Category: Review Sunday

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Kimberly reviews When You See Me by Lisa Gardner

TITLE: When You See Me
CHARACTERS: Kimberly, Warren & Flora
AUTHOR: Lisa Gardner
PUBLICATION DATE: 01/28/20
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
Bestselling author Lisa Gardner unites three of her most loved characters -Detective D.D. Warren, Flora Dane, and Kimberly Quincy – in a twisty new thriller, as they investigate a mysterious murder from the past that points to a dangerous and chilling present-day crime.

FBI Special Agent Kimberly Quincy and Sergeant Detective DD Warren have built a task force to follow the digital bread crumbs left behind by deceased serial kidnapper Jacob Ness. And when a disturbing piece of evidence comes to light, they decide to bring in Flora Dane who has personal experience of being imprisoned by Ness.

Their investigations take them to a small town deep in the hills of Georgia where something seems to be deeply wrong.

What at first seems like a Gothic eeriness soon hardens into something much more sinister as they discover that for all the evil Jacob committed while alive, his worst secret is still to be revealed.

Quincy and DD must summon their considerable skills and experience to crack the most disturbing case of their careers – and Flora must face her own past directly in the hope of saving others.

REVIEW:
This is the 11th in the series and I do not think I have read any of them but I just thought this book sounded interesting and to be honest I didn’t realize this was part of a series when I requested it. That being said it can be read as a stand alone but I did think I was missing a bit of info about Quincy and DD but it didn’t stop me from enjoying the story.

This is about a serial killer and I found the writing into the forensics world was so specific and intense that it drew me into the suspense of the story.

I found this to be a great story with a lot of interesting detail as well as the story of the characters.

Disclaimer:
I received a complimentary copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

4 Hearts

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Kimberly reviews Lethal Game by Christine Feehan

TITLE: Lethal Game
SERIES #: GhostWalkers #16
CHARACTERS: Malichai & Amaryllis
AUTHOR: Christine Feehan
PUBLICATION DATE: 03/03/20
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
The sparks of unexpected passion ignite in this electrifying GhostWalker novel from #1 New York Times bestselling author Christine Feehan.

When Malichai Fortunes attacks a problem, he does it full force–a habit that earns the GhostWalker a painful injury and a forced vacation in San Diego, California. With nothing but physical therapy on the horizon, Malichai is starting to get restless…until a striking blue-eyed blonde makes all his senses come alive.

Amaryllis is kind and warm and sees beyond Malichai’s rough exterior, but he can tell there’s something she’s hiding. Her innate healing abilities indicate she might be a GhostWalker–albeit an untrained one. Malichai doesn’t think their crossing paths is anything more than coincidence, but he can sense that one wrong word could send Amaryllis running.

When strange events at his temporary retreat put Malichai on high alert, he knows he won’t be able to deal with the threat and keep his woman safe in his weakened state. But calling in his brothers means telling Amaryllis what he really is, and revealing that he knows the truth about her too…

REVIEW:
I just love the GhostWalker series. I like anything Christine Feehan writes. But something was a bit different about this GhostWalker romance. I am not exactly sure how to explain what was different but something was.

I really fell for Malichai. He is hurt but nothing stops him. And part of the suspense is trying to find out why he is not healing the way he should. I mean he is a GhostWalker after all. And Amaryllis is a great character as well. I just wanted to be her friend.

There is truly nothing Feehan writes that is not good. Usually better than good. But I will say this series can not be read as a stand alone. There is a lot of background that moves between the books in this series.

Another GREAT read!

Disclaimer:
I received a complimentary copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

4 Hearts

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Kelly reviews Crush The King by Jennifer Estep

TITLE: Crush the King
SERIES #: Crown of Shards #3
CHARACTERS: Everleigh Blair Winter
AUTHOR: Jennifer Estep
PUBLICATION DATE: March 17, 2020
ORDER LINKS: Audible | Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
A fierce gladiator queen must face off against her enemies in an epic battle in this next thrilling installment of New York Timesand USA Today bestselling author Jennifer Estep’s Crown of Shards series—an action-packed adventure full of magic, murderous machinations, courtly intrigue, and pulse-pounding romance.

