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Betrayal's Reach: A Crystal Lake Novel
She gave him her heart. He gave her nothing but lies.
For months, Hannah Everett loved Jake Cooper—trusted him, let him in, made love to him—never knowing he was undercover, using her to take down her own father.
Jake was never supposed to fall for Hannah. As an FBI agent, his job was to investigate Richard Everett’s crimes—not break his daughter’s heart. But falling for Hannah wasn’t the lie. Walking away was.
Now, back in Crystal Lake as a firefighter, Jake is determined to prove he’s not the man she thinks he is.
Hannah’s life went up in flames the day she learned the truth—her father’s crimes ruined the town, but Jake’s betrayal ruined her. In the fallout, she lost her reputation, her friends, and the only man she ever loved.
Jake may have shattered her heart, but he’s the only one willing to stand beside her when it matters most.
For months, Hannah Everett loved Jake Cooper—trusted him, let him in, made love to him—never knowing he was undercover, using her to take down her own father.
Jake was never supposed to fall for Hannah. As an FBI agent, his job was to investigate Richard Everett’s crimes—not break his daughter’s heart. But falling for Hannah wasn’t the lie. Walking away was.
Now, back in Crystal Lake as a firefighter, Jake is determined to prove he’s not the man she thinks he is.
Hannah’s life went up in flames the day she learned the truth—her father’s crimes ruined the town, but Jake’s betrayal ruined her. In the fallout, she lost her reputation, her friends, and the only man she ever loved.
Jake may have shattered her heart, but he’s the only one willing to stand beside her when it matters most.
333 pages, Kindle Edition
Published February 22, 2025
179 people are currently reading
53 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews
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November 13, 2025Unfortunately we have a lot of, I think, authors attempting to fill a trope that a lot of us enjoy but either writing skills are lacking or......well I don't know. I didn't enjoy the book, not because of the actual theme of the book, but sometimes it was nonsensical. I'm not going to rate, I don't want to discourage another author from writing a great, betrayal-cheating hero-angsty romance. I just want it to move me. Or, make sense.
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July 6, 2025This didn't really feel like a romance or women's fiction. It was just page after page of this small town treating this woman like shit and her taking it.
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October 30, 2025I was too busy being angry at the townspeople to be mad at Jake, so I was fine with his grovel. But I had to skip to the end to check how the town stuff was resolved since it was making me so angry, and everyone just wordlessly comes back, no apologies or acknowledgements. I get they were helping out the heroine when they came back, but fuck that. I'm too petty for this cause I was like "girl just leave this shit town, there's no one for you here." Even Sarah, her friend of several years, dumped her with barely a text!! The betraying hero was the most loyal character in this book lol.
Beyond my issues with how the town stuff was resolved, there were some habits this writer had that started to grate. For example, the "And [noun]?
[Noun] was blah blah blah..."
structure that kept being used. It was also used a lot with parallelism (which the author loves) and made everything feel even more repetitive.
Ex:
Because he couldn't lose her.
Because she was everything.
Because some loves were worth walking through fire for.
And Jake?
Jake would walk through hell to keep her safe.
Ex. 2:
Sometimes it took almost losing everything.
Sometimes it took walking through fire to find your way home.
Sometimes it took breaking completely to let yourself be put back together.
And Hannah?
Hannah was ready to be whole again.
This structure loses its impact when it's used multiple times per chapter, then it just becomes repetitive.
Beyond my issues with how the town stuff was resolved, there were some habits this writer had that started to grate. For example, the "And [noun]?
[Noun] was blah blah blah..."
structure that kept being used. It was also used a lot with parallelism (which the author loves) and made everything feel even more repetitive.
Ex:
Because he couldn't lose her.
Because she was everything.
Because some loves were worth walking through fire for.
And Jake?
Jake would walk through hell to keep her safe.
Ex. 2:
Sometimes it took almost losing everything.
Sometimes it took walking through fire to find your way home.
Sometimes it took breaking completely to let yourself be put back together.
And Hannah?
Hannah was ready to be whole again.
This structure loses its impact when it's used multiple times per chapter, then it just becomes repetitive.
