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Singing River Legacy #1
Forgotten Secrets
At age ten, Riley Lambert watched helplessly as her sister was abducted from her bedroom. Fifteen years later, she’s channeled the pain of her past into a career as an FBI profiler. Riley devotes her life to bringing violent criminals to justice…and secretly uses government resources to search for her sister, who was never found.
When Riley gets a call from the only man who’s ever swept her off her feet with a killer two-step and dangerous smile—ex-Navy SEAL Thayne Blackwood of Singing River, Wyoming—it stirs up dark memories. Thayne’s sister, Cheyenne, has been kidnapped. There are no leads, and the only witness is the victim’s Alzheimer’s-afflicted grandmother.
Desperate to find Cheyenne, Thayne needs Riley’s expertise. With time running short, they delve into dangerous small-town secrets while fighting against an increasingly ruthless adversary. But when her past and his present collide in a shocking revelation, can they overcome the secrets that have kept them apart?
When Riley gets a call from the only man who’s ever swept her off her feet with a killer two-step and dangerous smile—ex-Navy SEAL Thayne Blackwood of Singing River, Wyoming—it stirs up dark memories. Thayne’s sister, Cheyenne, has been kidnapped. There are no leads, and the only witness is the victim’s Alzheimer’s-afflicted grandmother.
Desperate to find Cheyenne, Thayne needs Riley’s expertise. With time running short, they delve into dangerous small-town secrets while fighting against an increasingly ruthless adversary. But when her past and his present collide in a shocking revelation, can they overcome the secrets that have kept them apart?
370 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 19, 2016
3890 people are currently reading
3196 people want to read
About the author
Robin Perini
58 books576 followersInternationally bestselling and award-winning author Robin Perini is devoted to giving her readers fast-paced, high-stakes adventures with a love story sure to melt their hearts. A RITA Award finalist and Romance Writers of America© (RWA) Honor Roll Member, she sold fourteen titles to publishers in less than two years after winning the prestigious RWA Golden Heart Award in 2011. An analyst for an advanced technology corporation, she is also a nationally acclaimed writing instructor and enjoys small-bore rifle silhouette shooting. As a result of her mother’s battle with Alzheimer’s Disease, Robin has become an advocate. She donates 10% of her royalties received from her novel, FORGOTTEN SECRETS, to the Alzheimer’s Association. In addition, she started the 1 Memory Challenge, a challenge to encourage others to share memories and donate to the Alzheimer’s Association, whose vision is a world without Alzheimer’s. You can learn more and connect with her by visiting her website at www.robinperini.com.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 560 reviews
May 5, 2019
4.5 stars
Fast-paced, well-written crime mystery with an unexpected (slightly OTT) twist.
Great heroine - strong, smart, brave woman.
Very likable strong hero with a heart of gold.
There was only 1 issue, which bothered me a bit - a pattern everyone missed during the investigation. But who I am to scrutinize it?.. I wouldn't have guessed the half of it...
Not much violence on page, not a very dark book. Good ending, slightly like a miracle, but we need more HEAs anyway.
I wanted to click 4, but the way author included a side character with Alzheimer's disease was very touching and poignant.
How come I never heard of this author before??!
Fast-paced, well-written crime mystery with an unexpected (slightly OTT) twist.
Great heroine - strong, smart, brave woman.
Very likable strong hero with a heart of gold.
There was only 1 issue, which bothered me a bit - a pattern everyone missed during the investigation. But who I am to scrutinize it?.. I wouldn't have guessed the half of it...
Not much violence on page, not a very dark book. Good ending, slightly like a miracle, but we need more HEAs anyway.
I wanted to click 4, but the way author included a side character with Alzheimer's disease was very touching and poignant.
How come I never heard of this author before??!
June 20, 2017
My feelings were all over the place as I read this book. The first 20% I felt that the author was trying too hard to create an air of suspense. I felt like I was being battered over the head by all these words strung together that just weren't taking me where I needed to be. Note to author: often less is more. You could have gotten where you were going and created far more atmosphere with a lot fewer words. Or a better selection of words.
After the 25% mark I really started to get into the plot. I loved the character of Helen Blackwood, Thayne's grandmother who suffers from Alzheimer's. She was the highlight, the bright spot in this book. The author is obviously compassionate and has a deep understanding of this subject after witnessing her mother's battle with the disease. I would respectfully like to suggest that she writes a book with that being the central theme. If the way she treated the subject here is any indication, it would be a winner.
FBI Special Agent Riley Lambert appears to be a strong, confident profiler who excels at her job and is able to see the world through the eyes of the most depraved mind. The real Riley Lambert is a vulnerable woman whose 12 year old sister was snatched in front of her. She has never forgiven herself, nor has her family forgiven her.
Now her lover Thayne's sister has been kidnapped and he calls on Riley to help find her.
The bulk of the book was good, but it all fell to pieces again at the end with the romantic thread of the plot taking over in a very predictable fashion. For me, it would have been a far better read and would have earned another star had it finished without the final few chapters. This would have also provided a good lead into the next book, this being the first of a series that I won't be reading.
Thank you to Montlake Romance via Netgalley for providing a digital copy of Forgotten Secrets for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.
After the 25% mark I really started to get into the plot. I loved the character of Helen Blackwood, Thayne's grandmother who suffers from Alzheimer's. She was the highlight, the bright spot in this book. The author is obviously compassionate and has a deep understanding of this subject after witnessing her mother's battle with the disease. I would respectfully like to suggest that she writes a book with that being the central theme. If the way she treated the subject here is any indication, it would be a winner.
FBI Special Agent Riley Lambert appears to be a strong, confident profiler who excels at her job and is able to see the world through the eyes of the most depraved mind. The real Riley Lambert is a vulnerable woman whose 12 year old sister was snatched in front of her. She has never forgiven herself, nor has her family forgiven her.
Now her lover Thayne's sister has been kidnapped and he calls on Riley to help find her.
The bulk of the book was good, but it all fell to pieces again at the end with the romantic thread of the plot taking over in a very predictable fashion. For me, it would have been a far better read and would have earned another star had it finished without the final few chapters. This would have also provided a good lead into the next book, this being the first of a series that I won't be reading.
Thank you to Montlake Romance via Netgalley for providing a digital copy of Forgotten Secrets for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.
November 6, 2017
I'm not even sure where to begin!!
This actually started off really promising and then just lost the run of itself around the time Riley got off the plane and saw Thayne for the first time in a year.
My major problem? Thayne's sister has been kidnapped. KIDNAPPED!! And Thayne proceeds to try and figure out his relationship with Riley while they look for her.
Who does that? I'm sorry but there is just no way this would happen and it bothered me so much that I couldn't get into the rest of the story. Like he actually declares his love for her in the middle of an investigation and that's how he actually says it. 'I declare my love for you!'
It was all too weird and stupid!
And the aftermath of it all? Jesus H!!! Are you telling me that a week after being rescued a women who spent 15 years in captivity is going to be at a dance and will be mentally stable enough to be surrounded by strangers and dance with a man she has just met? Really?
This book just didn't know what it wanted to be. It tried to be everything and ended up being nothing at all. I'm not even sure what the motive of the kidnapper was anymore and I don't care. I needed to DNF this but I like to punish myself apparently! I stayed up until 2am with a bottle of wine in order to finish it. The wine was the only highlight!!