Queen Everleigh Blair of Bellona has survived the mass murder of the royal family, become a fearsome warrior trained by an elite gladiator troupe, and unleashed her ability to destroy magic. After surviving yet another assassination attempt orchestrated by the conniving king of Morta, Evie has had enough. It’s time to turn the tables and take the fight to her enemies.
There is no better opportunity to strike than during the Regalia Games, a time when warriors, nobles, and royals from all the kingdoms come together to compete in various sporting events. With the help of her loyal friends, Evie goes on the attack at the Regalia, but things don’t turn out the way she hopes. Soon, she is facing a terrifying new threat, and she will have to dig deep and learn even more about her growing magic if she has any chance of defeating her foes.
Because to secure her throne and ensure her kingdom’s survival, Evie must think like a true Bellonan: she must outsmart and outwit her enemies . . . and crush the king.

REVIEW:
Crush the King follows Queen Everleigh and her friends into the annual Regalia Games and what could possibly be their final stand against the Mortans.

Wait… What…. No….. I need more pages…. *frantically clicking kindle for the next page*. This was my original reaction when I finished Crush the King.

I did enjoy this book very much but wanted more. More pages, more story, more Sullivan. I was not ready to leave yet. But I am thankful after the major angst from Protect the Prince that there was not that level of angst again. My poor heart couldn’t have handled it again.

Crush the King was a bit slow moving for me. Great story but slow. I was happy with how much Everleigh has grown over the course of these three books. And truly loved her ability to play the long game and how each piece of the puzzle fell into place.

It took me a bit to regroup and realize that this trilogy is over. But I am really, really hoping that there will be spin offs and that the publisher will realize that there are so many more stories that need to be told. I love the world that Jennifer has created and hope that we will get to come back to Bellona again soon.

Disclaimer:
I received a complimentary copy of this book from Edelweiss, NetGalley & Harper Collins/Harper Voyager in exchange for an honest review. This review is my own opinion and not a paid review.

4 Hearts

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Kimberly reviews Cross Her Heart by Melinda Leigh

TITLE: Cross Her Heart
SERIES #: Bree Taggert #1
CHARACTERS: Bree Taggert
AUTHOR: Melinda Leigh
PUBLICATION DATE: 03/17/20
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
A homicide detective’s violent family history repeats itself in #1 Amazon Charts and Wall Street Journal bestselling author Melinda Leigh’s novel of murder, secrets, and retribution.

For more than twenty-five years, Philadelphia homicide detective Bree Taggert has tucked away the nightmarish childhood memories of her parents’ murder-suicide…Until her younger sister, Erin, is killed in a crime that echoes that tragic night: innocent witnesses and a stormy marriage that ended in gunfire. There’s just one chilling difference. Erin’s husband, Justin, has vanished.

Bree knows how explosive the line between love and hate can be, yet the evidence against her troubled brother-in-law isn’t adding up. Teaming up with Justin’s old friend, former sheriff’s investigator and K-9 handler Matt Flynn, Bree vows to uncover the secrets of her sister’s life and death, as she promised Erin’s children. But as her investigation unfolds, the danger hits close to home. Once again, Bree’s family is caught in a death grip. And this time, it could be fatal for her.

REVIEW:
This is a new series by an author I have heard a lot about so I decided to try it. And I am so glad I did. Now I get it. The writing of Leigh is great. She pulls you in right away.

Bree comes back to her hometown and is immediately pulled into an investigation that she doesn’t think the police are handling correctly. And she has to team up with Matt who just happens to be the suspects be3st friend. So of course he has an ulterior motive.

I can’t wait to read the next in the series. And I think I may need to go back and read some other books by Melinda Leigh.

