What do you think?
Rate this book
Bitterwood P.D. #2
The Smoky Mountain Mist
Who wants Rachel Davenport dead?
Seth Hammond won't stop until he gets answers. Tapped by the FBI to find out who's targeting the heiress gives the former Tennessee bad boy the chance to atone for his past sins. But it's his future he's worried about when Seth finds himself falling for Rachel…who's in graver danger than anyone in their small mountain town of Bitterwood realizes.
Ever since she was named CEO of her family business, strange things have been happening—terrifying incidents that could be tied to Rachel's violence-shadowed past. Seth's the only one who doesn't think she's losing her mind. Her intense, rough-around-the-edges protector has blindsided her with his passion. But Rachel also believes in Seth—believes he's a good man looking for redemption…and possibly love?
Seth Hammond won't stop until he gets answers. Tapped by the FBI to find out who's targeting the heiress gives the former Tennessee bad boy the chance to atone for his past sins. But it's his future he's worried about when Seth finds himself falling for Rachel…who's in graver danger than anyone in their small mountain town of Bitterwood realizes.
Ever since she was named CEO of her family business, strange things have been happening—terrifying incidents that could be tied to Rachel's violence-shadowed past. Seth's the only one who doesn't think she's losing her mind. Her intense, rough-around-the-edges protector has blindsided her with his passion. But Rachel also believes in Seth—believes he's a good man looking for redemption…and possibly love?
288 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published June 18, 2013
19 people are currently reading
94 people want to read
About the author
Paula Graves
153 books136 followersI was raised in Alabama, so I know we Southerners don't hide our crazy people—we showcase them. Eccentric people make for the best stories, and we Southerners do love our stories. The need to tell stories has been a driving force in my life from childhood.
As a girl, my favorite books were mysteries and romances. When I realized there were books that featured both romance and mystery, I knew I'd found my calling. Now I get to play both matchmaker and murderer and get paid for it. Could there be a better job anywhere?
I love to hear from readers, so don't be shy! You can email me through my website, follow me on Twitter, or like my Facebook page and interact with me there: http://on.fb.me/MS3ldp And of course, you can always talk to me here on Goodreads!
Are you interested in subscribing to my newsletter? Go here and I tell you what to do: http://bit.ly/LYi4Ry
I look forward to chatting with you!
As a girl, my favorite books were mysteries and romances. When I realized there were books that featured both romance and mystery, I knew I'd found my calling. Now I get to play both matchmaker and murderer and get paid for it. Could there be a better job anywhere?
I love to hear from readers, so don't be shy! You can email me through my website, follow me on Twitter, or like my Facebook page and interact with me there: http://on.fb.me/MS3ldp And of course, you can always talk to me here on Goodreads!
Are you interested in subscribing to my newsletter? Go here and I tell you what to do: http://bit.ly/LYi4Ry
I look forward to chatting with you!
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
June 13, 2013
Very good book with plenty of action. Seth has been asked by the FBI to keep an eye on Rachel and see if he can figure out who is targeting her. That's no hardship for him as he's been doing that anyway. He had noticed her connection to the murders in the first book of the series (Murder in the Smokies) and wanted to find out who was behind it.
I really liked Seth. He has been trying to overcome his bad reputation and having a rough go of it. He made no excuses for what he had done in the past, he knew he had been wrong and regrets it. He has tried to make amends where he can. But his desire to protect Rachel goes deeper than just a desire to do what's right or his job for the FBI, he feels a connection to her that he's never felt for anyone before. He also has a great ability to understand her fears and help her deal with them. I really liked the way that he used his past and the abilities he had as a con man to be able to think outside the box when it came to finding out who is behind the attacks. As much as he cared for Rachel he felt that he was nowhere near good enough for her, but he was also unable to walk away from her. I felt really bad for Seth when everyone involved in the investigation thought that he was up to his old tricks, even his sister.
