Bloodlust

Blood #2

by Sandra Brown

12 hours, 31 minutes

#1 New York Times bestselling author Sandra Brown delivers a new signature sexy suspense about a detective seeking justice for his murdered wife with the help of a psychotherapist … while fighting an undeniable attraction to her.

Two years ago, Detective Mitch Haskell lost his wife to a vicious act of retribution, and has since attributed her murder to two Roland Malone and the unidentified mastermind of the crime known only as Oz. Malone, a ruthless executioner and drug dealer who fronts as a restaurant owner, neutralizes so cleanly that he doesn’t leave a trace. And he performs his handiwork at the biddings of Oz, the faceless kingpin of a drug trafficking operation whose name alone evokes terror.

Obsessively vowing to avenge his late wife’s murder, Mitch has been on a downward spiral, jeopardizing his closest relationships and drinking excessively to numb his pain. After going one step too far, Detective John Bowie, his former best friend and now his boss, has forced Mitch to get therapy to sort himself out.

Dr. Dylan Reede is immediately empathetic to the pain she senses beneath Mitch’s cavalier attitude and wisecracking. She’s determined to make the most of his mandated sessions. But from the moment Mitch breezes into her office, Dylan finds it a struggle to maintain the professional and personal boundaries that keep her own tragic past at a safe distance.

As Mitch begins to close in on Oz and Malone’s operation, they’re prepared to stop him by any means necessary. And when it’s revealed that Dylan might hold the key to bringing them to justice, Mitch and Dylan’s irresistible attraction to each other may not only compromise both of them professionally, but place them in Oz’s bullseye.

Genres: Thriller, Romance, Romantic Suspense, Suspense, Mystery, Fiction, Audiobook

528 pages, Paperback

Published March 17, 2026

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.

Sandra Brown is the author of more than sixty New York Times bestsellers, including STING (2016), FRICTION (2015), MEAN STREAK (2014), DEADLINE(2013), & LOW PRESSURE (2012), LETHAL (2011).

Brown began her writing career in 1981 and since then has published over seventy novels, bringing the number of copies of her books in print worldwide to upwards of eighty million. Her work has been translated into over thirty languages.

In 2009 Brown detoured from romantic suspense to write, Rainwater, a much acclaimed, powerfully moving historical fiction story about honor and sacrifice during the Great Depression.

Brown was given an honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters from Texas Christian University. She was named Thriller Master for 2008, the top award given by the International Thriller Writer’s Association. Other awards and commendations include the 2007 Texas Medal of Arts Award for Literature and the Romance Writers of America’s Lifetime Achievement Award.

Reviews

[Jonetta]

the setup…
It’s been two years since Detective Mitch Haskell’s wife Angela was found dead in their home with their infant son Andrew nearby. Her death was ruled a suicide but Mitch knows she was murdered by Roland Malone, a New Orleans restauranteur who is also the lethal henchman used by Oz, the head of a criminal enterprise who’s true identity is unknown. Angela was killed in retribution for Mitch’s undercover work when he was a DEA agent. Even though Roland’s signature killing method of using a garrote to take down his targets wasn’t used on Angela, Mitch knows these two orchestrated her murder. Mitch’s is a mess and things come to a head when Detective John Bowie, his boss and friend, orders him into counseling. Dr. Dylan Reede has her hands full with him, in more ways than one…until it becomes dangerous.

the heart of the story…
I was so excited to be back in Auclair and the world of John Bowie! I’d hoped to learn more about Mitch and his backstory. The situation is treacherous as Roland and Oz are utterly ruthless. It was made more chilling by getting their points of view, too. Mitch and Dylan’s professional relationship turns personal, complicating things even more. Beware, however of a host of unreliable narrators!

the narration…
I’m a longtime fan of Kyf Brewer as he’s not only a wonderful storyteller but provides distinctive character voices. Loved everything about his performance.

the bottom line…
The tension begins with that prologue and never lets up. Mitch is a resourceful and colorful character, showing the skills that made him so good as an undercover agent, despite his personal issues. His relationship with Dylan was more than complicated, even more after some unforeseen (and clever) twists down the road. This was an outstanding police procedural and I hope we haven’t seen the last of these characters and the town. 4.5 stars

Posted on Blue Mood Café

(Thanks to Grand Central Publishing for my complimentary copy of the hardcover. All opinions are my own.)