Disclaimer:
I received a complimentary copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

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Kelly reviews Cross Her Heart by Melinda Leigh

TITLE: Cross Her Heart
SERIES #: Bree Taggert #1
CHARACTERS: Bree Taggert & Matt Flynn
AUTHOR: Melinda Leigh
PUBLICATION DATE: March 17, 2020
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
A homicide detective’s violent family history repeats itself in #1 Amazon Charts and Wall Street Journal bestselling author Melinda Leigh’s novel of murder, secrets, and retribution.

For more than twenty-five years, Philadelphia homicide detective Bree Taggert has tucked away the nightmarish childhood memories of her parents’ murder-suicide…Until her younger sister, Erin, is killed in a crime that echoes that tragic night: innocent witnesses and a stormy marriage that ended in gunfire. There’s just one chilling difference. Erin’s husband, Justin, has vanished.

Bree knows how explosive the line between love and hate can be, yet the evidence against her troubled brother-in-law isn’t adding up. Teaming up with Justin’s old friend, former sheriff’s investigator and K-9 handler Matt Flynn, Bree vows to uncover the secrets of her sister’s life and death, as she promised Erin’s children. But as her investigation unfolds, the danger hits close to home. Once again, Bree’s family is caught in a death grip. And this time, it could be fatal for her.

REVIEW:
Bree Taggert has to return to her hometown to once again face a violent death in her family. Once Bree returns to town she finds that she can’t just sit back and let the local police handle the investigation. Bree will team up with Matt Flynn (who just happens to be the prime suspects best friend).

But will Bree be ready for all the secrets and lies she is about to uncover?

Another great story by Melinda Leigh! Cross Her Heart is the first book in her new Bree Taggert Series. I am very excited to see where this series goes. It was fun to see a few familiar names from past series also. I am already looking forward to book two See Her Die (September 1, 2020).
If you are looking for a good suspense read I would highly suggest that you pick up a copy of Cross Her Heart.

Disclaimer:
I received a complimentary copy of this book from Netgalley & Montlake Romance in exchange for an honest review. This review is my own opinion and not a paid review.

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Kimberly reviews The Numbers Game by Danielle Steel

TITLE: The Numbers Game
CHARACTERS: Eileen & Paul
AUTHOR: Danielle Steel
PUBLICATION DATE: 03/03/20
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
In Danielle Steel’s stunning novel, modern relationships come together, fall apart, and are reinvented over time, proving that age is just a number.

Eileen Jackson was happy to set aside her own dreams to raise a family with her husband, Paul. Together they built an ordinary life in a Connecticut town, the perfect place for their kids to grow up. But when Eileen discovers that Paul’s late nights in the city are hiding an affair with a younger woman, she begins to question all those years of sacrifice and compromise. On the brink of forty and wondering what she’s going to do with the rest of her life, is it too late for her to start over?

Meanwhile, as Paul is thrust back into the role of suburban fatherhood, his girlfriend, Olivia, is in Manhattan, struggling to find herself in the shadow of her mother, a famous actress, and her grandmother, a fiercely independent ninety-two-year-old artist. With their unique brands of advice ringing in her head, Olivia takes a major step, expanding her art gallery business internationally. Seeing her mother pursue old dreams and even find new love, Olivia realizes that there is so much she must learn about herself before committing her life to someone else.

Ultimately, Eileen decides to chase her own dreams as well. She’s off to Paris to attend Le Cordon Bleu cooking school. What awaits is an adventure that reinvents her life and redefines her.

At every age, there are challenges to be met and new worlds to discover. In this surprising, illuminating novel, Danielle Steel gives us a warmhearted portrait of people driven by their emotions, life experiences, and loyalties, who realize that it’s never too late to turn a new page and start again.

REVIEW:
As with all books from Danielle Steel there is a lesson to be learned as you read between the lines. In this story we learn that life is not over just because you think you are too old to start over.

In this story we meet Eileen who finds out her husband is having an affair when she thought she was living the ideal life. Now she doesn’t know if she can start over or how to even get started. But she watched her mom start over and figures she can too. So off she goes to Paris and begins anew.

