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72 Hours
A red-hot, pulse-pounding thrill ride by USA Today bestselling author Bella Jewel!
It’s all part of his sick game. A game he’s been planning for an entire decade. Now everything is perfect: One woman and one man have been selected. They used to be a couple—and they can no longer stand one another. They are the perfect victims. He doesn’t intend for the game to be easy. He wants to push them to the brink of insanity, to make his hunt real. . .
Lara and Noah have been captured and dumped into a massive wooded area. There’s only one rule in this fatal They will have 72 hours to find a way out before a sadistic serial killer begins his hunt . . .
But what he never could have expected was the explosive passion that ignites between the two ex-lovers—one that makes them strong. Fierce. And determined to do whatever it takes to escape—and to survive.
72 Hours by Bella Jewel is a sexy, page-turning thrill ride!
It’s all part of his sick game. A game he’s been planning for an entire decade. Now everything is perfect: One woman and one man have been selected. They used to be a couple—and they can no longer stand one another. They are the perfect victims. He doesn’t intend for the game to be easy. He wants to push them to the brink of insanity, to make his hunt real. . .
Lara and Noah have been captured and dumped into a massive wooded area. There’s only one rule in this fatal They will have 72 hours to find a way out before a sadistic serial killer begins his hunt . . .
But what he never could have expected was the explosive passion that ignites between the two ex-lovers—one that makes them strong. Fierce. And determined to do whatever it takes to escape—and to survive.
72 Hours by Bella Jewel is a sexy, page-turning thrill ride!
299 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published April 4, 2017
84 people are currently reading
2586 people want to read
About the author
Bella Jewel
102 books7,455 followersHeya!! My name is Bella, I'm a new aussie author and I am as crazy as they come. I'm playful, friendly and always up for a chat so stop on by x
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 302 reviews
February 11, 2019
I give up. Another 'it's me, not you' case. I can't make myself finish it, the heroine is annoying as hell.
March 22, 2017
This is an almost perfect cover. It's a good representation of the story. It's eye-catching and original. The composition is fairly good, but AGAIN we have the author's name two sizes larger and in the prominent place that the title should be. If I've said it once I have said it a million times. The largest text on a book cover should be the TITLE. My graphic design professor's head would have exploded if he saw something like that back when I was in school. *lol*
This book gets ALL the christ on a cracker stars. It was fabulously written. Amazingly paced. Had twists and turns. Had a little bit of romance. Had two strong and likable main characters. Had a twisted as fuck baddie. I COULD NOT put this thing down! In fact, I read it from cover to cover all in one go. AND the best news...there is going to be another book with a whole different twisted fuck coming out sometime this year. You can sign me up RIGHT NOW. Two HUGE thumbs, fingers, toes, legs...up from yours truly.
April 12, 2017
2.5 STARS
Having read and enjoyed a number of Bella Jewel's book in the past and being a huge romantic suspense fan, this book caught my eye right away. A deranged killer, a dangerous game for survival, and two people that used to share an undeniable love until everything fell apart; 72 hours is definitely no boring read.
I love a second chance romance, and weave that into the pages of a heart pounding thriller/romantic suspense, and I'm definitely sold. Bella Jewel certainly created one sick and twisted villain here and to be perfectly honest, the suspense is what ultimately kept me turning the pages.
As much as I wanted to love the romance here, I struggled to truly click with the characters. For some reason they read very two dimensional for me. I think partly the way the flashbacks were written here are to blame for that feeling for me. The flashbacks to their past are randomly placed in the chapters and while they fit the story, they also served to take me out of it. It was almost clinical in the descriptions. This fell apart, flashback to why, revert back to present. This happened, flashback to how, revert back to present. The character development was great for the heroine, but I wanted something more for the hero. I wanted something to connect me to him aside from his fierce protectiveness and love for the heroine. Also, and this is definitely a ME and not a book thing, but I wished for more from the villain. Being a huge Criminal Minds fan, I think I kind of hoped for a bit of that. While the reader gets a peak into the villain's head, I wished for more. I think I was missing the why's of it ultimately and there was nothing. The lack of development on that end definitely fizzled things quite a bit for me.
Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed the romance and the connection between the MCs, but it's not what kept me turning the pages. That was most definitely the suspense and seeing how everything will be resolved and how they'll escape their seemingly dire circumstances of being hunted like prey while thrown in the middle of nowhere by someone that sees it all as a gory game.
There's also a hook thrown at the end that hints at the next book and it was enough to have me wanting to read the next installment in what I'm hoping will be a series. Was it my favorite book by this author? Probably not. But I did enjoy it for the most part and the set up is intriguing enough to have me reading the next book.
ARC courtesy of publisher in exchange for an honest review
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Having read and enjoyed a number of Bella Jewel's book in the past and being a huge romantic suspense fan, this book caught my eye right away. A deranged killer, a dangerous game for survival, and two people that used to share an undeniable love until everything fell apart; 72 hours is definitely no boring read.
I love a second chance romance, and weave that into the pages of a heart pounding thriller/romantic suspense, and I'm definitely sold. Bella Jewel certainly created one sick and twisted villain here and to be perfectly honest, the suspense is what ultimately kept me turning the pages.
As much as I wanted to love the romance here, I struggled to truly click with the characters. For some reason they read very two dimensional for me. I think partly the way the flashbacks were written here are to blame for that feeling for me. The flashbacks to their past are randomly placed in the chapters and while they fit the story, they also served to take me out of it. It was almost clinical in the descriptions. This fell apart, flashback to why, revert back to present. This happened, flashback to how, revert back to present. The character development was great for the heroine, but I wanted something more for the hero. I wanted something to connect me to him aside from his fierce protectiveness and love for the heroine. Also, and this is definitely a ME and not a book thing, but I wished for more from the villain. Being a huge Criminal Minds fan, I think I kind of hoped for a bit of that. While the reader gets a peak into the villain's head, I wished for more. I think I was missing the why's of it ultimately and there was nothing. The lack of development on that end definitely fizzled things quite a bit for me.
Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed the romance and the connection between the MCs, but it's not what kept me turning the pages. That was most definitely the suspense and seeing how everything will be resolved and how they'll escape their seemingly dire circumstances of being hunted like prey while thrown in the middle of nowhere by someone that sees it all as a gory game.
There's also a hook thrown at the end that hints at the next book and it was enough to have me wanting to read the next installment in what I'm hoping will be a series. Was it my favorite book by this author? Probably not. But I did enjoy it for the most part and the set up is intriguing enough to have me reading the next book.
ARC courtesy of publisher in exchange for an honest review
Find me on:
April 4, 2017
IT'S LIVE!
*Amazon*Barnes & Noble*Kobo*
3.5 Stars
72 Hours is Bella Jewels start in the Romantic Suspense, and I have to say, a good step into this genre. The story was very intriguing and unique, and I had no problem being sucked into this crazy game the killer came up with. I liked the thrill of wondering what would happen next, and how (or if) these character would survive. The suspense part I had no problem with and it's what kept me reading.
The characters, however, I found hard to like and connect with. Lara came off as immature for me, especially when the reason that her and Noah aren't together anymore was revealed. I hate that kind of drama in a book and it makes me hate whatever character starts it. I was hoping that throughout the book we would get more of them as a couple but that didn't really happen so I never saw the connection between them.
There were also a few things that I felt didn't add up in the story, a big thing being the prologue not fitting into the rest of the book. It almost seemed like the story got lost at parts and it was a little hard for me to stay focused on it.
Overall, it's still a book I would recommend because the suspense was well done. I was intrigued for the most part and I'm excited to see what else Ms. Jewel will deliver for this genre.
ARC kindly provided in exchange for an honest review.
*Amazon*Barnes & Noble*Kobo*
3.5 Stars
72 Hours is Bella Jewels start in the Romantic Suspense, and I have to say, a good step into this genre. The story was very intriguing and unique, and I had no problem being sucked into this crazy game the killer came up with. I liked the thrill of wondering what would happen next, and how (or if) these character would survive. The suspense part I had no problem with and it's what kept me reading.
The characters, however, I found hard to like and connect with. Lara came off as immature for me, especially when the reason that her and Noah aren't together anymore was revealed. I hate that kind of drama in a book and it makes me hate whatever character starts it. I was hoping that throughout the book we would get more of them as a couple but that didn't really happen so I never saw the connection between them.
There were also a few things that I felt didn't add up in the story, a big thing being the prologue not fitting into the rest of the book. It almost seemed like the story got lost at parts and it was a little hard for me to stay focused on it.