[Chris C - A Midlife Wife]

If you follow my reviews, then you know I love a good police procedural story, and this one is ranking high on my list for must-reads this year.

Brown has done it again with a fabulous story that is intricately woven with imagery and incredible detail. Plus, she added a love interest and some spicy romance. I am here for it all! Such a perfect blend and balance throughout the book.

This murder mystery is a police procedural with some bad guys you know and others you do not. There are characters you will love and some you will hate. The author expertly develops a story that is one part shockingly incredulous and one part highly emotional, especially when it comes to the main character, Mitch. Oh, I love his devious mind!

The suspense ramps up the further we dive into the murder plot, and the ending brings an awesome twist only Brown can deliver. Bloodlust is an outstanding story that will definitely be on my re-read list and my Best Of list this year!

~~~~~
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Full review - https://amidlifewife.com/bloodlust-by...

[Laura]

Another great Sandra Brown thriller/romance! Her books are always easy highly entertaining reads that draw you into the story. It was great to see what continues to happen to the Bowie/Haskell partnership and how their personal lives evolve with their profession. I always like a good law enforcement thriller and this fit the bill!

Thank you to Net Galley and Grand Central Publishing for giving me this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

[Anne]

Sandra Brown has been my favorite and reliable author for more years than I’d like to admit! But I love her Romantic Suspense stories.

No matter how crazy the circumstances, I always root for the main characters - both of them until they come together all while the bad guys get their due.

Sandra Brown levels up with strong & fierce FMC energy.

Her stories are sound, no strings left hanging and I love how the ending makes you feel good 😊 too.

[Anita]

Sandra Brown is the best. She blends bad-boy macho man with a sweet, damaged heroine with a spine of steel for a heart-rending love story. Works for me every single time. There is little mystery as the baddies are known from the beginning, but the suspense is top shelf and edge of your seat. As we revisit the bayou country of Louisiana, a site for books I just love, the action takes place in the small city of Auclair and New Orleans and doesn't quite have the bayou feel of the first book. Mitch and Dylan start out with two strikes against them, the Doctor-Patient situation and both being damaged by prior trauma. The plot kept me involved and rooting for the HEA that was hard earned, but worth the wait.

My thanks to the Publisher, and Author, for providing a complimentary digital Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) of this novel via NetGalley. This is my fair, honest and personal review. All opinions are mine alone and were not biased in any way.

[Amy Hagberg]

An Addictive, High-Stakes Romantic Thriller

⭐⭐⭐⭐½ stars

Bloodlust, the second book in Sandra Brown’s Blood series, is an intense, fast-moving romantic suspense novel—and even better than Blood Moon.

Detective Mitch Haskell is still reeling from his wife’s murder, a loss that has left him angry, reckless, and determined to punish the men responsible. His obsession with justice is costing him dearly, so his boss orders him into therapy. Enter Dr. Dylan Reede, a compassionate psychotherapist with painful secrets of her own. Their immediate attraction complicates an already dangerous situation, especially when Dylan becomes connected to Mitch’s investigation.

Brown balances a gripping criminal mystery with an emotionally charged romance. Mitch is deeply flawed, but his grief and devotion to his young son make him sympathetic, while Dylan’s strength and empathy provide the perfect counterweight to his volatility. Their chemistry is undeniable, and the tension between them adds considerable heat without overshadowing the suspense.

With ruthless villains, surprising revelations, and a relentless pace, Bloodlust is a genuine page-turner. The combination of danger, emotional depth, and sizzling romance kept me invested until the very end.

** Thanks to NetGalley, Grand Union Publishing, and the author for a complimentary copy. Opinions are my own.

[Anna (annareadit)]

Thank you to Grand Central Publishing and NetGalley for providing this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Carvanz]

Ohhh this one took me back to why Sandra Brown used to be a one click buy for me. This was pure old-school romantic suspense, moody, dramatic, and a little unhinged. Once it got its hooks in me, it did not let go. I loved the atmosphere, the sense of danger, and that constant “something is very wrong here” feeling. It was simmering under every interaction. It was twisty without being confusing, intense without being exhausting, and absolutely soaked in tension.