I loved meeting Eileen, her mom and her grandmother. These three women are a bit of all of us. They are who we are, who we were and who we want to be at different points in our life.

Another great read from Danielle Steel!

Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

4 Hearts

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Kimberly reviews The Hunt For History by Nathan Raab

TITLE: The Hunt For History
CHARACTERS: Historical Characters
AUTHOR: Nathan Raab
PUBLICATION DATE: 03/10/20
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
On the Trail of the World’s Lost Treasures—from the Letters of Lincoln, Churchill, and Einstein to the Secret Recordings Onboard JFK’s Air Force One

Nathan Raab, America’s preeminent rare documents dealer, describes his years as the Sherlock Holmes of historical artifacts—questing after precious finds and determining their authenticity—and he shows us what the past can tell us about the present.

A box uncovered in a Maine attic with twenty letters written by Alexander Hamilton; a handheld address to Congress by President George Washington; a long-lost Gold Medal that belonged to an American President; a note that Winston Churchill wrote to his captor when he was a young POW in South Africa; paperwork signed and filled out by Amelia Earhart when she became the first woman to fly the Atlantic; an American flag carried to the moon and back by Neil Armstrong; an unpublished letter written by Albert Einstein, discussing his theory of relativity.

Each day, people from all over the world contact Nathan Raab for help understanding what they have, what it might be worth, and how to sell it. The Raab Collection’s president, Nathan is a modern-day treasure hunter and one of the world’s most prominent dealers of historical artifacts. Most weeks, he travels the country, scours auctions, or fields phone calls and emails from people who think they may have found something of note in a grandparent’s attic.

In The Hunt for History, Raab shares some fascinating stories about his professional exploits: spotting a letter from British officials that secured the Rosetta Stone; discovering a piece of the first electric cable laid by Edison; restoring a fragmented letter from Andrew Jackson that led to the infamous Trail of Tears; and locating copies of missing audio that had been recorded on Air Force One as the plane brought JFK’s body back to Washington. Whether it’s the first report of Napoleon’s death or an unpublished letter penned by Albert Einstein to a curious soldier, every document and artifact Raab uncovers comes with a spellbinding story—and often offers new insights into a life we thought we knew.

REVIEW:
As a fan of history I couldn’t wait to read this book. And I am so glad I got to. I have never heard of Nathan Raab but I will be looking into him more now. I found the information he has really fascinating. So much rare and informative documents and artifacts.

I loved the writing style of Raab. I found myself sharing some of the information with others without even realizing I had retained the facts.

I actually think I will buy the hard copy so we have it for generations to come.

Disclaimer:
I received a complimentary copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

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Kimberly reviews Woman On The Edge by Samantha M Bailey

TITLE: Woman On The Edge
CHARACTERS: Morgan
AUTHOR: Samantha M. Bailey
PUBLICATION DATE: 03/03/20
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
A moment on the platform changes two lives forever. But nothing is as it seems…

‘Take my baby.’

In a split second, Morgan’s life changes forever. A stranger hands her a baby, then jumps in front of a train.

Morgan has never seen the woman before and she can’t understand what would cause a person to give away her child and take her own life.

When the police question Morgan, she discovers none of the witnesses can corroborate her version of events. And when they learn Morgan longs for a baby of her own, she becomes a suspect.

To prove her innocence, Morgan frantically tries to retrace the last days of the woman’s life. She begins to understand that Nicole Markham believed she and her baby were in danger. Now Morgan might be in danger, too.

Was Nicole a new mother struggling with paranoia?

Or was something much darker going on?

Pulse-pounding, heartrending, shocking, thrilling. This is one book you won’t be able to stop thinking about.

REVIEW:
Another story that I am on the fence about. The idea of the story is good and has a lot of potential. I think a little more time would have helped this story a bit. I had a bit of trouble with the writing. Maybe it is because the author is from Canada but I just had a hard time with it.