Overall, it's still a book I would recommend because the suspense was well done. I was intrigued for the most part and I'm excited to see what else Ms. Jewel will deliver for this genre.
ARC kindly provided in exchange for an honest review.
April 5, 2017
I wasn't really sure what my rating for this was going to be, but then I thought back to last night whilst reading this, the hours I couldn't sleep, putting down my ipad and willing myself to go to sleep only to have that voice screaming in my head 'Just one more chapter' one more turned into many more, 3.00am came and went 4.am disappeared too a few hours of sleep and I'm a walking zombie. But for the life of me I couldn't put this down!!
So here's the thing I can not compare this book to anything, if I tried to compare it to a movie the closest I could get to would be the 'Hunger Games'.
72 HOURS: is Bella Jewels first step into the Romantic Suspense genre. A second chance romance.
A deadly game of cat and mouse has our two victims Lara and Noah fighting for their lives.
These two had a heartbreaking tumultuous past, they had been together for over two years until Lara surprises Noah at work after walking into his office and finding a blond bombshell on his lap with lips attached to his, walking in and seeing that destroyed her, she hasn’t seen or wanted to have anything to do with him for three months.
But like a man on a mission he needed to explain what really happened. And he wasn't giving up until she listened to his side of the story. But before he had a chance they are kidnapped.
DRUGGED AND CAPTURED
Now they are thrust together and have been granted just 72 hours to find a way out of a dense forest before a sadistic serial killer will hunt them down like animals.
Once your seventy-two hours are up, I’ll come for you, and, like the good little players you are, you’ll make it fun for me.
You’ll run.
You’ll hide
You’ll fight
You’ll try to escape
But you can’t. You won’t. I’ve made sure of it.
TICK TOCK
Let the game begin
All we have is seventy-two hours before this psycho fuck comes after us.
They only have each other to rely on to survive.
A GAME OF SURVIVAL
RUN, LARA RUN!!!
To get out alive they have to play him at his own game, they have to work together as a team to out wit him, out play him, kill him!! Two against one the odds are against him!!
This psycho serial killer doesn't make things easy for these two, he's set up the perfect playing field, he knows where they are every single minute they are running from him, they have no weapons, they are on foot, hungry, scared, no place to hide, he knows every nook and cranny of the forest.
I know every inch of this forest.
Every. Single. Inch
They won't escape me.
Tomorrow, I hunt.
And this time I shoot to kill.
This book had me on tenterhooks the whole time my nose was stuck in this, if you didn't know the author was Bella Jewel you'd be in for one hell of a shock, this is nothing like what she's written before!!
May 10, 2017
***3 "Not so sure!!" stars***
This story wasn't my first from Mrs. Jewel's pen, but it was different, that is the only sure thing!!!!
The storyline was very intriguing and it had many potentials, but something wasn't working for me and that something, i think that it was the heroine!!!
The only person that kept my interest in this story was Noah!!!
But let me take the things from the beginning...
Noah and Lara used to be a couple, but for the last three months they had broken up and they aren't in good terms...
Noah left town and Lara was still trying to pull herself together...
And now, Noah is back and he demands to talk to her and Lara is refusing to do so...
And then everything are changing since they both wake up in the woods and they understand that they have to participate in a crazy game of a phychopath, in which they are the prey!!!
So now, they have 72 hours to collect themselves before the chase will begin...
As you can understand, those two were the victims in a twisted mind and they have to fight for their survival...
They will have lots of things to face and to fight...
Will they manage to cooperate in this crazy game and fight back or the bad situation between them will make them the perfect prey???
Will they put their differences aside and stand together against this crazy man that saw their lives as a sick game???
Well, all those things sounds intriguing, right???
And they were, honestly!!!!
But i had some objections about what i was reading!!!!
I was catching myself to be excited at times, but at other times i was struggling to continue...
I couldn't fully understand the reasons behind the bad guy's behaviour!!!
And i had so many issues with the heroine.... She was such a contradiction... Most of the time, she was weak and i didn't like it at all!!!! And what i didn't understand was how a person could completely change after some incident in the past... She used to be strong and fierce, but here, she was weak and pityful!!!!
But what tired me very much was that sometimes she was one way and other times she was the other way and that frustrated me very much!!!
What was worthying in this book was Noah's character....
He was strong, determined and very stable!!! And he was having the same behaviour from the first page till the last one and i appreciated it very much!!!
***ARC kindly provided via NetGalley for the exchange of an honest review***
This story wasn't my first from Mrs. Jewel's pen, but it was different, that is the only sure thing!!!!
The storyline was very intriguing and it had many potentials, but something wasn't working for me and that something, i think that it was the heroine!!!
The only person that kept my interest in this story was Noah!!!
But let me take the things from the beginning...
Noah and Lara used to be a couple, but for the last three months they had broken up and they aren't in good terms...
Noah left town and Lara was still trying to pull herself together...
And now, Noah is back and he demands to talk to her and Lara is refusing to do so...
And then everything are changing since they both wake up in the woods and they understand that they have to participate in a crazy game of a phychopath, in which they are the prey!!!
So now, they have 72 hours to collect themselves before the chase will begin...
As you can understand, those two were the victims in a twisted mind and they have to fight for their survival...
They will have lots of things to face and to fight...
Will they manage to cooperate in this crazy game and fight back or the bad situation between them will make them the perfect prey???
Will they put their differences aside and stand together against this crazy man that saw their lives as a sick game???
Well, all those things sounds intriguing, right???
And they were, honestly!!!!
But i had some objections about what i was reading!!!!
I was catching myself to be excited at times, but at other times i was struggling to continue...
I couldn't fully understand the reasons behind the bad guy's behaviour!!!
And i had so many issues with the heroine.... She was such a contradiction... Most of the time, she was weak and i didn't like it at all!!!! And what i didn't understand was how a person could completely change after some incident in the past... She used to be strong and fierce, but here, she was weak and pityful!!!!
But what tired me very much was that sometimes she was one way and other times she was the other way and that frustrated me very much!!!
What was worthying in this book was Noah's character....
He was strong, determined and very stable!!! And he was having the same behaviour from the first page till the last one and i appreciated it very much!!!
***ARC kindly provided via NetGalley for the exchange of an honest review***
March 1, 2017
*ARC provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.*
OMG what a book.
This is really the first book romantic suspense book that I ve read and I have to say it won't be the last. I m a huge Bella Jewel fan so there was no doubt that I would read this book. I m so glad I did cause I couldn't read it quick enough. From the very start I was hooked. I had to know what was goin to happen I hated having to put it down.
The story is about Lara and Noel they have been together for a while but had recently broke up. Things weren't really goin well for them. But Lara was trying to get on with her life and didn't want to hear what Noel had to say. What they didn't know was someone had a plan for them and that plan wast goin to be good. They were goin to be pushed so hard they were going to have to fight deep to keep there strength cause they were going to deal with pure hell.
I don't really want to say to much about this to be honest cause it will spoil it. I really liked the characters Lara and Noel are really good but God they went through so much I felt for them. It's such a twisted story but so so good I was gripped through he whole thing. The author did a brilliant job with the story it a lot different to the normal stuff but I dying for her to do more. I would highly recommend it. It's full of drama twists and turns. I read it in a day there was no way I could put it down at any part.
OMG what a book.
This is really the first book romantic suspense book that I ve read and I have to say it won't be the last. I m a huge Bella Jewel fan so there was no doubt that I would read this book. I m so glad I did cause I couldn't read it quick enough. From the very start I was hooked. I had to know what was goin to happen I hated having to put it down.
The story is about Lara and Noel they have been together for a while but had recently broke up. Things weren't really goin well for them. But Lara was trying to get on with her life and didn't want to hear what Noel had to say. What they didn't know was someone had a plan for them and that plan wast goin to be good. They were goin to be pushed so hard they were going to have to fight deep to keep there strength cause they were going to deal with pure hell.
I don't really want to say to much about this to be honest cause it will spoil it. I really liked the characters Lara and Noel are really good but God they went through so much I felt for them. It's such a twisted story but so so good I was gripped through he whole thing. The author did a brilliant job with the story it a lot different to the normal stuff but I dying for her to do more. I would highly recommend it. It's full of drama twists and turns. I read it in a day there was no way I could put it down at any part.
March 2, 2017
3 Catch Me if you Can Stars
It’s been two years since I’ve read a Bella Jewel book. I was really curious about 72 Hours because of the title and cover. I love a good suspense book so I went into this one with slightly higher expectations.
