Category: Romantic Suspense

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Kimberly reviews Lightning In A Mirror by Jayne Ann Krentz

TITLE: Lightning In A Mirror
SERIES #: Fogg Lake #3
CHARACTERS: Olivia & Harlan
AUTHOR: Jayne Ann Krentz
PUBLICATION DATE: 01/18/22
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
The final installment in the chilling Fogg Lake trilogy by New York Times bestselling author Jayne Ann Krentz.

Olivia LeClair’s experiment with speed dating is not going well. First there was the nasty encounter with the date from hell who tried to murder her and now the mysterious Harlan Rancourt—long believed dead—sits down at her table and tells her she’s the only one who can help him locate the legendary Vortex lab.

This is not what Olivia had in mind when she signed up for the Four Event Success Guaranteed package offered by the dating agency. She doesn’t have much choice, though, because her psychic investigation firm works for the mysterious Foundation and Victor Arganbright, the director, is adamant that she assist Harlan. There’s just one problem—no one knows Harlan’s real agenda. His father once ran the Foundation like a mob organization, and Harlan was destined to be his heir. There’s a real possibility Harlan has returned to claim his inheritance.

For now, however, it’s a case of the enemy of my enemy is my friend because others are after the secrets of the long-lost lab. Unfortunately for Olivia, the one thing friend and foe have in common is that everyone is convinced she is the key. Her unique psychic talent is required to defuse the ticking time bomb that is Vortex.

Neither trusts the other but Olivia and Harlan soon realize they must work together to survive and unlock the Bluestone Project’s most dangerous secrets before more innocent people die.

REVIEW:
Sadly, this is the last in the trilogy of Fogg Lake. I always hate when Krentz ends one of her series/trilogies. I could read anything Krentz (as well as her other aliases) writes and not be satisfied with where she leaves it. I want more!!!!

In this story Olivia has an offer to help her find who murdered her mother and she decides to take it. Both Olivia and Harlan have abilities that only Krentz could make sound realistic. And they are after the Vortex Lab. The bad guys are even written well.

As I said there is never enough when it comes to Krentz and her books always leave you wanting more even if everything has been answered.

Another great read! Can’t wait for the next series.

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

4 Hearts

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Kimberly reviews You Can Run by Rebecca Zanetti

TITLE: You Can Run
CHARACTERS: Laurel & Huck
AUTHOR: Rebecca Zanetti
PUBLICATION DATE: 01/25/22
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
“Be prepared to stay up all night . . .”*

Suspense, danger, romance, and family drama converge as a rising star profiler strives to stay one step ahead of the criminal mind—and discovers that her own demons may be the hardest to outrun…

Laurel Snow wouldn’t call hunting a serial killer a vacation, but with a pile of dead bodies unearthed near her Genesis Valley, WA, hometown, she’ll take what she can get. Yet something about this case stirs her in unexpected ways. Like the startling connection she feels to Dr. Abigail Caine, a fiercely intelligent witness with a disturbing knack for making Laurel feel like she has something on her. Then there’s Laurel’s attraction to Huck Rivers, the fish and wildlife officer guiding her to the crime scene—and into the wilderness . . .

A former soldier and a trained sniper, Huck’s thirst for blood is rivaled only by his fierce pursuit of Laurel. He’s been burned by love, wounded by the government, and betrayed before, and to say he has trust issues is the ultimate understatement . Plus, he might be closer to this killer than anybody knows…

Once in the heart of darkness with Huck, Laurel must negotiate her distracting desire for him, her complex rapport with Abigail—and her mission to find a serial killer among a growing list of suspects and a danger that’s far too close to home. So close in fact, Laurel fears she will never find her way back to the woman she once was . . .

REVIEW:
4.25 Hearts I am a huge fan of Rebecca Zanetti’s. I have never read a book I didn’t enjoy from her but some I like more than others and this is one of those.