July 20, 2016
Riley Lambert became a profiler with the FBI because she was a witness to her older sister’s abduction 15 years ago when Riley was 10. She’s still working her sister’s cold case alongside her numerous current cases.
Thayne Blackwood is a Deputy Sheriff in the small town of Singing river. He and Riley met a year previously and have since stayed in touch strictly by weekly phone calls.
Thayne’s sister, a doctor, is abducted during a supposed robbery. With time speeding by and the whole town racing against the clock to find her, Thayne turns to the one person he knows will be able to help – Riley.
Forgotten Secrets is all about crime, abduction, suspense, heart-pounding action, as well as a bit of romance. The author also handles a few difficult topics, like Alzheimer’s and a soldiers’ PTSD. The reader looks through a window and sees how Riley’s life has changed drastically after her sister was taken… the guilt she feels … the blame she gets from her parents. Thayne’s family is totally different… lots of love and loyalty and understanding.
There is no slowing down once the first page is read. There is lots of suspense and nail-biting tension.
I look forward to seeing what’s in store next for all the residents of Singing River!
Many thanks to the author / Montlake Romance / NetGalley who provided a digital copy in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.
Thayne Blackwood is a Deputy Sheriff in the small town of Singing river. He and Riley met a year previously and have since stayed in touch strictly by weekly phone calls.
Thayne’s sister, a doctor, is abducted during a supposed robbery. With time speeding by and the whole town racing against the clock to find her, Thayne turns to the one person he knows will be able to help – Riley.
Forgotten Secrets is all about crime, abduction, suspense, heart-pounding action, as well as a bit of romance. The author also handles a few difficult topics, like Alzheimer’s and a soldiers’ PTSD. The reader looks through a window and sees how Riley’s life has changed drastically after her sister was taken… the guilt she feels … the blame she gets from her parents. Thayne’s family is totally different… lots of love and loyalty and understanding.
There is no slowing down once the first page is read. There is lots of suspense and nail-biting tension.
I look forward to seeing what’s in store next for all the residents of Singing River!
Many thanks to the author / Montlake Romance / NetGalley who provided a digital copy in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.
August 3, 2016
Forgotten Secrets is a good story and there were aspects of this story that I really loved, but it also had a few major misses for me as well. There are a few spoiler type discussions in this review although I try to curb them to the "hint" level.
Ms. Perini has done a really good job of developing both a suspense plot and characters in Forgotten Secrets. I really loved the plot of the missing children who FBI agent Riley Lambert has tagged has having similarities to her sister's kidnapping which occurred 15 years ago. This Pied Piper kidnapper is really interesting as well as very disturbing. This aspect of the story was really good and I liked the twists and turns it took.
A year ago Riley had researched a kidnapping in Singing River which she tagged as the first kidnapping that was like her sister's. While there, Thayne was coincidentally home from his normal duties as a SEAL. Riley and Thayne had a one week stand that developed into weekly phone calls. When his sister gets kidnapped he calls on Riley to help them out.
Near and dear to the author's heart is the subject of Alzheimer's and she does a very good job of presenting this illness and incorporating it into her plot. The only witness to the kidnapping of Thayne's sister is his grandmother. And is grandmother has Alzheimer's and the memory is there but she can't reach it even when she's in the present.
Trying to investigate the kidnapping with very few clues was really good. The community and it's residents felt real and solid. The writing is very good as well.
But there is an however…there were a lot of subplots that distracted from the main thread of the book. I think the story would have been tighter if some of them had been eliminated.
Some of the misses for me:
There were a lot of coincidences. Thayne has temporarily taken leave (he's a SEAL) to support his dad the sheriff who is out ill. At this same time, Riley is put on leave by her boss because she's wound a little too tight and puts too much pressure on herself to find her sister. At the same time, Thayne's sister is kidnapped. Which coincidently happens to tie back to Riley's sister's kidnapping. (I really didn't think Thayne needed to be a SEAL it just added some more drama to a story that didn't need it and piled on the coincidences.)
The other issue I had was with Riley herself. She's more than wound a little too tight. She lives and breathes her sister's kidnapping and has for 15 years. Saying she's obsessed is an understatement. It impacts every function of her life to the point where you don't empathize, you think she needs professional help. She has what I refer to has "hair shirt" guilt. And this is major hair shirt because the guilt has been piled on by her parents as well as by herself. Don't get me started on these parents. She's basically a non-entity except as the person who supposed to be looking for her sister. There were numerous times in the book where I thought what she really needed was some serious counseling. The depth of her issues wouldn't be resolved by an "I love you." which greatly impacted the romantic element for me. I did like how the author wove the past story of Riley and her sister Madison through the current day story.
In addition to the grandmother with Alzheimer's and Riley with her overblown guilt, we have Kade. Kade is a veteran with PTSD. Kade has extreme PTSD - I'm talking off the deep end, unhinged and with flashbacks that have no grip on reality. And he's a major player in discovering clues and adding drama. There were just too many characters with too much back story and drama and this started pulling the story down for me. Did I mention that Thayne's sister had some major personal drama with a neighboring rancher who has some personal issues that coincidently tie back to the kidnapper? It got to be too much.
And the icing is that I just couldn't buy into ending, but I can't say more than that because it would give too much away.
This was a good story and good plot, but it just wasn't tight enough to make it to a 4 or 5 star read. But you see 4 stars? I wavered around the 3 stars, but I give it 3.5 stars and yeah, I rounded up.
Ms. Perini has done a really good job of developing both a suspense plot and characters in Forgotten Secrets. I really loved the plot of the missing children who FBI agent Riley Lambert has tagged has having similarities to her sister's kidnapping which occurred 15 years ago. This Pied Piper kidnapper is really interesting as well as very disturbing. This aspect of the story was really good and I liked the twists and turns it took.
A year ago Riley had researched a kidnapping in Singing River which she tagged as the first kidnapping that was like her sister's. While there, Thayne was coincidentally home from his normal duties as a SEAL. Riley and Thayne had a one week stand that developed into weekly phone calls. When his sister gets kidnapped he calls on Riley to help them out.
Near and dear to the author's heart is the subject of Alzheimer's and she does a very good job of presenting this illness and incorporating it into her plot. The only witness to the kidnapping of Thayne's sister is his grandmother. And is grandmother has Alzheimer's and the memory is there but she can't reach it even when she's in the present.
Trying to investigate the kidnapping with very few clues was really good. The community and it's residents felt real and solid. The writing is very good as well.
But there is an however…there were a lot of subplots that distracted from the main thread of the book. I think the story would have been tighter if some of them had been eliminated.
Some of the misses for me:
There were a lot of coincidences. Thayne has temporarily taken leave (he's a SEAL) to support his dad the sheriff who is out ill. At this same time, Riley is put on leave by her boss because she's wound a little too tight and puts too much pressure on herself to find her sister. At the same time, Thayne's sister is kidnapped. Which coincidently happens to tie back to Riley's sister's kidnapping. (I really didn't think Thayne needed to be a SEAL it just added some more drama to a story that didn't need it and piled on the coincidences.)
The other issue I had was with Riley herself. She's more than wound a little too tight. She lives and breathes her sister's kidnapping and has for 15 years. Saying she's obsessed is an understatement. It impacts every function of her life to the point where you don't empathize, you think she needs professional help. She has what I refer to has "hair shirt" guilt. And this is major hair shirt because the guilt has been piled on by her parents as well as by herself. Don't get me started on these parents. She's basically a non-entity except as the person who supposed to be looking for her sister. There were numerous times in the book where I thought what she really needed was some serious counseling. The depth of her issues wouldn't be resolved by an "I love you." which greatly impacted the romantic element for me. I did like how the author wove the past story of Riley and her sister Madison through the current day story.
