finish." - Penny Reid, NYT, WSJ, USA Today bestselling author "Shane and Gabriel's unique personal challenges - and the care used when writing about them - elevate this romance above the generic romantic suspense trope." - The BookLife Prize
"Code of Conduct was a rollicking, good ride--sexy, funny, and fast-paced with plenty of kicks and twists. Fans of quirky heroines who don't fit the mold are going to love this one as much as I did." - Amy Harmon, New York Times Bestselling Author

"Code of Conduct has everything I look for in a great story; fascinating three-dimensional characters, a smart and suspenseful plot and amazing chemistry between the hero and heroine. If you love romantic suspense that keeps you hooked from beginning to end this is the book for you!" - LH Cosway, USA Today Bestselling Author
"Hello romantic suspense that's super smart and oh, so sexy! With Code of Conduct, April White gives us a brilliant, badass heroine; a protective hero with a soulful character; and a dynamic plot that had me reading late into the night. I loved this book, and highly recommend it to readers who crave a sophisticated story that will grab you and not let go." - Ruth Clampett, USA Today Bestselling Author

"I can't tell you how refreshing it is to be handed a truly unique, sarcastic, strong female protagonist like Shane, who doesn't wilt and simper (or get kidnapped and need rescuing) at the first sign of a sexy tall man. She is the personification of every kick-ass heroine out there." - Emerald Book Review
"Sometimes well-crafted stories equal more than the sum of their excellent parts to offer a reading experience that satisfies in every way. "Code of Conduct" is one of those stories." - InD'tale Magazine

About the Author

APRIL WHITE has been a film producer, private investigator, bouncer, teacher, and screenwriter. She has climbed in the Himalayas, survived a shipwreck, and lived on a gold mine in the Yukon. She and her husband share their home in Southern California with two extraordinary boys and a lifetime collection of books.
Book one in her Immortal Descendants series is the 2016 Library Journal Indie Award-winner for YA, and all five books are on the Amazon Top 100 lists for Time Travel Romance and Historical Fantasy. More information can be found at aprilwhitebooks.com.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B07VSXBLYD
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Smartypants Romance (October 15, 2019)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ October 15, 2019
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 932 KB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 372 pages
  • Page numbers source ISBN ‏ : ‎ 1949202038
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 1,561 ratings

About the authors

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Previous page
  1. Smartypants Romance

    Smartypants Romance

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    Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

    Find us online at www.smartypantsromance.com

    In 2017, several authors expressed interest in writing stories for a theoretical “Pennyverse” (author Penny Reid’s Universe) in some capacity (whether that be writing a canon story about new characters within the Pennyverse, writing a continuation of a current couple’s story within the Pennyverse, writing a fanfic in an alternate timeline using Pennyverse characters, etc.) We collated the data we received, marinated in it, and created this collaborative business model.

    Smartypants Romance is a small publisher that is indie-minded. It is a business whose mission is:

    1) To be self-sustaining.

    2) To be value added to: a) the authors and professionals (support personnel) who are published by/within/work for the SRU, b) the Penny Reid Brand, and c) the romance community and world at large.

    3) To set an example of best practices, inclusion, representation, professionalism, mentorship, and craft-excellence.

    4) To be drama free and efficient.

    See more on the author's page
  2. April White

    April White

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    Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

    APRIL WHITE has been a film producer, private investigator, bouncer, teacher and screenwriter. She has climbed in the Himalayas, survived a shipwreck, and lived on a gold mine in the Yukon. She and her husband share their home in Southern California with two extraordinary boys and a lifetime collection of books.

    Her first novel, Marking Time is the 2016 winner of the Library Journal Indie E-Book Award for YA Literature, and all five books in the Immortal Descendants series are on the Amazon Top 100 lists in Time Travel Romance and Historical Fantasy. Code of Conduct is an RWA Vivian Award finalist for romantic suspense, a Next Generation Award finalist for romance, and RONE Award finalist for suspense. And Death's Door is a Grand Prize winner of the Next Generation Award, and a Foreword Reviews Award finalist. More information and her blog can be found at www.aprilwhitebooks.com.