Laurel is a FBI agent called to a scene in Washington and Huck is the local officer and her contact. I enjoyed Huck. He is a soldier and sniper. He is the ideal of the American Soldier. Laurel is a genius who started college before she was even a teenager and has multiple degrees but is not good with people (I kept picturing a female version of Sheldon Cooper).

Yes there is some romance to the story but mostly it is suspenseful with a lot of twists and turns and I love it when I don’t figure the “who-dun-it” out.

Zanetti really is one of the best in the business right now for almost every genre (romance, romantic suspense and paranormal). You can’t miss reading any of her stories.

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

4 Hearts

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Kimberly reviews High Stakes by Iris Johansen

TITLE: High Stakes
CHARACTERS: Logan & Lara
AUTHOR: Iris Johansen
PUBLICATION DATE: 09/07/21
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
All bets are off as #1 New York Times bestselling author Iris Johansen introduces gambler Logan Tanner, a man with a secret past that’s about to come back to haunt him.

Logan Tanner lives the exhilarating life of a professional gambler, taking risks with nerves of steel. From casinos in Macau to Monte Carlo to Milan, he’s racked up a fortune and become a living legend. But all the glitz and glamor hide a dark and violent past as an extractor—a world that comes rushing back to him when the beautiful and innocent Lara Balkon enters his life.

Soon Logan is drawn into the conflict between two Russian mafia bosses over Lara, whose life now hangs in the balance. Logan has been offered something more valuable to him than money—information he desperately needs—in exchange for getting Lara out of Russia and to safety. Once together, Tanner discovers that Lara is a force to be reckoned with in her own right. Tanner’s search for the truth leads them to the bright lights of Las Vegas. Where the person who was hunting Lara now lies in wait for them.

With the stakes climbing with each deadly confrontation, Logan and Lara are soon catapulted into a game against pure evil. The odds are stacked against them, but it’s a game they know they must play…even if it may cost them their lives.

REVIEW:
It has been a long time since I read a Iris Johansen book. And for good or bad it seemed the same as if I haven’t missed a thing.

This is the first in a new series and I have to say I was a bit disappointed in it. I hoped that Johansen’s writing had grown some. I loved the Eve Duncan series until it became the same thing all the time. The suspense changed but the characters never grew.

I will give the next in the series a shot since it is a new series but I am not thinking I will run to this series.

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

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Kimberly reviews The Keepers by Jeffrey B Burton

TITLE: The Keepers
SERIES #: Mace Reid K-9 Mystery #2
CHARACTERS: Mace Reid
AUTHOR: Jeffrey B Burton
PUBLICATION DATE: 06/29/21
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
Jeffrey B. Burton’s The Keepers is the next installment of the Mace Reid K9 series, featuring golden retriever cadaver dog Vira and her handler, Mason Reid.

Mason “Mace” Reid lives on the outskirts of Chicago and specializes in human remains detection—that is, he trains dogs to hunt for dead bodies. He calls his pack of cadaver dogs The Finders, and his prize pupil is a golden retriever named Vira.

When Mace Reid and Vira are called in to search Washington Park at three o’clock in the morning, what they find has them running for their very lives. The trail of murder and mayhem Mace and CPD Officer Kippy Gimm have been following leads them to uncover treachery and corruption at the highest level, and their discoveries do not bode well for them . . . nor for the Windy City itself.

The Keepers is an exciting, fast-paced mystery filled with courageous dogs you’ll want to root for.

REVIEW:
This is the 2nd in the series. I have really enjoyed this series. I know it is only the second in the series but I am loving the main characters especially the dogs. In this one we meet a new dog. I love the connection between Mace and her dogs. Vera is a great dog too. OK enough about dogs.

The relationship between Mace and Kippy heats up some and the suspense of the book kept my attention and I wanted to know more. There were a LOT of characters in the book which was hard to keep up with a few times.

I can’t wait to read the next in the series. I really hope some station picks it up because how can you go wrong with a suspense series with dogs (oopps the dog thing again).

