Will she recover her lost memories?Colette Broussard awakens from a coma with no memory of nearly dying at the hands of the monster who abducted her. With chief of police Etienne Savoie on watch at Colette’s shanty in the swamp, the sense of danger is always lurking. Time is running out, and Etienne desperately needs Colette to recover the missing pieces of her life. Otherwise, he fears she’ll be taken hostage once again…
Quick Thoughts: I think this writer is not for me. Or possibly this series isn’t for me. Felt very shallow and neither character spoke like people their age from Louisiana would, nor was their behavior like people their age. This reads more like an old school category, but not in the big exciting plot sense. Perhaps old fashioned is the right word. The vibe here is late-Baby Boomers and considering I’m pushing 50 myself it’s an issue when the characterization makes me feel young.
I had some higher hopes with this one for story, because I didn’t care for book #2. Unfortunately, the FMCs of both books read as essentially the same person and the MMCs brains were stuck in the same silly excuse patterns. I still have zero idea why these women wanted to live in “shanties” in the swamp but also rely on technology. In this one we’re supposed to believe someone without a regular working toilet or shower or electricity is a very popular online blogger who makes good money after cranking up the ol’ generator?
Also, the conflict here is just not well explored. The culprit is so obvious we can see him from space. Not a recommended read from me.
——— Harlequin Intrigue (Aug 2025) Standalone/Series: Book #3 Marsh Mysteries
Themes/Tropes: amnesia, memory loss due to trauma incident, maniac on the loose, Louisiana swamp dwellers, cop protecting a witness
Steam/Spice Level: open door, in the bed, but felt very formulaic
Probably the best of the three books in the series, but not riveting. I did not figure out who the Swamp monster was until the reveal (not sure why another reviewer thought it was obvious). The main characters were ok but I thought after the build up in the first two books that I would care about them more than I did. If I could give 3 1/2 stars I probably would.