Rachel had been a librarian until her dying father asked her to come home and take over the family trucking business. She was reluctant at first but soon found that she was enjoying the work. When four women she knew were murdered it became obvious that someone was after her. After her father's death things began to happen to her that made her start to doubt her sanity. The only person who seems to believe her is Seth, a worker at the trucking company who she barely knows. In spite of the things that he has done in the past she feels safe with Seth and knows that she can trust him. I really liked the way that she didn't let his past affect the way that she saw the man that he is now.
Both Seth and Rachel had things in their pasts that had made them the people they are now. They also had fears that had to be overcome and were fortunate enough to have the other one to help. In this book we found out who had targeted Rachel, but the question of why is still unresolved. I'm looking forward to the next book and the resolution of the mystery.
I really liked Seth. He has been trying to overcome his bad reputation and having a rough go of it. He made no excuses for what he had done in the past, he knew he had been wrong and regrets it. He has tried to make amends where he can. But his desire to protect Rachel goes deeper than just a desire to do what's right or his job for the FBI, he feels a connection to her that he's never felt for anyone before. He also has a great ability to understand her fears and help her deal with them. I really liked the way that he used his past and the abilities he had as a con man to be able to think outside the box when it came to finding out who is behind the attacks. As much as he cared for Rachel he felt that he was nowhere near good enough for her, but he was also unable to walk away from her. I felt really bad for Seth when everyone involved in the investigation thought that he was up to his old tricks, even his sister.
Rachel had been a librarian until her dying father asked her to come home and take over the family trucking business. She was reluctant at first but soon found that she was enjoying the work. When four women she knew were murdered it became obvious that someone was after her. After her father's death things began to happen to her that made her start to doubt her sanity. The only person who seems to believe her is Seth, a worker at the trucking company who she barely knows. In spite of the things that he has done in the past she feels safe with Seth and knows that she can trust him. I really liked the way that she didn't let his past affect the way that she saw the man that he is now.
Both Seth and Rachel had things in their pasts that had made them the people they are now. They also had fears that had to be overcome and were fortunate enough to have the other one to help. In this book we found out who had targeted Rachel, but the question of why is still unresolved. I'm looking forward to the next book and the resolution of the mystery.
July 17, 2013
I recommend this book. (http://reneeentress.blogspot.com/)
As always I enjoyed this book by Paula. Have yet to be disappointed by Paula as she adds plenty of drama, passion, and romance. She captures the small town feel and you really feel as if the characters in her books are real. Look forward to the next book in this series.
I can't wait for the next book in the Bitterwood P.D. series. The book is due out in August 2013 “Smoky Ridge Curse” featuring Adam Brand’s story.
Rachel Davenport is trying to grieve for her father and her friends in Bitterwood who have recently passed. She wants to appear strong even while she is falling apart inside.
Seth Hammond was a conman who is now trying to atone for those sins. He feels bad for all the cons he pulled and is working on becoming a better man. He has many secrets he still has to keep especially as he is secretly working for Adam Brand from the FBI and has been ordered to keep an eye on Rachel. When he came back to town Rachel and her father gave him second chance and he is currently working for Davenport Trucking. While at the same time trying to figure out who is killing the people around Rachel. Why is she targeted and for what purpose?
After Rachel is drugged and almost went over a bridge Seth decides to investigate to figure out what happened.
Rachel is on the phone with an ex-boyfriend who came to town for the funeral when he gets attacked. She tries to track him down and comes across Seth who has also been attacked. They decide to team up and investigate together to find out what is going on.
Rachel has her own dark secrets of her past that she needs to overcome as someone is trying to make her think she is going crazy.
Seth opens up about his childhood and how it shaped him into the man he is today.
Everywhere Rachel and Seth go to get answers everyone treats Seth like he is still a conman and he has to defend himself. Even his sister Delilah and old friend Sutton don’t believe him at first about his suspicions about what is going on with Rachel. That makes Rachel question his motives multiple times.
Read the book to get answers to the below:
Will Rachel & Seth figure out why someone wants Rachel crazy or dead?
What shaped them both into the people they are today?
Can Rachel trust Seth?