In addition to the grandmother with Alzheimer's and Riley with her overblown guilt, we have Kade. Kade is a veteran with PTSD. Kade has extreme PTSD - I'm talking off the deep end, unhinged and with flashbacks that have no grip on reality. And he's a major player in discovering clues and adding drama. There were just too many characters with too much back story and drama and this started pulling the story down for me. Did I mention that Thayne's sister had some major personal drama with a neighboring rancher who has some personal issues that coincidently tie back to the kidnapper? It got to be too much.
And the icing is that I just couldn't buy into ending, but I can't say more than that because it would give too much away.
This was a good story and good plot, but it just wasn't tight enough to make it to a 4 or 5 star read. But you see 4 stars? I wavered around the 3 stars, but I give it 3.5 stars and yeah, I rounded up.
May 29, 2019
I will start by saying this was an enjoyable read. It should be the first in a serie and I will probably read book two as soon as it's out.
Now, why four stars? Because for the first 20% I was wondering if it should be a DNF. I really hate to give up on a book! And I don't know why I couldn't relate to the story because reading again the first chapters after I finished the book..they aren't bad!
Anyway.. after the story start to pick up and made a little more sense as a whole picture it was a good mystery/thriller/procedural... and... romance! This was my biggest complaint. The romance part didn't convince me, I could't relate to the dynamics and it was cheesy and distracting. I don't always avoid romance, but it should have more dept to make sense.
It was the mystery tread that took me to the end without losing interest, and there is the ending, predictable but in a good way (I wouldn't want it to end in any other way) and with a small cliffhanger for a sub plot I hope would be explained in book two. I really hate cliffhangers but this was more than accetable.. just keep hight my interest for book two!
Now, why four stars? Because for the first 20% I was wondering if it should be a DNF. I really hate to give up on a book! And I don't know why I couldn't relate to the story because reading again the first chapters after I finished the book..they aren't bad!
Anyway.. after the story start to pick up and made a little more sense as a whole picture it was a good mystery/thriller/procedural... and... romance! This was my biggest complaint. The romance part didn't convince me, I could't relate to the dynamics and it was cheesy and distracting. I don't always avoid romance, but it should have more dept to make sense.
It was the mystery tread that took me to the end without losing interest, and there is the ending, predictable but in a good way (I wouldn't want it to end in any other way) and with a small cliffhanger for a sub plot I hope would be explained in book two. I really hate cliffhangers but this was more than accetable.. just keep hight my interest for book two!
July 17, 2016
FBI profiler, Riley Lambert, as a young girl watched her sister’s abduction and vowed that she would bring her back. While working her FBI cases she has continued to investigate her sister’s case. She has been developing a relationship with Thayne Blackwood and when Thayne's sister is abducted he turns to Riley for help. As they discover more details of this crime it just uncovers more questions and will they be able to find Thayne’s sister. This is a page turner. I would like to thank the Publisher and Net Galley for the chance to read this ARC.
November 10, 2016
You can find this review in English below.
Palabra clave: COINCIDENCIAS.
Ha habido dos cosas que no me han gustado de esta historia: el principio del romance y las coincidencias del suspense.
Riley ha estado buscando a su hermana desde hace 15 años. Desde el mismo día que fue secuestrada en su habitación. Es por ello que trabaja en el FBI en una unidad especial dedicada a resolver secuestros.
Thayne es un navy SEAL que está tomándose un descanso y echándole una mano a su padre, el Sheriff de Singing River.
Ambos se conocieron hace un año cuando Riley apareció en el pueblo para recabar información sobre una niña secuestrada hacía 15 (¡!) años. Tuvieron un lío y a partir de ahí llamadas semanales. Cada viernes sin falta una llamada telefónica. Y aquí empieza el romance. No primer beso (eso ya pasó) no primera vez que hacen el amor (eso ya también pasó), en fin, que el romance es más del tipo Ey, eres mi media naranja pero mientras mi hermana esté secuestrada no debemos hacer nada, o sí? No mi tipo preferido.
Y después está el suspense. Hay un millón de coincidencias…coincidencias que son totalmente inverosímiles y lo peor de todo es que, la única coincidencia que era real y que sería lo primero que un investigador estudiaría, todo el mundo la pasó por alto. Ni idea de porqué… bueno sí, si alguien hubiese hecho bien su trabajo, incluida la protagonista, el suspense se hubiese resuelto 15 años atrás… Poco realista y poco serio. Me ha dejado con una retahíla de porqués sin contestar que ningún suspense medianamente decente puede permitirse.
Si existe la más mínima posibilidad de que vayas a leer la historia NO leas los spoilers.
¿Porqué
¿Porqué
¿Porqué
¿Porqué
Esa escena en la que
Y bueno, ya la historia del Cadillac y que tarden 15 años en comentarlo no tiene desperdicio. Y alguna otra más que se me queda en el tintero.
En fin, han sido demasiadas coincidencias, demasiados puntos de vista y un romance que ha sido flojo, muy flojo. Buenos muy buenos y malos muy malos pero sin motivo aparente. Muy poco creíble y flojo.
***
Keyword: COINCIDENCES.
There have been two things I did not like about this story: the romance´s beginning and the coincidences in the suspense.
Riley has been looking for her sister for 15 years. From the same day she was kidnapped from her bedroom. That is why she works at the FBI in a special unit dedicated to resolve kidnappings.
Thayne is a navy SEAL who is taking a break and lending a hand to his father, the Sheriff of Singing River.
The two of them met a year ago when Riley went to the town to gather information on a girl who was kidnapped 15 years ago (!!!). They had a fling and from there weekly calls. Every Friday night a phone call. And here begins the romance. No first kiss (that already happened) not first time they make love (that had already happened too), anyway, that romance is more or less Hey, you're the love of my life but while my sister is kidnapped we should not do anything, or should we?? Not my favorite sort.
And then there's the suspense. There are a million coincidences ... coincidences that are totally unlikely and worst of all is that the only coincidence that felt real and which would be the first thing a researcher would look for, is overlooked by everyone. No idea why ... well yes, if someone had done their job well, including the heroine, the suspense would had been solved 15 years ago ... Neither realistic nor serious. It has left me with a string of why´s without answer that no decent suspense should afford.
If there is the slightest possibility that you are going to read the story, do NOT read the spoilers.
Why
Why
Why
Why
The scene where
And last, we have the story of the Cadillac and how it takes 15 years for someone to talk about it. And some other complain that I don´t remember right now.
In short, there have been too many coincidences, too many points of view and a romance that has been loose, very loose. Good guys are very good and bad guys are really very bad but for no apparent reason. So unrealistic.
Palabra clave: COINCIDENCIAS.
Ha habido dos cosas que no me han gustado de esta historia: el principio del romance y las coincidencias del suspense.
Riley ha estado buscando a su hermana desde hace 15 años. Desde el mismo día que fue secuestrada en su habitación. Es por ello que trabaja en el FBI en una unidad especial dedicada a resolver secuestros.
Thayne es un navy SEAL que está tomándose un descanso y echándole una mano a su padre, el Sheriff de Singing River.