I really liked the emotional pull mixed with the mystery. The relationships were messy, and although the motivations weren’t always clean, that just made everything feel more real and gripping. It had the perfect blend of obsession, secrets, and simmering attraction that kept me turning the pages long past my “go to bed now or I’ll be a zombie tomorrow” time. Was it dark? To a certain degree. A little dramatic? Definitely. But if you like your suspense with sharp edges and emotional bite, this one delivers, and then some.

Multi POV
Safe No ow/om drama; H’s grief does not affect his relationship with the h
Triggers stalking and obsession, psychological manipulation and gaslighting, violence and murder, sexual content with power imbalance and coercive dynamics, fear and paranoia, mental instability and obsessive behavior
Steam 5 /5; explicit

[Teresa]

Both of the books in this series read like they were written in the 80’s. I wonder if these were old unpublished books that she dusted off and submitted. Men forcing kisses, steamrolling over the women, etc.

[SelinaW]

I have been trying to return to some new books of my old favorites lately and was very intrigued by this new release from Sandra Brown. I don’t often read mysteries these days, and this one was a very interesting (as expected) read from a great writer.

The story is one of vengeance for the terrible soul-destroying wrong vs. justice, and choices that led us to where we are and continue to guide our future. The book leaves you with many emotions about these complicated characters. Mitch Haskell (MMC) is a haunted man, obsessed with avenging his wife’s murder. He is spiraling and struggles, and it is then he meets the FMC - psychologist Dylan Reede, who is tasked with helping him, but herself struggles with a similar loss. The paths of their two mysteries intertwine amidst the building attraction and feelings, and eventually come to a head where major life choices will need to be made.

The mystery angle is done very well and characters are vivid and nicely developed. They are both wearing their professional masks and are hiding their real selves, all their emotions and internal trauma behind this veneer. I really enjoyed the interaction between MCs and their journey to each other.

[Mo]

A good read! A little better than her previous books. I thought. I did mostly audible, which seems to be only way I’m “reading” these days. I could say ‘a good follow up to the first in the series’, but I can’t even remember the premise of that one 🙄. SB will always be an auto-buy so looking forward to her next book.

[Ashley Rothberg]

I read Bloodlust by Sandra Brown for one reason and one reason only: book club. That is genuinely the only reason I picked it up, and 100% the only reason I finished it. Had I known what this book was actually about—and if I weren’t an admin of the book club—I would have DNF’ed it without hesitation and never thought about it again. Unfortunately, I didn’t know, and unfortunately, I am an admin. So I listened to the entire audiobook, against my better judgment.

My perspective here may be different from many readers because I am a therapist. I deeply dislike books that cheapen, exploit, or romanticize my profession—especially one I spent years of education and tens of thousands of dollars to earn. The trope of a therapist falling in love with their patient needs to end, and frankly, it needed to end yesterday. Yes, this can and does occasionally happen in real life—but here is the part that’s always conveniently left out: the therapist then loses their license and never practices again. I am a clinical social worker, and once someone is your patient, they are always your patient. While this exact rule may differ slightly across licenses, every legitimate helping profession has strict ethical prohibitions against sleeping with or dating a current patient. These exact scenarios are the horror stories used in ethics trainings—the “what not to do” examples that make everyone in the room gasp and say, “I would never.” And we wouldn’t, because most therapists are ethical, healthy professionals with appropriate boundaries who follow their codes of conduct. I simply could not get past this enough to even pretend to like the story.

Beyond that very major issue, there were plenty of other things that didn’t work for me. There were far too many character perspectives. While Mitch and Dillon are positioned as the main characters, the story frequently jumps into the thoughts and viewpoints of side characters—including the villain. I don’t enjoy that kind of narration. I prefer one or two narrators that I can actually invest in. I don’t need or want insight into what the bad guy is thinking. Add to that some gory and graphic violence, a mystery I had zero emotional investment in, and a final reveal that fell completely flat—not because it wasn’t shocking, but because by that point, I simply did not care.

This book wasn’t for me on any level. I finished it out of obligation, not enjoyment, and I wouldn’t recommend it—especially to anyone who works in mental health or values ethical depictions of the profession.

[Catheryn]

Another very interesting romantic suspense from SB. I had a few issues with this one though.

While I think the dead spouse trope can be difficult to write in romance books, I think SB went too far in the other direction. He seemed bent on revenge but I didn't get that he truly missed his wife. I was expecting him to battle a bit of guilt when he realized he was interested in Dylan. But there wasn't anything.