It almost seemed like the author wrote quickly and didn’t give a lot of background to each scene.

Just not sure how I feel about this one.

Disclaimer:
I received a complimentary copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

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Kimberly reviews The Grace Kelly Dress by Brenda Janowitz

TITLE: The Grace Kelly Dress
CHARACTERS: Rocky, Rose and Joan
AUTHOR: Brenda Janowitz
PUBLICATION DATE: 03/03/20
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYN OPSIS:
Paris, 1958: Rose, a seamstress at a fashionable atelier, has been entrusted with sewing a Grace Kelly-lookalike gown for a wealthy bride-to-be. But when, against better judgment, she finds herself falling in love with the bride’s handsome brother, Rose must make an impossible choice—one that could put all she’s worked for at risk: love, security, and of course, the dress.

Sixty years later, tech CEO Rachel, who goes by the childhood nickname “Rocky,” has inherited the dress for her upcoming wedding in New York City. But there’s just one problem: Rocky doesn’t want to wear it. A family heirloom dating back to the 1950s, the dress just isn’t her. Rocky knows this admission will break her mother Joan’s heart. But what she doesn’t know is why Joan insists on the dress—or the heartbreaking secret that changed her mother’s life decades before, as she herself prepared to wear it.

As the lives of these three women come together in surprising ways, the revelation of the dress’s history collides with long-buried family heartaches. And in the lead-up to Rocky’s wedding, they’ll have to confront the past before they can embrace the beautiful possibilities of the future.

REVIEW:
3.5 Hearts I am a bit on the fence about this story. The reason for that is I really loved the stories told of Rose and liked the story of Joan but was just ok with Rocky’s story. As I read the story I wished the author had made it into a trilogy series telling each person’s time with the dress is more detail.

The story of Rose in the 1950’s when the dress was a copied design of Grace Kelly’s (wedding 1956) was so magical to me. I have been a fan of Grace Kelly’s for decades so hearing this part was wonderful.

Joan’s story is set in the 1980’s which also I can relate to since that was “my” generation. And imagining the dress being passed down was great.

And then there was Rocky who is st in modern day and who doesn’t want to wear a dress that is 70 years old but I really didn’t feel the emotions that I hoped Rocky would have as she heard the stories of the dresses past.

I hoped for more but got a good amount.

Disclaimer:
I received a complimentary copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

4 Hearts

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Kimberly reviews The Billionaire In Boots by Julia London

TITLE: The Billionaire In Boots
SERIES #: Princes Of Texas #3
CHARACTERS: Nick & Charlotte
AUTHOR: Julia London
PUBLICATION DATE: 03/03/20
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Julia London delivers a sexy new contemporary western, where a lonesome rancher and a no-nonsense cowgirl learn that you don’t choose who you fall for–love lassos you….

As the firstborn son, it’s been drilled into Nick that he is the heir apparent to the Prince family empire. But cattle ranching has never been his true passion. Nick wants to be a pilot. However, when his father dies, leaving Nick to clean up the mess, he knows he must do his duty before following his heart.

Charlotte Bailey can’t believe that Nick is back to run the ranch. As the office manager, she knows it’s her responsibility to help him. If only he wasn’t so brooding and cranky–and so hot it’s a wonder his chaps don’t melt right off him. But when sparks fly between them, she’s adamant about staying away from a cowboy on his way out the door.

Nick knows the ranch’s pretty, smart, and capable office manager is off-limits, but he needs her. And working in such close proximity to Charlotte every day is making Nick crazy. She smells good, she looks good, she makes him laugh, but most of all she makes him want to stay…

REVIEW:
3.75 Hearts This is the third in the series but I have not read the other two and it was perfectly fine. It can be a stand alone.

This is a sweet cowboy romance, yes a bit typical but still \sweet all the same. I adored the email exchanges. They are so funny and sarcastic that I actually caught myself snickering. I also liked that Charlotte wasn’t a wallflower. She told Nick exactly how it was and while the sparks flew Charlotte was not a damsel in distress.