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

4 Hearts

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Kimberly reviews Murder At Sunrise Lake by Christine Feehan

TITLE: Murder At Sunrise Lake
CHARACTERS: Stella & Sam
AUTHOR: Christine Feehan
PUBLICATION DATE: 06/29/21
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
#1 New York Times bestselling author Christine Feehan reaches new heights of passion and suspense in this thrilling novel that takes readers deep into the California backcountry, where a woman is tormented by visions of a killer.

It starts in her dreams. Hideous flashes from a nightmare only she can stop. Images of a murderer stalking the ones she cares about most…

Stella Harrison thought she got away from the traumas of her past. Running the Sunrise Lake resort high in the Sierra Nevada mountains has brought her peace, even though she doesn’t truly share her quiet life with anyone. Not even Sam, the hired handyman that notices everything and always seems to know exactly what she needs.

Stella doesn’t know anything about Sam’s past, but somehow over the last two years his slow, steady presence has slipped past her defenses. Still, she knows she can’t tell him about her recent premonitions. So far there’s been no murder. No body. No way to prove what’s about to happen without destroying the life she’s built for herself.

But a killer is out there. And Stella knows that this time she’ll do whatever it takes to stop him.

REVIEW:
3.5 Hearts Christine Feehan is one of the queens of suspense and paranormal so putting them together is right up Feehan’s alley.

Stella has premonition nightmares. And when she heads to the Sierra Nevada’s her nightmares return. And she sees a serial killer near the lake. And Stella knows she has to find this person before she dreams and witnesses another murder.

I will be honest, this was not my favorite book by Feehan but I enjoyed the step out from her many series’ that she has going on right now. And I enjoyed the story very much but Feehan is a master of writing and this one didn’t have the same “umph” that most of her books do.

Now that being said, keep in mind I am comparing her to herself and not to the general author in the genre. And that says a lot.

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

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Kimberly reviews The Last Goodnight by Kat Martin

TITLE: The Last Goodnight
SERIES #: Blood Ties #1
CHARACTERS: Kade & Ellie
AUTHOR: Kat Martin
PUBLICATION DATE: 10/26/21
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
A thrilling new suspense novel from the bestselling author of The Perfect Murder that fans of Jayne Ann Krentz and Laura Griffin won’t want to miss! A cold case is heating up, and with another body on his hands, one rancher is hot on the trail of a killer…and protecting another woman in the crosshairs.

When Kade Logan said goodbye to his estranged wife eight years ago, he never thought it would be the last time he saw her alive. Now her car has been hauled out of a nearby lake and Kade is determined to track down the man who murdered her. Enter Eleanor Bowman, a talented private investigator who’s about to stir up a hornet’s nest on his Colorado ranch.

With old scandals still buzzing about his late wife’s many affairs and new violence erupting, Kade is faced with the discovery of another beautiful woman’s body. Are the two killings linked? Who is the man who seduced, then murdered both victims? Ellie believes they are dangerously close to the truth.

From corporate Denver high-rises to posh Vail mansions, Kade and Ellie sense the killer is closing in again, and this time Ellie is the target. Kade must risk everything to save the woman he’s coming to love—before she becomes the next one to die . . .

REVIEW:
I will admit this is a romantic suspense so the idea is easy. He needs help. She is a PI. They each have a past. Sparks Fly. Bam = romantic suspense.

But I really enjoyed this book. The characters are written really well. I liked both Kade and Ellie. Kade is a cowboy who lost his wife eight years ago and he is done with waiting for answers. He wants to move on but can’t until he gets info. Ellie is strong willed and independent.

I love the way both of them were written. They have depth and character. The suspense was interesting as well. I liked the case that Ellie takes on and how she handles it.

Really good story to start a new series. Looking forward to more in the series.