Some favorite parts from this book:
The road into Bitterwood proper from the mountains was a winding series of switchback and straightaways called Old Purgatory Road. Back in the day, when they were just kids, Delilah, a couple of years older and eons wiser, had told Seth that it was named so because hell was located in a deep, dark cavern in the heart of Smoky Ridge, their mountain home, and the only way to get in or out was Purgatory Road.
“I thought the first rule of the con game was that you couldn’t con an honest man.” She wasn’t sure where she’d heard that, but she’d always considered it to be a reasonable assumption. Honest men didn’t fall for deals that where too good to be true.
Seth shook his head. “Honest man can be conned. Everyone has a price, even if the price is honorable.” He grimaced. “I guess never breaking the law if you don’t have to isn’t necessarily the first rule of the con game, but it was the first rule Cleve Calhoun taught me.”
Ah, Seth thought. Now we get to the grilling part. “I knew the murder victims. I liked them, and I like Rachel Davenport, too. Her father took a chance on me when he hired me at the trucking company when most people around here wouldn’t spit on me if I was on fire.”
He was beautiful, she thought, standing there in the middle of her haven. Beautiful and feral, constantly on the edge of flight. Despite the façade civilization, despite his obvious attempts to fight his own wild instincts, he would never be fully tame. He would never be genteel or domesticated. He’d always be a wild card.
“The people at a show know what they’re seeing isn’t real,” Seth answered slowly. “They’re willing participants in their own deception.”
Uncle Rafe’s well-lined face creased with a smile. “Damn good answer, boy.” He hooked his arm through Rachel’s and led her to the second row of tables facing the large stage. “Gotta go start deceiving this room full of willing participants in their own deception.” He said with a wink in Seth’s direction. “You’ll stick around after the show, of course?”
His gaze snapped back to hers. “You know what con men really do, Rachel? The kill you soul. You start out a normal person. Caring. Trusting. And then he strikes, and you’re never the same. You trust no one. Nothing. You’re afraid to be nice, because it makes you vulnerable. You’re afraid to care because it makes you an easy mark. You meet a nice guy, a good guy, a guy who would treat you right, and you can’t let yourself believe him because you know sweet words and a tender touch can hide a monster.” He leaned toward her, his gaze so intense it made her stomach quiver. “That’s what I did to Lauren Blount. It’s what I did to God knows how many people along the way.”
She didn’t know what to say. She didn’t even know what to feel.
“I did that.” He sat back, looking away. “I don’t know how a man can forgive himself for that. I don’t know how he lives with it. He can try to pay back the money, he can promise he’ll never do anything like that again, but he can’t change the fact that he had kind of evil inside him and he let it have free rein. How do I live with that?”
As always I enjoyed this book by Paula. Have yet to be disappointed by Paula as she adds plenty of drama, passion, and romance. She captures the small town feel and you really feel as if the characters in her books are real. Look forward to the next book in this series.
I can't wait for the next book in the Bitterwood P.D. series. The book is due out in August 2013 “Smoky Ridge Curse” featuring Adam Brand’s story.
Rachel Davenport is trying to grieve for her father and her friends in Bitterwood who have recently passed. She wants to appear strong even while she is falling apart inside.
Seth Hammond was a conman who is now trying to atone for those sins. He feels bad for all the cons he pulled and is working on becoming a better man. He has many secrets he still has to keep especially as he is secretly working for Adam Brand from the FBI and has been ordered to keep an eye on Rachel. When he came back to town Rachel and her father gave him second chance and he is currently working for Davenport Trucking. While at the same time trying to figure out who is killing the people around Rachel. Why is she targeted and for what purpose?
After Rachel is drugged and almost went over a bridge Seth decides to investigate to figure out what happened.
Rachel is on the phone with an ex-boyfriend who came to town for the funeral when he gets attacked. She tries to track him down and comes across Seth who has also been attacked. They decide to team up and investigate together to find out what is going on.
Rachel has her own dark secrets of her past that she needs to overcome as someone is trying to make her think she is going crazy.
Seth opens up about his childhood and how it shaped him into the man he is today.
