behancemaster

Let me start by saying that I finished this in 4 hours. I loved this book. It drew me in from the first page and kept me hooked as I tore through the book. I immediately liked Jess and felt the draw towards the painfully lonely Michael. I like that the author spent the better part of the book developing the relationship between Jess and Michael. They didn't just fall into each other's arms and profess their love for each other. They had their ups and downs, and by half way through the book I was screaming (in my head, of course!) "Just kiss already!" I liked the internal struggle for Michael and the way Jess slowly chipped away at his hard exterior. It was that slow progression into the relationship that made it believable and made me, as a reader, love them as a couple. And then of course, there's the murders that must be solved. The mystery was told well, with plenty of suspense, drama and action. I like the premise of the story. I like that Michael is tormented by the most important case of his career which remains unsolved. I do think that the author could have spent just as much time developing the case as she did the romance, though. Unfortunately, I was able to pin down the killer within the first half of the book, but really, it's through no fault of the author. There was no indication about who the killer was and the author even drops clues that it might have been someone else. I wasn't buying it though, but I chalk that up to the fact that I have read so many mysteries and watched so many crime shows. It's sort of a skill that I have developed and my husband hates me for it, LOL! Favorite quote: "The haunting memories that inhibited every aspect of his life were set free. He had managed to accept them and then let them go." Rating: It wasn't hard for me to give this one 4 stars. I'm going to have to throw in a half a star, too because I loved this book that much. The only thing keeping it from 5 stars is the fact that I wish there was much detail and plot development with the murder mystery part of the story. What was included was well written and I enjoyed it. I just feel like there was the potential to take this book to a whole new level with another chapter or two of plot development in that area. Overall, this was an excellent book and I would recommend it to anyone who is a fan of mystery, suspense and/or romance.

2023-01-20 00:34