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

4 Hearts

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Kimberly reviews Don’t Look Now by Mary Burton

TITLE: Don’t Look Now
CHARACTERS: Jordan & Carter
AUTHOR: Mary Burton
PUBLICATION DATE: 09/28/21
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
A homicide detective in the dark. A serial killer on the loose. Both have their obsessions in a nerve-twisting novel of suspense by New York Times bestselling author Mary Burton.

Austin homicide detective Jordan Poe is hunting a serial killer she fears is the same man who assaulted her sister, Avery, two years ago. The details line up: the victims are the same age, same type, dead by the same grim MO. Luckily Avery survived. But the terrible memories linger, making Jordan more determined than ever to stop this monster in his tracks.

Texas Ranger Carter Spencer isn’t one to poach on a detective’s territory. Yet no matter how resentful a capable lone wolf like Jordan is, when she is attacked at a third crime scene and suffers a trauma that leaves her with limited vision, it’s up to Carter to help Jordan navigate a world she no longer recognizes. He needs her instinct, her experience, and her fearless resolve to crack this case. A case that’s about to get even darker.

A stranger is watching. He’s closing in on his ultimate prey. And no one but the killer can see what’s coming.

REVIEW:
2.5 Hearts Who wrote this book? It could not have been Mary Burton. Usually Burton pulls me in from page 3 or so. But this book was just so hard to even want to finish. But I did, mainly, because I hoped somehow Burton would come back to her normal self. I was sorely disappointed.

So let me set a picture, Avery is assaulted, goes blind and somehow continues to be a detective. Ummm, what? Carter becomes her eyes and thinks nothing is odd about this… Again, what?

This book actually makes no sense, Avery is so cocky that she can do everything still that she is actually irritating. And Carter is just ridiculous. Thankfully, I have read a lot of books by Burton and know what an incredible writer she is so I will pick up every book that comes after this book but if someone picked this book up as a first time reader I can’t imagine they would give Burton a chance again….. So I say to all the new writers…. Try another book because Burton is worth it!

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

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Kimberly reviews Whiplash by Janet Dailey

TITLE: Whiplash
SERIES #: The Champions #2
CHARACTERS: Val & Casey
AUTHOR: Janet Dailey
PUBLICATION DATE: 08/31/21
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
From New York Times bestselling author Janet Dailey comes the latest Champions novel, set on the Alamo Canyon Ranch, where a legacy bull rearing operation is run by three sisters–women who aren’t afraid to compete in a man’s world, or to take on something as wild as love–and win.

When Val Champion returns to the family ranch, she’s ready to put her past behind her. Her dreams of a Hollywood acting career have become a nightmare of fear. But once she sees rodeo man Casey Bozeman facing down a bull in the arena, she knows she’s no safer at home. Face to face with her first and only true love, Val can’t deny her still powerful feelings for Casey. Feelings she can never act on again…

Val’s the one who got away, the woman who broke his heart so hard he still feels the sting. But there’s no denying Casey’s still drawn to the fiery beauty. And there’s no way he can stand by when the high stakes Professional Bull Riding finals in Vegas bring out the danger Val’s been running from. Suddenly the rugged cowboy is willing to risk it all for her once more, even if it means facing down those secrets lurking in her unforgettable eyes…

REVIEW:
3.75 Hearts Janet Dailey has more books than I can believe and yet her stories are still as loved as ever.

In this story we meet Val and Casey and enjoy their second chance at true love. Val returns with some difficult situations in her wake. Casey is a PBR and the sparks fly when Val and Casey see each other again. But when they go to Vegas the trouble Val hoped to leave behind follows her.

First let me say I am against rodeos so I hated that aspect of the book and not sure if that is why it took me a little bit to get into the story. But I finally started enjoying the book when the suspense really started to get heated.

Dailey is one of my favorites but I want to say I am not exactly sure if this book is Dailey herself or a ghostwriter. She sadly passed almost a decade ago and while I have heard she had a lot of books that she had never published I am not sure if we have moved pass those to a new writer using her name.