Dylan...while I loved her character for majority of the book, she did something that made me so frustrated.

One thing that SB manages to do for me, is feel a bit of sympathy for a villain. He definitely wasn't a good guy at all but I was still a bit sad for him.

Could be a slight spoiler:
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There was a plot device that SB over used in this story. I don't mind it used once or twice but she used it for almost every reveal and it made the story loose some of its interest for me. I also lost trust in Mitch and I'm surprised that Dylan didn't make him grovel more. This overuse it what really brought the rating down.

[skketch]

📚💺💰👩🏼‍🎤NOVEL THOUGHTS🕵🏼‍♂️💊💺📚

Bloodlust is a sequel to Brown's first introduction of the Haskell/Bowie partnership in the Louisiana southern city of Auclair but having not read that one first, I found this an easy standalone novel. There are references to that first book but the reader isn't distracted by that at all. This police procedural and twisty investigative story is a page turner.
The prologue sets the reader up knowing that Mitch Haskell's wife was found dead at the hand's of someone whose only notable characteristic was twisting of a signet ring with a ruby stone on his pinkie finger. The killer told her that she could stay alive but he would kill her newborn son, Andrew, so she needed to choose, her life or his. She of course chooses herself and later when her husband returns home, he discovers her body in the garage in her running car. The coroner calls it a suicide and closes the case but Mitch knows his wife better and knows she was killed and believes he knows at whose hands. Her death is emotionally overwhelming and he turns to the bottle, turns his son over to his inlaws and barely gets through the next two years as he circles a dark hole. That is, until after going on a drunken binge, fighting in the bar, busting it up, when his boss, John Bowie tells him to get himself to a therapist asap or don't come back to the force. John hands him a list of therapists he has vetted and tells Mitch, "pick one and go!" Begrudgingly, Mitch chooses Dylan Reede but isn't expecting the beautiful woman in front of him. He's as flustered as can be and uses sarcasm, silly wit, and smirking body language as a protective measure because he doesn't expect her. It's obvious to the reader this is going to go passed the doctor/patient relationship but it's handled really well and the reader actually roots for them. Also, the reader finds out, Dylan has her own secrets and scarred heart which helps them understand each other.
Mitch and John need to close in on bad guy Oz, drug cartel headman but they don't know who he is. One of his head henchman, Roland Malone, is the owner of an Italian restaurant and he is a violent, dangerous man with connections to all sorts of unsavory characters. Mitch is sure that he is the man who murdered his wife (and I suspect this is the only tie to the first book). Mitch and John are sure that the Mexican drug cartel who are on their radar have been moving drugs through the coast of Louisiana and Oz and his cohorts want this bounty. Much of the second POV which is Roland involved in making this happen as he enjoys the life he has developed with his connections to Oz. And, he can stay ahead of the cops because he has a mole in the police offices which keep him informed of what the cops are doing to get to Oz.
I loved the audio of this book. Narrator Kyf Brewer is awesome. He really captures the personality of the characters in their most vulnerable and their most honest moments. As he read, I was completely entranced with what was going on and trying to image the scene before me. There are some great unexpected moments of this story and as Mitch begins to heal from losing his wife and allowing his heart to open to Dylan, it is Dylan who sees the writing on the wall and if they have a chance, he needs to deal with some of his deep seeded demons.

[Foxy Vixen]

**Bloodlust by Sandra Brown**

Well… Sandra Brown has done it again! 😂

*Bloodlust* grabbed me pretty quickly, and once Mitch Haskell started digging into what really happened to his wife, I was along for the ride.

Mitch is definitely one of those characters where I kept thinking, **“Mitch, what the heck are you doing?!”** 😂 I understood his anger and his need for answers, but some of his decisions had me wanting to reach right into the book and have a little talk with him.

Then we have Dylan. I really liked her. She wasn't some helpless woman waiting for Mitch to save her. She had her own issues and her own baggage, and I liked that she could stand her ground with him. And yes… the chemistry between these two was definitely there! 🔥

The mystery surrounding Mitch's wife's death kept me interested because I wanted answers just as badly as Mitch did. And there were definitely some characters I didn't trust from the beginning. **Some people in this book gave me the creeps!** Roland Malone especially had that “please stay far, FAR away from me” feeling. 😳

I liked that this wasn't just a romance with a little suspense thrown in. There was an actual investigation going on, plenty of danger, secrets, and twists, and Mitch's obsession with finding the truth kept pushing the story forward.