Nick is such a cowboy. Yeah he wants to be a pilot but ranching is in his blood.

Great beach read.

Disclaimer:
I received a complimentary copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

4 Hearts

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Kimberly reviews The Silent House by Nell Pattison

TITLE: The Silent House
CHARACTERS: Paige Northwood
AUTHOR: Nell Pattison
PUBLICATION DATE: 03/01/20
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
If someone was in your house, you’d know.
Wouldn’t you?
But the Hunter family are deaf, and don’t hear a thing when a shocking crime takes place in the middle of the night. Instead, they wake up to their worst nightmare.

The police call Paige Northwood to the scene to interpret for the witnesses. They’re in shock, but Paige senses the Hunters are hiding something.

One by one, people Paige knows from the Deaf community start to fall under suspicion. But who would kill a little girl?

Was it an intruder?

Or was the murderer closer to home?

This mystery will keep you up all night – perfect for fans of The Silent Patient and Cara Hunter

REVIEW:
3.5 Hearts I thought this was a really interesting concept. What happens with a child is killed in your home but because you are deaf you don’t hear anything? And how do you get your story to the police when you find the murder the next morning?

Well the idea is interesting and I hoped the book would be as well. And it was… sorta. When Paige becomes the ASL interpreter she knows the family. She is not deaf but her family is so she knows the language well. And there is a lot to what happens because of the concept.

The problem is there were things that I just couldn’t make sense of. First a deaf family has other ways to know things are happening (phone rings so lights flash, alarm goes off so bed shakes, etc) so how did they not know someone was in the house.

But on another note the writing seemed a bit slow at some points. The book could have been cut down a bit by omitting a bunch of added words that didn’t make the story better.

All in all a book that had my attention for the concept alone.

Disclaimer:
I received a complimentary copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

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Kelly reviews Little Girls Sleeping by Jennifer Chase

TITLE: Little Girls Sleeping
SERIES #: Detective Katie Scott #1
CHARACTERS: Katie Scott
AUTHOR: Jennifer Chase
PUBLICATION DATE: May 31, 2019
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | Audible | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
He looked down at the little girl, sleeping peacefully, her arms wrapped around a teddy bear. He knew he was the only one who could save her. He could let her sleep forever.

An eight-year-old girl, Chelsea Compton, is missing in Pine Valley, California and for Detective Katie Scott it’s a cruel reminder of the friend who disappeared from summer camp twenty years ago. Unable to shake the memories, Katie vows she won’t rest until she discovers what happened to Chelsea.

But as Katie starts to investigate, the case reveals itself to be much bigger and more shocking than she feared. Hidden deep in the forest she unearths a makeshift cemetery: a row of graves, each with a brightly coloured teddy bear.

Katie links the graves to a stack of missing-persons cases involving young girls—finding a pattern no one else has managed to see. Someone in Pine Valley has been taking the town’s daughters for years, and Katie is the only one who can stop them.

And then another little girl goes missing, snatched from the park near her home.

Katie’s still haunted by the friend she failed to protect, and she’ll do anything to stop the killer striking again—but can she find the little girl before it’s too late?

REVIEW:
3.5 Hearts Katie Scott is back from serving overseas and is trying to put her life back together. She goes back to her childhood home and starts working for the local Sheriff’s office to help her uncle out. When Katie stubbles upon a cold case file that is too close for comfort. Katie starts her own investigation into some missing girls.

This was a good read and I really enjoyed that the main character Katie is tough and fragile all at the same time. Ms. Chase does a great job with the red herrings in this story too. Just when I thought “I know who done it” she sent me down another path. I am very much looking forward to more books in this series and to see how Katie develops as a detective and learn more about her backstory. And of course Cisco and Chad. 🙂

Disclaimer:
I received a complimentary copy of this book from Netgalley & Bookouture in exchange for an honest review. This review is my own opinion and not a paid review.