    See more on the author's page
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Customer reviews

4.6 out of 5 stars
4.6 out of 5
1,561 global ratings
One of my favorite books of the year!
5 Stars
One of my favorite books of the year!
“You could never be normal. Extraordinary is not normal. Stunning is not normal. Brilliant is. Not. Normal.”This book is one of my favorites of 2019.It checked all the boxes for me: Well-developed, smart characters with undeniable chemistry, an intriguing plot, real world social issues/current events. “Code of Conduct” was everything I hoped it would be.I am a huge fan of Penny Reid’s Knitting in the City series, so the idea of other authors writing in her world for SmartyPants Romance was both thrilling and nerve-wracking. What if I didn’t like the new stories or characters? What if the established characters didn’t feel genuine? My fears were clearly unfounded. April White is a brilliant writer, and this book felt like coming home to visit old friends.Shane is a fierce PI who usually catches cheaters. During a case, she accidentally crosses paths with Gabriel and a few others from Cypher Security, and they end up teaming up.This story is longer than a lot of modern romance novels, but it’s got mystery, action, authentic characters dealing with their own vulnerabilities, issues, and pasts, and I couldn’t put down. Shane and Gabriel are people I want to know in real life.Heads up, Code of Conduct did make me want to boycott the internet, but here I am, on the internet.“Search engine is just the term people use to make artificial intelligence sound like it works for us,” -Alex Greene
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Top reviews from the United States

StephanieJ
5.0 out of 5 stars One of the best reads of the year!!
Reviewed in the United States on October 15, 2019
Verified Purchase
I was thrilled to receive an ARC copy of Code of Conduct. I had first come across the start of this story in Penny Reid's "Cocktales" anthology, and out of all of the tales it contained, this one immediately grabbed my attention. It checked all of the boxes for books I love, and I am happy to say the novel itself delivered.

1. I love a good romance. Code of Conduct is straight up SEXY. The build of the relationship was equal parts hot and sweet and hilarious and had all of the feels.

2. I love a good mystery. The plot kept me guessing throughout the book, and it truly delivered in the end. (No spoilers)

3. I love diverse, smart characters. April White gave us main characters that you don't read everyday, and I was so glad to meet them. Whether it's race, gender or disability, she navigated them with honesty through very realistic scenarios in the plot. I am grateful for the attention given to them, and the fact that the author does not shy from truth telling within the story telling. She went deep, and it was beautiful.

4. I love Penny Reid. She created one hell of a universe in her "Knitting in the City" series. When it was shared that Smartypants Romance was going to allow other authors to share stories within it, I was pretty excited. The characters we see again in this book were true to their origins, and I love that we continue to get glimpses into their lives. It's brilliant and fun! The author hit every mark with them.

5. I love a strong female main character. It's kind of a must for books I seek out to read. Shane is one of the most kick ass characters I have read. For goodness sake, she has a peg leg!!! And deep knowledge of Star Wars Canon!!! She's fierce and intelligent and capable. Sigh. I really hope that there's more to come from these characters!! I highly recommend!!
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
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Clio Reads
4.0 out of 5 stars Unexpectedly delightful
Reviewed in the United States on October 28, 2019
Verified Purchase
I went into this book with modest expectations. It’s the first of the Smartpants Romance books that I have read (these being spin-offs from Penny Reid’s Knitting in the City and Winston Brothers series’, by authors unknown to me). I feared that this would be fan fiction, with its usually pale-shadow-of-the-original inferiority, but I was pleasantly surprised by how much I loved this book. I love that Gabriel and Shane are diverse, unique characters, fully drawn as human beings rather than token minorities. I love that they are both athletic, smart, competent, and strong, yet also full of human frailties and insecurities. I loved how smart and insightful this book was, both about the interpersonal dynamics of falling in love, but also about global issues like racism, ableism, feminism, and trauma recovery. I found this story nearly perfect in its plotting and pacing.
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renata
5.0 out of 5 stars A one of a kind, must read, ingenious book!
Reviewed in the United States on August 24, 2020
Verified Purchase
Wow! What a ride! This book was brilliant, one of a kind and I loved it more than any other book I've read this year.
As with any other book by an author that is unknown to me, I read through the reviews first, before I decided to pick it up. Unfortunately, some of the reviews were very confusing as they kept mentioning Penny Reid, comparing this book to other books by Penny Reid and suggesting it's not as good as them. I'm not sure what's the reason behind that... At first I thought that maybe April White is just another pen name for Penny Reid, and I just wasn't aware of that.
In any case I've never read a book by April White before, and I've read some of Penny Reid's books (Winston brothers series) but I couldn't remember anything about them, which makes me thing they didn't really grab my attention. So I decided to give this book a chance, and I am SO. GLAD. I. DID! This book was amazing. It was engaging, romantic, clever and just plain ingenious! I couldn't put it down!
I loved both Shane and Gabriel, their characters were very well developed and their actions matched perfectly with their background stories. I loved th story line, the witty banter and the interactions between all the characters in the book. And the book was not as easily predictable as so many others in this genre, which was a pleasant surprise. My advice to all of you, who are wondering (as I did) whether you should give this book a chance or not, is clear your head of expectations, don't be prejudiced by comparing this book to other authors and expecting it to be a perfect match. It won't be! As I found out April White is not other authors, she has her own style which in the case of this book has allowed her to create brilliant and innovative story line and a thiroughly lovable characters.
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@Bee_lovestoread
5.0 out of 5 stars EXCELLENT STORYTELLING
Reviewed in the United States on November 27, 2019
Verified Purchase
Oh my word. When I started this book, I had no freakin idea it would become one of my favorites of 2019. And that’s a heavy statement because I’ve read over 300 books so far since January. What’s so special about this book? Welp since it’s a piece of art - I’ll start by saying not everyone appreciates art the same way which is why we like/dislike and review books differently.
I loved how the author wove issues of injustice (racism, sexism, etc) into the story with such finesse. Bravo April White!
Shane and Gabriel were such unique characters with incredible backstories that propelled them into intelligent, tactful, interesting, and exceptional people. I continued to be captivated by the story because Cipher Security is Quinn + Dan’s company so we get to interact with them as well as Alex, Sandra, Kat, Fiona, and Greg. For me, this was so cool!!!! I loved catching up with them! Oh and the dog Oscar was a main character and he was perfect! All the belly rubs for that good boi!
Code of Conduct just checks all the boxes in my proverbial checklist of awesomeness. Wow I’m gushing so hard but I just loved this story. I don’t want to share a bunch of details because I don’t want to spoil anything!
I wouldn’t suggest this to those who haven’t read Penny’s Reid’s Knitting in the City series. I mean you can, I just don’t think you’ll have AS MUCH enjoyment as someone who has the backstories (no plot connections to previous books).

