Laydin Michaels

We first meat Drew aged 11 running down a street as if she has been transported there from outer space, with no memory of who she is or where she came from. Unusually her amnesia doesn’t fade, although the nightmares do after years of therapy.

Jump to Drew aged 26, working as a Ranger and bopping at the local festival, when she meats the gorgeous Cicely and they form an instant bond. The romance seems set to develop despite Cicely’s’ rather one sided obsession about truth and honesty.

But Drew has started to receive anonymous text messages, and the nightmares flare up again, putting stress on their budding relationship. When a strange man speaks to Drew’s younger sister a warning flares, but her stalker will get much closer before her memories return and uncover the horror of her childhood.

The suspense and terror in ‘Buried Heart’ are very real, the horror of a sadistic man's behaviour had me turning the pages to get through it, hoping for a happy ever after ending, but dreading a fateful twist in the plot. Ms Michaels can certainly create a crescendo of angst that builds and builds until it is almost unbearable and then crashes like a tidal wave against the shore with the release of pent up energy.

Drew is a likeable and interesting character, Cicely less so, and although her background explains her demanding nature, she is certainly never warm and fuzzy. Drew’s family, particularly her mother, along with her friend Preston and Cicely’s closest friend Kallie, provide the warmth and care, the gentler and loving side.

The dialogue was, at times, a little heavy and the editing could have been tighter, but the author certainly has a gift for thrilling the reader and holding you in thrall. After all they went through I was not convinced by their happy ever after protestations, but I am certain that I wanted, needed, them to survive and escape the horror, however damaged they might be. Ms Michaels should definitely be writing more page turning thrillers.

Unusually I am split about the rating . so 4+ for storytelling and suspense, 3+ for emotions and editing – overall something around 3.8… (plus d'informations)

Laydin Michaels starts her novel with a bang — literally. Eleven-year-old Merley's stepfather shoves his gun in her hands and makes her pull the trigger.

Despite the typically slow genre (romance), the suspenseful plot makes Bitter Root exciting enough to keep me reading to the end. The writing isn't great, and the sudden head-over-heels nature of the relationships is unrealistic, but I was engaged by the story and intrigued by the descriptions of Cajun cuisine and bayou country.

Note: I received an advance reader's copy of the novel through NetGalley.… (plus d'informations)

This novel has taken me a little longer to digest and review than most other Bold Strokes Book books because I'm not exactly sure what I thought of it.

It was the story of Blake and Lindsay. Lindsay has one motivation in her life, and that's to become a Texas Ranger. But then she meets Blake and her whole life gets turned upside down (on one occasion literally).

Blake has a social anxiety disorder, but between her friend Krystal and her prescription meds Krystal somehow manages to get Blake to keep trying to face parts of her anxiety. And so she does go to a bar one night and she meets Lindsay. And just like Lindsay, once they meet Blake's life pushes her to places she never thought it would go.

I really liked the characters in this novel. They all had their own voice. I don't know how true to life the author's portrayal of Social Anxiety Disorder was since I don't have it, but it seemed real.

And then there was the character of Levi. Levi was definitely my favorite character in the novel.

I guess overall I did like more of the story than I disliked. Sometimes it got a little off the narrative track, but the plot, and especially the mystery/thriller part of the plot was pretty good.

I got this advanced galley through Netgalley on behalf of Bold Strokes Books.… (plus d'informations)