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Dead Wrong #4
Guilty as Sin
For over a decade, a killer has been waiting, silent as death and . . . GUILTY AS SIN Fourteen years ago, Kate Beckett was a teenager more interested in summer romance than babysitting. Then the unthinkable her younger brother was kidnapped and murdered on her watch. Now she is an advocate for missing children, and her newest case brings her back to the small town where she lost her brother-and where she left behind the first boy she ever loved. Tommy Ibarra's world fell apart after Kate broke his heart, and he's spent his adult life making sure that he'll never be vulnerable again. When a teenage girl vanishes, he offers his expertise as a high tech security expert to help find her. Although he's determined to keep his distance from Kate, it isn't long before he's falling under her spell all over again. As they race against the clock, their investigation leads to a brutal killer with a shocking connection to Kate's tragic past. And this time, the killer has Kate firmly in his sights.
453 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2013
41 people are currently reading
1078 people want to read
About the author
Jami Alden
42 books797 followersLike so many romance readers, my first romance novel was by Kathleen Woodiwiss - The Flame and the Flower, to be exact. I was thirteen. I spent the next month working my way through her entire back list. Shortly thereafter I discovered Judith McNaught, Johanna Lindsey, Karen Robards, Catherine Coulter, Shirlee Busbee among others, and devoured their lavish historical epics full of overbearing alpha males and the women who brought them to their knees. I was hooked. My high school teachers marveled at my ability to read romance novels under the desk and still score straight A's. I started to imagine myself, living in a cabin in the mountains somewhere, writing romance novels.
It took me quite awhile to pursue my dream. After graduating from Stanford with a degree in English Literature, I worked in a variety of soul sucking admin jobs before I began my career in marketing. It wasn't exactly my dream job, but at least my writing appeared on several web sites and in many software marketing brochures. Unfortunately I wasn't able to fit the phrase "and her loins melted like hot wax" into any of them.
During my stint as the world's surliest receptionist, I took my first stab at writing. The result was a very melodramatic western historical which reads like a bad Elizabeth Lowell rip off. Its currently languishing on my hard drive, forever stuck on page 330.
Then in fall 2001 I had an incredible stroke of luck and got laid off from my marketing job. I decided it was time to stop saying I wanted to be a writer and to actually give it a serious go. Fortunately my husband, a socially well adjusted alpha male, is a very generous patron of the arts.
Four years later, I sold my first book and I'm pretty much living the dream of getting paid to write romance. I don't live in a cabin in the mountains, but I do live in a rural-ish town near San Francisco (hey, we have deer and bunnies in our yard, along with the occasional coyote) with my husband, sons, and two dogs who patiently listen to my dialogue and help me work out plot points. When I'm not writing sexy romance, I enjoy running, reading, yoga and watching Food Network and bad reality TV.
It took me quite awhile to pursue my dream. After graduating from Stanford with a degree in English Literature, I worked in a variety of soul sucking admin jobs before I began my career in marketing. It wasn't exactly my dream job, but at least my writing appeared on several web sites and in many software marketing brochures. Unfortunately I wasn't able to fit the phrase "and her loins melted like hot wax" into any of them.
During my stint as the world's surliest receptionist, I took my first stab at writing. The result was a very melodramatic western historical which reads like a bad Elizabeth Lowell rip off. Its currently languishing on my hard drive, forever stuck on page 330.
Then in fall 2001 I had an incredible stroke of luck and got laid off from my marketing job. I decided it was time to stop saying I wanted to be a writer and to actually give it a serious go. Fortunately my husband, a socially well adjusted alpha male, is a very generous patron of the arts.
Four years later, I sold my first book and I'm pretty much living the dream of getting paid to write romance. I don't live in a cabin in the mountains, but I do live in a rural-ish town near San Francisco (hey, we have deer and bunnies in our yard, along with the occasional coyote) with my husband, sons, and two dogs who patiently listen to my dialogue and help me work out plot points. When I'm not writing sexy romance, I enjoy running, reading, yoga and watching Food Network and bad reality TV.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 74 reviews
August 22, 2017
Jami Alden is one of my favourite romantic suspense authors and "Guilty As Sin" didn't disappoint.
The 4th book in her "Dead Wrong" series and full of mystery, murder, romance and smokin hot sexual chemistry.
I can't wait to read the next book in this series!
The 4th book in her "Dead Wrong" series and full of mystery, murder, romance and smokin hot sexual chemistry.
I can't wait to read the next book in this series!
July 29, 2013
Review posted at: Swept Away By Romance
Story Rating ~ 5 EXHILARATING STARS!
Hero Rating ~ 5 STARS, I totally fell in love with him.
Heroine Rating ~ 5 Stars
Romance Rating ~ 5 Stars
Heat Level ~ 4 Stars
End Rating ~ 4.5 Stars
Overall Rating ~ 5 HUGE STARS
OMG! How I LOVED this book. Right from page one I was grabbed into this most excellent story. It starts off with the heroine Kate at the age of 16 being left by her parents to watch over her younger brother Michael while they are gone over night. The whole family is staying at the cottage on Sandpoint for the summer just as they have for years. Kate's twin sister, Lauren, was going to stay at a friend’s house, and her parents wanted Kate to understand just how much responsibility they were laying on her shoulders. This was her chance to get her parents to trust her again. They had caught her and her boyfriend, Tommy, making out in their sunroom just a few days before, and they were VERY disappointed in her, because she's supposed to be more level headed than her twin sister Lauren. Her dad did not approve of Tommy, since his family did not run in the same upper circles that they did. He’s a U.S. Senator and he felt Tommy was not good enough for his daughter, and he didn’t fit into the family’s image. Kate has plans to have Tommy over once her brother goes to bed, but Michael doesn’t cooperate, so she bribes him with money to go upstairs so she can have some alone time with Tommy. Tommy comes over and the two of them start making out and when things begin to get hot and heavy, Kate starts to feel uncomfortable, thinking her brother might catch them. Tommy pulls her out of the cottage and onto the beach for some privacy. They start making out again and then hear a crash that sounds like it came from the cottage. They run back to the cottage and search for Michael but he is….GONE!! The events that ensue from that point on are heart-wrenching.
Fast forward 14 years. Kate is working to find missing children and she is back in Sandpoint, where she is helping to find a missing 14 year old girl. This is where she meets up with Tommy once again. The attraction they have for each other is still evident, even though they are both fighting it. They team up with a few other friends from town, and are looking for clues to help find the missing girl.
This story line was gripping! The twists and turns in the plot made this a real page-turner. Early on I had a feeling who the villain might be, but it was not confirmed until the end. This person was a total piece of work and quite a whack job. I have to say that Jami Alden did a REMARKABLE job with all the characters in this book. Her writing allows the reader to feel their emotions, very realistic!
My favorite character was Tommy; I LOVED him and everything about him. He was extremely smart, honorable, tender, caring, protective and on top of all that, he was also sexy and knew his way around a woman's body.
Jami Alden knows how to write a SCORCHING HOT scene, but they were also tender and caring. I could feel the connection that Kate and Tommy had with each other while reading these very sensual scenes. I fell in love with Tommy every bit as much as Kate did. The sex scenes were detailed, erotic in nature, but nothing over the top.
As the story progressed, and we neared the end, I was on the edge of my seat, completely absorbed in the book and how it all played out.
There is a HEA and an epilogue. However, the epilogue was more like the last chapter in the book, as opposed to a future update in the lives of the characters. I prefer my epilogues as an update rather than a conclusion to a read.
