Sexy Kyle Scanlon has always been a thorn in Rachel Everly's side, and his one goal in life seems to be tormenting her. Years ago, he came riding into town, opened up his mechanic shop, and went on to tempt every woman in Neptune's Landing, including Rachel's own sister, Mallory, whose tragic death Rachel has returned to sleuth out. Who was the monster leading her sister to destruction? All evidence points to Kyle, the one man Rachel would like to extract from her life. Rachel is certain he is responsible for Mallory's downfall, and she's determined to prove it -- even as she is drawn to the mysterious, dangerous man. But what if she is wrong? What if the secrets Mallory took to her grave, and the surprising clues she seems to give now, are darker than Rachel ever imagined? What if there is a different monster hiding in the shadows waiting to strike again? And could it be that Kyle Scanlon is the man who will save her?
overall, i thought this book was alright. honestly, i was partially fooled by the blurb in the back, which is my own fault.
the author was a big fan of cut-off dialouge [which is usually an attempt to make scenes feel raw, and fast-paced]. however, this style only ended up making the adjustment between reading dialouge and description challenging, as the narration part of the book wasn't nearly as fast-paced. also, i just found the dialouge style to be more screenplay-like, which doesn't make sense in a romantic suspense novel [at least to me].
additionally, i found the couples eventual HEA very abrupt. the author spent a significant amount of time explaining how both rachel and kyle suffered from unresolved trauma/insecurities from past experiences, yet they never really have a talk [or a moment of understanding] for how their relationship will be moving forward. i felt the author moved to quickly from the couple having secrets to the couple suddenly accepting each other exactly as they are without any moment to really signify this change. you could argue the climax held they moment, however, if that was the author's intent, i think that's an overrelaance on plot devices and poor writing.
overall, pretty okay. good plot and plot twist, just poor execution.
I found this was a slow read until towards the end. If I wanted almost continuous romance, I would have expected this book to be listed under Romance Novels and not under Mysteries/Thrillers. The story line idea was good, but too many romantic episodes was encountered throughout the book. Usually the book is a laborious ordeal when it takes almost a month to read for me, which this book was like that. Otherwise, the book did keep me plodding along to find out the true story.
Flashback was a most excellent read. The characters seemed very real, (I loved the dog named Pup!) and the plot had me puzzled until nearly the end.
Rachel moves back to Neptune's Landing, Idaho after the suicide of her sister, Mallory. Mallory had been the town tramp but had left everything to Rachel, including her pool hall called Nine Balls and a lot of secrets.
Rachel takes it upon herself to figure out what really happened to Mallory and gets herself in farther than planned with Kyle Scanlon, the town bad boy.
The bad boy is worse than she ever dreamed and so are Mallory's secrets. Getting to the end was a wonderful trip and, although this isn't a new read, it is a great way to spend a couple of evenings.
Rachel Everly has returned to Neptune's Landing because of her sister's tragic death. And her own guilt and hidden secrets. Rachel's need to understand what happened to Mallory leads her straight to Kyle Scanlon, the man she believes hurt her sister. Will Kyle and Neptune's Landing survive when Rachel hits town and stirs the community up?
As usual, London mixes disturbing secrets with strong, fascinating characters to create books with intrigue, anticipation, and apprehension. Searing sexual tension adds to the already combustible stories. Cait London's romantic suspense books will leave you on the edge of your seat and wondering what mysteries are hidden in your community.
I wasn't that fond of Rachel and Kyle's relationship and the voodoo stuff and the "ghost" stuff appeared kinda corny to me but overall I really loved this book. Yes I was thoroughly disturbed by the "reveal" even though I started to suspect early on. omg it got heart-wrenching after that point. I cried when Trina asked why they kept her grandchild away from her all those years. I finished this and went online right after to find other books by Ms. London.
I found it a bit crazy with people talking so much to themselves. The author was revealing too many details at unnecessary points, and I couldn't help but think "I get it, Cait!" - I get it that she's an orphan, you don't have to keep mentioning it! I get it that she was taken in, you don't have to keep mentioning it!
Awesome story. Good suspense, keeps your interest very well, and doesn't stall anywhere. Really liked the book. I'll be checking out more books by Cait!