72 Hours to my surprise was a fast pace book. Usually the suspenseful books I read have a bit more meat to them, so the pace threw me off a bit. I know a lot of people like fast books, so this one will be right for them.
What I struggled most was the Heroine. I’m not a big fan of angsty books and this one was FILLED with angst. Lara is a character that needed to be redeemed by the end of the book. She acts very childish and is very weak. I didn’t really understand nor accepted some of her actions, especially when she was really mean to Noah. The man just wanted to talk to her, but she kept on pushing him away, almost daily. It was a struggle for me to read.
Noah is the shining light of the book. He’s so sweet, so caring and he adores Lara, flaws and all. I wanted them to work out based on Noah’s character alone.
So, they have a horrible relationship with each other and bam, they are both kidnapped and have 72 hours to prepare before they get hunted.
Remember that movie Saw? Where the villain kidnaps random people and give them tasks before they die? It kind of felt like that. I felt like I was watching / reading a movie. Lara and Noah are dumped somewhere in the woods and they have 72 hours to prep before the killer comes after them.
Here’s the thing with me. I get fictional books. I GET IT. I really do. But I’m married to survivalist. We have one of those zombie back packs, you know if they world is falling apart back packs, I have water tablets and protein bars in a backpack ready for us if we have to flee the country. SO, when I read when the characters are going to get hunted and they take time to take a bath, it was really hard for me to follow.
If I could have put all of that aside, the realistic part of the book, I would have followed the story better. It’s hard to read a character getting hurt, but have enough strength to run through the woods. I just couldn’t get sucked into it.
What I did like about the book was that it was suspenseful and at a few times my heart was beating fast and I was wondering what would happen next. I did like reading from the killer’s mind from time to time. It got me more in the mood. I also liked how Lara and Noah balanced each other.
Overall, if you like fast pace thrillers with a crazy villain, then this one is for you.
An ARC was provided
AMAZON
It’s been two years since I’ve read a Bella Jewel book. I was really curious about 72 Hours because of the title and cover. I love a good suspense book so I went into this one with slightly higher expectations.
72 Hours to my surprise was a fast pace book. Usually the suspenseful books I read have a bit more meat to them, so the pace threw me off a bit. I know a lot of people like fast books, so this one will be right for them.
What I struggled most was the Heroine. I’m not a big fan of angsty books and this one was FILLED with angst. Lara is a character that needed to be redeemed by the end of the book. She acts very childish and is very weak. I didn’t really understand nor accepted some of her actions, especially when she was really mean to Noah. The man just wanted to talk to her, but she kept on pushing him away, almost daily. It was a struggle for me to read.
Noah is the shining light of the book. He’s so sweet, so caring and he adores Lara, flaws and all. I wanted them to work out based on Noah’s character alone.
So, they have a horrible relationship with each other and bam, they are both kidnapped and have 72 hours to prepare before they get hunted.
Remember that movie Saw? Where the villain kidnaps random people and give them tasks before they die? It kind of felt like that. I felt like I was watching / reading a movie. Lara and Noah are dumped somewhere in the woods and they have 72 hours to prep before the killer comes after them.
Here’s the thing with me. I get fictional books. I GET IT. I really do. But I’m married to survivalist. We have one of those zombie back packs, you know if they world is falling apart back packs, I have water tablets and protein bars in a backpack ready for us if we have to flee the country. SO, when I read when the characters are going to get hunted and they take time to take a bath, it was really hard for me to follow.
If I could have put all of that aside, the realistic part of the book, I would have followed the story better. It’s hard to read a character getting hurt, but have enough strength to run through the woods. I just couldn’t get sucked into it.
What I did like about the book was that it was suspenseful and at a few times my heart was beating fast and I was wondering what would happen next. I did like reading from the killer’s mind from time to time. It got me more in the mood. I also liked how Lara and Noah balanced each other.
Overall, if you like fast pace thrillers with a crazy villain, then this one is for you.
An ARC was provided
AMAZON
April 3, 2017
⭐⭐⭐ 3.5 Stars ⭐⭐⭐
I’m a huge fan of mystery and suspense so when I saw this, I knew I had to read it ASAP because the adrenaline junkie in me was screaming at the top of it’s lungs. This was a fast paced, watch your back at all times, kind of read and I liked the fact that it was done that way.
When you’re being hunted, how far will you go to survive?
Lara has been through a lot the past three months. Coming off of a heartbreaking breakup and trying to move on with her life, Lara is starting to feel good about herself now. That is until she sees her ex again and learns he’s going to be moving closer to her. They say time heals everything but Lara and Noah, what happens time becomes the least of your worries?
Being kidnapped by a psychopath that revels in the chase of a hunt is now a shocking reality for Noah and Lara. Forced to play his sick game in the middle of nowhere for 72 hours, has become a nightmare for them and knowing that they can’t wake up from this only makes matters worse. Deciding that they’re going to find until the very end, Noah and Lara begin their journey of the survival of the fittest.
Who’s going to come out of alive?
What I really liked about this story was that the storyline was so different and I appreciated that. The chase and suspense is what kept me interested for the most part of the story and for me Noah was the highlight of this book. What I didn’t really like was the fact that Lara came across as this weak heroine. I had a really hard time trying to connect with her and for that alone, it took away some of my enjoyment of the story.
Aside from that, I think if you like a bit of mystery to your reads, this one is for you guys.
I’m a huge fan of mystery and suspense so when I saw this, I knew I had to read it ASAP because the adrenaline junkie in me was screaming at the top of it’s lungs. This was a fast paced, watch your back at all times, kind of read and I liked the fact that it was done that way.
When you’re being hunted, how far will you go to survive?
Lara has been through a lot the past three months. Coming off of a heartbreaking breakup and trying to move on with her life, Lara is starting to feel good about herself now. That is until she sees her ex again and learns he’s going to be moving closer to her. They say time heals everything but Lara and Noah, what happens time becomes the least of your worries?
Being kidnapped by a psychopath that revels in the chase of a hunt is now a shocking reality for Noah and Lara. Forced to play his sick game in the middle of nowhere for 72 hours, has become a nightmare for them and knowing that they can’t wake up from this only makes matters worse. Deciding that they’re going to find until the very end, Noah and Lara begin their journey of the survival of the fittest.
Who’s going to come out of alive?
What I really liked about this story was that the storyline was so different and I appreciated that. The chase and suspense is what kept me interested for the most part of the story and for me Noah was the highlight of this book. What I didn’t really like was the fact that Lara came across as this weak heroine. I had a really hard time trying to connect with her and for that alone, it took away some of my enjoyment of the story.
Aside from that, I think if you like a bit of mystery to your reads, this one is for you guys.
April 4, 2017
I read the blurb of this book and I was immediately intrigued:
A FATE WORSE THAN DEATH.
It’s all part of his sick game. A game he’s been planning for an entire decade. Now everything is perfect: One woman and one man have been selected. They used to be a couple—and they can no longer stand one another. They are the perfect victims. He doesn’t intend for the game to be easy. He wants to push them to the brink of insanity, to make his hunt real. . .
A DESIRE WORTH FIGHTING FOR. . .
The couple has been captured and dumped into a massive wooded area. There’s only one rule in this fatal game: They will have 72 hours to find a way out before the sadistic serial killer begins his hunt . . .But what he never could have expected was the explosive passion that ignites between the two ex-lovers—one that makes them strong. Fierce. And determined to do whatever it takes to escape—and to survive. . .
I love really dark romantic suspense and this sounded right up my alley. Ex-lovers reunited?? Hunted in a dark forest?? Gimme. But this book was so, so disappointing, I don't even know where to start. I will put it in list form:
--Description: Lara and Noah are drugged and taken to a forest where they are told by a note that they have 72 hours to escape before they will be hunted and killed. But what does this forest look like? We are told Noah walked for miles when they first awoke but couldn't find a way out. But the author never really gives us a good description of where they are. I had a very hard time picturing it in my head, which makes it hard to read a story. Especially when the setting is so important. The first two days are very rushed as well. The author gets us to the third day very fast, and that felt odd to me.
--Injuries: Over the course of their time in the forest, Lara falls out of a tree, Noah is shot and has other bad things happen. And while Noah gets a fever due to being shot in the leg, he is STILL running around the forest. He climbs a tree. He dives into a river and swims. He fights off the bad guy, twice. HUH? I get that adrenaline will make your body stretch its limits and yes, I've never been shot and left in a forest so I can't compare this to real life, but I truly don't think Noah could be as mobile as he was in this book. There is no way. It's one thing to survive a day like this but more than that, with so much physical exertion didn't make sense.
--Being Dumb: Late in the book Noah hits the bad guy on the back of a head with a rock:
"He made a mistake turning to hurt you. I used the rock and hit him over the back of the head just before he turned around once you'd disappeared. Dazed him for a good few minutes. I got a head start. I found a track to the deeper water. I dove in, came out the other side, and went up a tree. By the time he got to me, he couldn't find me."
The bad guy was dazed for a few minutes - why didn't he hit him again, and again until the dude's skull was crushed in??? This bad guy promises to kill them - promises to mutilate and torture them. So you bash him once and run??? DUDE. And to make it worse, shortly after this, Noah bashes him on the head AGAIN with a rock and AGAIN flees. At this point, wouldn't the bad guy have a concussion?? Bashed twice in the head in one day with rocks - and he is still running around trying to kill these two?
Something else really dumb: Noah manages to steal the bad guy's motorbike - but does he ride it until he finds a way out or runs out of gas?? NO.
I kept reading because I wanted to know where they actually were and while I assumed they would end up killing the bad guy and I wanted to see how they would actually escape this never-ending forest. And you know how they escape????
Spoiler:
Sorry for the ranting but I feel better now.
Grade: D-
A FATE WORSE THAN DEATH.
It’s all part of his sick game. A game he’s been planning for an entire decade. Now everything is perfect: One woman and one man have been selected. They used to be a couple—and they can no longer stand one another. They are the perfect victims. He doesn’t intend for the game to be easy. He wants to push them to the brink of insanity, to make his hunt real. . .
A DESIRE WORTH FIGHTING FOR. . .
The couple has been captured and dumped into a massive wooded area. There’s only one rule in this fatal game: They will have 72 hours to find a way out before the sadistic serial killer begins his hunt . . .But what he never could have expected was the explosive passion that ignites between the two ex-lovers—one that makes them strong. Fierce. And determined to do whatever it takes to escape—and to survive. . .
I love really dark romantic suspense and this sounded right up my alley. Ex-lovers reunited?? Hunted in a dark forest?? Gimme. But this book was so, so disappointing, I don't even know where to start. I will put it in list form:
--Description: Lara and Noah are drugged and taken to a forest where they are told by a note that they have 72 hours to escape before they will be hunted and killed. But what does this forest look like? We are told Noah walked for miles when they first awoke but couldn't find a way out. But the author never really gives us a good description of where they are. I had a very hard time picturing it in my head, which makes it hard to read a story. Especially when the setting is so important. The first two days are very rushed as well. The author gets us to the third day very fast, and that felt odd to me.
--Injuries: Over the course of their time in the forest, Lara falls out of a tree, Noah is shot and has other bad things happen. And while Noah gets a fever due to being shot in the leg, he is STILL running around the forest. He climbs a tree. He dives into a river and swims. He fights off the bad guy, twice. HUH? I get that adrenaline will make your body stretch its limits and yes, I've never been shot and left in a forest so I can't compare this to real life, but I truly don't think Noah could be as mobile as he was in this book. There is no way. It's one thing to survive a day like this but more than that, with so much physical exertion didn't make sense.
--Being Dumb: Late in the book Noah hits the bad guy on the back of a head with a rock:
"He made a mistake turning to hurt you. I used the rock and hit him over the back of the head just before he turned around once you'd disappeared. Dazed him for a good few minutes. I got a head start. I found a track to the deeper water. I dove in, came out the other side, and went up a tree. By the time he got to me, he couldn't find me."
The bad guy was dazed for a few minutes - why didn't he hit him again, and again until the dude's skull was crushed in??? This bad guy promises to kill them - promises to mutilate and torture them. So you bash him once and run??? DUDE. And to make it worse, shortly after this, Noah bashes him on the head AGAIN with a rock and AGAIN flees. At this point, wouldn't the bad guy have a concussion?? Bashed twice in the head in one day with rocks - and he is still running around trying to kill these two?
Something else really dumb: Noah manages to steal the bad guy's motorbike - but does he ride it until he finds a way out or runs out of gas?? NO.
I kept reading because I wanted to know where they actually were and while I assumed they would end up killing the bad guy and I wanted to see how they would actually escape this never-ending forest. And you know how they escape????
Spoiler:
Sorry for the ranting but I feel better now.
Grade: D-
lost-interested
May 12, 2017The suspense aspect didn't intrigue me and I really disliked the heroine.
June 25, 2017
3.5 Against All Odds Stars.
An intriguing read with action packed moments, moments of desperation. Of hope and of not giving up however much you want to. This is as spoiler free as I can make it.
A chain of events leads to our main characters Lara and Noah fighting for they lives. At times nail biting for the reader but at times equally frustrating. Noah’s emotions for one were all over the place. Yes I know they’ve been kidnapped and have 72 Hours before they have to fight for their lives. But I felt that is only possible emotion is anger. Rarely is it touched upon that he is scared, desperate or any other emotion that there is.
For me it was a quick and intense read. We switch between the past and the present of the couple of when they were together. It took me some time to figure it out but it was in italics. We also have the psycho’s POV which sometimes ripped me out of the story as well.
Planned well with how the beginning, the middle and the end were setup. It gives a depth to the background of the characters. What especially left me content that the aftermath was included and how they deal with it all. Admittedly I thought at that one scene there wouldn’t be a HEA. Rest assured there is.
There is a great character development and Lara stops being a whiny mare. They went from being at one another’s necks to working together to figuring out their problems. Although with the life and death situation going on they still have time for a shag? Alright then. I guess it was kind and considerate of the killer to give them some time together. Got to say I could have lived without the sex. Yep shocker I said that.
Ms. Jewel has ventured into romantic suspense and I have to say that I am pleasantly surprised although it wasn’t rainbow and cupcakes. Although I’ve given it 3.5 Stars there were some things that bothered me.
Evil Knievel put a lot of effort and most likely money to put his plan in motion. Where did he get the money? Why didn’t anybody notice? Suddenly other bodies were missing as well. Where did that come from all of a sudden?
For some reason I understood that Lara grew up with her Nanna as in they lived together. I felt that it was implied and then suddenly at the end parents turn up? Yeah that threw me for a loop.
It took them a while to catch how he was following them I mean isn’t that the first thing you think about? The second thing I didn’t thing I didn’t think about so well done for slipping that little tid bit in there.
Unfortunately the language was at all for me I can’t really describe why. Oh wait there was one thing where she wrote super-strong and that kind of made me think of a sorority girl or a cheerleader. Sorry if I’m stereotyping here.
I can see what the book appeals to a lot of readers and I can also see why a lot of readers didn’t like the book.
My verdict is that it is a book to be read as the story is unique and it’s something different. Maybe you’ll like it maybe you won’t but at least you’ve tried.
Although this author is a hit and miss for me this time it worked. I am looking forward to reading The Watcher.
Review can be found @http://jerisbookattic-reviewblog.blog...
An intriguing read with action packed moments, moments of desperation. Of hope and of not giving up however much you want to. This is as spoiler free as I can make it.
A chain of events leads to our main characters Lara and Noah fighting for they lives. At times nail biting for the reader but at times equally frustrating. Noah’s emotions for one were all over the place. Yes I know they’ve been kidnapped and have 72 Hours before they have to fight for their lives. But I felt that is only possible emotion is anger. Rarely is it touched upon that he is scared, desperate or any other emotion that there is.
For me it was a quick and intense read. We switch between the past and the present of the couple of when they were together. It took me some time to figure it out but it was in italics. We also have the psycho’s POV which sometimes ripped me out of the story as well.
Planned well with how the beginning, the middle and the end were setup. It gives a depth to the background of the characters. What especially left me content that the aftermath was included and how they deal with it all. Admittedly I thought at that one scene there wouldn’t be a HEA. Rest assured there is.
There is a great character development and Lara stops being a whiny mare. They went from being at one another’s necks to working together to figuring out their problems. Although with the life and death situation going on they still have time for a shag? Alright then. I guess it was kind and considerate of the killer to give them some time together. Got to say I could have lived without the sex. Yep shocker I said that.
Ms. Jewel has ventured into romantic suspense and I have to say that I am pleasantly surprised although it wasn’t rainbow and cupcakes. Although I’ve given it 3.5 Stars there were some things that bothered me.
Evil Knievel put a lot of effort and most likely money to put his plan in motion. Where did he get the money? Why didn’t anybody notice? Suddenly other bodies were missing as well. Where did that come from all of a sudden?
For some reason I understood that Lara grew up with her Nanna as in they lived together. I felt that it was implied and then suddenly at the end parents turn up? Yeah that threw me for a loop.
It took them a while to catch how he was following them I mean isn’t that the first thing you think about? The second thing I didn’t thing I didn’t think about so well done for slipping that little tid bit in there.
Unfortunately the language was at all for me I can’t really describe why. Oh wait there was one thing where she wrote super-strong and that kind of made me think of a sorority girl or a cheerleader. Sorry if I’m stereotyping here.
I can see what the book appeals to a lot of readers and I can also see why a lot of readers didn’t like the book.
My verdict is that it is a book to be read as the story is unique and it’s something different. Maybe you’ll like it maybe you won’t but at least you’ve tried.
Although this author is a hit and miss for me this time it worked. I am looking forward to reading The Watcher.
Review can be found @http://jerisbookattic-reviewblog.blog...
June 16, 2017
***** 3.5 Stars *****
I was a bit worried about diving into this story because of all the mixed reviews.
The main reason seemed to revolve around the heroine. And quiet honestly... I also found her really annoying.
There were some other hiccups throughout the story that were irritating. The antagonist had so many opportunities to kill the couple, and he constantly failed. I also thought the story skipped abruptly at certain parts.
The only reason why I'm giving this 3 stars is because I loved the idea and plot.
I was a bit worried about diving into this story because of all the mixed reviews.
The main reason seemed to revolve around the heroine. And quiet honestly... I also found her really annoying.
There were some other hiccups throughout the story that were irritating. The antagonist had so many opportunities to kill the couple, and he constantly failed. I also thought the story skipped abruptly at certain parts.
The only reason why I'm giving this 3 stars is because I loved the idea and plot.
March 28, 2017
Check out this and my other reviews at My Blog, Facebook, Google+, Twitter and Pinterest
Copy received from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review
★Book Basics★
Genre : - Cont. Romance
Series : - Stand Alone
Love triangle? -
Cheating? -
HEA? -
Would I read more by this author/or in this series? - Yes
Rating - 3.5 stars
★Review★
I am so so torn between a 3 and a 4 for this.
Loved the whole concept of the story. It was original and I really wanted to read it.
And I did enjoy it. However, I have had a slight issue with this author before in that she can come up with great stories, I am not denying that, and overall I enjoy her books, but it seems like the bare bones, the foundations to hold up the story are sometimes forgotten about. And it felt like the case here.
We start with the prologue, which is after they have been captured and running for their lives, and then go back in time a bit to before it all happens. Yet, when we get to the point, later in the book, that the prologue should fit into, it just .....doesn't.
And the heroine, she is a hard to like character, maybe as we never got to experience her really as she was, other than being told she used to be x,y,z. Just as she was now, full of self hatred and bitterness.
The hero, given how the story starts, you think you will not like him, thinking what we think he has done. But in the end, he is the saving grace of the book. I adored him, he was so determined that they were going to survive.
The villain....well....yes, the book was creepy and had my heart pounding at times, yet I think possibly, NOT having the villains POV might have actually helped. He was supposed to have planned this for YEARS! Picked the perfect couple etc, yet within hours they are not acting how he expects and he at times came across a bit petulant and stroppy and not all that clever. Which actually took something away from the book.
So, think I will sit firmly at 3.5 stars, and I would probably read it again for the hero.
It was enjoyable, and tense, and sad and all the things you expect. It just seemed to miss that something that can be so hard to define. I mean I knew, given the title it was not going to be a long book, time frame wise, but it felt rushed, character development felt rushed and it lacked depth.
Copy received from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review
★Book Basics★
Genre : - Cont. Romance
Series : - Stand Alone
Love triangle? -
Cheating? -
HEA? -
Would I read more by this author/or in this series? - Yes
Rating - 3.5 stars
★Review★
I am so so torn between a 3 and a 4 for this.
Loved the whole concept of the story. It was original and I really wanted to read it.
And I did enjoy it. However, I have had a slight issue with this author before in that she can come up with great stories, I am not denying that, and overall I enjoy her books, but it seems like the bare bones, the foundations to hold up the story are sometimes forgotten about. And it felt like the case here.
We start with the prologue, which is after they have been captured and running for their lives, and then go back in time a bit to before it all happens. Yet, when we get to the point, later in the book, that the prologue should fit into, it just .....doesn't.
And the heroine, she is a hard to like character, maybe as we never got to experience her really as she was, other than being told she used to be x,y,z. Just as she was now, full of self hatred and bitterness.
The hero, given how the story starts, you think you will not like him, thinking what we think he has done. But in the end, he is the saving grace of the book. I adored him, he was so determined that they were going to survive.
The villain....well....yes, the book was creepy and had my heart pounding at times, yet I think possibly, NOT having the villains POV might have actually helped. He was supposed to have planned this for YEARS! Picked the perfect couple etc, yet within hours they are not acting how he expects and he at times came across a bit petulant and stroppy and not all that clever. Which actually took something away from the book.
So, think I will sit firmly at 3.5 stars, and I would probably read it again for the hero.
It was enjoyable, and tense, and sad and all the things you expect. It just seemed to miss that something that can be so hard to define. I mean I knew, given the title it was not going to be a long book, time frame wise, but it felt rushed, character development felt rushed and it lacked depth.
March 7, 2017
3 stars!
ARC kindly provided by St. Martin's Press via Netgalley in exchange of an honest review.
This is story of Lara and Noah, and their 72 hours of survival!
Although the story started really strong, somewhere its way was lost. The idea of the plot was good but there was something missing in its execution. There were twists and surprises in the plot but I had already figured them out, so there was no suspense for me. The story was said by Lara’s POV with small glimpses of Villain’s mind and then a couple of chapters in the end with different POV’s. Unfortunately the characters were not consequent with their personality in their actions. Especially the villain wasn’t convincing at all! And there were few gaps in the story that didn’t really make sense to me.
On the good side, the story wasn’t done once the 72 hours were up. There was the after part that was nice to read about and actually it’s the reason that I gave 3 stars to this book. I really appreciated the fact that after the experience of Lara and Noah, nothing was magically resolved. There were issues that needed to be worked and dealt with. So, the end of the book was a bit sweet and much needed.
This is my honest opinion and it shouldn’t prevent anyone from reading this book. Maybe my expectations were irrationally high since I love and read lots of romantic suspense books.
ARC kindly provided by St. Martin's Press via Netgalley in exchange of an honest review.
This is story of Lara and Noah, and their 72 hours of survival!
Although the story started really strong, somewhere its way was lost. The idea of the plot was good but there was something missing in its execution. There were twists and surprises in the plot but I had already figured them out, so there was no suspense for me. The story was said by Lara’s POV with small glimpses of Villain’s mind and then a couple of chapters in the end with different POV’s. Unfortunately the characters were not consequent with their personality in their actions. Especially the villain wasn’t convincing at all! And there were few gaps in the story that didn’t really make sense to me.
On the good side, the story wasn’t done once the 72 hours were up. There was the after part that was nice to read about and actually it’s the reason that I gave 3 stars to this book. I really appreciated the fact that after the experience of Lara and Noah, nothing was magically resolved. There were issues that needed to be worked and dealt with. So, the end of the book was a bit sweet and much needed.
This is my honest opinion and it shouldn’t prevent anyone from reading this book. Maybe my expectations were irrationally high since I love and read lots of romantic suspense books.
April 7, 2017
This review can also be found at Carole's Random Life in Books.
This was such an entertaining book! I picked this book planning to read just a bit to get a feel for the story. Before I even knew what I happened, I had finished the entire book in a single afternoon. The whole concept behind this story is incredibly exciting and everything came together very well. I am so glad that I decided to give Bella Jewel's writing a try.
Lara and Noah used to be a couple but now they can't seem to even be able to talk to each other. Noah wants to talk and tries to get Lara to listen to him but she doesn't want anything to do with him. I have to admit that at the start of the book, I didn't really care for Noah or really Lara all that much. Lara's backstory was interesting so I was curious about her but Noah really was quite stalkerish at the start of the story.
Lara and Noah wake up and find themselves in the woods and learn that they have 72 hours before they are hunted. They finally have their talk and all as forgiven between each other and they work together to try to escape the wooded area they have found themselves in. They soon find a fence and decide that they need to prepare for their attacker.
Once they are in the woods, this is a pretty fast paced book. They are either planning in order to survive or actively working to evade the man who is trying to kill them. It was fun watching them work together to outsmart the killer and even when things calmed a bit there was always a bit of tension because you never knew when he would return.
This book was incredibly entertaining but there were some things that were very far fetched. This pair both seemed to be able to do some pretty amazing things despite some pretty serious injuries. In reality, they would not have stood any kind of chance against a man with weapons and years to plan. I understood this but to be honest, it didn't make me like the book any less. I keep thinking that every action movie that I have ever watched has some of these same unrealistic tendencies.
I would highly recommend this book to fans of romantic suspense looking for an action filled and fast paced story. I look forward to Bella Jewel's next romantic suspense novel.
I received an advance reader edition of this book from St. Martin's Press via NetGalley.
Initial Thoughts
This was a very entertaining quick read. Maybe a tad unrealistic at times but highly entertaining. I ended up reading the whole book cover to cover in a single afternoon.
This was such an entertaining book! I picked this book planning to read just a bit to get a feel for the story. Before I even knew what I happened, I had finished the entire book in a single afternoon. The whole concept behind this story is incredibly exciting and everything came together very well. I am so glad that I decided to give Bella Jewel's writing a try.
Lara and Noah used to be a couple but now they can't seem to even be able to talk to each other. Noah wants to talk and tries to get Lara to listen to him but she doesn't want anything to do with him. I have to admit that at the start of the book, I didn't really care for Noah or really Lara all that much. Lara's backstory was interesting so I was curious about her but Noah really was quite stalkerish at the start of the story.
Lara and Noah wake up and find themselves in the woods and learn that they have 72 hours before they are hunted. They finally have their talk and all as forgiven between each other and they work together to try to escape the wooded area they have found themselves in. They soon find a fence and decide that they need to prepare for their attacker.
Once they are in the woods, this is a pretty fast paced book. They are either planning in order to survive or actively working to evade the man who is trying to kill them. It was fun watching them work together to outsmart the killer and even when things calmed a bit there was always a bit of tension because you never knew when he would return.
This book was incredibly entertaining but there were some things that were very far fetched. This pair both seemed to be able to do some pretty amazing things despite some pretty serious injuries. In reality, they would not have stood any kind of chance against a man with weapons and years to plan. I understood this but to be honest, it didn't make me like the book any less. I keep thinking that every action movie that I have ever watched has some of these same unrealistic tendencies.
I would highly recommend this book to fans of romantic suspense looking for an action filled and fast paced story. I look forward to Bella Jewel's next romantic suspense novel.
I received an advance reader edition of this book from St. Martin's Press via NetGalley.
Initial Thoughts
This was a very entertaining quick read. Maybe a tad unrealistic at times but highly entertaining. I ended up reading the whole book cover to cover in a single afternoon.
December 10, 2017
I skimmed my way through this book as I really was not enjoying it. There was way too much back and forth between past and present. It almost seemed that every 5 seconds, instead of trying to stay alive, our "h" is having flashbacks to her time with the "H". It totally distracted from the suspense plot of current day and wasn't even that interesting.
The current day plot of trying to stay alive while a "hunter" was after them felt like a "C' grade movie script for the chiller channel. The bad guy was rather pathetic.
I had previously had "The Watcher" on my TBR list, but after this book and reading a preview of "The Watcher" on Amazon, I've decided that this author and I aren't a fit.
The current day plot of trying to stay alive while a "hunter" was after them felt like a "C' grade movie script for the chiller channel. The bad guy was rather pathetic.
I had previously had "The Watcher" on my TBR list, but after this book and reading a preview of "The Watcher" on Amazon, I've decided that this author and I aren't a fit.
March 14, 2017
Lara was the type that had a spitfire personality and wouldn't back down from any challenge, that is until the day it cost her the life of someone she loved dearly. Lara standing up to some young punks cost her grandmother her life which put Lara into a depression. All the while Noah was by Lara's side and Lara thought their love would last forever but one day it all came to an end when Lara walked in on Noah in the arms of another woman.
As soon as Lara found Noah with someone else she shut down the relationship and left Noah. Now a few months later Noah wants the chance to explain and doesn't want to give up on their love and life they had together. Unfortunately for Lara and Noah they have had an audience during their time together, a stalker with an elaborate plan set in place for the pair.Now begins a twisted hunt when Lara and Noah are kidnapped and dropped in the middle of nowhere and given seventy two hours to save themselves.
72 Hours by Bella Jewel quickly became one of those books that I just could not put down. A romantic suspense story that immediately had my attention as I got to know Lara and Noah's story and personalities but just as I got settled into wanting to know their relationship the story takes a huge turn when they are dropped into a psychopath's game of terror.
Easily this story turns into a horrific page turning nightmare that had me on the edge of my seat. It's one of those books that while reading I really began to long for this one to be made into a movie someday and watch the intense action unfold on a big screen. Definitely a nail biting intensity involved that I think should have readers hooked until the very end. Would definitely recommend checking this one out for the suspense fans.
I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.
For more reviews please visit https://carriesbookreviews.wordpress....
As soon as Lara found Noah with someone else she shut down the relationship and left Noah. Now a few months later Noah wants the chance to explain and doesn't want to give up on their love and life they had together. Unfortunately for Lara and Noah they have had an audience during their time together, a stalker with an elaborate plan set in place for the pair.Now begins a twisted hunt when Lara and Noah are kidnapped and dropped in the middle of nowhere and given seventy two hours to save themselves.
72 Hours by Bella Jewel quickly became one of those books that I just could not put down. A romantic suspense story that immediately had my attention as I got to know Lara and Noah's story and personalities but just as I got settled into wanting to know their relationship the story takes a huge turn when they are dropped into a psychopath's game of terror.
Easily this story turns into a horrific page turning nightmare that had me on the edge of my seat. It's one of those books that while reading I really began to long for this one to be made into a movie someday and watch the intense action unfold on a big screen. Definitely a nail biting intensity involved that I think should have readers hooked until the very end. Would definitely recommend checking this one out for the suspense fans.
I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.
For more reviews please visit https://carriesbookreviews.wordpress....
March 2, 2017
**ARC provided by publisher in exchange for an honest review**
3.75 stars
72 Hours is the 23rd book I read by Bella Jewel, after reading that many books I am familiair with her writing style. When I saw that she wrote a Romantic Suspense (RS) book, it really intrigued me to pick it up. Back in the day I read and devoured a lot of RS books, so I know it is a genre I really enjoy. Bella's writing is very easy to follow and has a great flow, it is very smooth. I especially loved that this book was a second chance romance, because that is one of my favorite book tropes. The setting of the book was original, the main characters Noah and Lara were kidnapped and dropped off in a forest middle of nowhere. They were given 72 hours to find a way out/prepare themselves before the sadistic madman would start hunting them.
Now for the things I liked less. Firstly, the length of the story was in my opinion short and it was fast-paced, which made it difficult for me to completely connect to the characters. I did love that the author included a couple of short flashbacks, because that gave a good view into Noah and Lara's previous relationship and why they broke up. Also the reason they broke up was very cliche, it shows again why communication is very important and you shouldn't just assume things.
I was glad that the suspense element was highlighted. There are many Romantic Suspense books that are 25% suspense and 75% romance. Which in my opinion is just a Romance book. But for this book it was pretty even, maybe slightly more suspense (which I love!). However I didn't like the villain that much, at times he came across as an amateur and other times as a calculated killer. But I think that is probably because of my knowledge of some really messed up, evil and very skilled killers. So my expectations were a bit higher for the villain. Overall a very solid Romantic Suspense story and I hope the author will write more books in this genre.
3.75 stars
72 Hours is the 23rd book I read by Bella Jewel, after reading that many books I am familiair with her writing style. When I saw that she wrote a Romantic Suspense (RS) book, it really intrigued me to pick it up. Back in the day I read and devoured a lot of RS books, so I know it is a genre I really enjoy. Bella's writing is very easy to follow and has a great flow, it is very smooth. I especially loved that this book was a second chance romance, because that is one of my favorite book tropes. The setting of the book was original, the main characters Noah and Lara were kidnapped and dropped off in a forest middle of nowhere. They were given 72 hours to find a way out/prepare themselves before the sadistic madman would start hunting them.
Now for the things I liked less. Firstly, the length of the story was in my opinion short and it was fast-paced, which made it difficult for me to completely connect to the characters. I did love that the author included a couple of short flashbacks, because that gave a good view into Noah and Lara's previous relationship and why they broke up. Also the reason they broke up was very cliche, it shows again why communication is very important and you shouldn't just assume things.
I was glad that the suspense element was highlighted. There are many Romantic Suspense books that are 25% suspense and 75% romance. Which in my opinion is just a Romance book. But for this book it was pretty even, maybe slightly more suspense (which I love!). However I didn't like the villain that much, at times he came across as an amateur and other times as a calculated killer. But I think that is probably because of my knowledge of some really messed up, evil and very skilled killers. So my expectations were a bit higher for the villain. Overall a very solid Romantic Suspense story and I hope the author will write more books in this genre.
March 17, 2017
ARC provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
This is so different then all previous Bella Jewel's books... it was really refresing.
Even though romantic suspense is not my favorite sub genre, I read it from time to time, and I can highly recommend it to everyone who likes it.
I loved the blurb, so I had to dig in immediately.
I would say that the story is a bit twisted, and at times I was like, damn! what is happening here?
So, we have two ex-lovers Lara and Noah who basically find themselves in a nightmare from hell. They are trying to escape a psycho serial killer. After two years together, they split up and some months after they stumble upon each other again... but this time, circumstances are a bit different. Aside from their strained relations, there is still something between them.
I don't want to spoil anything, but if you do like some suspence in your reads, grab this one!
It will keep you on the edge of your seat from beginning to the end.
This is so different then all previous Bella Jewel's books... it was really refresing.
Even though romantic suspense is not my favorite sub genre, I read it from time to time, and I can highly recommend it to everyone who likes it.
I loved the blurb, so I had to dig in immediately.
I would say that the story is a bit twisted, and at times I was like, damn! what is happening here?
So, we have two ex-lovers Lara and Noah who basically find themselves in a nightmare from hell. They are trying to escape a psycho serial killer. After two years together, they split up and some months after they stumble upon each other again... but this time, circumstances are a bit different. Aside from their strained relations, there is still something between them.
I don't want to spoil anything, but if you do like some suspence in your reads, grab this one!
It will keep you on the edge of your seat from beginning to the end.
June 11, 2017
Lara is not the same person she was a few months ago. The bright self-assured, confident, take no prisoners Lara has been reduced to a quiet mouse following the death of her Nana, for which Lara blames herself. On top of that, she walks in on the man she loves and has lived with for 2 years, and sees a beautiful woman sitting on Noah's lap kissing him. Feeling that she wasn't good enough for him, she runs....
Months later she bumps into him but she's still refusing to take his calls, declining to walk to him at all. Noah is feeling pretty frustrated and angry that she won't let him explain.
Meanwhile, they don't know they are being stalked by a vicious serial killer... and he decides that Lara and Noah are the perfect victims for him. He wants them to play a game with him.
Noah and Lara find themselves drugged, captured, and left in a huge wooded area. The killer tells them there is only one rule ..... they have 72 hours to run, hide, find a way out before he starts hunting them.
What follows is a harrowing, terrorizing cat and mouse game. Lara is going to have to find the 'old' Lara to survive. And she and Noah are going to have to bury their old feelings and work together if they want to survive.
CAUTION: LANGUAGE, EXPLICIT SEX
I have found that Romantic Suspense is sometimes a hit/miss endeavor. The author balanced the two sides of the coin very well. Both characters have issues and have been damaged in one way or another. Noah is not a super hero by any means, but he is caring and extremely protective of Lara. Suffering from PSTD, he has to learn to lean on her. And Lara has to step up to the plate in order to help Noah.
The human hunting kept me on edge and rapidly turning pages to see what would happen next. I look forward to the next stand-alone book in this series ... THE WATCHER.
Many thanks to the author / St. Martin's Press / Netgalley for the digital copy. Opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.
Months later she bumps into him but she's still refusing to take his calls, declining to walk to him at all. Noah is feeling pretty frustrated and angry that she won't let him explain.
Meanwhile, they don't know they are being stalked by a vicious serial killer... and he decides that Lara and Noah are the perfect victims for him. He wants them to play a game with him.
Noah and Lara find themselves drugged, captured, and left in a huge wooded area. The killer tells them there is only one rule ..... they have 72 hours to run, hide, find a way out before he starts hunting them.
What follows is a harrowing, terrorizing cat and mouse game. Lara is going to have to find the 'old' Lara to survive. And she and Noah are going to have to bury their old feelings and work together if they want to survive.
CAUTION: LANGUAGE, EXPLICIT SEX
I have found that Romantic Suspense is sometimes a hit/miss endeavor. The author balanced the two sides of the coin very well. Both characters have issues and have been damaged in one way or another. Noah is not a super hero by any means, but he is caring and extremely protective of Lara. Suffering from PSTD, he has to learn to lean on her. And Lara has to step up to the plate in order to help Noah.
The human hunting kept me on edge and rapidly turning pages to see what would happen next. I look forward to the next stand-alone book in this series ... THE WATCHER.
Many thanks to the author / St. Martin's Press / Netgalley for the digital copy. Opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.
April 2, 2017
The suspense in this book just about killed me. I wasn't sure what was going to happen, how it could be resolved, who was the bad guy - I couldn't guess any of it! This was super suspenseful and even had a little steam and romance. I enjoyed this one!
April 9, 2017
3 Stars
Well, here we are, girls, with the dreaded 3 star "meh" rating. I am so dissappointed I can't give this one a higher rating.
✔ The blurb was original and sounded thrilling as hell
✔ That cover got me pumped
✔ I've never read a Bella Jewel book so what a great way chance to start
✔ It's traditionally published so I'm assuming that made it even better? (I know... I know... my bad)
Anyway guys, I was expecting high octane thrills but I was left with the aural equivalent of a whoopie cushion. The characters were sadly paper thin. I never fully connected with the hero. We don't get a lot of backstory other than Noah being a firefighter (I think I understood this correctly?) and he's been stalking Lara for months so that she can give him a chance to explain why he was liplocked with a woman on his lap when she walked into his office impromptu.
Not that Lara wants any explanation whatsoever. If there's something I HATE in a book is the BIG MISUNDERSTANDING trope. Just hear the guy out FFS.
Turns out Lara, our heroine, is a TSTL (too stupid to live) heroine, solely responsible for her grandmother's demise because of her reckless behavior and blabber mouth and since then she's been wrestling her own demons and considers herself unworthy of love.
I could not stand Lara. Not because she was "weak" or grieving for her nanna, but because she kept putting herself in the most stupid, risky positions all through the time they were at the mercy of the psycho villain that kidnaps both her and Noah.
But perhaps the biggest let down of this book was the villain. I was expecting a major WOW twist and I got nothing. I won't go further into explaining this because there's no point, but I was sorely mistaken to expect some big revelation that would shock and surprise me.
MEH is seriously the best word I could possibly use to describe this book. Please understand this doesn't mean this is a bad book per se. And this is just my own opinion, so hey, it's not like it's God's word so take what you will of this review. Take it with a grain of salt or a huge chunk of it. But I wanted so much more from such a cool premise.
It's a decent book if you have like two hours to burn through and have literally nothing better to do with your life. Ouchie.
ARC PROVIDED IN EXCHANGE FOR AN HONEST REVIEW
Well, here we are, girls, with the dreaded 3 star "meh" rating. I am so dissappointed I can't give this one a higher rating.
✔ The blurb was original and sounded thrilling as hell
✔ That cover got me pumped
✔ I've never read a Bella Jewel book so what a great way chance to start
✔ It's traditionally published so I'm assuming that made it even better? (I know... I know... my bad)
Anyway guys, I was expecting high octane thrills but I was left with the aural equivalent of a whoopie cushion. The characters were sadly paper thin. I never fully connected with the hero. We don't get a lot of backstory other than Noah being a firefighter (I think I understood this correctly?) and he's been stalking Lara for months so that she can give him a chance to explain why he was liplocked with a woman on his lap when she walked into his office impromptu.
Not that Lara wants any explanation whatsoever. If there's something I HATE in a book is the BIG MISUNDERSTANDING trope. Just hear the guy out FFS.
Turns out Lara, our heroine, is a TSTL (too stupid to live) heroine, solely responsible for her grandmother's demise because of her reckless behavior and blabber mouth and since then she's been wrestling her own demons and considers herself unworthy of love.
I could not stand Lara. Not because she was "weak" or grieving for her nanna, but because she kept putting herself in the most stupid, risky positions all through the time they were at the mercy of the psycho villain that kidnaps both her and Noah.
But perhaps the biggest let down of this book was the villain. I was expecting a major WOW twist and I got nothing. I won't go further into explaining this because there's no point, but I was sorely mistaken to expect some big revelation that would shock and surprise me.
MEH is seriously the best word I could possibly use to describe this book. Please understand this doesn't mean this is a bad book per se. And this is just my own opinion, so hey, it's not like it's God's word so take what you will of this review. Take it with a grain of salt or a huge chunk of it. But I wanted so much more from such a cool premise.
It's a decent book if you have like two hours to burn through and have literally nothing better to do with your life. Ouchie.
ARC PROVIDED IN EXCHANGE FOR AN HONEST REVIEW
April 3, 2017
72 Hours is a gripping intense journey that pulls you in, intrigues your mind, and makes you keep turning pages in search of answers.
I have always been a huge fan of Bella’s writing style and her unique and beautiful ability to adapt words to action. She writes a scene in such a way that it plays like a movie scene in your mind. Her attention to detail is impeccable. It’s not always easy to get that right. Sometimes it is way overdone and I find myself skipping over parts or there is not enough and I find myself not connecting well. That has never been the case with Ms. Jewel, and it’s one of the reasons I just devour her stories.
This story is shared in multiple POV’s. Laura and Noah were each given a voice as well as their captor. It adds a lot of layers to the story and opens the plot to engage the reader and hook them in.
The story shuffles from past tense to the present to give you a chance to understand Noah and Lara’s history. They were together for a few years prior to a misunderstanding breakup that lasted a few months before they are forced into a game with a psycho.
Once they are forced together they have no choice but to fight for their survival. Their connection becomes unbreakable and you can’t help but to hope they have a chance for future outside of the hell they were dropped into.
The bulk of this story is about the72 hour game they are forced to play. They are given 72 hours to live and then they will be hunted and killed. The brutal heart wrenching scenarios that evolve as they try to outsmart him and escape is torture to read, but fully engages you as a reader and pulls you in hard.
I won’t give any further information away about what happens in the game. It needs to be experienced reading it in its entirety so it doesn’t take away from the plot, but it’s intense and is near impossible to put down.
I would have liked to have had a little more information of Bryce, the captor. I understand he is a sick twisted individual, but it doesn’t go into a lot of detail as why he chose these two to play his game. He had this planned for a long time and exerted a lot of time plotting their demise, and I just felt like his background or motives were not really clear.
Overall, this is a great read with a lot of suspense. It’s quite dark though. I know it’s labeled romantic suspense, but there really isn’t any romance. The couple starts the story being broken up and are forced into this game together. They eventually become a power couple you can’t help but to love, and there are a few sexy moments sprinkled throughout that are great and help build the powerful connection the main characters need. However, in my opinion it’s more of a suspense thriller with a love story entwined in the background.
Review copy provided for a voluntary review.
August 3, 2018
I’d had my eye on this one for a little while. The premise sounded exactly like the car crash lifetime movies I occasionally like to watch (guilty pleasures..) so I gave it a go.
It was exactly as I thought, a fast paced, slightly far fetched, romantic thriller and I really bloody liked it!
Once Noah and Lara were deposited into the woods by a man dubbed ‘the psycho’ I was on edge with each page I turned. It seemed there was little to zero hope for either of them. Sadder still, they had just reconciled (much to the psychos dismay) only to potentially have it taken away. I practically raced through this one, dying to know how it ended.
I’ve a few questions though. How did they have the energy to do what they were doing with literally no food?
They’re on the brink of death yet he still manages to find time to give her an orgasm?
They head up the trees for safety and a hiding place, except they’d have to climb past the cameras to even get up there?
Like I said it’s far fetched.
4 stars 🌟 it might have had 5 if it wasn’t for the few discrepancies. As it goes though, it was a fast paced read packed with suspense that I could hardly put down. Bella is certainly on my radar now.
It was exactly as I thought, a fast paced, slightly far fetched, romantic thriller and I really bloody liked it!
Once Noah and Lara were deposited into the woods by a man dubbed ‘the psycho’ I was on edge with each page I turned. It seemed there was little to zero hope for either of them. Sadder still, they had just reconciled (much to the psychos dismay) only to potentially have it taken away. I practically raced through this one, dying to know how it ended.
I’ve a few questions though. How did they have the energy to do what they were doing with literally no food?
They’re on the brink of death yet he still manages to find time to give her an orgasm?
They head up the trees for safety and a hiding place, except they’d have to climb past the cameras to even get up there?
Like I said it’s far fetched.
4 stars 🌟 it might have had 5 if it wasn’t for the few discrepancies. As it goes though, it was a fast paced read packed with suspense that I could hardly put down. Bella is certainly on my radar now.
April 4, 2017
~4~ Suspenseful stars from me!!
I really enjoyed reading this suspenseful thriller, this story is going to "force" you to hold your breaths from the twists, the agony, and the suspense.
Two people will be forced into an environment with a sick villain who is going to test their sanity, play with their emotions and we can see how two ordinary people change and think completely different from what they used to and what they are willing to do in order to survive, as you know from the blurb they broke up after an event and the current situation will bring them close enough to question many things about their relationship...the question is are they willing enough to leave
their ego aside and work together to beat the villain in his own game??? Well, you have to read it in order to learn that and much more......
Page after page the mystery unravels steadily creating more suspense and as a result making it even more interesting, on the other hand, Noah and Lara will evolve as characters faster than we used to see because of the limited time they have in this nightmare. With that been said and without wanting to spoil anything I'll stop here and I will emphasize that this is a story that you can't stop reading 'till you reach the end and finally see what will happen. So I certainly recommend it and I'm looking forward to reading the next story the author will create.
ARC kindly provided via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review!
I really enjoyed reading this suspenseful thriller, this story is going to "force" you to hold your breaths from the twists, the agony, and the suspense.
Two people will be forced into an environment with a sick villain who is going to test their sanity, play with their emotions and we can see how two ordinary people change and think completely different from what they used to and what they are willing to do in order to survive, as you know from the blurb they broke up after an event and the current situation will bring them close enough to question many things about their relationship...the question is are they willing enough to leave
their ego aside and work together to beat the villain in his own game??? Well, you have to read it in order to learn that and much more......
Page after page the mystery unravels steadily creating more suspense and as a result making it even more interesting, on the other hand, Noah and Lara will evolve as characters faster than we used to see because of the limited time they have in this nightmare. With that been said and without wanting to spoil anything I'll stop here and I will emphasize that this is a story that you can't stop reading 'till you reach the end and finally see what will happen. So I certainly recommend it and I'm looking forward to reading the next story the author will create.
ARC kindly provided via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review!
December 1, 2017
This is such a heart pounding, fast paced story that kept my attention. If I had the block of time, I would have read this in one sitting. What a scary situation that made me think of Criminal Minds or a movie. Very well written and brought out several emotions in me.
September 10, 2021
My favorite part was a bit before the ending and forward. It really want on my emotions and I was so worried about them and how they would manged everything. In a way it feels so real depiction on how people would react and such to what happened in the book. The last few chapters was worth a star alone
May 1, 2017
Great idea, not so great execution. I wish I had enjoyed it more.
Full review on Birdie Bookworm!
Full review on Birdie Bookworm!
December 10, 2017
Noah and Lara broke up when she walked in on him with another woman. He tries to explain what she saw, but she won't give him the time of day. Now, three months later, the two of them are captured, drugged, and left in a heavily wooded area. A note from their captor tells them that they have 72 hours to escape, before he hunts them down. How are two people who can't stand to be around each other going to work together to get out of this alive?
There were some things I liked about this story and some I didn't care for. I really liked the suspense. I had a hard time putting this book down. I kept trying to guess how Noah and Lara were going to escape from a killer.
The story was told from both Lara's and the killer's points of view. That just didn't work for me. I wanted to know what Noah was thinking through all of this. I think it would have made the romance portions of the book more interesting. I didn't care what the killer thought. Most of his portions of the story were just him thinking to himself how the couple would never make it out alive. I had no idea why he decided to do this. Was it his hobby? Had he done it before? With no motive for this character, he felt like a cartoon character who was wringing his hands and laughing maniacally. My rating: 3.5 Stars.
There were some things I liked about this story and some I didn't care for. I really liked the suspense. I had a hard time putting this book down. I kept trying to guess how Noah and Lara were going to escape from a killer.
The story was told from both Lara's and the killer's points of view. That just didn't work for me. I wanted to know what Noah was thinking through all of this. I think it would have made the romance portions of the book more interesting. I didn't care what the killer thought. Most of his portions of the story were just him thinking to himself how the couple would never make it out alive. I had no idea why he decided to do this. Was it his hobby? Had he done it before? With no motive for this character, he felt like a cartoon character who was wringing his hands and laughing maniacally. My rating: 3.5 Stars.
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