Nevertheless, I LOVED this book and HIGHLY recommend it to anyone who enjoys a really good suspense thriller, with excellent characters, and a hot love story rolled all into one.
*ARC provided by Forever Publishing via NetGalley*
Story Rating ~ 5 EXHILARATING STARS!
Hero Rating ~ 5 STARS, I totally fell in love with him.
Heroine Rating ~ 5 Stars
Romance Rating ~ 5 Stars
Heat Level ~ 4 Stars
End Rating ~ 4.5 Stars
Overall Rating ~ 5 HUGE STARS
OMG! How I LOVED this book. Right from page one I was grabbed into this most excellent story. It starts off with the heroine Kate at the age of 16 being left by her parents to watch over her younger brother Michael while they are gone over night. The whole family is staying at the cottage on Sandpoint for the summer just as they have for years. Kate's twin sister, Lauren, was going to stay at a friend’s house, and her parents wanted Kate to understand just how much responsibility they were laying on her shoulders. This was her chance to get her parents to trust her again. They had caught her and her boyfriend, Tommy, making out in their sunroom just a few days before, and they were VERY disappointed in her, because she's supposed to be more level headed than her twin sister Lauren. Her dad did not approve of Tommy, since his family did not run in the same upper circles that they did. He’s a U.S. Senator and he felt Tommy was not good enough for his daughter, and he didn’t fit into the family’s image. Kate has plans to have Tommy over once her brother goes to bed, but Michael doesn’t cooperate, so she bribes him with money to go upstairs so she can have some alone time with Tommy. Tommy comes over and the two of them start making out and when things begin to get hot and heavy, Kate starts to feel uncomfortable, thinking her brother might catch them. Tommy pulls her out of the cottage and onto the beach for some privacy. They start making out again and then hear a crash that sounds like it came from the cottage. They run back to the cottage and search for Michael but he is….GONE!! The events that ensue from that point on are heart-wrenching.
Fast forward 14 years. Kate is working to find missing children and she is back in Sandpoint, where she is helping to find a missing 14 year old girl. This is where she meets up with Tommy once again. The attraction they have for each other is still evident, even though they are both fighting it. They team up with a few other friends from town, and are looking for clues to help find the missing girl.
This story line was gripping! The twists and turns in the plot made this a real page-turner. Early on I had a feeling who the villain might be, but it was not confirmed until the end. This person was a total piece of work and quite a whack job. I have to say that Jami Alden did a REMARKABLE job with all the characters in this book. Her writing allows the reader to feel their emotions, very realistic!
My favorite character was Tommy; I LOVED him and everything about him. He was extremely smart, honorable, tender, caring, protective and on top of all that, he was also sexy and knew his way around a woman's body.
Jami Alden knows how to write a SCORCHING HOT scene, but they were also tender and caring. I could feel the connection that Kate and Tommy had with each other while reading these very sensual scenes. I fell in love with Tommy every bit as much as Kate did. The sex scenes were detailed, erotic in nature, but nothing over the top.
As the story progressed, and we neared the end, I was on the edge of my seat, completely absorbed in the book and how it all played out.
There is a HEA and an epilogue. However, the epilogue was more like the last chapter in the book, as opposed to a future update in the lives of the characters. I prefer my epilogues as an update rather than a conclusion to a read.
Nevertheless, I LOVED this book and HIGHLY recommend it to anyone who enjoys a really good suspense thriller, with excellent characters, and a hot love story rolled all into one.
*ARC provided by Forever Publishing via NetGalley*
June 3, 2013
I did it... i finished the book in one bloody night.... and it was SOOOOOOO worth it!!! The PERFECT blend of NAIL-BITING suspense and some REALLY HOT "bom chika wah wah" scenes, had me alternately flipping pages that fast, to find out what the heck was going to happen next AND also reaching for an icy-cold glass of something.. anything really... just to cool myself down!!! *SIGH* Tommy Ibarra... the man was EPIC i tell 'ya!!!
Again this is by NO MEANS my full review... just some ramblings from a bleary eyed me, before i head to bed... i will write my full review closer towards the release date.
*ARC courtesy of Grand Central Publishing and Netgalley*
Again this is by NO MEANS my full review... just some ramblings from a bleary eyed me, before i head to bed... i will write my full review closer towards the release date.
*ARC courtesy of Grand Central Publishing and Netgalley*
August 9, 2013
I know when reading a book that the characters aren't real people, but it still doesn't stop me from talking about them like they are.
I didn't like Kate. I know that I should feel sorry for her because her family treated her like dog shit they stepped in, but I don't like how she went along with all the bad things her father did to Tommy. I especially think that after she realized just how much they all hate her she should have reached out to Tommy, instead she just went along with things. To me that shows what a weak person she was.
It also seemed like the Tommy in this book was a very different person than the Tommy we met in a previous book. I liked that Tommy, not so much with this one.
Very early on I was able to guess the bad guy, so it drove me nuts when everyone one else couldn't see them for what they were too. I did think what happened to them in the end was just what they deserved.
I realized when Kate's family came in at the end that she is a better person than me. I wouldn't have let them in or welcomed them back with open arms after how they treated her since Michael's death.
I didn't like Kate. I know that I should feel sorry for her because her family treated her like dog shit they stepped in, but I don't like how she went along with all the bad things her father did to Tommy. I especially think that after she realized just how much they all hate her she should have reached out to Tommy, instead she just went along with things. To me that shows what a weak person she was.
It also seemed like the Tommy in this book was a very different person than the Tommy we met in a previous book. I liked that Tommy, not so much with this one.
Very early on I was able to guess the bad guy, so it drove me nuts when everyone one else couldn't see them for what they were too. I did think what happened to them in the end was just what they deserved.
I realized when Kate's family came in at the end that she is a better person than me. I wouldn't have let them in or welcomed them back with open arms after how they treated her since Michael's death.
August 2, 2013
It seems that lately I read books where fathers mess with the life of their children…
They blame them for faults never committed; they burden them with undeserved guilt; they ruin their life pretending they’re protecting them… All manners of things that result in anguish and sorrow for the children.
As it is said, the road to Hell is paved by good intensions…
Here Kate bears the burden of her brother’s murder… Her family blames her for it.
She was only 16 years old when a monster kidnapped her little brother while she was making out with Tommy, her boyfriend despised by her father because he was from a poor family and thus beneath her status of a Senator’s daughter.
She betrayed them. She allowed a monster to take Michael. She was irresponsible.
She left him by himself because she was a slut.
They abandoned her. They blamed her with actions and words.
You’re nothing but a spoiled brat who let her brother get kidnapped and murdered.
----------------
I remember my father saying ‘I can’t stand the sight of her. Every time I see her, I wish she was the one who’d died.’
But Kate is strong, even under all the burdens she bears on her shoulders. She dedicated her life to help find kidnapped children. And the last case brings her back to where everything started and where her life has broken down.
Tommy is a young man who’s fallen in love with a girl way over his social standing: he’s poor, he’s a farmer son, he’s Hispanic… He tries to keep Kate away from himself, but love is stronger, so they meet in secret… And the night Michael is kidnapped they’re making out…
Kate’s father, the Senator, dislikes Tommy because he think he’s not good enough for his daughter, so when tragedy strikes, his dislike escalates in hate. He did everything in his power to ruin Tommy’s life: he take away his scholarship, he threatened to make the bank withdraw the mortgage of his parent’s farm… So Tommy did the only thing he could do: he enrolled in the Army and went to fight in the worst places.
Tommy is strong too and he made a good life for himself: he’s business is flourishing and he’s content.
The relationship shattered after the tragedy. Kate’s guilt and will to earn her father’s love made her push Tommy away in the worst way. So Tommy is bitter and believes that Kate pushed him away because she’s a spoilt brat.
When they meet again the attraction is still there, but both fight it viciously.
While looking for a kidnapped girl, evidences emerge that the wrong man could have been convicted for her brother’s murder.
Also the attraction between Kate and Tommy escalates until they cannot fight it anymore. And all the passion buried for all these year pours out in a incandescent way!
There are twist and turns here. The mystery of who is the culprit is revealed only at the end and it is good!
I could feel Kate’s misery and pain, her desire to be loved and her fear of not deserving it.
I could also feel Tommy’s anger over Kate’s rejection. His feeling inadequate. His desire and love for Kate.
This is a beautiful book where angst, anger, desire, injustice, hate, the twisted mind of the villain and everyone’s feelings are explored.
They blame them for faults never committed; they burden them with undeserved guilt; they ruin their life pretending they’re protecting them… All manners of things that result in anguish and sorrow for the children.
As it is said, the road to Hell is paved by good intensions…
Here Kate bears the burden of her brother’s murder… Her family blames her for it.
She was only 16 years old when a monster kidnapped her little brother while she was making out with Tommy, her boyfriend despised by her father because he was from a poor family and thus beneath her status of a Senator’s daughter.
She betrayed them. She allowed a monster to take Michael. She was irresponsible.
She left him by himself because she was a slut.
They abandoned her. They blamed her with actions and words.
You’re nothing but a spoiled brat who let her brother get kidnapped and murdered.
----------------
I remember my father saying ‘I can’t stand the sight of her. Every time I see her, I wish she was the one who’d died.’
But Kate is strong, even under all the burdens she bears on her shoulders. She dedicated her life to help find kidnapped children. And the last case brings her back to where everything started and where her life has broken down.
Tommy is a young man who’s fallen in love with a girl way over his social standing: he’s poor, he’s a farmer son, he’s Hispanic… He tries to keep Kate away from himself, but love is stronger, so they meet in secret… And the night Michael is kidnapped they’re making out…
Kate’s father, the Senator, dislikes Tommy because he think he’s not good enough for his daughter, so when tragedy strikes, his dislike escalates in hate. He did everything in his power to ruin Tommy’s life: he take away his scholarship, he threatened to make the bank withdraw the mortgage of his parent’s farm… So Tommy did the only thing he could do: he enrolled in the Army and went to fight in the worst places.
Tommy is strong too and he made a good life for himself: he’s business is flourishing and he’s content.
The relationship shattered after the tragedy. Kate’s guilt and will to earn her father’s love made her push Tommy away in the worst way. So Tommy is bitter and believes that Kate pushed him away because she’s a spoilt brat.
When they meet again the attraction is still there, but both fight it viciously.
While looking for a kidnapped girl, evidences emerge that the wrong man could have been convicted for her brother’s murder.
Also the attraction between Kate and Tommy escalates until they cannot fight it anymore. And all the passion buried for all these year pours out in a incandescent way!
There are twist and turns here. The mystery of who is the culprit is revealed only at the end and it is good!
I could feel Kate’s misery and pain, her desire to be loved and her fear of not deserving it.
I could also feel Tommy’s anger over Kate’s rejection. His feeling inadequate. His desire and love for Kate.
This is a beautiful book where angst, anger, desire, injustice, hate, the twisted mind of the villain and everyone’s feelings are explored.
July 9, 2013
This book had a bit of an identity crisis... that's the best way for me to describe how it made me feel. It wanted to be erotica... it also wanted to be thriller and mystery... and the attempt to make them both did not work for me at all.
Was the erotica written well? Yes! Was the mystery/thriller written well? Yes! Did they belong together? No!
Here is where this book went wrong... I couldn't enjoy the erotica because the tragic circumstances surrounding this romance did not work well together. Mainly because Kate was supposed to be investigating the kidnap/disappearance of a young girl. It was very "wrong" for Kate and Tommy to be thinking erotic thoughts about each other CONSTANTLY when they were in the middle of an intense and time sensitive investigation. And, it definitely didn't work for them to stop and have sex. I kept thinking that if I were in the middle of something that important sex would not be on the forefront of my mind. And, considering they were both adults... this type of behavior just didn't seem to fit. I'm not the kind of reader who can successfully change back and forth from erotica to images of a young girl being terrorized. I couldn't enjoy the intimacy when my mind was worried and on the edge about the fate of a young girl being held hostage and being hurt. Nope, couldn't do it. And, if my kid were missing... I would never hire these two... their minds clearly weren't on the job.
I felt that this particular thriller/mystery would have been better paired with a slow moving romance that blossomed as these two worked together on the case. Sex after but not before the case was solved. My way of coping... because I was very interested in the thriller part of the story... was skimming through the sex scenes and inner dialogue.
I decided to settle for a 3 star rating because I did like the mystery/thriller portion of the book... I just wish the romance portion had been handled differently.
Visit my blog for more reviews:
www.ktbookreviews.blogspot.com
Was the erotica written well? Yes! Was the mystery/thriller written well? Yes! Did they belong together? No!
Here is where this book went wrong... I couldn't enjoy the erotica because the tragic circumstances surrounding this romance did not work well together. Mainly because Kate was supposed to be investigating the kidnap/disappearance of a young girl. It was very "wrong" for Kate and Tommy to be thinking erotic thoughts about each other CONSTANTLY when they were in the middle of an intense and time sensitive investigation. And, it definitely didn't work for them to stop and have sex. I kept thinking that if I were in the middle of something that important sex would not be on the forefront of my mind. And, considering they were both adults... this type of behavior just didn't seem to fit. I'm not the kind of reader who can successfully change back and forth from erotica to images of a young girl being terrorized. I couldn't enjoy the intimacy when my mind was worried and on the edge about the fate of a young girl being held hostage and being hurt. Nope, couldn't do it. And, if my kid were missing... I would never hire these two... their minds clearly weren't on the job.
I felt that this particular thriller/mystery would have been better paired with a slow moving romance that blossomed as these two worked together on the case. Sex after but not before the case was solved. My way of coping... because I was very interested in the thriller part of the story... was skimming through the sex scenes and inner dialogue.
I decided to settle for a 3 star rating because I did like the mystery/thriller portion of the book... I just wish the romance portion had been handled differently.
Visit my blog for more reviews:
www.ktbookreviews.blogspot.com
August 29, 2013
The past sometimes stands in your way and must be dealt with before you can truly move on. This is the theme running through “Guilty As Sin.” Kate Beckett and Tommy Ibarra began a summer romance in their teens. When a horrible tragedy strikes Kate’s family with Kate and Tommy caught in the middle, their relationship unravels and they part ways.
Fourteen years later when another similar crime is committed, Kate, who is now a child advocacy specialist, is called back to the small beach community. There she encounters old friends now working in law enforcement, along with Tommy Ibarra, a Security and Communication Specialist working with the local authorities. Of course, these two have past issues to overcome but the residual attraction and feelings for one another certainly rise to the top quickly. Alden has done a wonderful job interweaving their past with the present while moving the story along well. Both Kate and Tommy are well-developed characters who are strong and admirable. I loved getting to know them and sharing their second chance at love journey to a happily-ever-after.
Not too far in, I felt I knew who the villain was and, in the end, I was right. Usually, this early presentation would upset me. However, Jami Alden writes such engaging and intriguing storylines that solving the who-done-it early on doesn’t diminish the overall thrill of the chase and the reasons why.
I was less than impressed with the Epilogue. Kate didn’t seem to get the proper apologies or respect that I thought she deserved. I am certain that I wouldn’t be able to forgive as easily the treatment she endured.
It seems to me that this author is turning up the heat in her latest releases. She’s doing a fab job balancing the steam and suspense. Her latest release is a well-defined and captivating story centered around child kidnapping and murder cases. Kudos to Jami Alden for another great suspense-filled romance.
Fourteen years later when another similar crime is committed, Kate, who is now a child advocacy specialist, is called back to the small beach community. There she encounters old friends now working in law enforcement, along with Tommy Ibarra, a Security and Communication Specialist working with the local authorities. Of course, these two have past issues to overcome but the residual attraction and feelings for one another certainly rise to the top quickly. Alden has done a wonderful job interweaving their past with the present while moving the story along well. Both Kate and Tommy are well-developed characters who are strong and admirable. I loved getting to know them and sharing their second chance at love journey to a happily-ever-after.
Not too far in, I felt I knew who the villain was and, in the end, I was right. Usually, this early presentation would upset me. However, Jami Alden writes such engaging and intriguing storylines that solving the who-done-it early on doesn’t diminish the overall thrill of the chase and the reasons why.
I was less than impressed with the Epilogue. Kate didn’t seem to get the proper apologies or respect that I thought she deserved. I am certain that I wouldn’t be able to forgive as easily the treatment she endured.
It seems to me that this author is turning up the heat in her latest releases. She’s doing a fab job balancing the steam and suspense. Her latest release is a well-defined and captivating story centered around child kidnapping and murder cases. Kudos to Jami Alden for another great suspense-filled romance.
October 9, 2014
SPOILERS AHEAD, EVERYWHERE, YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!!!
8/10 - Really enjoying this. The mystery is engaging, despite how fast I worked out who the killer was. The sex, well there hasn't really been any yet, but the sneak peak we get in the prologue was promising.
I didn't really read the blurb before starting the book, so I was surprised when they caught Michael's killer. I thought it would remain a mystery, and then Kate would come back and the crime that she came back for would have similarities and she would solve that crime and save the child and solve her brother's murder, all at the same time. As soon as I read John's outburst about all the other girls who would kill for the chance to go out with him I knew he would be the killer. I figured it would have something to do with trying to get back at her, or something, but then Michael was found in the local crime family's shack with the suicidally dead killer's body beside his. Immediately my suspicions were raised as that all seemed way too easy and I thought they might find some little piece of evidence that couldn't be explained by the story that was being told by the crime scene. But no, everyone just took it at face value and Michael's murder was solved. I thought, "Hmm, maybe I read too much into that outburst, maybe my SVU and Criminal Minds marathons are colouring my judgement.". But then, as I kept reading more John kept making innocent comments or doing innocent things that had sinister motives for someone already primed to believe the worst of him. The look Magda gave him when John introduced Kate, the exchange between John, Kate, and Magda's mentally challenged son Christian, the overly generous offer to pay the ransom money. All that has lead me to believe 100% that John killed Michael and is also responsible for the kidnapping of Tricia and the deaths of the other kids/teens that have been linked to Tricia's case.
What I think happened with Michael is that John went there looking for Kate, expecting her and Michael to be home alone. Maybe he wanted to kill her, maybe he wanted to rape her, that's not clear. When he got to the house he found Michael in Kate's bedroom instead of Kate, and once he'd disturbed Michael there was nothing he could do but take him in order to keep him quiet. He probably already had Flannery picked out as the perfect fall guy who would 'kill himself' to avoid the shame of a trial, and the shack picked out as the perfect place to commit two murders with no one around to hear. If he had managed to take Kate the same thing probably would have happened to Flannery, it just would have been with a different victim. I also think (but am not quite sure) that he (or my second guess would be his father) may be Christian's biological father. I wouldn't be surprised if he had started out raping the family's staff and that's why Magda has never named the father of her child. John tells Kate that Magda had a very difficult birth and this lead to a deprivation of oxygen to Christian which lead to his brain damage. I wouldn't be surprised if the reasons for the difficult birth were due to the fact that she was having trouble coming to terms with the fact that she was about to give birth to her rapist's child, and maybe she fought the labour process, refused to push etc.
Despite my positivity that I'm right with my deductions on who the killer is, I'm still enjoying the story, and even the mystery because there is still the possibility that I'll be proven wrong. Plus I'm enjoying the process of working out who the killer, and if it turns out as I think it will, I will enjoy being right. To be continued...
9/10 - Christian's birth father is never mentioned, but I still think my idea of John being the father is quite possible. From my experience watching SVU and Criminal Minds, it's a common behaviour of rapists who believe they are God's gift to women and can't understand why any girl/woman wouldn't be honoured to be chosen by them, including their own staff. I did enjoy being right with my deduction of who the killer was, but do think that maybe Alden could have made it a little bit more difficult to figure out.
There were a few editing mistakes in the second half of the book, including:
'"Tommy," she whispered taking the lobe of his teeth between her teeth.' on page 181; and somewhere after that the pronouns his and her got mixed up, but I can not remember (or find) where it was (that's a lesson to take a note of it next time, idiot!).
Some readers may find the ease with which they are able to work out the killer frustrating and too predictable, but as I said above I was able to find the silver lining in that situation in that I was able to be right (I hardly ever pick the killer, so this was particularly exciting for me) and that was great. Would recommend to those who don't mind knowing the killer within six pages of beginning the book.
P.S. Her name! It would be fine if this had been written five or more years ago, before the show really became popular, but it's from last year, so it was a strange decision on Alden's part. She could easily have gone with Kara Beckett or Kate Bennett, but Kate Beckett? *shakes head in confusion*.
8/10 - Really enjoying this. The mystery is engaging, despite how fast I worked out who the killer was. The sex, well there hasn't really been any yet, but the sneak peak we get in the prologue was promising.
I didn't really read the blurb before starting the book, so I was surprised when they caught Michael's killer. I thought it would remain a mystery, and then Kate would come back and the crime that she came back for would have similarities and she would solve that crime and save the child and solve her brother's murder, all at the same time. As soon as I read John's outburst about all the other girls who would kill for the chance to go out with him I knew he would be the killer. I figured it would have something to do with trying to get back at her, or something, but then Michael was found in the local crime family's shack with the suicidally dead killer's body beside his. Immediately my suspicions were raised as that all seemed way too easy and I thought they might find some little piece of evidence that couldn't be explained by the story that was being told by the crime scene. But no, everyone just took it at face value and Michael's murder was solved. I thought, "Hmm, maybe I read too much into that outburst, maybe my SVU and Criminal Minds marathons are colouring my judgement.". But then, as I kept reading more John kept making innocent comments or doing innocent things that had sinister motives for someone already primed to believe the worst of him. The look Magda gave him when John introduced Kate, the exchange between John, Kate, and Magda's mentally challenged son Christian, the overly generous offer to pay the ransom money. All that has lead me to believe 100% that John killed Michael and is also responsible for the kidnapping of Tricia and the deaths of the other kids/teens that have been linked to Tricia's case.
What I think happened with Michael is that John went there looking for Kate, expecting her and Michael to be home alone. Maybe he wanted to kill her, maybe he wanted to rape her, that's not clear. When he got to the house he found Michael in Kate's bedroom instead of Kate, and once he'd disturbed Michael there was nothing he could do but take him in order to keep him quiet. He probably already had Flannery picked out as the perfect fall guy who would 'kill himself' to avoid the shame of a trial, and the shack picked out as the perfect place to commit two murders with no one around to hear. If he had managed to take Kate the same thing probably would have happened to Flannery, it just would have been with a different victim. I also think (but am not quite sure) that he (or my second guess would be his father) may be Christian's biological father. I wouldn't be surprised if he had started out raping the family's staff and that's why Magda has never named the father of her child. John tells Kate that Magda had a very difficult birth and this lead to a deprivation of oxygen to Christian which lead to his brain damage. I wouldn't be surprised if the reasons for the difficult birth were due to the fact that she was having trouble coming to terms with the fact that she was about to give birth to her rapist's child, and maybe she fought the labour process, refused to push etc.
Despite my positivity that I'm right with my deductions on who the killer is, I'm still enjoying the story, and even the mystery because there is still the possibility that I'll be proven wrong. Plus I'm enjoying the process of working out who the killer, and if it turns out as I think it will, I will enjoy being right. To be continued...
9/10 - Christian's birth father is never mentioned, but I still think my idea of John being the father is quite possible. From my experience watching SVU and Criminal Minds, it's a common behaviour of rapists who believe they are God's gift to women and can't understand why any girl/woman wouldn't be honoured to be chosen by them, including their own staff. I did enjoy being right with my deduction of who the killer was, but do think that maybe Alden could have made it a little bit more difficult to figure out.
There were a few editing mistakes in the second half of the book, including:
'"Tommy," she whispered taking the lobe of his teeth between her teeth.' on page 181; and somewhere after that the pronouns his and her got mixed up, but I can not remember (or find) where it was (that's a lesson to take a note of it next time, idiot!).
Some readers may find the ease with which they are able to work out the killer frustrating and too predictable, but as I said above I was able to find the silver lining in that situation in that I was able to be right (I hardly ever pick the killer, so this was particularly exciting for me) and that was great. Would recommend to those who don't mind knowing the killer within six pages of beginning the book.
P.S. Her name! It would be fine if this had been written five or more years ago, before the show really became popular, but it's from last year, so it was a strange decision on Alden's part. She could easily have gone with Kara Beckett or Kate Bennett, but Kate Beckett? *shakes head in confusion*.
August 14, 2013
Rating 3.5 stars
The heroine Kate really tested my patience, I get she had her reasons, the guilt that she didn't watch out for her brother, her family essentially breaking away from her but she was a ninny! And it was so obvious who the culprit was. Disappointed by this book as I expected more.
The heroine Kate really tested my patience, I get she had her reasons, the guilt that she didn't watch out for her brother, her family essentially breaking away from her but she was a ninny! And it was so obvious who the culprit was. Disappointed by this book as I expected more.
February 24, 2014
Great suspense in this even though I knew who the killer was from the moment he appeared on the page. Again, I found myself skimming near the end as the story reached the climax.
This was also a great lovers (well almost lovers) reunited story. Tommy and Kate have a history and it is one surrounded by the tragedy of her younger brother's kidnapping and murder. Both definitely deserved a second chance with each other.
I like Alden's style of writing and I look forward to reading more of her books.
This was also a great lovers (well almost lovers) reunited story. Tommy and Kate have a history and it is one surrounded by the tragedy of her younger brother's kidnapping and murder. Both definitely deserved a second chance with each other.
I like Alden's style of writing and I look forward to reading more of her books.
August 4, 2013
3 ½-4 stars – Romantic Suspense
July 28, 2015
Guilty as Sin was a lovely surprise. I haven't read anything by this author before so I didn't really have any expectations, but after reading the fab Rescue Me by Christy Reece, (review coming soon) I have been looking around for a similar read. And Guilty as Sin was it.
It begins fourteen years in the past when our hero, Tommy, and heroine, Kate, are nineteen and sixteen respectively. They are in love, and one night, when Tommy sneaks over while her parents are out, Kate's world comes crashing down around her when her brother is kidnapped and murdered. She was meant to be looking after him, but instead was making out with Tommy on the beach just outside her house.
The book then moves to the present day, and Kate is now working for a foundation dealing with missing children. She's an expert in the field, so when a girl goes missing in the same town her brother died, and where she would holiday every year with her family, Kate is forced to face her past, and Tommy.
I loved this book. The suspense is built up brilliantly, and although the suspect is a bit predictable, I still thought the writing was really good and the tension wracked up nicely as Tommy, Kate and others try and find the missing fourteen girl, Tricia. Alden is also extremely proficient at writing steamy sex scenes, and I loved how the sexual tension was developed between Kate and Tommy.
It isn't easy for them to see each other again after what happened all those years ago. With so many misunderstandings and mistakes they both find it hard to be around each other. But as time moves along, they have to work together and so begins their healing.
The mystery aspect to the plot is pretty predictable. I knew right from the word go who the culprit would be, but it didn't really spoil my enjoyment too much. The subject matter is hard hitting in that young kids, mainly girls, are being kidnapped, sexually assaulted, and murdered. We do get a few chapters from the view point of the murderer and it is a little icky but it's meant to be so. We are definitely not meant to sympathise in any way with this evil person.
I thought Alden did a great job combining a suspenseful, hard hitting subject matter with a steamy romance. Before I started reading romantic suspense seriously, I didn't think these two genres would mesh well, but when written by an expert hand, it works really well. I've definitely found a new author to glom. (And just so you know, as I write this review I'm already reading another book by Alden called Beg for Mercy - really good so far).
As well as the mystery aspect of the book, the romantic element is sooooo good. I loved these two characters, they are so real and believable. Of course Tommy is sexy as hell, but I really liked Kate too. She is strong and vulnerable all rolled into one, what she does as a career is admirable after everything she has been through, and when Tommy finds out that their lives could have been so very different if it wasn't for Kate's father, his wall comes crashing down and his feelings take over.
The only aspects of the book that were the reason it didn't get 5 stars is because the suspect is quite predictable and the ending with Kate's family is just too over the top. I don't believe it would be that easy and it jarred against the believability the rest of the novel had, which is a bit disappointing. However, the ending is satisfying with regards to the romance, and as this is a stand alone novel, I did love how everything was wrapped up nicely.
Guilty as Sin is a great romantic suspense. The plot is exciting and drives the story forward with lots of tension. The sexual chemistry between the hero and heroine is sizzling, the sex is steamy and the characters are loveable. If you enjoy romantic suspense, then I'm sure you'll love this book.
It begins fourteen years in the past when our hero, Tommy, and heroine, Kate, are nineteen and sixteen respectively. They are in love, and one night, when Tommy sneaks over while her parents are out, Kate's world comes crashing down around her when her brother is kidnapped and murdered. She was meant to be looking after him, but instead was making out with Tommy on the beach just outside her house.
The book then moves to the present day, and Kate is now working for a foundation dealing with missing children. She's an expert in the field, so when a girl goes missing in the same town her brother died, and where she would holiday every year with her family, Kate is forced to face her past, and Tommy.
I loved this book. The suspense is built up brilliantly, and although the suspect is a bit predictable, I still thought the writing was really good and the tension wracked up nicely as Tommy, Kate and others try and find the missing fourteen girl, Tricia. Alden is also extremely proficient at writing steamy sex scenes, and I loved how the sexual tension was developed between Kate and Tommy.
It isn't easy for them to see each other again after what happened all those years ago. With so many misunderstandings and mistakes they both find it hard to be around each other. But as time moves along, they have to work together and so begins their healing.
The mystery aspect to the plot is pretty predictable. I knew right from the word go who the culprit would be, but it didn't really spoil my enjoyment too much. The subject matter is hard hitting in that young kids, mainly girls, are being kidnapped, sexually assaulted, and murdered. We do get a few chapters from the view point of the murderer and it is a little icky but it's meant to be so. We are definitely not meant to sympathise in any way with this evil person.
I thought Alden did a great job combining a suspenseful, hard hitting subject matter with a steamy romance. Before I started reading romantic suspense seriously, I didn't think these two genres would mesh well, but when written by an expert hand, it works really well. I've definitely found a new author to glom. (And just so you know, as I write this review I'm already reading another book by Alden called Beg for Mercy - really good so far).
As well as the mystery aspect of the book, the romantic element is sooooo good. I loved these two characters, they are so real and believable. Of course Tommy is sexy as hell, but I really liked Kate too. She is strong and vulnerable all rolled into one, what she does as a career is admirable after everything she has been through, and when Tommy finds out that their lives could have been so very different if it wasn't for Kate's father, his wall comes crashing down and his feelings take over.
The only aspects of the book that were the reason it didn't get 5 stars is because the suspect is quite predictable and the ending with Kate's family is just too over the top. I don't believe it would be that easy and it jarred against the believability the rest of the novel had, which is a bit disappointing. However, the ending is satisfying with regards to the romance, and as this is a stand alone novel, I did love how everything was wrapped up nicely.
Guilty as Sin is a great romantic suspense. The plot is exciting and drives the story forward with lots of tension. The sexual chemistry between the hero and heroine is sizzling, the sex is steamy and the characters are loveable. If you enjoy romantic suspense, then I'm sure you'll love this book.
August 3, 2016
Reviewed for herding cats & burning soup
From page one Alden had me hook and for the next 400 some pages I hardly could put Guilty as Sin down. It was just an exciting read all around. From the rekindled romance and the drama it brought to the race against time and danger involved in a missing child case. I just couldn't look away until I knew how everything would come together.
I love second chances at love and seeing characters overcome all the odds. And Kate and Tommy definitely had huge hurdles to overcome after a tragedy when they were young ripped them apart for over a decade. I really liked both Tommy and Kate--they're just good people who are doing the best they can-- and loved the romance of the story. It's not overdone or too heavy for the plot and left a wistful smile on my face.
The steamy scenes were nice and steamy. Whew. Yeah, these two might have a lot of hurt and anger to get past but there are no problems between these two when it comes to sheet time. Now, on occasion I had one of those 'eh, really? now? you're getting all worked up here?!' moments but then I'd remind myself it's romantic suspense. They always go at it at improbable times, right?
The mystery and suspense aspect was great. It kept me on the edge of my seat wondering how it would all play out. I was able to guess the villain behind it all fairly early on but I still enjoyed seeing it all pieced together and getting the occasional small surprise.
Overall, I really loved Alden's voice. She put together a group of interesting characters that won me over and had me rooting for them and she held me completely captive with a story that flowed easily and dragged my emotions all over the place. I'll be going back to read the rest of her backlist as soon as I can. She's definitely one to check out if you enjoy light romantic suspense.
From page one Alden had me hook and for the next 400 some pages I hardly could put Guilty as Sin down. It was just an exciting read all around. From the rekindled romance and the drama it brought to the race against time and danger involved in a missing child case. I just couldn't look away until I knew how everything would come together.
I love second chances at love and seeing characters overcome all the odds. And Kate and Tommy definitely had huge hurdles to overcome after a tragedy when they were young ripped them apart for over a decade. I really liked both Tommy and Kate--they're just good people who are doing the best they can-- and loved the romance of the story. It's not overdone or too heavy for the plot and left a wistful smile on my face.
The steamy scenes were nice and steamy. Whew. Yeah, these two might have a lot of hurt and anger to get past but there are no problems between these two when it comes to sheet time. Now, on occasion I had one of those 'eh, really? now? you're getting all worked up here?!' moments but then I'd remind myself it's romantic suspense. They always go at it at improbable times, right?
The mystery and suspense aspect was great. It kept me on the edge of my seat wondering how it would all play out. I was able to guess the villain behind it all fairly early on but I still enjoyed seeing it all pieced together and getting the occasional small surprise.
Overall, I really loved Alden's voice. She put together a group of interesting characters that won me over and had me rooting for them and she held me completely captive with a story that flowed easily and dragged my emotions all over the place. I'll be going back to read the rest of her backlist as soon as I can. She's definitely one to check out if you enjoy light romantic suspense.
January 31, 2015
Fourteen years ago rich, privileged 17 yr. old Kate Beckett was left at home to babysit her 12 yr. old brother. But once the boy was asleep she snuck off to be with her college age boyfriend Tommy Ibarra. Her brother was kidnapped and killed, her senator father blamed her and she has worked ever since at bringing kidnapped children home alive.
Tommy Ibarra was almost ruined the night Kate's brother was taken. Her father blamed the two teens and used his power to have Tommy's life all but destroyed. He rebuilt his life by joining the army and later setting up his own security company. Through all this time he hasn't forgotten Kate and the way she rejected him just when he needed her most.
The two are thrown together when a young girl is abducted from the same summer resort area as Kate's brother had been all those years ago. Tommy still lives in the area and is close friends with the missing girl's dad and the local sheriff. Kate joins them because she works for the St. Anthony society, an organization dedicated to helping in the search for missing children.
Soon Kate finds herself in hot water on two different fronts. She'd blown a previous case and it has been made clear to her her job is on the line with this one. And then there's Tommy, whose too close, too sexy, too angry - and so very clearly what her heart desires.
This book didn't work for me. The big misunderstanding between the characters was dragged out too long, and I wasn't feeling the love for either the romance or the suspense.
Tommy Ibarra was almost ruined the night Kate's brother was taken. Her father blamed the two teens and used his power to have Tommy's life all but destroyed. He rebuilt his life by joining the army and later setting up his own security company. Through all this time he hasn't forgotten Kate and the way she rejected him just when he needed her most.
The two are thrown together when a young girl is abducted from the same summer resort area as Kate's brother had been all those years ago. Tommy still lives in the area and is close friends with the missing girl's dad and the local sheriff. Kate joins them because she works for the St. Anthony society, an organization dedicated to helping in the search for missing children.
Soon Kate finds herself in hot water on two different fronts. She'd blown a previous case and it has been made clear to her her job is on the line with this one. And then there's Tommy, whose too close, too sexy, too angry - and so very clearly what her heart desires.
This book didn't work for me. The big misunderstanding between the characters was dragged out too long, and I wasn't feeling the love for either the romance or the suspense.
July 21, 2013
In the end, Guilty as Sin was a great read for any romance or suspense fan. Kate and Tommy both definitely had their emotional issues to work through, but working together they found their confidence both individually and together. I will say that though the suspense was well written, I had a sick feeling in the put of my stomach from the beginning about who the bad guy really was. Seeing Tommy and Kate both earn justice for Michael and all the other victims and bring the bad guy down, was a great ending to the story. I enjoyed reading this story even though there were definitely some heavy moments and a lot of emotional turmoil that brought tears a few times. The ending was fitting and finally seeing Tommy and Kate have their long awaited and well earned HEA was fulfilling and left me with that warm fuzzy feeling in my heart. Another great read from Ms. Alden and I’m looking forward to what’s next.
Rating: 4 stars
For full review see my blog at:
http://romancewitchreviews.blogspot.c...
Rating: 4 stars
For full review see my blog at:
http://romancewitchreviews.blogspot.c...
July 17, 2013
WOW... I am speechless..... yes it was THAT good!!
The author has managed to draw you right into the emotional heart of this book making you feel everything. Of course the down side to this is that at times it means your skin crawls because you are right there with the unsub and his twisted emotions and you just know this book will stay with you long after the last page is read. I will admit to having known who the unsub was right from the start but that didn't diminish the reveal if any thing I think it made it better because my heart was in my mouth as soon as he stepped in to 'help' and now the book is finished I can say hand on heart that this is one Damon fine romantic suspense that is hot on the romance, burning hot, and hot on the suspense, scarily so. I for one will be rushing out to buy further books by this author and hoping for more from these characters.
The author has managed to draw you right into the emotional heart of this book making you feel everything. Of course the down side to this is that at times it means your skin crawls because you are right there with the unsub and his twisted emotions and you just know this book will stay with you long after the last page is read. I will admit to having known who the unsub was right from the start but that didn't diminish the reveal if any thing I think it made it better because my heart was in my mouth as soon as he stepped in to 'help' and now the book is finished I can say hand on heart that this is one Damon fine romantic suspense that is hot on the romance, burning hot, and hot on the suspense, scarily so. I for one will be rushing out to buy further books by this author and hoping for more from these characters.
April 21, 2020
This started of great, but then it went a little downhill.... For starters the author made it way too obvious who the murderer was. I guessed it due to a sentence as early as 30% in. After that it just kept getting more obvious when you knew it. So the whole search kind of lost its appeal.
The chemistry between the two was hot! No way around it. But it crossed the border to cheesy town at the end and it became a little too much. Also the family reunion at the end was not believable. After all these years it just took a 180° turn out of the blue.
So sadly, the first installment of this series is still the best in my opinion.
The chemistry between the two was hot! No way around it. But it crossed the border to cheesy town at the end and it became a little too much. Also the family reunion at the end was not believable. After all these years it just took a 180° turn out of the blue.
So sadly, the first installment of this series is still the best in my opinion.
January 8, 2022
Waste of time, too many scenes 'under the covers' which I skipped (faaar too many in comparison to the horrible crimes happening to the girl it just felt over the top -_-). I like romance but this was too steamy. Not for me!
Also very predictable, guessed who the bad guy was from the 1st chapter and was just waiting for the penny to drop. Stupid much?
The formula is just too obvious. Enjoyed her other books but either Im not in the right mood or have just become jaded.
Also very predictable, guessed who the bad guy was from the 1st chapter and was just waiting for the penny to drop. Stupid much?
The formula is just too obvious. Enjoyed her other books but either Im not in the right mood or have just become jaded.
May 17, 2014
Okay I really enjoyed this a lot but I absolutely hated the ending. I know she'd just been shot but after all the pain and emotional damage her family did to Kate why would she suddenly just roll over and accept their lack lister apology. I think that could have been left out completely and not changed the outcome of the book at all
Read
September 3, 2013I'm gonna mark this one as DNF.And honestly,this time I don't think it's the book.Nope...just me.Maybe I'm going to come back to it someday and finish it.
September 3, 2013
My synopsis:
Two days ago fourteen year old Tricia Fuller went missing without a trace. Kate Beckett was asked to come and promote media coverage in the hope that she'll coax someone into providing a clue as to what happened. Her position and notoriety with the St. Anthony's Foundation, named for the patron saint of missing people, is often used to draw national attention to cases of missing children that might otherwise linger in obscurity. For Kate, Sandpoint, Idaho brings back both good and bad memories. As a child her family had vacationed there, but their last vacation had proven fatal as her brother was kidnapped and murdered in that very town. It was his death, and her guilt over it, which set her on her current path in life. If she can prevent another family from going through what she and her family did, then perhaps some of her own guilt will subside. It had been her job that fatal night to babysit her brother, and she had failed him.
Tricia Fuller was last been seen a little before 11:00 PM the night of her disappearance. She'd followed her older sister to a party and when her sister, Brooke, confronted her, she'd told her sister to get back on her bicycle and go home. No one had seen her since. Somewhere between the party and her home, Tricia Fuller met with ill fate.
As had been hoped, Kate's involvement renders a potential, but disturbing lead when a message is left on her windshield...
'She opened the envelope to find two pieces of paper inside. The one was plain printer paper, the message typewritten in black text: "They didn't find her in time. Will this time be any different?"(...)
A jolt of adrenaline shot through her as she pulled out the second page. It was a photocopy of a news article. The headline read. "Local girl, 16, Missing." The accompanying photo showed a pretty girl with big eyes and a wide smile. Her long, light hair--it was hart to tell the exact hue from the black-and-white photo--was held back from her face by a head band.'
Could this disappearance be the handiwork of a serial murderer or is someone deliberately attempting to steer the investigation in the wrong direction? After all, the murderer of the girl in the article was supposedly apprehended. But what if the police had gotten it all wrong? What if the killer was still on the loose? What if the killer was at it again?
My Review:
This was a most enjoyable read. I was taken a bit by surprise because going off the cover and the title, I was thinking this book would just be another steamy, intense love story, but it was that and much much more. This book had an equal amount of romance and mystery and it was a heady combination. I was hoping this would be the first in a series, but alas, I could find nothing to suggest such a thing. *sniff*
This story begins with a look at Kate's past which is appropriate because by taking on the case she, in a way, has to confront her past head on. While not an investigator, Kate works very close with parents and authorities to help track and find abducted children. On a good day, they find the child unharmed, on a bad day they don't, and its almost as if Kate's reliving her own family tragedy. While getting emotionally wrapped up in a case is not a part of her job, it comes along with the territory, and she'd mentally relive her family tragedy over and over just to save one child.
Many of the people Kate had known during her summers as a child still live in Sandpoint. Among them is the boy, now a man, that she'd been head over heels about when she was 16, Tommy Ibarra. She hadn't seen him since that fatal night when her brother was taken and has mixed emotions about seeing him again. The family of the missing girl, however, is insistent that he be a part of the investigation, so she is forced to work with the only male who has ever been able to make her lose her head, and as she'll soon find out, he still has that ability.
Tommy Ibarra had been nineteen when Kate's brother was abducted and murdered. He'd been on summer break from college when Kate's father, Senator Beckett, had had Tommy's scholarship revoked. He held Tommy as equally negligent, as he did his daughter, for Michael's abduction. Kate and Tommy had left the house to be alone outside on the beach at the time of the kidnapping instead of keeping keeping an eye on Kate's brother. The last time Tommy had seen Kate, 14 years ago, her words to him had been, "You should go. I can't really be around you right now." Time, and what happened, had hardened Tommy over the years and he wasn't the sweet person Kate remembered. The whole experience had changed him, but he'd managed to make something of himself despite her father's efforts to ruin him. He'd become a security expert and owned his own company, and it was his expertise, skills, and knowledge, as well as his friendship with the missing girl's father, that made him an invaluable member of the team trying to find the missing girl. Tommy had thought he'd gotten over his attraction for Kate, but when she shows up, he finds it hard to leave her alone.
I rather enjoyed watching these two seemingly star crossed lovers manage to find each other again. I liked how they worked closely together in an attempt to beat the clock and find the missing girl before it was too late, and how that forced them to get to know each other once again. It was fun seeing them connect the dots of what happened after Michael's tragic death that each knew nothing about. While I guessed early on who would be the ultimate villain, I still enjoyed the story as it unfolded and discovering all that happened in the past and present. The flash backs of the past, along with the flashes of what was happening to Tricia being mixed in with what was happening as the case unraveled, seemed to blend together well--creating an addictive read.
Overall I gave this one 4 1/2 out of 5 roses. On the Lisarenee Romance Rating Scale, this one earned a STEAM rating--too hot for a fan, but you still have a handle on things. You should use extreme caution when reading a book with this rating in public. People may inquire as to why you looked flustered and flushed.
Two days ago fourteen year old Tricia Fuller went missing without a trace. Kate Beckett was asked to come and promote media coverage in the hope that she'll coax someone into providing a clue as to what happened. Her position and notoriety with the St. Anthony's Foundation, named for the patron saint of missing people, is often used to draw national attention to cases of missing children that might otherwise linger in obscurity. For Kate, Sandpoint, Idaho brings back both good and bad memories. As a child her family had vacationed there, but their last vacation had proven fatal as her brother was kidnapped and murdered in that very town. It was his death, and her guilt over it, which set her on her current path in life. If she can prevent another family from going through what she and her family did, then perhaps some of her own guilt will subside. It had been her job that fatal night to babysit her brother, and she had failed him.
Tricia Fuller was last been seen a little before 11:00 PM the night of her disappearance. She'd followed her older sister to a party and when her sister, Brooke, confronted her, she'd told her sister to get back on her bicycle and go home. No one had seen her since. Somewhere between the party and her home, Tricia Fuller met with ill fate.
As had been hoped, Kate's involvement renders a potential, but disturbing lead when a message is left on her windshield...
'She opened the envelope to find two pieces of paper inside. The one was plain printer paper, the message typewritten in black text: "They didn't find her in time. Will this time be any different?"(...)
A jolt of adrenaline shot through her as she pulled out the second page. It was a photocopy of a news article. The headline read. "Local girl, 16, Missing." The accompanying photo showed a pretty girl with big eyes and a wide smile. Her long, light hair--it was hart to tell the exact hue from the black-and-white photo--was held back from her face by a head band.'
Could this disappearance be the handiwork of a serial murderer or is someone deliberately attempting to steer the investigation in the wrong direction? After all, the murderer of the girl in the article was supposedly apprehended. But what if the police had gotten it all wrong? What if the killer was still on the loose? What if the killer was at it again?
My Review:
This was a most enjoyable read. I was taken a bit by surprise because going off the cover and the title, I was thinking this book would just be another steamy, intense love story, but it was that and much much more. This book had an equal amount of romance and mystery and it was a heady combination. I was hoping this would be the first in a series, but alas, I could find nothing to suggest such a thing. *sniff*
This story begins with a look at Kate's past which is appropriate because by taking on the case she, in a way, has to confront her past head on. While not an investigator, Kate works very close with parents and authorities to help track and find abducted children. On a good day, they find the child unharmed, on a bad day they don't, and its almost as if Kate's reliving her own family tragedy. While getting emotionally wrapped up in a case is not a part of her job, it comes along with the territory, and she'd mentally relive her family tragedy over and over just to save one child.
Many of the people Kate had known during her summers as a child still live in Sandpoint. Among them is the boy, now a man, that she'd been head over heels about when she was 16, Tommy Ibarra. She hadn't seen him since that fatal night when her brother was taken and has mixed emotions about seeing him again. The family of the missing girl, however, is insistent that he be a part of the investigation, so she is forced to work with the only male who has ever been able to make her lose her head, and as she'll soon find out, he still has that ability.
Tommy Ibarra had been nineteen when Kate's brother was abducted and murdered. He'd been on summer break from college when Kate's father, Senator Beckett, had had Tommy's scholarship revoked. He held Tommy as equally negligent, as he did his daughter, for Michael's abduction. Kate and Tommy had left the house to be alone outside on the beach at the time of the kidnapping instead of keeping keeping an eye on Kate's brother. The last time Tommy had seen Kate, 14 years ago, her words to him had been, "You should go. I can't really be around you right now." Time, and what happened, had hardened Tommy over the years and he wasn't the sweet person Kate remembered. The whole experience had changed him, but he'd managed to make something of himself despite her father's efforts to ruin him. He'd become a security expert and owned his own company, and it was his expertise, skills, and knowledge, as well as his friendship with the missing girl's father, that made him an invaluable member of the team trying to find the missing girl. Tommy had thought he'd gotten over his attraction for Kate, but when she shows up, he finds it hard to leave her alone.
I rather enjoyed watching these two seemingly star crossed lovers manage to find each other again. I liked how they worked closely together in an attempt to beat the clock and find the missing girl before it was too late, and how that forced them to get to know each other once again. It was fun seeing them connect the dots of what happened after Michael's tragic death that each knew nothing about. While I guessed early on who would be the ultimate villain, I still enjoyed the story as it unfolded and discovering all that happened in the past and present. The flash backs of the past, along with the flashes of what was happening to Tricia being mixed in with what was happening as the case unraveled, seemed to blend together well--creating an addictive read.
Overall I gave this one 4 1/2 out of 5 roses. On the Lisarenee Romance Rating Scale, this one earned a STEAM rating--too hot for a fan, but you still have a handle on things. You should use extreme caution when reading a book with this rating in public. People may inquire as to why you looked flustered and flushed.
November 2, 2019
I started reading this back on June and stopped.
I give it...
⭐️⭐️⭐️ stars
I’m not to happy with the fact that they keep jumping back and forth on people’s POV. So far there’s 5 different POV’s.
Second I don’t care for 2Person POV, it’s not my forte.
Third, the mystery kidnapping/ crime part is not really big with me. It’s nothing really exciting. I got tired of reading it after a while bc of it 😬
But everything else, I love it!! I love the chemistry between Kate and Tommy. Tommy ibarra is yummmmmy 🖤🖤
I love love love Kate’s and Tommy’s chemistry. It was fire.
I give it...
⭐️⭐️⭐️ stars
I’m not to happy with the fact that they keep jumping back and forth on people’s POV. So far there’s 5 different POV’s.
Second I don’t care for 2Person POV, it’s not my forte.
Third, the mystery kidnapping/ crime part is not really big with me. It’s nothing really exciting. I got tired of reading it after a while bc of it 😬
But everything else, I love it!! I love the chemistry between Kate and Tommy. Tommy ibarra is yummmmmy 🖤🖤
I love love love Kate’s and Tommy’s chemistry. It was fire.
October 7, 2018
A solid read. Not a bad novel on the whole but a bit predictable. I guessed the killer very early on and waiting for everyone else in the novel to find out was a bit tedious. The happily ever after was also predictable. I liked the story but for me her books need a bit more grit and a bit less predictability to be better rated. I'll probably read the next book as they're easy reads for a sun lounger but not a lot more than that.
August 3, 2017
4 stars
A second chance, romantic suspense. My favourite kind!
This was good.. i loved the characters and my heart absolutely broke in that first 10% of the book. Glad they had their second chance.
A second chance, romantic suspense. My favourite kind!
This was good.. i loved the characters and my heart absolutely broke in that first 10% of the book. Glad they had their second chance.
May 2, 2020
I really loved reading this book!!!:)
Read
March 6, 2021DNF at 157p
romantic-suspense
November 13, 202120
March 23, 2022
Very intriguing
Great story and characters. Mami is great at building characters and suspense as well. Can not wait to read more.
Great story and characters. Mami is great at building characters and suspense as well. Can not wait to read more.
September 8, 2024
3.5 ⭐️ - shoutout to Katherine Niemeier for this rec ;) lots of hot steamy awesomeness here! Little bit of trauma bonding but that’s okay too.
February 8, 2021
A good fun read although you could tell who the 'bad' person was very early on in the story; so more of an easy read.
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