Ambos se conocieron hace un año cuando Riley apareció en el pueblo para recabar información sobre una niña secuestrada hacía 15 (¡!) años. Tuvieron un lío y a partir de ahí llamadas semanales. Cada viernes sin falta una llamada telefónica. Y aquí empieza el romance. No primer beso (eso ya pasó) no primera vez que hacen el amor (eso ya también pasó), en fin, que el romance es más del tipo Ey, eres mi media naranja pero mientras mi hermana esté secuestrada no debemos hacer nada, o sí? No mi tipo preferido.
Y después está el suspense. Hay un millón de coincidencias…coincidencias que son totalmente inverosímiles y lo peor de todo es que, la única coincidencia que era real y que sería lo primero que un investigador estudiaría, todo el mundo la pasó por alto. Ni idea de porqué… bueno sí, si alguien hubiese hecho bien su trabajo, incluida la protagonista, el suspense se hubiese resuelto 15 años atrás… Poco realista y poco serio. Me ha dejado con una retahíla de porqués sin contestar que ningún suspense medianamente decente puede permitirse.
Si existe la más mínima posibilidad de que vayas a leer la historia NO leas los spoilers.
¿Porqué
¿Porqué
¿Porqué
¿Porqué
Esa escena en la que
Y bueno, ya la historia del Cadillac y que tarden 15 años en comentarlo no tiene desperdicio. Y alguna otra más que se me queda en el tintero.
En fin, han sido demasiadas coincidencias, demasiados puntos de vista y un romance que ha sido flojo, muy flojo. Buenos muy buenos y malos muy malos pero sin motivo aparente. Muy poco creíble y flojo.
***
Keyword: COINCIDENCES.
There have been two things I did not like about this story: the romance´s beginning and the coincidences in the suspense.
Riley has been looking for her sister for 15 years. From the same day she was kidnapped from her bedroom. That is why she works at the FBI in a special unit dedicated to resolve kidnappings.
Thayne is a navy SEAL who is taking a break and lending a hand to his father, the Sheriff of Singing River.
The two of them met a year ago when Riley went to the town to gather information on a girl who was kidnapped 15 years ago (!!!). They had a fling and from there weekly calls. Every Friday night a phone call. And here begins the romance. No first kiss (that already happened) not first time they make love (that had already happened too), anyway, that romance is more or less Hey, you're the love of my life but while my sister is kidnapped we should not do anything, or should we?? Not my favorite sort.
And then there's the suspense. There are a million coincidences ... coincidences that are totally unlikely and worst of all is that the only coincidence that felt real and which would be the first thing a researcher would look for, is overlooked by everyone. No idea why ... well yes, if someone had done their job well, including the heroine, the suspense would had been solved 15 years ago ... Neither realistic nor serious. It has left me with a string of why´s without answer that no decent suspense should afford.
If there is the slightest possibility that you are going to read the story, do NOT read the spoilers.
Why
Why
Why
Why
The scene where
And last, we have the story of the Cadillac and how it takes 15 years for someone to talk about it. And some other complain that I don´t remember right now.
In short, there have been too many coincidences, too many points of view and a romance that has been loose, very loose. Good guys are very good and bad guys are really very bad but for no apparent reason. So unrealistic.
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February 26, 2021
Forgotten Secrets was not for me. I didn't connect much with the writing style, the characters, and the mystery plot. Some bits of the investigation process weren't very well developed and Riley made very broad statements about certain things being a Fact when there were only her impressions to back it up. I also didn't like the romance all that much.
July 21, 2016
Forgotten Secrets was an entertaining beach read, but the extreme number of coincidences strained credulity. FBI agent Riley's sister, Madison, was kidnapped 15 years previously so she becomes a profiler intent on finding out what happened to Madison. She is so good at profiling that, at 26, Riley is well-known in her field.
Meanwhile the man she loves, former SEAL Thayne, is temporarily serving as sheriff in his home town. Thayne's sister is kidnapped so he calls on Riley for help.
Guess what? The cases are connected. And the connections keep on coming. Not much is required of the reader here.
Meanwhile the man she loves, former SEAL Thayne, is temporarily serving as sheriff in his home town. Thayne's sister is kidnapped so he calls on Riley for help.
Guess what? The cases are connected. And the connections keep on coming. Not much is required of the reader here.
June 4, 2017
Excellent! A real page-turner.
May 24, 2016
Riley Lambert is a profiler with the FBI. As a young girl, Riley witnessed her sister's abduction and vowed that she would bring her back. For 15 years Riley has worked on her sister's case while working her own FBI caseload. During one of her cases she met Thayne Blackwood and had a brief but passionate week with him. Ever since that encounter, they've phoned each other weekly. They understand each other and have grown to rely on those weekly calls. Then Thayne's sister is abducted and Thayne turns to Riley for help. What follows is a puzzle of epic proportions with the whole town racing against the clock to solve the mystery.
What an awesome thriller! This book has all the necessary elements-
* it's a great story
* it's action packed
* the protagonist (Riley, and Thayne to some degree) is one who has the most to lose. You see these characters fears, hopes, and heartaches. You also see an emotional change in them fighting to accept the likely outcome and realizing what they want in their own lives.
* The author does an amazing job of letting the reader inside the heads of many characters building up the dramatic tension.
* there's no useless info. Each scene reveals something new. No time is wasted.
* it deals with relevant issues- alzheimers, PTSD, the trauma of families following an abduction.
There are no dull moments in this story. It's fast paced with lots of action and mystery. I am hoping there will be other books to follow this one as I would really like to know what's in store for many of the other characters. If you want a book that keeps you up all night, biting your nails, this is the book for you! A Book Obsessed Chicks Review Team Selection
What an awesome thriller! This book has all the necessary elements-
* it's a great story
* it's action packed
* the protagonist (Riley, and Thayne to some degree) is one who has the most to lose. You see these characters fears, hopes, and heartaches. You also see an emotional change in them fighting to accept the likely outcome and realizing what they want in their own lives.
* The author does an amazing job of letting the reader inside the heads of many characters building up the dramatic tension.
* there's no useless info. Each scene reveals something new. No time is wasted.
* it deals with relevant issues- alzheimers, PTSD, the trauma of families following an abduction.
There are no dull moments in this story. It's fast paced with lots of action and mystery. I am hoping there will be other books to follow this one as I would really like to know what's in store for many of the other characters. If you want a book that keeps you up all night, biting your nails, this is the book for you! A Book Obsessed Chicks Review Team Selection
October 29, 2018
FORGOTTEN SECRETS
(Singing River Legacy: #1)
Written by Robin Perini
2016; Montlake Romance (370 Pages)
Genre: series, fiction, mystery, suspense, romantic suspense, FBI
RATING: ★★★
When F.B.I. Profiler, Riley Lambert was ten years old her sister was abducted from their bedroom and still has not been found. Riley's mission in life is find her sister at any cost. The cost seems to be her own well-being so she is put on forced vacation for a week.
While Riley contemplates her next step, she receives a phone call from Thayne Blackwood, a man she is attracted to but afraid to get any closer. Thayne's sister has vanished after a break-in to her medical office. Riley finds herself getting closer to the case which is what her boss has warned her against and she could lose her career...and her resources to finding her own sister.
Reading the synopsis of this novel I was SO excited to read this book. I have not read anything by Robin Pernini so I had no expectations of the writing. I liked this novel...as a romance with a bit of suspense thrown in. As a romantic suspense book, I was a little disappointed. I found that the back story, the romance and the grandmother's illness slowed down the pace of the suspense. I still liked that book so I will try another book, but read it as contemporary romance with suspense.