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

4 Hearts

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Kimberly reviews Faceless by Alexandra Ivy

TITLE: Faceless
SERIES #: Oike, Wisconsin #2
CHARACTERS: Wynter & Noah
AUTHOR: Alexandra Ivy
PUBLICATION DATE: 08/24/21
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
BE CAREFUL
A masked robber, a gunshot, an endless nightmare left in its wake. Wynter Moore was just four years-old when she witnessed the murder of her mother. For twenty-five years she’s tried to blunt the trauma with ambition. Yet each year, she shuts down her popular Iowa restaurant to return to her small hometown of Pike, Wisconsin, to grieve. Only this time, her visit will be marked by new danger and shocking discoveries about the past—and about her mother.

WHAT YOU DIG FOR
Why kill her? That’s what scrawled on the picture Pike’s recently deceased sheriff left behind for Wynter. Pulledfrom surveillance tape, it shows the fatal hold-up—and raises unnerving questions. Soon, Wynter is opening a Pandora’s box of dark revelations and suspects. When frightening incidents and threats start coming, it’s clear that Wynter is a target herself. Enemies seem to abound—except for one man . . .

YOU JUST MIGHT GET KILLED
Game warden Noah Hunter has tried to convince himself that Wynter is just a friend ever since they met in grief counseling as teenagers. But now that she’s in danger, that denial is over. Traveling to her side, he helps Wynter retrace the treacherous steps of her complex mother’s life—before she loses her own. Because someone wants—needs—Wynter gone, forever.

REVIEW:
3.75 Hearts This is the second in the Pike, Wisconsin series but can easily be a stand alone. In this story we meet Noah and Wynter.

Decades ago Wynter’s mom was killed during an armed robbery, or at least that is what Wynter was told, but new evidence is coming to light that makes Wynter want to investigate what really happened. Noah is “just friends” with Wynter even though it is becoming harder and harder to convince himself of that but when Wynter needs help Noah is right there to give her the support she needs.

I found this story really interesting. Yes, it is a romance and Noah and Wynter find love during the chaos of the investigation but the twists and turns that Alexandra Ivy puts us through is what this story is really all about.

Alexandra Ivy became one of my faves with her paranormal romance and I have read every book she has written since. And this book is just another to put on your TBR shelf by Ivy that does not disappoint.

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

4 Hearts

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Kimberly reviews Dangerous Ground by Rachel Grant

TITLE: Dangerous Ground
SERIES #: Fiona Carver #1
CHARACTERS: Fiona Carver & Dean Slater
AUTHOR: Rachel Grant
PUBLICATION DATE: 08/17/21
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
In the remote and unpredictable Aleutians, danger comes without warning in an adrenaline rush of a novel by USA Today bestselling author Rachel Grant.

Archaeologist Fiona Carver has unfinished business in the Aleutian Islands. After an emergency evacuation cut her first expedition short, she’s finally back. But time is not on her side as she races to finish documenting the remnants of a prehistoric village, recover missing artifacts, and track down missing volcanologist Dylan Slater.

Having bluffed his way onto Fiona’s team with fake credentials, wildlife photographer Dean Slater is willing to risk more than federal prison to find his missing brother, but he needs Fiona’s help. She knows the inhospitable terrain better than anyone.

When the two set out together on a perilous journey, it becomes more than a recovery mission. In their fight for survival, nature isn’t the only threat. They aren’t the only ones on the hunt. Mile by dangerous mile, someone is hunting them.

REVIEW:
I will say I picked this book thinking it was a different author (same last name) but once I realized I figured it was the first in the series so let’s give it a try. There are a few things that made me give this book a low rating.

One: it is more suspense than romance. Two: there is no true ending to this story because it is ongoing into the series, which I did not realize. Three: I really did not like Dylan at all. He thinks he is God’s gift to women, he actually thinks Fiona is his brother’s girlfriend and still hits on her, and he just doesn’t appeal to me at all. And finally: I have no idea why Fiona was written the way she was. She is so busy stroking Dylan’s ego that she seems like a doormat to me.