December 10, 2025
2.5 stars. This wasn't bad, it just wasn't something I'm going to remember, and that sucks, because this is a fun trope. I sort of wish there could be a mashup of this and Katie Landry's Dirty Rotten Cheating Husband. They both have the same initial setup: federal agent hero is investigating heroine's father, who is secretly scamming people out of money, and heroine has no idea, followed by heroine finds out in a really public and awful way, and grovel ensues. Unfortunately, both have the same problem: too much, but in entirely different ways. (I'll get to that in a minute.)
It took a little too long for the "gut-punch" to hit. There was a lot of build up showing Jake and Hannah's relationship and how much Jake is dreading her finding out about how he had been sleeping with her while investigating her and her father for conning people out of money. On a related note, I feel like Hannah's father's attorneys could have REALLY gone to town with that breach of ethics, compromising the investigation once the criminal case makes it to court. I mean, he was sleeping with her while she was a suspect, she's arrested, and all the sudden, she's not a suspect. The book definitely paints her father in the light of someone who would have no problem throwing her under that bus, in return for a lighter sentence.
Also, after she was released from jail, I felt like the heroine was put through entirely too much trauma and was way too understanding about it -- from everyone except the hero (not that she should have been when it came to him, he was just the only one she had a grudge against). The entire town, people who have known her since birth, her employee, her lifelong best friend, they all turn their backs on her. I really wanted her to just let the shop go and move somewhere else because there was no way the town was going to forgive her. After a while, I found myself thinking the book really should have been shorter because watching her go through everything that town put her through got a little old after a while. I lost count of how many times the book showed her baking for people who weren't coming in, followed by her balancing the finances and realizing that she wasn't making money. How many times do we need to see those scenes? It's presented like she isn't going to let the town run her off from her grandmother's legacy, but just comes off as someone with no self-preservation. In the end, it honestly just felt like the book stalled trying to fill pages.
Jake's grovel was good, he was put through the wringer over what he did to her, but really I would have liked to see someone else from that town stand behind her after the initial shock wore off. Also, it would have been nice to find out that Hannah had randomly found her father's account info in the Caymans and was able to return some, or even all, of the money he'd stolen. I mean, it's fiction, and supposed to be a happy-ever-after -- is that too much to ask?
It took a little too long for the "gut-punch" to hit. There was a lot of build up showing Jake and Hannah's relationship and how much Jake is dreading her finding out about how he had been sleeping with her while investigating her and her father for conning people out of money. On a related note, I feel like Hannah's father's attorneys could have REALLY gone to town with that breach of ethics, compromising the investigation once the criminal case makes it to court. I mean, he was sleeping with her while she was a suspect, she's arrested, and all the sudden, she's not a suspect. The book definitely paints her father in the light of someone who would have no problem throwing her under that bus, in return for a lighter sentence.
Also, after she was released from jail, I felt like the heroine was put through entirely too much trauma and was way too understanding about it -- from everyone except the hero (not that she should have been when it came to him, he was just the only one she had a grudge against). The entire town, people who have known her since birth, her employee, her lifelong best friend, they all turn their backs on her. I really wanted her to just let the shop go and move somewhere else because there was no way the town was going to forgive her. After a while, I found myself thinking the book really should have been shorter because watching her go through everything that town put her through got a little old after a while. I lost count of how many times the book showed her baking for people who weren't coming in, followed by her balancing the finances and realizing that she wasn't making money. How many times do we need to see those scenes? It's presented like she isn't going to let the town run her off from her grandmother's legacy, but just comes off as someone with no self-preservation. In the end, it honestly just felt like the book stalled trying to fill pages.
Jake's grovel was good, he was put through the wringer over what he did to her, but really I would have liked to see someone else from that town stand behind her after the initial shock wore off. Also, it would have been nice to find out that Hannah had randomly found her father's account info in the Caymans and was able to return some, or even all, of the money he'd stolen. I mean, it's fiction, and supposed to be a happy-ever-after -- is that too much to ask?
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 18, 2025
At 4% it's rape by fraud. I'm out.
December 17, 2025
Loved the idea of the undercover cop betrayal but sadly this was just way too repetitive, the same things over and over ad nauseum until I skimmed more than half of the book to call it done
November 11, 2025
Small Town Romance, Big City Love
This was a small town romance with a City size love. Really a second chance romance when one partner is playing a part and the other is madly in love. This is this couples journey to their HEA.
This was a small town romance with a City size love. Really a second chance romance when one partner is playing a part and the other is madly in love. This is this couples journey to their HEA.
November 21, 2025
big no from me. the FMC is a weak doormat just letting the town treat her like dirt. these people have known her their entire lives but they immediately turn their back in her like she hasn't been there for them anytime they needed her. And I don't even know where to begin with Jake who lied to her for months and had sex with her while being a complete liar. it's the ultimate betrayal to me. And of course she has BBS and pretty much lets him back in because he makes puppy eyes at her and fixes some shit at the bakery. Woman get a backbone and leave that stupid town and idiot man.
December 1, 2025
The way he never needed to grovel because she was a pathetic mess. Dear fucking lord, miss girl was constantly crying about how she was tired of standing on her own and yet not once did we ever see her do just that. She accepted his help, she talked to him, she let him hold her, she fucking called him. Pathetic in all its glory. DNF. She made me sick.
March 6, 2025
Did not finish.
I got about 70% of the way through before I finally gave up.
Too many words to describe things - and the same phrases are used over and over (her heels clicked against the marble, etc).
I just can’t enjoy a book that has BBS - my personal preference so when I encountered it for the umpteenth time, I had to stop the book.
Plus, it was depressing. Her dad stole money from everyone in their small town and the town turned against her - stopped visiting her bakery, began harassing her - even friends she had forever. It was making me depressed and then the BBS happened again and I just had to quit.
Off to look for another book now …
I got about 70% of the way through before I finally gave up.
Too many words to describe things - and the same phrases are used over and over (her heels clicked against the marble, etc).
I just can’t enjoy a book that has BBS - my personal preference so when I encountered it for the umpteenth time, I had to stop the book.
Plus, it was depressing. Her dad stole money from everyone in their small town and the town turned against her - stopped visiting her bakery, began harassing her - even friends she had forever. It was making me depressed and then the BBS happened again and I just had to quit.
Off to look for another book now …
December 5, 2025
Hannah is left devastated after discovering that not only has her father been arrested for majorly defrauding many of their friends and neighbours out of their life savings (and he's not only guilty but almost seems proud about what he did) but also her boyfriend is actually an FBI undercover agent who used her to get close to her father. To make things even worse all the people in their small town shun her and treat her like dirt because of what her father did, many of them not believing that she could be completely innocent herself. She has been majorly betrayed by everyone she knows including those who've known her for 20 years or more.
What I really liked about this was the fact that Jake had actually fallen in love with her, felt terrible about what he'd done, resigned his job and then did everything he could to help her even though he knew she now hated him.
What I didn't like was not just the attitude of the townspeople which was just really appalling, even after Jake as the responsible FBI agent told them that Hannah had been completely investigated and was innocent but also the fact that Hannah was really the bit of a doormat - instead of telling the town that they could all GF themselves and selling up to start a new life she stayed there and let them continue to treat her badly. (Of course if she had left then the relationship between her and Jake would not have had a chance to recover.) The way one or two of them gradually started creeping back then when she nearly died they all came up to help her rebuild her business but nobody ever actually apologised for what they had done.
Jake's redemption worked out really well but he'd have had a much harder time if Hannah had been able to rely on her friends, who turned out not to be friends at all. Overall I'd say this isn't a great book but it's a good book. A solid three star.
What I really liked about this was the fact that Jake had actually fallen in love with her, felt terrible about what he'd done, resigned his job and then did everything he could to help her even though he knew she now hated him.
What I didn't like was not just the attitude of the townspeople which was just really appalling, even after Jake as the responsible FBI agent told them that Hannah had been completely investigated and was innocent but also the fact that Hannah was really the bit of a doormat - instead of telling the town that they could all GF themselves and selling up to start a new life she stayed there and let them continue to treat her badly. (Of course if she had left then the relationship between her and Jake would not have had a chance to recover.) The way one or two of them gradually started creeping back then when she nearly died they all came up to help her rebuild her business but nobody ever actually apologised for what they had done.
Jake's redemption worked out really well but he'd have had a much harder time if Hannah had been able to rely on her friends, who turned out not to be friends at all. Overall I'd say this isn't a great book but it's a good book. A solid three star.
December 2, 2025
Jake is undercover posing as Hannah’s boyfriend while trying to take down Hannah’s dad for financial crimes, but falls in love with her along the way.