***I received an eARC from NETGALLEY***
My Novelesque Blog
(Singing River Legacy: #1)
Written by Robin Perini
2016; Montlake Romance (370 Pages)
Genre: series, fiction, mystery, suspense, romantic suspense, FBI
RATING: ★★★
When F.B.I. Profiler, Riley Lambert was ten years old her sister was abducted from their bedroom and still has not been found. Riley's mission in life is find her sister at any cost. The cost seems to be her own well-being so she is put on forced vacation for a week.
While Riley contemplates her next step, she receives a phone call from Thayne Blackwood, a man she is attracted to but afraid to get any closer. Thayne's sister has vanished after a break-in to her medical office. Riley finds herself getting closer to the case which is what her boss has warned her against and she could lose her career...and her resources to finding her own sister.
Reading the synopsis of this novel I was SO excited to read this book. I have not read anything by Robin Pernini so I had no expectations of the writing. I liked this novel...as a romance with a bit of suspense thrown in. As a romantic suspense book, I was a little disappointed. I found that the back story, the romance and the grandmother's illness slowed down the pace of the suspense. I still liked that book so I will try another book, but read it as contemporary romance with suspense.
***I received an eARC from NETGALLEY***
My Novelesque Blog
September 8, 2016
To sum my thoughts on this book in a single phrase: "What a pity".
1) Nothing really happened: For the most part of the book, nothing really happens except characters wandering around or engaging in conversation that didn't really contribute to the plot. Nothing really exciting happened in the story, no climax, no big surprise or twist, technically NOTHING.
2) Role of character unclear: Riley is the FBI expert who is brought in to help solve the case, yet, for the most part, she hasn't really contributed much to help solving the case. To be honest, I have a feeling the case sort of solved itself and Riley and Thayne are really just tossed into a swirl and swept by the flow. It's a pity because Riley is a strong female lead and Thayne an awesome guy. It would be so interesting to see them working as a team and solving the case but that didn't really happen.
3) The ending: In a way, I like the ending but I feel it's a bit far-fetched and anticlimax.
To conclude, I think this belongs to the category of books where the author just throws the conclusion at the readers instead of leaving trails and clues behind for the readers to follow. I think this trend is not healthy for the mystery genre and I miss the golden era of crime novels where there's proper mystery - with clues for detection.
1) Nothing really happened: For the most part of the book, nothing really happens except characters wandering around or engaging in conversation that didn't really contribute to the plot. Nothing really exciting happened in the story, no climax, no big surprise or twist, technically NOTHING.
2) Role of character unclear: Riley is the FBI expert who is brought in to help solve the case, yet, for the most part, she hasn't really contributed much to help solving the case. To be honest, I have a feeling the case sort of solved itself and Riley and Thayne are really just tossed into a swirl and swept by the flow. It's a pity because Riley is a strong female lead and Thayne an awesome guy. It would be so interesting to see them working as a team and solving the case but that didn't really happen.
3) The ending: In a way, I like the ending but I feel it's a bit far-fetched and anticlimax.
To conclude, I think this belongs to the category of books where the author just throws the conclusion at the readers instead of leaving trails and clues behind for the readers to follow. I think this trend is not healthy for the mystery genre and I miss the golden era of crime novels where there's proper mystery - with clues for detection.
May 20, 2016
An enthralling tale or kidnapping, murder, romance, and familial love.
When the deputies sister is kidnapped from her clinic nobody thought that her case had much merrit. At least not enough to warrant the FBI coming on the scene. But luck is on Thayne's side because he has had a year long "romance" with one of the bureaus best profilers. So when he calls Riley to come and help they go on a hunt for information that may lead to finding his beloved sister.
Riley is in probation from the bureau and is told that if she works on any cases she will be fired. But she decides to put it all on the line in order to help the only man who has made her feel anything since her sister Maddy disappeared 15 years ago.
Riley is an amazing women who has given up her hopes and dreams in order to find her sister. And Thayne is a seal who put his life on hold in order to help his family when they needed him. But now that they have a reason to team back up they hope that their combined skills will be enough to find Thayne's beloved sister.
This is one story that you will not want to miss out on. Especially since 10% of the royalties received from this book will be donated to the Alzheimer's Association in honor of Ms. Perini's mother.
~A book obsessed chicks review team selection~
When the deputies sister is kidnapped from her clinic nobody thought that her case had much merrit. At least not enough to warrant the FBI coming on the scene. But luck is on Thayne's side because he has had a year long "romance" with one of the bureaus best profilers. So when he calls Riley to come and help they go on a hunt for information that may lead to finding his beloved sister.
Riley is in probation from the bureau and is told that if she works on any cases she will be fired. But she decides to put it all on the line in order to help the only man who has made her feel anything since her sister Maddy disappeared 15 years ago.
Riley is an amazing women who has given up her hopes and dreams in order to find her sister. And Thayne is a seal who put his life on hold in order to help his family when they needed him. But now that they have a reason to team back up they hope that their combined skills will be enough to find Thayne's beloved sister.
This is one story that you will not want to miss out on. Especially since 10% of the royalties received from this book will be donated to the Alzheimer's Association in honor of Ms. Perini's mother.
~A book obsessed chicks review team selection~
July 13, 2016
Robin Perini masterfully creates an adventure full of action and surprises from the first page to the very last page. In FORGOTTEN SECRETS, she places readers on the shoulders of her two protagonists Riley Lambert an FBI profiler and Thayne Blackwood, an ex-navy Seal. The author gives her readers Riley’s history and shares her secrets with readers that influence her work as a profiler. Readers learn details of Thayne Blackwood's past including what has brought Thayne home to become an acting Sheriff's Deputy. The author keeps building her storyline’s suspense at the turn of every page. Perini continues to enhance Riley and Thayne’s lives giving insight to what they are thinking and experiences. She helps readers understand what make Riley and Thayne tick.
The storyline's pace never slows down as Perini adds twists and turns with the introduction of support characters and subplots. Perini skillful creates thrilling mystery helping readers understand events going back 15 years affecting current unfolding events. Riley and Thayne explore all of the secrets of Singing River, Wyoming to find who has kidnapped Thayne’s sister Cheyenne. The author creates a fast moving storyline adding unexpected surprises as Riley and Thayne’s investigation uncover clues that create more questions than answers. Perini’s readers are caught off guard as the author unveils a shocking discovery affecting her unpredictable ending FORGOTTEN SECRETS. Readers won’t be disappointed with Perini’s must read mystery thriller
The storyline's pace never slows down as Perini adds twists and turns with the introduction of support characters and subplots. Perini skillful creates thrilling mystery helping readers understand events going back 15 years affecting current unfolding events. Riley and Thayne explore all of the secrets of Singing River, Wyoming to find who has kidnapped Thayne’s sister Cheyenne. The author creates a fast moving storyline adding unexpected surprises as Riley and Thayne’s investigation uncover clues that create more questions than answers. Perini’s readers are caught off guard as the author unveils a shocking discovery affecting her unpredictable ending FORGOTTEN SECRETS. Readers won’t be disappointed with Perini’s must read mystery thriller
April 30, 2019
Forgotten Secrets ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Written by Robin Perini
Riley Lambert, an FBI profiler, has been called by her friend Thayne Blackwood to come to his hometown Singing River in Wyoming. Riley as a ten year old witnessed the kidnapping of her sister Madison. Riley has devoted her life to finding her sister Maddy dead or alive.