This was just not my cup of tea.

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

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Kimberly reviews Hiding Place by Meghan Holloway

TITLE: Hiding Place
SERIES #: Hector Lewis #2
CHARACTERS: Hector Lewis
AUTHOR: Meghan Holloway
PUBLICATION DATE: 08/10/21
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
Hector Lewis is obsessed with uncovering the truth of what happened to his wife and daughter fifteen years ago. The man he believed responsible for their disappearance is dead, and the trail has once again grown cold. Until he finds a long-hidden message from the past. Unraveling the clues his wife left behind leads Hector deep into the wild borderlands of Yellowstone National Park and into the dark labyrinth of his own obsession with finding his missing girls.

Faye Anders is in hiding. The remote town of Raven’s Gap, Montana, has been the perfect refuge. Until her young son goes missing on a school field trip. Desperation forces her to make a choice that will shatter the illusion of safety she has carefully built and bring the powerful man she fled five years ago straight to her doorstep.

Hector is a man chasing answers. Faye is a woman willing to do whatever it takes to keep her son safe. Caught in the crosshairs of a man who is determined to silence them both, they discover some men will kill to keep their secrets buried. But when the past comes knocking, there is no place to hide.

REVIEW:
This is the second in the series which I did not read the first of. It can be a stand alone.

This book is about Hector, a cop, who lost his wife and daughter a decade and a half ago. For some reason he feels like he needs to start investigating it on his own even after all this time. Mainly because he is finding notes his wife left him before her death. The case is cold but she continues to investigate. Faye is now living in the same town with her son under a false identity.

I think this falls under the romantic suspense genre more than thriller. I am not sure why but I never really connected with either main character. I really wanted to. I liked the idea of the book. It seemed to have a bit of a different storyline than traditional romantic suspense.

I will give the next in the series a try hoping to connect a bit with the new characters.

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

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Kimberly reviews The Steal by MJ Rose and CW Gortner

TITLE: The Steal
CHARACTERS: Ania & Jerome
AUTHOR: MJ Rose & CW Gortner
PUBLICATION DATE: 08/10/21
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
They say diamonds are a girl’s best friend—until they’re stolen.

Ania Throne is devoted to her jewelry company. The daughter of one of the world’s most famous jewelers, she arrives in Cannes with a stunning new collection. But a shocking theft by the notorious thief known as the Leopard throws her into upheaval—and plunges her on an unexpected hunt that challenges everything she believes.

Jerome Curtis thinks he’s seen it all, especially when it comes to crime. Until he’s hired to investigate the loss of Ania Thorne’s collection, his every skill put to the test as he chases after a mysterious master-mind responsible for some of the costliest heists in history—and finds himself in a tangled web with a woman he really shouldn’t fall in love with.

From the fabled Carlton Hotel to the elegant boulevards of Paris, Ania and Jerome must race against time to catch a thief before the thief catches them. With everything on the line, can they solve the steal or will the steal take more than diamonds from them?

Set in the late 1950s, THE STEAL is a romantic caper by bestselling authors C.W. Gortner and M.J. Rose.

REVIEW:
Set in the 1950’s this is a throwback to the type of book written “for women” in the 70’s. At least that was my feeling.

Priceless jewelry has been stolen before the Cannes Film Festival is set to begin and the rich and famous are ready to wear the jewels. This story takes place in all the high end areas you expect. Besides Cannes there is Paris and NYC. And the race is on with Ania and Jerome to find the jewels before time runs out.

What I found most interesting about this book was the writing. I am used to the writing of MJ Rose but have not read anything by CW Gortner. Each author seemed to take the role of one character, Rose with Ania and Gortner with Jerome. Each gives us a history into their lives up until the present. However, I certainly enjoyed Rose’s chapters more than Gortner’s. Gortner seemed to get stuck on certain phrases that were repeated way too often.

This book was an interesting combination of the 1970’s and 2020’s.

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