Kimberly Van Meter

Terrific book that sucked me in from the first pages and kept me hooked to the end. It all started when police detective Luna did a wellness check at her childhood friend Charlotte's house, only to discover that Charlotte and her entire family had been brutally murdered. She is grief-stricken at the loss of her friend, feels guilty that they had drifted apart, and is determined to find the person guilty of the heinous crime. The last thing she needs is for Charlotte's brother, Ben, to interfere in her investigation.

Ben and Charlotte's childhoods were miserable, and he left town as soon as possible, rarely returning. He feels even more guilty now that there is nothing he can do to repair his relationship with his sister. All he wants is for the killer to be brought to justice, and he has no confidence that the local police are up to the job.

The first meeting between Ben and Luna was rough. Both are attempting to deal with their grief over Charlotte's death, and Ben's accusations of incompetence don't go over well. Luna realizes it is better to have Ben working with her than going off on his own. Neither expected or wanted the sparks of attraction that flared between them. I enjoyed how they connected over their shared grief and determination to catch the killer. They try to resist their growing feelings for each other. Luna feels guilty about being happy with her dead friend's brother. Additionally, Ben has no desire to live in Cottonwood again, and Luna's roots run deep there. There is a lot to overcome if they are going to find a way to be together.

The suspense of the story was great. I was glued to the pages from the discovery of the bodies to the end of the book. I felt Luna and Ben's frustration at the lack of clues. Those they did find were rife with contradictions that made it difficult to discern the truth. A twist at the end and an unexpected connection finally set Luna and Ben on the right track. A tragic confrontation and its aftermath answered some questions but left others hanging, likely to be addressed in subsequent books.

There is a secondary mystery happening that involves Luna and her sisters. Their biological parents died in an explosion that is now raising questions in the girls' minds. The book ended with them having no answers. I expect that this will continue to be a theme in this series.… (plus d'informations)

That was a roller coaster ride. I never thought that an actual call girl could make a sympathetic heroine but color me surprised. I totally bought it. Loved the heroine and was grabbed by the throat and suffered her trauma right along with her. Every time you thought that something might go right, it didn't. The high pressure and tension kept up for the whole book. The hero was a really nice guy whose mother had been a street prostitute so he had some big issues with her. However, his innate decency drove him to help her. Plus of course he was falling in love against his will.

Very well written. There were a few minor things that I thought could have been better for example, who in this day and age doesn't know that cell phones have GPS in them. If you're running away from the bad dude toss it in the first dumpster you come to. These were pretty minor things so I'm not going to stress over them.

The villains were appallingly villainous. As there were scenes from the POV of the villains, their motivations and actions clearly explained and rationally motivated. At least rational from a villain's POV of course.

Going to go find the brothers' books and read them now.… (plus d'informations)

Extremely enjoyable second chance romance. Tasha Simmons and Josh Halvorsen were high school sweethearts. They drifted apart after Tasha went to college, got herself a job and later became a rape victim. As a result of that, Tasha ended up joining the Peace Corps. to get away from her hometown and the bad memories, and Josh never knew the reason why. Josh eventually got married, had a kid, got divorced. Now fifteen years later both are back in their hometown of Emmett’s Mill at the same time. Tasha has returned for her mother’s funeral. Josh has moved to get his teenage son Christopher away from the bullying at the school where Christopher used to attend. Tasha and Josh inevitably meet up again, and while the sparks are still there, each thinks that their chance for happiness has already passed.

This was such a captivating and emotional story with so much going on. I really liked Tasha and enjoyed all the drama with her family. Her two sisters and her father feel that she deserted the family when she joined the Peace Corps. Tasha’s relationship with her father is strained since he never believed her about the rape, which was at the hands of one of his friends. All Tasha wants to do is leave again, since being back home brings back too many painful memories. Josh is continuing to have problems with his son who seems to have become addicted to his computer. Josh hopes to rekindle something with Tasha but she seems unwilling, and he senses she’s hiding some secret. The story never failed to keep my interest. The characters really came to life. Overall, a thoroughly entertaining read.… (plus d'informations)