When Thayne requests her help to locate his missing sister Cheyenne, she comes to him. Thayne has been appointed temporary sheriff in Singing River while his father, the sheriff, recovers from heart problems.
The only witness to see Cheyenne apprehended was Thayne's grandmother Helen and she is suffering from the onset of Alzheimer's. His grandmother's memories fade in and out, past and present.
Riley has dedicated her career to locating missing children. Her accumulated knowledge and previous cases let her see the parallel with them and Cheyenne Blackwood's apprehension.
Ms Perini weaves a masterful story with so many twists and turns spanning 15 years with plots and subplots. She is a skilled mystery writer. I have read several best sellers with chilling plots but this book far overshadows them all.
I would recommend this book without reservation.
A Book Obsessed Chicks Review Team Selection
Riley Lambert, an FBI profiler, has been called by her friend Thayne Blackwood to come to his hometown Singing River in Wyoming. Riley as a ten year old witnessed the kidnapping of her sister Madison. Riley has devoted her life to finding her sister Maddy dead or alive.
When Thayne requests her help to locate his missing sister Cheyenne, she comes to him. Thayne has been appointed temporary sheriff in Singing River while his father, the sheriff, recovers from heart problems.
The only witness to see Cheyenne apprehended was Thayne's grandmother Helen and she is suffering from the onset of Alzheimer's. His grandmother's memories fade in and out, past and present.
Riley has dedicated her career to locating missing children. Her accumulated knowledge and previous cases let her see the parallel with them and Cheyenne Blackwood's apprehension.
Ms Perini weaves a masterful story with so many twists and turns spanning 15 years with plots and subplots. She is a skilled mystery writer. I have read several best sellers with chilling plots but this book far overshadows them all.
I would recommend this book without reservation.
A Book Obsessed Chicks Review Team Selection
June 3, 2016
This book is non stop suspense from beginning to end. Your are turning the pages anxiously awaiting to see what is going to happen next.
I think you get the jest of book from the description so I'm going to forgo rehashing that. I will just point out that its rare in my reading these days to not at least come across a few chapters in a book that are slow or the story starts to fall flat but not once did that happen in the reading of this book. Even during the times when the hero's grandmother was on the page who suffers from Alzheimer's you were captivated by how much emotion the author put into her words. You could defiantly tell she has first hand knowledge of someone living with the disease.
Very good suspense that keeps you guessing till the end on what the reason these children have gone missing. The love story was also different because there was no angst between them – well except for the stress of trying to find his missing sister. This is now one my favorite Robin Perini's books.
I think you get the jest of book from the description so I'm going to forgo rehashing that. I will just point out that its rare in my reading these days to not at least come across a few chapters in a book that are slow or the story starts to fall flat but not once did that happen in the reading of this book. Even during the times when the hero's grandmother was on the page who suffers from Alzheimer's you were captivated by how much emotion the author put into her words. You could defiantly tell she has first hand knowledge of someone living with the disease.
Very good suspense that keeps you guessing till the end on what the reason these children have gone missing. The love story was also different because there was no angst between them – well except for the stress of trying to find his missing sister. This is now one my favorite Robin Perini's books.
June 6, 2016
Wow! This book is certainly fast paced, there's really no break in action. I read this one in less than 2 days and was captivated the whole time. The only reason I gave it 4 stars instead of 5 was the whole plot is rather unbelievable and the ending has a few too many rainbows and butterflies. No spoilers though! I got asked to read this book in return for an honest review, thanks Netgalley!
June 20, 2020
The only time it kept my interest was when it focused on Cheyanne and the kidnappers.
Riley and Thayne (so many ridiculous names in this book!) were boring and melodramatic. Too much time spent on their feelings for each other and not on the case.
Riley and Thayne (so many ridiculous names in this book!) were boring and melodramatic. Too much time spent on their feelings for each other and not on the case.
February 23, 2017
Forgotten Secrets is by Robin Perini. It is an exciting thriller involving missing children. It also delves into Alzheimer’s. The author is giving 10 percent of the royalties from Forgotten Secrets to Alzheimer’s Association in honor of her Mother. This makes this book special to me. I really enjoyed reading this book. I got caught up in the search for Cheyenne as well as the romance between Thayne and Riley.
Thayne Blackwood had come home to Singing River, Wyoming and taken the job of Deputy when his father, Sheriff Carson Blackwood, was recovering from myocarditis. It definitely wasn’t Afghanistan; but it was home. His biggest problem tonight was Ed Zalinksy who was holding a knife to the neck of his longtime on-and-off lover, Carol Wallace. Both Ed and Carol were drunk. Carol had thrown Ed out of her house once again. Thayne just had to get the knife from Ed before he killed Carol. Ed was mouthing off and said that Carol had probably killed her own daughter. Gina Wallace had gone missing fifteen years ago. She had vanished without a trace. Thayne finally gets Ed handcuffed and is on his way to the station when he gets a call from his sister, Dr. Cheyenne Blackwood.
Cheyenne had always tried to take care of and heal people and animals. She finally chose to be a doctor and then came back to rural Singing River to practice. Tonight, she had gone to the clinic with her Gram and found someone inside. She called Thayne and then noticed they were still there. The last Thayne hears is Cheyenne screaming, “Please. Don’t hurt her”. Cheyenne is kidnapped and vanishes without a trace.
When they have no trace of Cheyenne, Thayne does what he has to do and calls Riley Lambert, his long-distance friend. Riley was an FBI Special Agent with the new, experimental Behavioral Analysis Unit 16. She used her psychological profiling skills to investigate missing children cases, especially. When Riley was a six-year- old youngster, her older sister Madison, was kidnapped from their home. Riley blamed herself for not calling out immediately; but Madison told her to be quiet so she did. Since then, Riley swore she would find her sister. Where better to search from but from the FBI. Now on a forced two-week leave, Riley was available to fly from DC to help Thayne. However, this was without permission from her boss.
Would they find Cheyenne alive? The only witness to her abduction was Gram who has Alzheimer’s. Can she tell them about the abduction? Who would have kidnapped Cheyenne and why? Where could they have disappeared to? Would Riley get fired for helping Thayne? What about looking for her own sister? Things get really tangled before they are finally straightened out.
Thayne Blackwood had come home to Singing River, Wyoming and taken the job of Deputy when his father, Sheriff Carson Blackwood, was recovering from myocarditis. It definitely wasn’t Afghanistan; but it was home. His biggest problem tonight was Ed Zalinksy who was holding a knife to the neck of his longtime on-and-off lover, Carol Wallace. Both Ed and Carol were drunk. Carol had thrown Ed out of her house once again. Thayne just had to get the knife from Ed before he killed Carol. Ed was mouthing off and said that Carol had probably killed her own daughter. Gina Wallace had gone missing fifteen years ago. She had vanished without a trace. Thayne finally gets Ed handcuffed and is on his way to the station when he gets a call from his sister, Dr. Cheyenne Blackwood.
Cheyenne had always tried to take care of and heal people and animals. She finally chose to be a doctor and then came back to rural Singing River to practice. Tonight, she had gone to the clinic with her Gram and found someone inside. She called Thayne and then noticed they were still there. The last Thayne hears is Cheyenne screaming, “Please. Don’t hurt her”. Cheyenne is kidnapped and vanishes without a trace.