It’s not a new concept, but I enjoy this kind of betrayal because it usually leads to good angst and grovel.
I found the writing style a bit repetitive, and felt certain things happened again and again.
The main issue for me was that I wasn’t even that mad at Jake. He regrets it, immediately quits the FBI and spends the whole book looking after Hannah. Honestly he was the only one in town I didn’t actively hate.
The entire town turns on Hannah. Ok, I get it - her dad ruined a lot of the local people’s business, college funds, etc. and they think she must have known. But how does she not have one true friend?? How does no one stick up for her besides Jake? And then after a book of people ignoring her and almost putting her bakery out of business, she forgives them because they help her rebuild her bakery after the events that occur?
No one even apologized!!
My ideal ending would have been her moving away from this town, but alas that doesn’t happen.
Because I hated the town and felt bad for Hannah, you’re almost forced to root for Jake because he’s the only one who seems to care about her. His grovel was more on action and showing up, and I did believe him, and was glad they got back together.
I wish the end was showing us their actual future instead of a sex scene where he tells her how he’s planning to propose?? Why couldn’t we just see the actual proposal? 🤣
It’s not a new concept, but I enjoy this kind of betrayal because it usually leads to good angst and grovel.
I found the writing style a bit repetitive, and felt certain things happened again and again.
The main issue for me was that I wasn’t even that mad at Jake. He regrets it, immediately quits the FBI and spends the whole book looking after Hannah. Honestly he was the only one in town I didn’t actively hate.
The entire town turns on Hannah. Ok, I get it - her dad ruined a lot of the local people’s business, college funds, etc. and they think she must have known. But how does she not have one true friend?? How does no one stick up for her besides Jake? And then after a book of people ignoring her and almost putting her bakery out of business, she forgives them because they help her rebuild her bakery after the events that occur?
No one even apologized!!
My ideal ending would have been her moving away from this town, but alas that doesn’t happen.
Because I hated the town and felt bad for Hannah, you’re almost forced to root for Jake because he’s the only one who seems to care about her. His grovel was more on action and showing up, and I did believe him, and was glad they got back together.
I wish the end was showing us their actual future instead of a sex scene where he tells her how he’s planning to propose?? Why couldn’t we just see the actual proposal? 🤣
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 20, 2025
romantic and cute
I enjoyed this book very much. Loved the main characters Jake Cooper and Hannah Everett.
The town’s treatment of Hannah was disappointing especially in that they never apologized to her for their condemnation of her and their behavior towards her. They just picked up as though nothing had happened.
And Hannah’s father, I thought that situation would play out differently, that it would prove to be a misunderstanding, that he was innocent. But interestingly enough, it didn’t go that way.
I did think Hanna was unfair to Jake at times. He was #1 doing his job. #2 her dad was guilty. Of course what she went thru with the townspeople’s hostility toward her and avoidance of her business was the result of Jake’s investigation.
The best line in the book? Was when Jake said “that’s what love is Hannah, choosing someone when they don’t choose you back.” hopefully I remembered that right. It was something to that effect anyway.
But true love prevailed. There is a real HEA here. And it is a very enjoyable read.
I enjoyed this book very much. Loved the main characters Jake Cooper and Hannah Everett.
The town’s treatment of Hannah was disappointing especially in that they never apologized to her for their condemnation of her and their behavior towards her. They just picked up as though nothing had happened.
And Hannah’s father, I thought that situation would play out differently, that it would prove to be a misunderstanding, that he was innocent. But interestingly enough, it didn’t go that way.
I did think Hanna was unfair to Jake at times. He was #1 doing his job. #2 her dad was guilty. Of course what she went thru with the townspeople’s hostility toward her and avoidance of her business was the result of Jake’s investigation.
The best line in the book? Was when Jake said “that’s what love is Hannah, choosing someone when they don’t choose you back.” hopefully I remembered that right. It was something to that effect anyway.
But true love prevailed. There is a real HEA here. And it is a very enjoyable read.