I also enjoyed seeing the connection to *Blood Moon*. I always like when an author brings characters and storylines together without making you feel completely lost if you haven't read the previous book.

Was everything Mitch did smart? **Absolutely not.** 😂
Did I want to know what happened? **Absolutely!**
Did Sandra Brown keep me turning the pages? **Yep!**

Overall, *Bloodlust* was an entertaining romantic suspense with a complicated hero, a strong heroine, creepy villains, plenty of danger, and enough twists to keep me guessing.

Sandra Brown fans should definitely give this one a try!

**⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️½**

**Foxy's verdict:** A good combination of mystery, danger, romance, and characters who occasionally make you want to yell at the book! 😂

[Sarcasticpageturner]

This was such a good detective revenge story, and honestly not something I’d normally pick up but I’m really glad I did.

Mitch was such a layered character. The depth of what he was dealing with kept me invested the entire time, and I loved peeling back those layers as the story unfolded.

And Dylan?? I loved her. A therapist with attitude, spunk, and zero patience for nonsense. She brought such a fun, fiery energy to the story that balanced everything out perfectly.

The drug trafficking aspect had me completely hooked. It added another level of intensity to the story that kept me turning the pages.

There were so many “ah ha” moments that completely caught me off guard, which made this such a fun ride.

Definitely outside my usual genre, but 100% worth it.

[Jennifer]

John and Mitch continue their story but this time it is more Mitch’s story to tell. There are plenty of twists, a romance, and a few nasty bad guys to keep one entertained. I enjoyed this quite a bit.

[Delaney]

Fans of the author will be happy to read this thrilling story! The characters were unique and it kept me hooked. Slightly overly detailed at times, which can make some scenes feel slow. But overall still a solid suspense with a romance that makes you swoon.

Thank you to the publisher for the gifted ARC

[Shannon]

This had some solid twists but overall it was just an okay read for me. I think I'm a bit over romantic suspense police procedural type stories but I did feel for the policeman mourning his murdered wife. I didn't care that much about him jumping into a relationship with his new therapist. Yeah just didn't feel this one. Completely a me thing.

[yyb]

Hard to believe a man didn't write this :/

[Andrea]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Atmospheric and engaging, with a few extra layers

Bloodlust delivers a gripping mystery with rich atmosphere and compelling characters. While the pacing dragged at times due to some overly detailed scenes, the story kept me invested. I’ll admit I don’t personally care for spicy scenes in thrillers—they pull me out of the suspense—but that’s just my preference. Overall, a solid read that fans of Sandra Brown will enjoy. Thanks NetGalley!

[Dallas Strawn]

Sandra Brown returns to the world of her 2025 novel Blood Moon with BLOODLUST, bringing back familiar characters and centering the story on Mitch, a detective still determined to prove his wife was murdered… even when no one else believes him. As he digs deeper into the truth, the help of his alluring new therapist may be exactly what he needs to finally uncover what really happened.

Brown once again delivers exactly what her readers love: a fast paced blend of suspense, danger, and sizzling chemistry. BLOODLUST is a gripping romantic thriller that kept me turning the pages. Another satisfying hit from the true master of romantic suspense, long may she reign! 👸🏻

[tyra ♡]

quietly falling down the Sandra Brown rabbithole and loving it. she and Karin Slaughter are the only authors i've discovered (so far) that are able to combine thriller/suspense with just the right amount of romance to keep me hooked all they way through to the end

5/5 and feeling disappointed that there isn't another book in the series waiting for me but i just have to be patient i guess

[Ashley Pressler]

This book had me hooked from the first page! I couldn’t put it down. This was my first book by this author and I would definitely read more by her!

[Kathy]

It was interesting easy to follow. Some gruesome stuff involved. A man seeks revenge for whoever killed his wife but left his infant son alive. The thing I couldn't understand is that if a Garrote was used to strangle Angela you should be able to clearly see that and so why was it called a suicide. Just because she was in the auto in the garage with motor running, does not make that a suicide. Poor conclusion by the medical examiner. A cop is ordered to see a "shrink" to help solve his problems before he can return to duty. Shrink and cop "get involved." The owner of a restaurant is involved in high crimes with someone higher up calling the shots.

[Amy]

Overall, a good story, but the ending was a little too pat.

[Penny Abdalla]

3.5 ⭐️

[Sally Powers]

Sandra Brown is another of my favorite authors. Bloodlust is a very very very good book. Fast paced read. It is a hard book to put down.