When they have no trace of Cheyenne, Thayne does what he has to do and calls Riley Lambert, his long-distance friend. Riley was an FBI Special Agent with the new, experimental Behavioral Analysis Unit 16. She used her psychological profiling skills to investigate missing children cases, especially. When Riley was a six-year- old youngster, her older sister Madison, was kidnapped from their home. Riley blamed herself for not calling out immediately; but Madison told her to be quiet so she did. Since then, Riley swore she would find her sister. Where better to search from but from the FBI. Now on a forced two-week leave, Riley was available to fly from DC to help Thayne. However, this was without permission from her boss.
Would they find Cheyenne alive? The only witness to her abduction was Gram who has Alzheimer’s. Can she tell them about the abduction? Who would have kidnapped Cheyenne and why? Where could they have disappeared to? Would Riley get fired for helping Thayne? What about looking for her own sister? Things get really tangled before they are finally straightened out.
March 20, 2019
Damn, this book was so good. When I first opened it, I wasn't to sure what the story was about, I didn't really read the blurb. It was a cover buy, and also a genre buy too. I am 100% glad I started listening to this one.
My feelings were so invested with this phenomenal story, I was all over the place. Our Nan, is also suffers from Alzheimer's and to hear about the characters Nan going through the same thing was excruciating hard to hear I wept at parts because the disease is so awful.
Thayne and his family were everything. Thayne is on leave from the SEALS and is acting as a Deputy. I enjoyed Riley she appears to be fearless, strong and she is this amazing FBI profiler who is really good at her job. But underneath her walls she has up, Riley is very lonely vulnerable lady, she has never forgiven herself when her sister was stolen right before her one late night almost 15 years ago.
Thayne, and Riley meet almost a year ago and they have had this long distance relationship. That is how they meet, when she discovered a lead that took her to Singing River. You see she has been doing her best to discover what happened to her sister, and made a promise to herself that she will bring her sister home dead or alive.
Now she is being forced to take a break from her job, and thats when Thayne rings her with news that his own sister has been kidnapped, and asks her for help.
The Small town of Singing River have many secrets, and they are going to be brought to light in this story.
Forgotten Secrets, is a mystery, crime romance with heart pounding action that I am here for. The author handles so many difficult topics professionally and heart warming. This story is packed with a lot of heart and a lot of action.
I look forward to book 2, to see where this new series will take us. I cant wait to return to this town, the characters were all so lovable and there is something about small town suspense novels that I really enjoy.
The Kidnapper in the story was a really interesting and unique spin on things, I was really glad it was not an easy one to figure out, the plot is that over the course of 15 years there are been a plethora of missing children taken from there family's. I loved the twist and turns the author took us on. It was creepy, fast paced.
5 Stars
My feelings were so invested with this phenomenal story, I was all over the place. Our Nan, is also suffers from Alzheimer's and to hear about the characters Nan going through the same thing was excruciating hard to hear I wept at parts because the disease is so awful.
Thayne and his family were everything. Thayne is on leave from the SEALS and is acting as a Deputy. I enjoyed Riley she appears to be fearless, strong and she is this amazing FBI profiler who is really good at her job. But underneath her walls she has up, Riley is very lonely vulnerable lady, she has never forgiven herself when her sister was stolen right before her one late night almost 15 years ago.
Thayne, and Riley meet almost a year ago and they have had this long distance relationship. That is how they meet, when she discovered a lead that took her to Singing River. You see she has been doing her best to discover what happened to her sister, and made a promise to herself that she will bring her sister home dead or alive.
Now she is being forced to take a break from her job, and thats when Thayne rings her with news that his own sister has been kidnapped, and asks her for help.
The Small town of Singing River have many secrets, and they are going to be brought to light in this story.
Forgotten Secrets, is a mystery, crime romance with heart pounding action that I am here for. The author handles so many difficult topics professionally and heart warming. This story is packed with a lot of heart and a lot of action.
I look forward to book 2, to see where this new series will take us. I cant wait to return to this town, the characters were all so lovable and there is something about small town suspense novels that I really enjoy.
The Kidnapper in the story was a really interesting and unique spin on things, I was really glad it was not an easy one to figure out, the plot is that over the course of 15 years there are been a plethora of missing children taken from there family's. I loved the twist and turns the author took us on. It was creepy, fast paced.
5 Stars
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 14, 2023
Confesso che ho comprato questo libro solo perché mi permetteva di adempiere a una task particolarmente complicata di una delle tante challenges che sto facendo... La trama sembrava, comunque, interessante: infatti, mi sono proprio goduta questa lettura! Sebbene a un certo punto avessi capito tutto del mistero e nonostante questo si basasse sul rapimento di bambini (un argomento un po' dura da digerire), devo dire che il libro mi è proprio piaciuto. Ho già messo il volume successivo nella mia TBR list: peccato che non ci siano un terzo e altri libri dopo...
November 17, 2020
Now this is the type of romantic suspense I have been looking for! The mystery is intriguing, the characters are engaging, and the romance is beautiful. Best part of it all, there is a sequel! (Though this book could have stand on its own, I'm definitely enjoying the fact that we'll get to see more of Riley and Thayne.)
Speaking of Thayne, I must say that I really enjoyed reading about his family. They are just such a heart-warming family. All of them doing their best to adjust for their grandmother/mother/wife who has Alzheimer. Definitely a major plus to the story.
Looking forward to reading the sequel!
Speaking of Thayne, I must say that I really enjoyed reading about his family. They are just such a heart-warming family. All of them doing their best to adjust for their grandmother/mother/wife who has Alzheimer. Definitely a major plus to the story.
Looking forward to reading the sequel!
January 29, 2020
Great, couldn't put it down, rented it and put off reading it bc i JUST read more or less the same book (sister goes missing, sister becomes cop to find sister, book starts, oh and there's stupid random love interest too) BUT this was actually really good! I was worried i would get the two confused and still might on some thing bc they are pretty similar but i certainly liked this one more, tho the other book was good.
September 2, 2019
Gladly forgotten.
First and most definitely the last I'll read by this author and not because it's the usual damaged female FBI agent. Unfortunately, I couldn't wait for it to end. Everything felt so drawn out, right from the outset. A hundred pages could be stripped out of this book and it wouldn't affect the story. At 95% the story was concluded and the book could have ended but you still have to endure more..well, filler. Some might love it as it's romance. I got fed up hearing how special the main protagonists' feelings were for each other, all the while they demonstrated their lack of investigative skills with at least one major oversight. A needless amount of boring characters and cheap red herrings brought zero to the plot. It's basically a staggeringly poor abduction investigation set in a romance.
First and most definitely the last I'll read by this author and not because it's the usual damaged female FBI agent. Unfortunately, I couldn't wait for it to end. Everything felt so drawn out, right from the outset. A hundred pages could be stripped out of this book and it wouldn't affect the story. At 95% the story was concluded and the book could have ended but you still have to endure more..well, filler. Some might love it as it's romance. I got fed up hearing how special the main protagonists' feelings were for each other, all the while they demonstrated their lack of investigative skills with at least one major oversight. A needless amount of boring characters and cheap red herrings brought zero to the plot. It's basically a staggeringly poor abduction investigation set in a romance.
August 13, 2016
A growing number of missing women - disparate, done years apart and seemingly unconnected - is the only certainty that ties a very complicated mystery together. Caught up in it all is the very unusual pairing of a SEAL on leave and an FBI Agent whose brief affair a year ago had turned into something deeper after an accidental string of phone calls that have solidified a relationship of close friendship apart from physical intimacy.