Everywhere Rachel and Seth go to get answers everyone treats Seth like he is still a conman and he has to defend himself. Even his sister Delilah and old friend Sutton don’t believe him at first about his suspicions about what is going on with Rachel. That makes Rachel question his motives multiple times.
Read the book to get answers to the below:
Will Rachel & Seth figure out why someone wants Rachel crazy or dead?
What shaped them both into the people they are today?
Can Rachel trust Seth?
Some favorite parts from this book:
The road into Bitterwood proper from the mountains was a winding series of switchback and straightaways called Old Purgatory Road. Back in the day, when they were just kids, Delilah, a couple of years older and eons wiser, had told Seth that it was named so because hell was located in a deep, dark cavern in the heart of Smoky Ridge, their mountain home, and the only way to get in or out was Purgatory Road.
“I thought the first rule of the con game was that you couldn’t con an honest man.” She wasn’t sure where she’d heard that, but she’d always considered it to be a reasonable assumption. Honest men didn’t fall for deals that where too good to be true.
Seth shook his head. “Honest man can be conned. Everyone has a price, even if the price is honorable.” He grimaced. “I guess never breaking the law if you don’t have to isn’t necessarily the first rule of the con game, but it was the first rule Cleve Calhoun taught me.”
Ah, Seth thought. Now we get to the grilling part. “I knew the murder victims. I liked them, and I like Rachel Davenport, too. Her father took a chance on me when he hired me at the trucking company when most people around here wouldn’t spit on me if I was on fire.”
He was beautiful, she thought, standing there in the middle of her haven. Beautiful and feral, constantly on the edge of flight. Despite the façade civilization, despite his obvious attempts to fight his own wild instincts, he would never be fully tame. He would never be genteel or domesticated. He’d always be a wild card.
“The people at a show know what they’re seeing isn’t real,” Seth answered slowly. “They’re willing participants in their own deception.”
Uncle Rafe’s well-lined face creased with a smile. “Damn good answer, boy.” He hooked his arm through Rachel’s and led her to the second row of tables facing the large stage. “Gotta go start deceiving this room full of willing participants in their own deception.” He said with a wink in Seth’s direction. “You’ll stick around after the show, of course?”
His gaze snapped back to hers. “You know what con men really do, Rachel? The kill you soul. You start out a normal person. Caring. Trusting. And then he strikes, and you’re never the same. You trust no one. Nothing. You’re afraid to be nice, because it makes you vulnerable. You’re afraid to care because it makes you an easy mark. You meet a nice guy, a good guy, a guy who would treat you right, and you can’t let yourself believe him because you know sweet words and a tender touch can hide a monster.” He leaned toward her, his gaze so intense it made her stomach quiver. “That’s what I did to Lauren Blount. It’s what I did to God knows how many people along the way.”
She didn’t know what to say. She didn’t even know what to feel.
“I did that.” He sat back, looking away. “I don’t know how a man can forgive himself for that. I don’t know how he lives with it. He can try to pay back the money, he can promise he’ll never do anything like that again, but he can’t change the fact that he had kind of evil inside him and he let it have free rein. How do I live with that?”
November 16, 2018
I enjoyed this romantic suspense with plenty of action that moved right along. The hero was an interesting character being a reformed ex-con by his own decision rather than jail. He faced so much doubt that it made me wonder if this really happens. An FBI agent tasked Seth with watching over Rachel who is connected to several murders.
December 17, 2013
This is the second in the Bitterwood P.D. miniseries in the Harlequin Intrigue imprint. This book follows Rachel Davenport and Seth Hammond as they try to figure out who is trying to drive Rachel crazy and why. Naturally, they end up together by the end of the book (not really a spoiler, they practically tell you this on the back cover). I liked that a good bit of the book was about facing fears. I thought that worked really well. This series reminds me of a soap opera though, with each book/episode focusing on a different couple involved in the same overarching story. This one leaves you hanging with a third book to follow.