January 10, 2026
OK
Easy to read, it was a story of a woman whose Dad is laundering money through her bakery and she has no idea, she has a boyfriend Jake who is actually a undercover FBI agent and he's using her to find evidence but in the meantime she falls in love with him and he her but when it comes to her arrest she sees him for who he is and the town who used her bakery turn their backs on her ,it's quite sad on her behalf but I really wanted her to make Jake suffer for putting her through everything and I wouldn't have taken him back after he lied for so long
Easy to read, it was a story of a woman whose Dad is laundering money through her bakery and she has no idea, she has a boyfriend Jake who is actually a undercover FBI agent and he's using her to find evidence but in the meantime she falls in love with him and he her but when it comes to her arrest she sees him for who he is and the town who used her bakery turn their backs on her ,it's quite sad on her behalf but I really wanted her to make Jake suffer for putting her through everything and I wouldn't have taken him back after he lied for so long
January 1, 2026
This book was…boring as hell. Neither character had any personality or depth. Every chapter after Jake is revealed as an Agent is the exact same. Hannah being shunned. Jake forcing his presence on her. Hannah being a spineless doormat crying all the time. Next chapter: same. At 65% absolutely nothing had happened to move this plot or character development forward. Boring, forgettable, and dnf.
November 15, 2025
Not good
Weak Female lead. Horrible plot. Not even a “worthy” grovel or redemption by the H. No apology from the townsfolk for the horrible behavior. I wanted to like in the beginning but it was a short story and hard to like.I never leave reviews but the doormat h was too much for me. DNF
Weak Female lead. Horrible plot. Not even a “worthy” grovel or redemption by the H. No apology from the townsfolk for the horrible behavior. I wanted to like in the beginning but it was a short story and hard to like.I never leave reviews but the doormat h was too much for me. DNF
November 25, 2025
There are bones of a good story here, but good gravy, was it repetitive!!! Every single chapter consisted of the following:
Town treats FMC like shit
MMC feels like shit for lying to FMC
MMC tries to help FMC, she says no but then lets him
Over and over and over again. The second to last chapter could be confused with the second chapter; it was just the same material very slightly reworded.
Town treats FMC like shit
MMC feels like shit for lying to FMC
MMC tries to help FMC, she says no but then lets him
Over and over and over again. The second to last chapter could be confused with the second chapter; it was just the same material very slightly reworded.
December 8, 2025
overall a good read
My only complaint was her letting the town come back in after how they dismissed and treated her. I wish she would have sold it and opened it in a new town. She accepted them back too easily. I also wish there was more about what happened or what was going to happen to her dad and their relationship or lack there of.
My only complaint was her letting the town come back in after how they dismissed and treated her. I wish she would have sold it and opened it in a new town. She accepted them back too easily. I also wish there was more about what happened or what was going to happen to her dad and their relationship or lack there of.
October 31, 2025
Unusual romance
The story has betrayal from a couple sources, devastation, attempted murder and more.
The characters are caught up in events. One has major regret and another numbing loss.
It's a good plot that is well written.
The story has betrayal from a couple sources, devastation, attempted murder and more.
The characters are caught up in events. One has major regret and another numbing loss.
It's a good plot that is well written.
November 11, 2025
disappointed in the town
The township people not ACTUALLY apologizing lost the whole ending for me……. Just acting like they didn’t say/do absolutely cruel things….. felt very “let’s just sweep that under the rug”…….id want to move……
The township people not ACTUALLY apologizing lost the whole ending for me……. Just acting like they didn’t say/do absolutely cruel things….. felt very “let’s just sweep that under the rug”…….id want to move……
December 20, 2025
interesting premise but did it really need to be that long? every single page is her being treated like crap, the man tries to grovel, she almost kisses him, and then she’s like no go away. every single scene of this 347 page book
July 18, 2025
Tags: betrayal, cop-police-mcs, grovel-remorseful, heroine-baker-chef, read, small-town, strong-fmc-heroine
August 11, 2025
lots of repetition but idc i enjoyed this book! Although if that were me, I would’ve packed my stuff up and left that town but that’s just me
October 10, 2025
Girl is so naive.
October 15, 2025
Epic fail on the grovel
No way to make up for what the male main character - or the entire town - does to the FMC. Not worth the read.
No way to make up for what the male main character - or the entire town - does to the FMC. Not worth the read.
November 30, 2025
2,5 - good, technical writing but lacks emotions
January 6, 2026
I hate when I'm tired and forget to.leave crumbs for my memory and it's getting bad. I remembered after I read the reviews. It was just okay. It.was awful what the people did to her. I felt so bad. Jake being.undercover didn't bother me so.much. you could tell he.loved her.
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