3.75 stars--THE PERFECT COVER is the second instalment in Charlotte Byrd’s contemporary, adult THE PERFECT STRANGER erotic, romantic, suspense series focusing on focusing on speech pathologist Isabelle Nesbit, and hedge-fund investor/escaped prisoner Tyler McDermott. THE PERFECT COVER should not be read as a stand alone as it picks up immediately after the events and cliff hanger of book one THE PERFECT STRANGER.
NOTE: If you have not read book one, there may be some spoilers in my review.
SOME BACKGROUND: Three years earlier, former hedge-fund investor Tyler McDermott was found guilty and sentenced to life in prison for the killing of his wife, her lover and her unborn child but like all men accused of such heinous crimes, Tyler claims he walked into the crime scene never knowing the extent of his wife’s infidelity. With no where to go, Tyler heads to the last safe haven, to the woman he once loved, a long time ago. Enter speech pathologist Isabelle Nesbitt. Currently on the run together, Tyler and Isabelle must outrun law enforcement, as well as the men searching for Isabelle for sins of the mother.
Told from dual first person perspectives (Tyler and Isabelle) THE PERFECT COVER picks up immediately after the cliff hanger of book one wherein Isabelle believes she has been left behind until a chagrined Tyler returns for the woman he loves. Togethr on a cross-country journey, heading towards destinations unknown, Isabelle quickly discovers that Tyler is hoping for a return on a former investment, and a promise to another former inmate, pulls the couple into a dangerous situation. As the couple become a four-some, not all is well when Tyler and Isabelle find themselves alone, without money, and facing the possibility of losing it all. As Isabelle begins to research the circumstances surrounding Tyler’s conviction, she will soon discover that lies of omission meant the focus of the investigation never waivered from the man that she loves.
THE PERFECT COVER is a story of betrayal and revenge; secret and lies; relationships, friendships, mistrust and heart break. The premise is intriguing and suspenseful; the characters are broken, secretive, angry and hurt; the romance continues to grow despite the potential of never finding their happily ever after.