“You can be afraid and still strong, still fearless and indomitable. You can be afraid, and you can trust, and then when you’re ready, you can let go of the fear. Fear muffles you. Let it go, and then you can live out loud again like you’re meant to.”
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Top reviews from other countries

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Rita
3.0 out of 5 stars Carino
Reviewed in Italy on January 24, 2023
Verified Purchase
La storia sarebbe interessante ma il tutto è raccontato molto lentamente. Ho trovato un po' noioso il continuo parlare e spiegare le varie protesi della gamba e del passato dei personaggi. Peccato
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Anne Chadwick
5.0 out of 5 stars I really loved this book.
Reviewed in Canada on November 20, 2019
Verified Purchase
I consumed this book in the space of a day or so. April White writes characters I easily identify with (super tall, a bit damaged but awesome and more Importantly totally bad ass (Just like me). I was unsure at first of the Smarty Pants premise but it really really works. A new take on an established world? It’s really clever.

Gabriel was incredibly sexy, well written and I think if you’re not visualizing Idris Elba in some way you should re-read. He’s smart, is encouraging of strong women and supports them to be themselves. It was refreshing. Shane is a bit broken but as I said before a bad ass. Very believable and I want to be her friend. Desperately.

However, for the VERY first time in the many years of owning a kindle I actually took a physical note of a paragraph of a book which not only resonated with me on an incredibly deep level, but really gave me pause and I had to take a minute to collect myself before starting again (with a stream of tears running down my face it connected with me to that extent). It was something Sandra said to Shane about either believing your the people who should protect you’d take on how useless you are or you break (I’d prefer to post the paragraph but I’m not sure I’m allowed in a review).
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Kindle Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars You must read this!
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on November 2, 2019
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I loved this book because both the hero and heroine weren't the usual cookie cutter couple. Like all the books I've read so far in the Smartypants Romance series, there is something about them culturally or physically that provides an alternative viewpoint that's very refreshing. In this case, both Shane and Gabriel were kickass and I loved every minute with them. Add in a thriller element and I was in seventh heaven. I've not read any April White before and I'll look out for more in the future.
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Kindle Customer Maggie
5.0 out of 5 stars A Great "Chewing Gum" book
Reviewed in Australia on October 27, 2020
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I love "Chewing gum" books. Good flavour, comfortable read & puts a smile on your face, just like your favourite sweats & a glass of wine at the end of the day.
Its all that & more.Not your normal romance, in that it has a great story to go. As always I love the way Alice White writes & the beautiful life thoughts she mixes through her BOOKS. Can recommend all of them
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Leah Kogan
4.0 out of 5 stars 4.5
Reviewed in Canada on December 2, 2021
Verified Purchase
I really really enjoyed this. I didn’t think I’d fall jn love w it so quickly but great story and I am so so so interested I. Hearing the side characters and their stories!
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