I highly recommend it. I love psychological thrillers and Sandra Brown does it extremely well. As I said you can’t stop turning the pages!!!

[Amy May]

I wasn't even aware that it is the 2nd part to a series. That is my bad. But I read it, up to Chapter 11 and even though the point was to take revenge on his wife's killers(that's why I picked up the book in the first place) .

Normally, I would enjoy books like this and would have no problem with such plots as you can tell from my reading history. But I recently started applying critical thinking and logic to my reading and I will say I had a few things I did not like about this book(the 11 chapters)

1. I particularly did not like the main character. I think he is not well written because he is supposedly this guy that is undertaken by grief of his wife and the only part that really show cases that is when we start reading this book and this guy is absolutely wasted doing crazy things. I do not want the guy to be written as an alcoholic but literally the second he "unwillingly gets help" because he is forced to. He kisses his therapist without consent. But guess what? It was not because he couldn't control himself ... nooo. He is just a man baby that abuses this power as a police officer to kiss a woman without her consent in a professional setting so he does not get therapy. The same therapy session he could have walked out if and found anothee therapist if this one was not "falling for his tricks" . My god. He continues to say ohhh... it was not a big deal. I just grabbed her wrists and listened to her heartbeat. I will then follow her home, because after she acted like a professional and did not disclose this to my partner and my plan didn't work, I will break into her place of work and then follow her home after(you know; just to make sure she gets home safe...) . And then he has the nerve to say and I quote that the woman "elbowed his dick back to life" after the loss of his wife. The same wife that would want him to not be celibate after her death. So he is devastated and using his dead's wife memory to sexually think of a woman that he sexually exploited and stalked. What a husband filled with grief.

2. The doctor. You have a patient. That you have seen for the first time. He shows up, towers over you and kisses you. Unprovoked. And you go home and think to yourself " I don't want to fail this person because I am attracted to them. He is my patient". I think that should speak for itself.


I think the romance between the two could have been written in a way , that is 1. not rushed, 2. develops the characters well , 3. the plot line isn't a police officer that commits exploitation and a therapist with no emotional intelligence and regulation. Sure they are human, but that is literally their jobs. Atleast make them competent because it seems we want to rely on the fact that this guy is soo great at undercover work and the therapist is one the best that has helped countless law enforcement officers out of PTSD.

**SKIP IF NOT INTERESTED - NOT PART OF BOOK REVIEW **

It may look or sound hypocritical of me given the books I have read and enjoyed(again, as seen by my history). But like I mentioned, I am giving reading a new perspective and I am coming to not these sort of books not as much anymore. The immersion into these books is slowly eroding. You are probably asking, why even read it in the first place. I randomly got the book because I am also trying to widen my horizon in reading. And it happens to be the sort of book I am trying not read anymore. I gave it a chance still and I didn't like it. So yeah... that's my 50c on the matter.

[Tanisha]

I still remember the first Sandra Brown book I ever picked up, Low Pressure. For years, people told me that since I was such a big Nora Roberts fan, I needed to give Sandra Brown a try. I finally listened in the summer of 2014, and I am so glad I did because I have been hooked ever since. Once I had read a good number of her books, I started counting down to her new releases like clockwork. That is why I was so excited to get the chance to read this one early.

I had already read Blood Moon and absolutely loved it, especially because of John’s friend Mitch. So imagine my surprise and excitement when I found out this book was actually Mitch’s story. Just like Blood Moon, this one hooked me from the very beginning. The characters felt layered and real, and I loved getting to see a different side of Mitch. Even though we learned new things about him, he still had that same spark and charm that made me love his character the first time around.

The story itself was also so well done. I really enjoyed watching the pieces of the mystery fall into place and trying to connect the dots before everything came together. It had the perfect mix of tension, emotion, and heart, and I found myself completely pulled in until the very last page.

All in all, this was an amazing read, and I honestly wish I had more to dive into right now. This is a slight spoiler, but I do wish the epilogue had been set a little further out. Even so, it wrapped things up beautifully. I would recommend this book to any suspense fan, even if they do not usually read romantic suspense.

**I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.**