Riley Lambert’s drug of choice is throwing herself wholeheartedly into her work, driven only by a 15-year long search for her missing sister and the belief that no one can truly understand that obsession. Not even Thayne Blackwood, the hookup who has become so much more. But the game changes when Thayne calls her about his sister’s sudden disappearance and together, they unravel a town’s menacing secrets just as the unfolding events force them both to evaluate their preconceived ideas of family, love and commitment.
The story is far heavier going than I expected, the plot twisty and windy enough to lead you into shadowy woods, the darkened corners of an isolated town and places so off the grid that bodies - decomposed or freshly dumped - merely give incomplete clues to solving it all. As enthralled as I was, I needed constant breaks to review the information in my own head before going on. Yet taking up where I left off again was no hardship when the characters were engaging and multidimensional to the extent where I found myself hoping for their stories to be told - apart from Riley’s and Thayne’s. Even at the halfway mark, every additional scene served to complicate rather than clarify, each revelation as mind-boggling as the next, which, I have to admit, started to frustrate me sooner rather than later.
There’s nonetheless plenty of intelligence and style in the plot, quite a bit of which is carried by Robin Perini’s sharp writing. But for all the dropping bodies, the pessimist in me was surprised - and perhaps even disappointed - to see the core group of characters coming out of the ordeal relatively unscathed, even when the jigsaw finally assembled itself by the end, dangling subplots, hooks and all.
*ARC by netgalley
(grateful, as always)
Riley Lambert’s drug of choice is throwing herself wholeheartedly into her work, driven only by a 15-year long search for her missing sister and the belief that no one can truly understand that obsession. Not even Thayne Blackwood, the hookup who has become so much more. But the game changes when Thayne calls her about his sister’s sudden disappearance and together, they unravel a town’s menacing secrets just as the unfolding events force them both to evaluate their preconceived ideas of family, love and commitment.
The story is far heavier going than I expected, the plot twisty and windy enough to lead you into shadowy woods, the darkened corners of an isolated town and places so off the grid that bodies - decomposed or freshly dumped - merely give incomplete clues to solving it all. As enthralled as I was, I needed constant breaks to review the information in my own head before going on. Yet taking up where I left off again was no hardship when the characters were engaging and multidimensional to the extent where I found myself hoping for their stories to be told - apart from Riley’s and Thayne’s. Even at the halfway mark, every additional scene served to complicate rather than clarify, each revelation as mind-boggling as the next, which, I have to admit, started to frustrate me sooner rather than later.
There’s nonetheless plenty of intelligence and style in the plot, quite a bit of which is carried by Robin Perini’s sharp writing. But for all the dropping bodies, the pessimist in me was surprised - and perhaps even disappointed - to see the core group of characters coming out of the ordeal relatively unscathed, even when the jigsaw finally assembled itself by the end, dangling subplots, hooks and all.
*ARC by netgalley
(grateful, as always)
March 31, 2019
Deputy Sheriff Thayne Blackwood gets a distress call from his sister Cheyenne, saying someone was inside the clinic, then the line cuts off; their grandmother Helen is a patient at the clinic. Thayne hurries in his police car but Cheyenne has vanished. Meanwhile, Riley Lambert at the National Center for Analysis of Violent Crime is given a leave of absence for not following the rules, when she learns of that there had been a kidnapping in the small town where she had been investigating only a year before about her own kidnapped sister. Riley has been obsessing for year about her sister’s disappearance, and when arriving in the small Wyoming town, she finds that the man with whom she had spent a blissful week is the victim’s brother. Riley decides to kill two birds in one stone, and stay for the duration of her suspension and help Thayne with her exceptional skills, while still looking for clues as to the fate of her own sister, even though after fifteen years, it’s a very cold case indeed. There is one huge problem: the only witness to the kidnapping is Thayne’s grandmother who suffers from Alzheimer.
With FORGOTTEN SECRETS, Robin Perini demonstrates once again why she is one of the masters of suspense! Ms. Perini has woven a spine-tingling, enthralling story, with exciting and shocking plot twists. The presence of Helen provides moments of breathtaking suspense, and heartbreaking ones as well. Alzheimer’s disease is a subject that is close to the author’s heart, and FORGOTTEN SECRETS would be worth reading if only for the insight and the understanding provided regarding this frightening condition. And Helen is a wonderful character as well, as are Riley and Thayne; very well fleshed out, and with fascinating backstories. Ms. Perini’s writing is crisp and flowing, and the story unfolds at breakneck speed, even with all its plot twists and shocking revelations, and the romance is entirely convincing and happens organically. FORGOTTEN SECRETS is another thrilling, impeccable, nailbiter of a read!
A Book Obsessed Chicks Review Team Selection
With FORGOTTEN SECRETS, Robin Perini demonstrates once again why she is one of the masters of suspense! Ms. Perini has woven a spine-tingling, enthralling story, with exciting and shocking plot twists. The presence of Helen provides moments of breathtaking suspense, and heartbreaking ones as well. Alzheimer’s disease is a subject that is close to the author’s heart, and FORGOTTEN SECRETS would be worth reading if only for the insight and the understanding provided regarding this frightening condition. And Helen is a wonderful character as well, as are Riley and Thayne; very well fleshed out, and with fascinating backstories. Ms. Perini’s writing is crisp and flowing, and the story unfolds at breakneck speed, even with all its plot twists and shocking revelations, and the romance is entirely convincing and happens organically. FORGOTTEN SECRETS is another thrilling, impeccable, nailbiter of a read!
A Book Obsessed Chicks Review Team Selection
February 26, 2018
An FBI profiler sent on a off duty week of time off or fired, a US seal, and a small town with a missing Dr of the local sheriff. There is emotional pain that has been carried for 15 years by some and new by others which has caused built up walls. Serial killers, a kidnapper and how it comes together is very interesting so my nose was in this book until the end. Fast paced and they couldn't solve it fast enough for which made it intriguing to a point. I did have a good idea who the kidnapper was 3/4 way through but most people wouldn't catch it, I don't think. The romance was just the right touch and not focused on to an extreme, I hate when it's mushy...lol.
August 8, 2016
From the moment I read the first few pages I didn't want to put it down. Riley Lambert promised her parents she would find her sister, after she was abducted fifteen years ago from her bedroom. Her mother is quick to remind Riley that she hasn't fulfilled her promise and blames her for Madison's abduction. Riley is now an FBI profiler and uses all her extra time to look for her sister. When Riley gets a call from Thayne Blackwood that his sister is missing, she immediately goes to Wyoming to help him. The only problem is, their witness is Thayne's grandmother who is suffering from Alzheimer's.
The book moved at a fast pace. I didn't want to put it down because I wanted to know who kidnapped Thayne's sister and what happened to Riley's sister. Throughout the book there would be flashbacks of Riley and her sister, Madison. I never expected the ending. It was the first book by Robin Perini that I read and I can't wait to read more. I thought the book was more suspense than romance.
The book moved at a fast pace. I didn't want to put it down because I wanted to know who kidnapped Thayne's sister and what happened to Riley's sister. Throughout the book there would be flashbacks of Riley and her sister, Madison. I never expected the ending. It was the first book by Robin Perini that I read and I can't wait to read more. I thought the book was more suspense than romance.
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