July 10, 2013
In Graves’ romantic suspense novel, former bad boy Seth Hammond is now an informant for the FBI and tagged with tracking the whereabouts and safety of the local heiress. Now the CEO of the family business since the passing of her father, Rachel finds herself shadowed by someone wanting her to look as if she is mentally unstable and unable to manage the business. Seth is the only one who doesn’t believe she’s crazy and together they will stand against the enemy while falling into each other’s arms.
A great addition to the Bitterwood, P.D. series.
A great addition to the Bitterwood, P.D. series.
June 3, 2014
I read all three books in the Bitterwood PD trilogy, and this has to be my favorite! Seth, bad boy turning good, was interesting, redeemable, and plain HAWT. I liked the mystery surrounding Rachel and that much of the story was about facing fears and dealing with them. Of course, I cheered at the eventual & expected HEA. :)
March 21, 2014
Seth Hammond believes that someone intends to harm Rachel Davenport, so he is keeping an eye on her. Four women close to Rachel have been killed and now someone is trying to make Rachel doubt her sanity.
June 12, 2019
This is a story i wanted to get back to every time i set it down. There is an underlying plot within these first 2 books with plenty of twists and turns to keep you guessing about whats really going on. This book 2 has a satisfactory ending but not a full conclusion. I assume that will be in future books in the series so I will have to find a way to acquire them.
July 19, 2018
HI #1432 = 4+ stars
April 18, 2022
This is the 3rd book I read by Paula Graves. I'm sorry I stopped reading this story 📖 at chapter 7 because I couldn't get into it.
April 15, 2020
This is a good book so far.
March 7, 2015
Paula Graves is one of my favourite authors where neither the heroes nor the heroines are too stupid to live. Instead they are wonderfully rounded characters who I'm delighted to meet within the pages of a book.
They are GOOD people with values who struggle with real problems. Seth is a great hero who has done a 12 step program and made the effort to make amends for his past crimes. There is so much to admire in the moral strength of this character.
The story is entertaining but ultimately it was uplifting for me because these were characters who overcame their circumstances and their adversaries by their determination and hard work.
A really good read.
They are GOOD people with values who struggle with real problems. Seth is a great hero who has done a 12 step program and made the effort to make amends for his past crimes. There is so much to admire in the moral strength of this character.
The story is entertaining but ultimately it was uplifting for me because these were characters who overcame their circumstances and their adversaries by their determination and hard work.
A really good read.
September 28, 2016
Loved the story of Rachel and Seth.
With her being targeted and those she loved dying around her, Seth hired by Adam to watch over her, even though he already had been for a while already. She gave him the chance that no one else would! Loving him for him, who he was trying to be, how he was trying to make up for things and not just for what he had done in the past!
With her being targeted and those she loved dying around her, Seth hired by Adam to watch over her, even though he already had been for a while already. She gave him the chance that no one else would! Loving him for him, who he was trying to be, how he was trying to make up for things and not just for what he had done in the past!
September 17, 2013
I enjoyed the emotional depth in this one. Seth was truly sorry for the cons he had pulled & the harm he caused. He unflinchingly owned up to his mistakes. I felt the romance moved pretty slow but the time frame in this book is only a matter of days.
July 13, 2013
I really liked this novel!!! such a compelling novel with tons of suspense and mystery. Paula Graves writes some of the best romantic suspense novels so far this year!! tons of drama and secrets that surface; I liked that fact that the book wasn't a cliche and over dramatic.
Read
December 29, 2014"The beauty of the Smoky Mountains makes an excellent backdrop to a prime mystery with a well-laid plot and characters readers will find hard to forget." RT Book Reviews, rated 4 stars
Miniseries: Bitterwood P.D.
Category: Suspense
Miniseries: Bitterwood P.D.
Category: Suspense
May 20, 2013
Enjoyed it. Can't wait for the next book in the series.
Read
December 29, 2014Miniseries: Bitterwood P.D.
Category: Suspense
Rated 4 Stars by RT Book Reviews
Category: Suspense
Rated 4 Stars by RT Book Reviews
March 11, 2014
Good series
June 14, 2016
A Paula Graves book is like an M&M, you can't eat just one, must have more
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews