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The Harvester: The Burkes Series Book One
The Harvester is an amazing read that I could not put down!
Danielle Walsh is content with her monotonous routine, day after day, running her own café, Mon Félicité. She has everything she could ask for—friends, family, and success, but little does she know that her quiet, simple life is about to get a whole lot louder and much more complicated when she discovers the body of a young woman in the alley behind her café, and the very last thing she needs is a rude—albeit attractive—calloused detective to provoke her irritation… and arousal. Forced to work together to apprehend the murderer, Danielle has no choice but to reveal her strengths and insecurities to this stranger. The more time she spends with him, however, the more she notices the emptiness that her life had previously held, and the handsome homicide detective is causing her to question her seemingly happy existence. The attraction that quickly shot past a sizzling flame into a scorching inferno is threatening to crumble the walls she has built around herself. Having been burned before, Danielle is hesitant to allow her heart to open to a man that wields the power to break it. The true question is, who will be the one to steal her heart, the killer known as the Harvester or Adam?
Adam Burke became a homicide detective with the sole purpose of stopping killers. When a case lands on his desk of a more disturbing nature, Adam is sent to investigate. While he is expecting a gruesome scene, he isn’t prepared for the gorgeous witness or the strong hold she immediately has on him. The struggle to remain professional gets exponentially harder when he has to go undercover as her lover, the ruse forcing—make that, allowing—him to do all the things he shouldn’t. Danielle Walsh is the very definition of beauty—both inside and out—and she is unceasingly testing the strength of his willpower to remain distant and not succumb to his desire for her. The pressure is on to catch the Harvester before he loses control.
The author creates a world with such vivid descriptions that the reader feels present throughout the story and events that maintain the reader's engagement from the aptly named title throughout the ending credits. She weaves a tale of thoroughly relatable, strong-willed characters who find themselves on an unlikely journey and bound together both despite and because of unfortunate circumstances, and their personal adventure is as exciting as the tales outside of their budding relationship. This is a setting of feats, trials, and a few bombshells that may lead into additional tales later on! Her romance scenes are tempting and steamy, her suspense is almost as torturously irresistible, and I love that the setting is accurate. I can't wait to read her next novel! Hilary A. Zanca
I enjoyed this book, because of Danielle's battle with her internal struggles, while simultaneously trying not to fall victim to the killer. I can relate to wanting to give in to temptations, and it was fun to see her give in to things that I wouldn't have. Also, if you like food, you will love this book, too! Who doesn't like food? I would like to read more about the characters and what comes next for them all. Jade Valle
Danielle Walsh is content with her monotonous routine, day after day, running her own café, Mon Félicité. She has everything she could ask for—friends, family, and success, but little does she know that her quiet, simple life is about to get a whole lot louder and much more complicated when she discovers the body of a young woman in the alley behind her café, and the very last thing she needs is a rude—albeit attractive—calloused detective to provoke her irritation… and arousal. Forced to work together to apprehend the murderer, Danielle has no choice but to reveal her strengths and insecurities to this stranger. The more time she spends with him, however, the more she notices the emptiness that her life had previously held, and the handsome homicide detective is causing her to question her seemingly happy existence. The attraction that quickly shot past a sizzling flame into a scorching inferno is threatening to crumble the walls she has built around herself. Having been burned before, Danielle is hesitant to allow her heart to open to a man that wields the power to break it. The true question is, who will be the one to steal her heart, the killer known as the Harvester or Adam?
Adam Burke became a homicide detective with the sole purpose of stopping killers. When a case lands on his desk of a more disturbing nature, Adam is sent to investigate. While he is expecting a gruesome scene, he isn’t prepared for the gorgeous witness or the strong hold she immediately has on him. The struggle to remain professional gets exponentially harder when he has to go undercover as her lover, the ruse forcing—make that, allowing—him to do all the things he shouldn’t. Danielle Walsh is the very definition of beauty—both inside and out—and she is unceasingly testing the strength of his willpower to remain distant and not succumb to his desire for her. The pressure is on to catch the Harvester before he loses control.
The author creates a world with such vivid descriptions that the reader feels present throughout the story and events that maintain the reader's engagement from the aptly named title throughout the ending credits. She weaves a tale of thoroughly relatable, strong-willed characters who find themselves on an unlikely journey and bound together both despite and because of unfortunate circumstances, and their personal adventure is as exciting as the tales outside of their budding relationship. This is a setting of feats, trials, and a few bombshells that may lead into additional tales later on! Her romance scenes are tempting and steamy, her suspense is almost as torturously irresistible, and I love that the setting is accurate. I can't wait to read her next novel! Hilary A. Zanca
I enjoyed this book, because of Danielle's battle with her internal struggles, while simultaneously trying not to fall victim to the killer. I can relate to wanting to give in to temptations, and it was fun to see her give in to things that I wouldn't have. Also, if you like food, you will love this book, too! Who doesn't like food? I would like to read more about the characters and what comes next for them all. Jade Valle
417 pages, Kindle Edition
Published March 22, 2024
22 people are currently reading
217 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 35 reviews
October 24, 2024
Review 4.5 stars!
This is a MUST read for fans of mystery romance!! It’s a perfect read for the spooky season🖤
We follow Danielle, an experienced cook who owns her own café and goes through her days amongst cupcakes, candied apples and others fluffy pastries. Until one night her life is suddenly turned upside down when she trips over a dead body by her cafe. Adam Burke is a sinfully handsome detective investigating the murder by the cafe. On his first meeting with his witness, Danielle, he acts like a complete jerk, but they are both incredibly attracted to each other 👀 prepare yourselves for lots of spicy dreams where both characters can’t stop fantasying about each other! 🔥
The stakes are raised when Danielle starts getting suspicious calls… and Detective Burke gets assigned as her protector and fake boyfriend ! 😍 two of my favorite tropes, forced proximity and fake dating 🙌🏻
Daniele can’t stand the situation, I LOVE their dialogues and banter ! As the animosity between them grows, so does the attraction 😏 put that together with an intense murder mystery where they are trying to catch a serial killer, my eyes were glued to the pages!!
This is a MUST read for fans of mystery romance!! It’s a perfect read for the spooky season🖤
We follow Danielle, an experienced cook who owns her own café and goes through her days amongst cupcakes, candied apples and others fluffy pastries. Until one night her life is suddenly turned upside down when she trips over a dead body by her cafe. Adam Burke is a sinfully handsome detective investigating the murder by the cafe. On his first meeting with his witness, Danielle, he acts like a complete jerk, but they are both incredibly attracted to each other 👀 prepare yourselves for lots of spicy dreams where both characters can’t stop fantasying about each other! 🔥
The stakes are raised when Danielle starts getting suspicious calls… and Detective Burke gets assigned as her protector and fake boyfriend ! 😍 two of my favorite tropes, forced proximity and fake dating 🙌🏻
Daniele can’t stand the situation, I LOVE their dialogues and banter ! As the animosity between them grows, so does the attraction 😏 put that together with an intense murder mystery where they are trying to catch a serial killer, my eyes were glued to the pages!!
October 31, 2024
Nothing like a good mystery to get you through the spooky season!
As I predicted before starting the book, The Harvester was precisely in my chords. First in the Burkes Series, The Harvester is a murder mystery with a spicy romance where the investigator has to go undercover as the only witness’s lover to draw out the murderer.
The book has the good balance of mystery, banter and romantic tension. I was very intrigued by the case. There’s someone ending and removing the hearts of innocent women and who look like Danielle (the protagonist), thus the moniker The Harvester. For a while you THINK you know who the serial killer obsessed with Danielle is, but oh was I wrong. The person I thought was a culprit has too much of an inconvenient alibi to be lying about it. At a certain point there are several players I began to suspect, even those who were seemingly nice. I was highlighting the names of all the characters and making a mental list of suspects. (The fact I’m rewatching Castle is putting me in an even bigger investigative mood than normal.) It is with great satisfaction that I say that I was right about my hunch in the end, though I will not reveal the mystery because that’s for you to know once you read the book.
As for the romance, fake relationship is one of my absolute favorite tropes. I love the tension this trope provides but also that the fake relationship between Detective Adam Burke and Danielle is part of the plan to catch the culprit. I especially loved their moments when Adam brings Danielle to his parents’ house to keep her safe moving forward. Their dynamic becomes even more intense there, and it also allowed us to meet some interesting characters in Adam’s family. One of them, Dean, is going to be the MMC of the second book alongside Danielle’s friend, Carrie!
Because I am benevolent, I decided I would add a list of tropes and elements to this review as well (I do it regularly for my review posts on IG) for your viewing pleasure. I might start doing regularly.
So what can you expect from The Harvester?
🔍 murder mystery
🌶️ spicy romance
🛏️ only one bed
❤️🔥 undercover work where they pose as lovers
Rating: 4.5 peppers 🌶️🌶️
Spice: 3 peppers 🌶️🌶️🌶️
Thank you to the author for gifting me a copy. Opinions are my own.
As I predicted before starting the book, The Harvester was precisely in my chords. First in the Burkes Series, The Harvester is a murder mystery with a spicy romance where the investigator has to go undercover as the only witness’s lover to draw out the murderer.
The book has the good balance of mystery, banter and romantic tension. I was very intrigued by the case. There’s someone ending and removing the hearts of innocent women and who look like Danielle (the protagonist), thus the moniker The Harvester. For a while you THINK you know who the serial killer obsessed with Danielle is, but oh was I wrong. The person I thought was a culprit has too much of an inconvenient alibi to be lying about it. At a certain point there are several players I began to suspect, even those who were seemingly nice. I was highlighting the names of all the characters and making a mental list of suspects. (The fact I’m rewatching Castle is putting me in an even bigger investigative mood than normal.) It is with great satisfaction that I say that I was right about my hunch in the end, though I will not reveal the mystery because that’s for you to know once you read the book.
As for the romance, fake relationship is one of my absolute favorite tropes. I love the tension this trope provides but also that the fake relationship between Detective Adam Burke and Danielle is part of the plan to catch the culprit. I especially loved their moments when Adam brings Danielle to his parents’ house to keep her safe moving forward. Their dynamic becomes even more intense there, and it also allowed us to meet some interesting characters in Adam’s family. One of them, Dean, is going to be the MMC of the second book alongside Danielle’s friend, Carrie!
Because I am benevolent, I decided I would add a list of tropes and elements to this review as well (I do it regularly for my review posts on IG) for your viewing pleasure. I might start doing regularly.
So what can you expect from The Harvester?
🔍 murder mystery
🌶️ spicy romance
🛏️ only one bed
❤️🔥 undercover work where they pose as lovers
Rating: 4.5 peppers 🌶️🌶️
Spice: 3 peppers 🌶️🌶️🌶️
Thank you to the author for gifting me a copy. Opinions are my own.
November 17, 2024
4.5
Gripping, dark, and full of tension—this book is a wild ride! If you love dark romantic thrillers with high stakes, a complex villain, and an undeniable slow-burn romance, this one is definitely for you.
From the very first page, this story grabbed me and didn’t let go. The brutal crime scene sets the tone perfectly, but it’s the introduction of Danielle Walsh that really had me hooked. She’s sharp, confident, and definitely not an easy woman to protect, which makes her all the more intriguing. Her dynamic with the protagonist is intense—every moment they share crackles with chemistry, and I loved the push and pull between them.
The plot is full of twists and turns as they try to uncover the killer while also fighting their undeniable attraction to each other. The slow-burn romance is so well done—it’s clear that both characters are drawn to each other, but the stakes are so high that they have to keep their emotions in check. I found myself rooting for them every step of the way, even as they danced around the danger of falling too deep.
The suspense surrounding the villain, The Harvester, is deliciously creepy. His obsession with Danielle escalates in a way that kept me on the edge of my seat, and the way the protagonist’s obsession mirrors that is just brilliant. The tension between the characters is palpable, and I couldn’t wait to see who would come out on top.
I am so excited to see what else is in store. Huge thanks to the author for gifting me a copy. All opinions are my own.
Gripping, dark, and full of tension—this book is a wild ride! If you love dark romantic thrillers with high stakes, a complex villain, and an undeniable slow-burn romance, this one is definitely for you.
From the very first page, this story grabbed me and didn’t let go. The brutal crime scene sets the tone perfectly, but it’s the introduction of Danielle Walsh that really had me hooked. She’s sharp, confident, and definitely not an easy woman to protect, which makes her all the more intriguing. Her dynamic with the protagonist is intense—every moment they share crackles with chemistry, and I loved the push and pull between them.
The plot is full of twists and turns as they try to uncover the killer while also fighting their undeniable attraction to each other. The slow-burn romance is so well done—it’s clear that both characters are drawn to each other, but the stakes are so high that they have to keep their emotions in check. I found myself rooting for them every step of the way, even as they danced around the danger of falling too deep.
The suspense surrounding the villain, The Harvester, is deliciously creepy. His obsession with Danielle escalates in a way that kept me on the edge of my seat, and the way the protagonist’s obsession mirrors that is just brilliant. The tension between the characters is palpable, and I couldn’t wait to see who would come out on top.
I am so excited to see what else is in store. Huge thanks to the author for gifting me a copy. All opinions are my own.
December 8, 2024
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
“𝙳𝚘𝚗’𝚝 𝚝𝚊𝚔𝚎 𝚝𝚘𝚘 𝚕𝚘𝚗𝚐… 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚖𝚊𝚢 𝚕𝚘𝚜𝚎 𝚢𝚘𝚞𝚛 𝚌𝚑𝚊𝚗𝚌𝚎.”
I won’t lie, it was a bit challenging to get through the first few pages because this book is written in third person. Being so accustomed to first-person POV, it took me a while to get into the story, but once I did, it was fantastic.
"The Harvester" is a murder mystery with a spicy romance twist, where the investigator has to go undercover as the lover of the sole witness to catch the murderer. It leans more towards a murder mystery than a dark romance, but I thoroughly enjoyed it! The story strikes the perfect balance between romance, murder, and banter. It’s gripping, dark, and full of tension—an absolute wild ride! If you enjoy dark romantic thrillers with high stakes, a complex villain, and a slow-burning romance, this book is for you.
“𝚂𝚠𝚎𝚎𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚊𝚛𝚝, 𝚒𝚏 𝙸 𝚠𝚊𝚗𝚝𝚎𝚍 𝚢𝚘𝚞𝚛 𝚗𝚞𝚖𝚋𝚎𝚛 𝚏𝚘𝚛 𝚘𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚛 𝚛𝚎𝚊𝚜𝚘𝚗𝚜, 𝙸’𝚍 𝚊𝚕𝚛𝚎𝚊𝚍𝚢 𝚑𝚊𝚟𝚎 𝚒𝚝. 𝚃𝚛𝚞𝚜𝚝 𝚖𝚎.”
Burnett’s depiction of the spicy scenes is unlike anything I’ve read before. It wasn’t just sex; she managed to translate passionate love-making into words. How she did it, I have no idea, because passionate love-making is something one that is difficult to get on to paper. And I felt it in this book.
"𝙸𝚝 𝚖𝚊𝚍𝚎 𝚖𝚎 𝚓𝚎𝚊𝚕𝚘𝚞𝚜 𝚊𝚜 𝚑𝚎𝚕𝚕. 𝙸 𝚑𝚊𝚟𝚎 𝚗𝚎𝚟𝚎𝚛 𝚏𝚎𝚕𝚝 𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝚘𝚞𝚝 𝚘𝚏 𝚌𝚘𝚗𝚝𝚛𝚘𝚕 𝚒𝚗 𝚖𝚢 𝚕𝚒𝚏𝚎. 𝙸𝚝’𝚜 𝚜𝚘 𝚍𝚊𝚖𝚗 𝚑𝚊𝚛𝚍 𝚝𝚘 𝚋𝚎 𝚊𝚛𝚘𝚞𝚗𝚍 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚗𝚘𝚝 𝚠𝚊𝚗𝚝 𝚢𝚘𝚞!”
The suspense around the villain, The Harvester, is deliciously creepy. His obsession with Danielle escalates in a way that kept me on the edge of my seat, and the way the protagonist mirrors this obsession is brilliant. The tension between the characters is tangible, and I couldn’t wait to see who would prevail.
“𝙳𝚘𝚗’𝚝 𝚕𝚎𝚝 𝚢𝚘𝚞𝚛 𝚙𝚛𝚒𝚍𝚎 𝚖𝚊𝚔𝚎 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚌𝚊𝚛𝚎𝚕𝚎𝚜𝚜.”
I really enjoyed this story, my first book by Burnett, and I’m eagerly looking forward to the sequel.
“𝙳𝚘𝚗’𝚝 𝚝𝚊𝚔𝚎 𝚝𝚘𝚘 𝚕𝚘𝚗𝚐… 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚖𝚊𝚢 𝚕𝚘𝚜𝚎 𝚢𝚘𝚞𝚛 𝚌𝚑𝚊𝚗𝚌𝚎.”
I won’t lie, it was a bit challenging to get through the first few pages because this book is written in third person. Being so accustomed to first-person POV, it took me a while to get into the story, but once I did, it was fantastic.
"The Harvester" is a murder mystery with a spicy romance twist, where the investigator has to go undercover as the lover of the sole witness to catch the murderer. It leans more towards a murder mystery than a dark romance, but I thoroughly enjoyed it! The story strikes the perfect balance between romance, murder, and banter. It’s gripping, dark, and full of tension—an absolute wild ride! If you enjoy dark romantic thrillers with high stakes, a complex villain, and a slow-burning romance, this book is for you.
“𝚂𝚠𝚎𝚎𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚊𝚛𝚝, 𝚒𝚏 𝙸 𝚠𝚊𝚗𝚝𝚎𝚍 𝚢𝚘𝚞𝚛 𝚗𝚞𝚖𝚋𝚎𝚛 𝚏𝚘𝚛 𝚘𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚛 𝚛𝚎𝚊𝚜𝚘𝚗𝚜, 𝙸’𝚍 𝚊𝚕𝚛𝚎𝚊𝚍𝚢 𝚑𝚊𝚟𝚎 𝚒𝚝. 𝚃𝚛𝚞𝚜𝚝 𝚖𝚎.”
Burnett’s depiction of the spicy scenes is unlike anything I’ve read before. It wasn’t just sex; she managed to translate passionate love-making into words. How she did it, I have no idea, because passionate love-making is something one that is difficult to get on to paper. And I felt it in this book.
"𝙸𝚝 𝚖𝚊𝚍𝚎 𝚖𝚎 𝚓𝚎𝚊𝚕𝚘𝚞𝚜 𝚊𝚜 𝚑𝚎𝚕𝚕. 𝙸 𝚑𝚊𝚟𝚎 𝚗𝚎𝚟𝚎𝚛 𝚏𝚎𝚕𝚝 𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝚘𝚞𝚝 𝚘𝚏 𝚌𝚘𝚗𝚝𝚛𝚘𝚕 𝚒𝚗 𝚖𝚢 𝚕𝚒𝚏𝚎. 𝙸𝚝’𝚜 𝚜𝚘 𝚍𝚊𝚖𝚗 𝚑𝚊𝚛𝚍 𝚝𝚘 𝚋𝚎 𝚊𝚛𝚘𝚞𝚗𝚍 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚗𝚘𝚝 𝚠𝚊𝚗𝚝 𝚢𝚘𝚞!”
The suspense around the villain, The Harvester, is deliciously creepy. His obsession with Danielle escalates in a way that kept me on the edge of my seat, and the way the protagonist mirrors this obsession is brilliant. The tension between the characters is tangible, and I couldn’t wait to see who would prevail.
“𝙳𝚘𝚗’𝚝 𝚕𝚎𝚝 𝚢𝚘𝚞𝚛 𝚙𝚛𝚒𝚍𝚎 𝚖𝚊𝚔𝚎 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚌𝚊𝚛𝚎𝚕𝚎𝚜𝚜.”
I really enjoyed this story, my first book by Burnett, and I’m eagerly looking forward to the sequel.
December 8, 2024
"Detective Burke, please cuff me up and take me to the moon - All the way!"
First, I'm going to be honest, it was hard to get through the first few pages because this book was written in third person. Since I'm so used to reading books written in first-person, it was hard for me to grasp onto the story in the beginning. Plus, I thought I wouldn't have a connection with the characters. It almost became a DNF. I had to go back to J. Quinn's Bridgerton book to set the pace for me because that was one of the few third-person books I enjoyed. (I know, totally different book vibes, but it helped me make sense of the story being told in third-person). Well, I'm glad I didn't give up. As the story unfolds, I was cuffed! I really appreciate it being told that way.
Secondly, I LOVE EVERYTHING about the book! The plot, the character development, the mystery (which, I pretty much predicted in the beginning already - thanks to my many weeks of binging Law and Order in college.), the thrill, AND the spice (oh the spice) was all there! Eek! Believe me when I say, Detective Burke will take you to the moon!
Speaking of the spice... DAMN! The way Burnett wrote it, it was very different from all the spice that I've ever read. (Not because it was told in third person.) Don't get me wrong, I love it all. But the way she wrote it wasn't just sex, she was able to put passionate love-making into words, with little dialogue accompanying it. Like how the fuck did she do that? Because passionate love-making can only be felt. Mind-blowing!
Finally... Go read the damn book!
First, I'm going to be honest, it was hard to get through the first few pages because this book was written in third person. Since I'm so used to reading books written in first-person, it was hard for me to grasp onto the story in the beginning. Plus, I thought I wouldn't have a connection with the characters. It almost became a DNF. I had to go back to J. Quinn's Bridgerton book to set the pace for me because that was one of the few third-person books I enjoyed. (I know, totally different book vibes, but it helped me make sense of the story being told in third-person). Well, I'm glad I didn't give up. As the story unfolds, I was cuffed! I really appreciate it being told that way.
Secondly, I LOVE EVERYTHING about the book! The plot, the character development, the mystery (which, I pretty much predicted in the beginning already - thanks to my many weeks of binging Law and Order in college.), the thrill, AND the spice (oh the spice) was all there! Eek! Believe me when I say, Detective Burke will take you to the moon!
Speaking of the spice... DAMN! The way Burnett wrote it, it was very different from all the spice that I've ever read. (Not because it was told in third person.) Don't get me wrong, I love it all. But the way she wrote it wasn't just sex, she was able to put passionate love-making into words, with little dialogue accompanying it. Like how the fuck did she do that? Because passionate love-making can only be felt. Mind-blowing!
Finally... Go read the damn book!
January 26, 2026
Danielle and Adam
I really enjoyed listening to this. Adam is a detective investigating when Danielle discovers a body by her shop. Events keep happening that ends with them pretending to be a couple. I like when I find something so interesting that I try to figure out who the culprit is. The narrators did a good job.
I really enjoyed listening to this. Adam is a detective investigating when Danielle discovers a body by her shop. Events keep happening that ends with them pretending to be a couple. I like when I find something so interesting that I try to figure out who the culprit is. The narrators did a good job.
November 4, 2024
As a crime drama girlie, I was so excited to read a book that was the perfect union of crime drama banter and spicy romance angst!
THE HARVESTER is the first book in a romantic suspense series and follows a detective who goes undercover as the lover of the only witness in a murder investigation he's working on in order to rat out the killer. The killer is obsessed with her, but so is our detective!
I had so much fun reading this book! The dynamic between Danielle and Adam was filled with banter and angst, and it made the investigation even more enjoyable. I would have liked to see a bit more of the investigating process, but regardless the author does a great job keeping readers guessing. It's an especially fun aspect for readers who love to theorize and being surprised by this sort of story. I try...but an investigator I am not 😂
Spice rating: 3 (explicit and on page)
Thank you to the author for gifting me a copy for review. Opinions are my own.
THE HARVESTER is the first book in a romantic suspense series and follows a detective who goes undercover as the lover of the only witness in a murder investigation he's working on in order to rat out the killer. The killer is obsessed with her, but so is our detective!
I had so much fun reading this book! The dynamic between Danielle and Adam was filled with banter and angst, and it made the investigation even more enjoyable. I would have liked to see a bit more of the investigating process, but regardless the author does a great job keeping readers guessing. It's an especially fun aspect for readers who love to theorize and being surprised by this sort of story. I try...but an investigator I am not 😂
Spice rating: 3 (explicit and on page)
Thank you to the author for gifting me a copy for review. Opinions are my own.
July 1, 2025
I didn’t like that it was written in third person—it made it harder to connect with the characters. The author spent way too much time describing how stunning everyone looked instead of focusing on what should’ve been the main point: the dead girl and the serial killer. The plot was painfully predictable—I literally called the twist in chapter 2. Disappointing and underwhelming.
January 12, 2025
The Harvester is the first book of Alexandra Burnett's new series, The Burkes. Honestly, as has become a bit of a new phenomenon for me, this was a bit of a different read for me. I normally don't read murder mysteries and this first and foremost a murder mystery.
After that, this is a spicy romance, only one bed, and our MMC and FMC go undercover together where they are working together, but they are also lovers. And I love these tropes. It honestly was just the murder mystery that took me a bit to get over. But I actually quickly fell in love with this book, and I can't wait to read book 2.
Danielle Walsh lives a monotonous routine day in and day out, and she is happy with the life she's living. She runs her own cafe, Mon Félicité and honestly, she has everything that she could ask for. Her family, her friends, and the success that she's earned for herself.
What she doesn't know is that the little life she's mucked out for herself is about to get turned upside down. And what was once a simple life is about to become so much more intricately wound up.
This all starts when Danielle goes out to the alley behind her cafe and she finds the body of a young woman. Of course, this is the last thing that she or anyone else would need. Now, she has to deal with an attractive but downright rude detective whose mission in life seems to be to irritate her to death or to her ultimate climax. She's not sure which.
Now Danielle is forced to work with this detective to her detriment just to arrest the murderer and what makes things worse for Danielle is that she is forced into revealing all her strengths, weaknesses, fears, hopes, and even her insecurities to this guy who has burst into her life and turned it upside down.
It surprises her to realize that the more time they spend together the more she realizes just how empty her life had been before he walked into it and how lonely she had been and felt before she met him. And now this man has her questions her once happy life. The attaction quickly passes that of a flame and erupts into a vulcano of passion, threatening the walls that Danielle has built up around her heart and her life.
She doesn't want to be hurt again, and Danielle is slow to allow her heart to open to any man that wields any power or ability to break it. The real question is, though, is who will be the one to steal her heart? The killer now known as The Harvester or the detective Adam?
Detective Adam Burke has the sole determination of stopping killers. That is his mission in life. And when the mission of all missions lands on his desk of the most disturbing nature, Adam goes off to investigate. He's not only not prepared for the scene that he's met with, nor is he prepared to meet the stunning witness he meets while he is examining the gruesome scene. A scene he was prepared for.
From their first meeting, he can't believe the hold or how strong it is, this woman has on him. He struggles with his own professionalism, something he's never struggled with in his entire working life, when he has to go undercover with her as her lover, this subterfuge forcing him to do things with her that he would never do with her and Danielle is everything that he has ever wanted and he has to fight his desire for her.
With the pressure on to catch the Harvester and keep Danielle and everyone else safe, can he keep his control long enough to catch The Harvester, or is he doomed to lose control?
If you are a fan of mystery romance, this is the read for you, and I don't mean the read I mean that it is a MUST read, HAVE to read, GO read it NOW!!
After that, this is a spicy romance, only one bed, and our MMC and FMC go undercover together where they are working together, but they are also lovers. And I love these tropes. It honestly was just the murder mystery that took me a bit to get over. But I actually quickly fell in love with this book, and I can't wait to read book 2.
Danielle Walsh lives a monotonous routine day in and day out, and she is happy with the life she's living. She runs her own cafe, Mon Félicité and honestly, she has everything that she could ask for. Her family, her friends, and the success that she's earned for herself.
What she doesn't know is that the little life she's mucked out for herself is about to get turned upside down. And what was once a simple life is about to become so much more intricately wound up.
This all starts when Danielle goes out to the alley behind her cafe and she finds the body of a young woman. Of course, this is the last thing that she or anyone else would need. Now, she has to deal with an attractive but downright rude detective whose mission in life seems to be to irritate her to death or to her ultimate climax. She's not sure which.
Now Danielle is forced to work with this detective to her detriment just to arrest the murderer and what makes things worse for Danielle is that she is forced into revealing all her strengths, weaknesses, fears, hopes, and even her insecurities to this guy who has burst into her life and turned it upside down.
It surprises her to realize that the more time they spend together the more she realizes just how empty her life had been before he walked into it and how lonely she had been and felt before she met him. And now this man has her questions her once happy life. The attaction quickly passes that of a flame and erupts into a vulcano of passion, threatening the walls that Danielle has built up around her heart and her life.
She doesn't want to be hurt again, and Danielle is slow to allow her heart to open to any man that wields any power or ability to break it. The real question is, though, is who will be the one to steal her heart? The killer now known as The Harvester or the detective Adam?
Detective Adam Burke has the sole determination of stopping killers. That is his mission in life. And when the mission of all missions lands on his desk of the most disturbing nature, Adam goes off to investigate. He's not only not prepared for the scene that he's met with, nor is he prepared to meet the stunning witness he meets while he is examining the gruesome scene. A scene he was prepared for.
From their first meeting, he can't believe the hold or how strong it is, this woman has on him. He struggles with his own professionalism, something he's never struggled with in his entire working life, when he has to go undercover with her as her lover, this subterfuge forcing him to do things with her that he would never do with her and Danielle is everything that he has ever wanted and he has to fight his desire for her.
With the pressure on to catch the Harvester and keep Danielle and everyone else safe, can he keep his control long enough to catch The Harvester, or is he doomed to lose control?
If you are a fan of mystery romance, this is the read for you, and I don't mean the read I mean that it is a MUST read, HAVE to read, GO read it NOW!!
January 13, 2026
Terrific Story & Narration🎧Riveting & Suspenseful!
The Harvester
The Burkes Series, Book One
By: Alexandrea Burnett
Narrated by: Michael Norman Johnson & Sarah Puckett
With a serial killer on the loose and a detective on the case, this intriguing story keeps you on your toes and takes you to the edge of your seat while you try to figure out who the killer is. Danielle Walsh loves cooking and creating dishes and opened her own cafe, Mon Félicité, to share and sell her creations. She never expected to catch the attention of a serial killer, and her run-in with the first victim left her frazzled and then under-the-protection of Detective Adam Burke. The smaller local police department brought in Detective Burke from the larger department, and he thinks Danielle may have been the intended target, but when another body shows up, he realizes the situation is even worse and she is not safe. Adam and Danielle do not exactly hit it off right away, and Danielle was not happy to have to spend all that time with him, but there is an undeniable chemistry between them, which heats up leading to more. There is never a dull moment in this book, and the multilayered story has a perfect balance of drama, both relationship and crime, angst, mystery, thrilling suspense, heartfelt emotions and a slow burn but so worth the wait romance. The writing, plot, and world building are fantastic, as are the character growth and development. Alexandrea Burnett, thanks for the terrific story and emotional rollercoaster ride.
🎧📚🎧 And for the terrific audiobook listen and production performed by Michael Norman Johnson and Sarah Puckett, who were fantastic voicing the characters and bringing their story to life. Their portrayal of the characters was spot on, and they conveyed all the characters’ emotions, making you feel them all. They are entertaining storytellers, and their captivating performance keeps you glued to the story, while taking the story to another level.
The Harvester
The Burkes Series, Book One
By: Alexandrea Burnett
Narrated by: Michael Norman Johnson & Sarah Puckett
With a serial killer on the loose and a detective on the case, this intriguing story keeps you on your toes and takes you to the edge of your seat while you try to figure out who the killer is. Danielle Walsh loves cooking and creating dishes and opened her own cafe, Mon Félicité, to share and sell her creations. She never expected to catch the attention of a serial killer, and her run-in with the first victim left her frazzled and then under-the-protection of Detective Adam Burke. The smaller local police department brought in Detective Burke from the larger department, and he thinks Danielle may have been the intended target, but when another body shows up, he realizes the situation is even worse and she is not safe. Adam and Danielle do not exactly hit it off right away, and Danielle was not happy to have to spend all that time with him, but there is an undeniable chemistry between them, which heats up leading to more. There is never a dull moment in this book, and the multilayered story has a perfect balance of drama, both relationship and crime, angst, mystery, thrilling suspense, heartfelt emotions and a slow burn but so worth the wait romance. The writing, plot, and world building are fantastic, as are the character growth and development. Alexandrea Burnett, thanks for the terrific story and emotional rollercoaster ride.
🎧📚🎧 And for the terrific audiobook listen and production performed by Michael Norman Johnson and Sarah Puckett, who were fantastic voicing the characters and bringing their story to life. Their portrayal of the characters was spot on, and they conveyed all the characters’ emotions, making you feel them all. They are entertaining storytellers, and their captivating performance keeps you glued to the story, while taking the story to another level.
February 11, 2025
So I went into this book completely blind cause someone told me about book #2, so of course I need to read book one. This book was a ride. I very much enjoyed it. From the beginning it caught my attention and held it the whole time.
You have Danielle who owns her own little restaurant and comes out from it late one night and She finds an unlived girl in the parking lot. From there on she has a stocker that watches her, smells her, gets in her house, takes Pictures of her but the whole time you have no idea who it is and she is very detailed about it. Which I haven't seen in books. Then an agent by the name Adam is signed to her case and a few Sparks start to fly between them.
So you have the thriller side and romance added together and it really worked for me.
I love the way the author wrote this book. You have 3 main characters... And it goes back and forth with them.
You have Danielle, Adam and then the stocker Which I really enjoyed that.... I love that she added in the stalker/unliver cause you get to see his point of view too as he is looking in.
This book is fast paced and what a fun ride. She also adds in day dreams/ dreams that kinda caught you off guard and your heart start racing just to find out it a dream! Great add!!!
Overall I very much enjoyed this book and excited about the 2nd book.
5/5 📚 🌟
~ Screams & Reviews
You have Danielle who owns her own little restaurant and comes out from it late one night and She finds an unlived girl in the parking lot. From there on she has a stocker that watches her, smells her, gets in her house, takes Pictures of her but the whole time you have no idea who it is and she is very detailed about it. Which I haven't seen in books. Then an agent by the name Adam is signed to her case and a few Sparks start to fly between them.
So you have the thriller side and romance added together and it really worked for me.
I love the way the author wrote this book. You have 3 main characters... And it goes back and forth with them.
You have Danielle, Adam and then the stocker Which I really enjoyed that.... I love that she added in the stalker/unliver cause you get to see his point of view too as he is looking in.
This book is fast paced and what a fun ride. She also adds in day dreams/ dreams that kinda caught you off guard and your heart start racing just to find out it a dream! Great add!!!
Overall I very much enjoyed this book and excited about the 2nd book.
5/5 📚 🌟
~ Screams & Reviews
January 14, 2025
Wow. Wow. Wow. This was such an unexpected, enjoyable read… enjoyable might be an odd word for a book that is filled with murder BUT the story behind it all is so captivating. 😮
This ticked all the right boxes for me as I have a love for crime thriller and romance. This was the best of both worlds. ✅🌍
It is a slow burn read, so you do need to prepare yourself for that if you’re not used to those type of reads but the description throughout is phenomenal. It felt like I was a fly on the wall for all scenes… especially the sex scenes 🥵🌶️
You will forever second guess yourself about whether you think you’ve identified the killer before it’s revealed. I was gripped to finding out towards the end, to the point that
I just kept reading and reading - forgetting the time 😂
& to top it off nicely, there is a music playlist at the back which I just absolutely love and now have added to my car tunes 🎵🎶
There is a book 2 which is 100% going on my TBR pile. I look forward to reading more of Alexandra Burnett work 😍🤩
This ticked all the right boxes for me as I have a love for crime thriller and romance. This was the best of both worlds. ✅🌍
It is a slow burn read, so you do need to prepare yourself for that if you’re not used to those type of reads but the description throughout is phenomenal. It felt like I was a fly on the wall for all scenes… especially the sex scenes 🥵🌶️
You will forever second guess yourself about whether you think you’ve identified the killer before it’s revealed. I was gripped to finding out towards the end, to the point that
I just kept reading and reading - forgetting the time 😂
& to top it off nicely, there is a music playlist at the back which I just absolutely love and now have added to my car tunes 🎵🎶
There is a book 2 which is 100% going on my TBR pile. I look forward to reading more of Alexandra Burnett work 😍🤩
February 23, 2025
4.5 ⭐️ Suspenseful, thrilling, and spicy! A murder mystery with some serious romantic entanglement.
Danielle is a talented chef and proud owner of her own cafe in small town California when she discovers- no, trips over, a body outside her cafe. Shaken and terrified, she is of great interest to investigators, especially young, tall, and handsome Adam Burke. Danielle must keep her wits about her as the investigation continues and it seems more and more likely the killer is interested in HER.
What to expect:
🖤 fake dating
❤️ forced proximity
🩶 some violence/gore
🌶️ 🌶️🌶️
An exciting and enjoyable debut by the lovely, Alexandra Burnett. I can’t wait for book 2!
[Read ARC Copy]
Danielle is a talented chef and proud owner of her own cafe in small town California when she discovers- no, trips over, a body outside her cafe. Shaken and terrified, she is of great interest to investigators, especially young, tall, and handsome Adam Burke. Danielle must keep her wits about her as the investigation continues and it seems more and more likely the killer is interested in HER.
What to expect:
🖤 fake dating
❤️ forced proximity
🩶 some violence/gore
🌶️ 🌶️🌶️
An exciting and enjoyable debut by the lovely, Alexandra Burnett. I can’t wait for book 2!
[Read ARC Copy]
July 4, 2025
This was a great book. It had suspense and love all mixed in. Danielle was an owner of a cafe. She was leaving work one night and stumbled across something that changed her life. She met Adam who was a detective. They became really close during this book. They had to fake date in order to catch someone. This person kept all of them on their toes for months. He led them astray the whole time. When they thought it was safe Adam left Danielle and it was the biggest mistake of his life. He didn’t think he would be able to make it right. If you like suspenseful books this is definitely a great one to read.
May 28, 2024
At the edge of my seat!
I loved this debut novel from Alexandra Burnett and can't wait for more! Fell in love with Danielle and Adam, along with their supporting characters, especially Nina, Ralph, Carrie and Ben. This was a true thriller with a very healthy dose of romance and steam mixed in. There was enough purposeful misleading to keep us on our toes, enough gore to be taken seriously as a thriller and enough spice to give some levity to the intense storyline. Also, can I go visit Danielle's cafe? I want to try everything! Amazing, fun and sexy read that I highly recommend. Bravo!!!
I loved this debut novel from Alexandra Burnett and can't wait for more! Fell in love with Danielle and Adam, along with their supporting characters, especially Nina, Ralph, Carrie and Ben. This was a true thriller with a very healthy dose of romance and steam mixed in. There was enough purposeful misleading to keep us on our toes, enough gore to be taken seriously as a thriller and enough spice to give some levity to the intense storyline. Also, can I go visit Danielle's cafe? I want to try everything! Amazing, fun and sexy read that I highly recommend. Bravo!!!
January 27, 2026
This was such a fantastic romantic suspense. The audiobook is narrated by the talented voices of all Michael Norman Johnson & Sarah Puckett . The villain in this book is known as The Harvester. And he has an obsession with Danielle, the MFC. Adam is the police officer assigned to protect Danielle from The Harvester after she is a witness to his crime. The narrators did such a superb job of keeping me on the edge of my seat. This storyline was different from what I usually listen to and I loved it.
November 19, 2024
I met the author in person.
I took my time, I didn't want to put the book down.
The characters I enjoyed, especially Danielle. I literally was point out the characters that looked like a red flag to me after the first murder. But when the reveal came... it was a twist and then finding out who the real stalker was 😲.
The spicy scenes were worth the teasing that was going on, and Adam's realization of his feelings🥹.
I enjoyed the book I really did and look forward to the 2nd book.
I took my time, I didn't want to put the book down.
The characters I enjoyed, especially Danielle. I literally was point out the characters that looked like a red flag to me after the first murder. But when the reveal came... it was a twist and then finding out who the real stalker was 😲.
The spicy scenes were worth the teasing that was going on, and Adam's realization of his feelings🥹.
I enjoyed the book I really did and look forward to the 2nd book.
December 8, 2024
What a ride. This book kept me on the edge of my seat. And I am super easily scared. Thrilling. Spicy. Seductive. And perfect for true crime girlies. He’s a cop. She’s a witness and also might become a victim… there’s a killer on the loose and he’s after her… but our cop becomes even more obsessed than the killer.
With some blood and gore and maybe a little stalking? And obsession. Mystery. And spice.
With some blood and gore and maybe a little stalking? And obsession. Mystery. And spice.
March 30, 2025
Oh my lord this book. 🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯
If you’re into dark, psychological thrillers with a spicy twist then you. Need. This. Book. I literally have no words 😶
Dani owns a cafe, but when people start getting unalived in her town, all looking like her, she has to be protected. Enter a brooding detective that just might end up falling for her. But who’s unaliving people and can the police catch him before he gets to Danielle?? 😵😵
If you’re into dark, psychological thrillers with a spicy twist then you. Need. This. Book. I literally have no words 😶
Dani owns a cafe, but when people start getting unalived in her town, all looking like her, she has to be protected. Enter a brooding detective that just might end up falling for her. But who’s unaliving people and can the police catch him before he gets to Danielle?? 😵😵
May 31, 2025
This book gave me the crash out of my life! Alexandra Burnett is an amazing writer, and I could not put this book down. The love story between Dani and Alex was everything I wanted it to be. The twists and turns that this book put me through was attention grabbing and gave the good chills. Thank you to Alexandra for giving me the opportunity to read your book! You endured my crash out in real time and I can't wait to read the second book!
January 20, 2026
Brilliant narration from Michael Norman Johnson and Sarah Puckett
One thing Danielle expected to a serial killers latest prey. Her love is creating dishes for her new cafe Mon Fellcite. Detective Adam Burke is the police officer who is now her protector. Let’s say these two don’t get one at the beginning. But slowly the chemistry between them can’t be denied. Oh does it heat up.
This book has angst, mystery, suspense, rollercoaster of emotions and a great romance.
One thing Danielle expected to a serial killers latest prey. Her love is creating dishes for her new cafe Mon Fellcite. Detective Adam Burke is the police officer who is now her protector. Let’s say these two don’t get one at the beginning. But slowly the chemistry between them can’t be denied. Oh does it heat up.
This book has angst, mystery, suspense, rollercoaster of emotions and a great romance.
October 9, 2024
This was a book I didn’t know I needed in my life!!!
Great storyline with lots of suspense, thrill, romance and laughter!
I was kept guessing at each twist, but there was some great foreshadowing that helped me with my guesses for the outcomes.
And the spice and romance were exactly what I was hoping for and included some of my favorite tropes.
Great storyline with lots of suspense, thrill, romance and laughter!
I was kept guessing at each twist, but there was some great foreshadowing that helped me with my guesses for the outcomes.
And the spice and romance were exactly what I was hoping for and included some of my favorite tropes.
March 8, 2025
Fast Paced Read!
This read felt nostalgic for me. It brought me back to the days I would read my mother’s murder suspense books and I’m so grateful to this author for taking me on that journey. This book has twists and turns and was an edge of my seat kinda of read. This is the first book I have read from this author, however, it won’t be the last. I couldn’t put it down!
This read felt nostalgic for me. It brought me back to the days I would read my mother’s murder suspense books and I’m so grateful to this author for taking me on that journey. This book has twists and turns and was an edge of my seat kinda of read. This is the first book I have read from this author, however, it won’t be the last. I couldn’t put it down!
April 12, 2025
I'm a huge fan of thriller and crime stories. This book was so beautifully well written and the plot twists embedded in the story were so good because they made sense! I felt like I was watching a criminal minds story but in a book. Also the spice.... 10/10 in my opinion.
I recommend this to anyone that wants to get into crime/thriller/romance books.
I recommend this to anyone that wants to get into crime/thriller/romance books.
January 1, 2025
I picked this up as a pallatte cleanser between fantasies, and I very much enjoyed this book.
It was entertaining (albeit a bit predictable) but I still enjoyed it nonetheless and it was exactly what I was needing at this time.
& I will be starting off 2025 with book two in the series!
It was entertaining (albeit a bit predictable) but I still enjoyed it nonetheless and it was exactly what I was needing at this time.
& I will be starting off 2025 with book two in the series!
January 7, 2025
What a great book. I read this book very quickly I could not put it down. The spice in it was HOT. I liked all of the different twists and turns that it took. I didn't feel like the outcome was super obvious.
February 15, 2025
This was one of those books where i couldn't put it down. I love creepy stories and this was exactly up my alley. If your looking for something that will keep you on the edge of your seat then you need to read this as I can't reccomend it enough
March 18, 2025
Really good plot, little predictable at the end, but I enjoyed the story line!
The spicy scenes were full of second hand embarrassment. Referring to skin being as soft as cornstarch- solid no, dogg.
The spicy scenes were full of second hand embarrassment. Referring to skin being as soft as cornstarch- solid no, dogg.
November 2, 2024
This book has a slow start that gives you the opportunity to connect with the characters, and the plot twist was completely unexpected!
December 17, 2024
I could NOT put it down. The killings/ killer pov kept me on edge the ENTIRE time. Definitely enjoyed the main character’s banter / “relationship”.
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