The Space Between Our Hearts

by Kat Evans

Stephanie Scruggs is a tough girl. At the height of her career, she was a top female professional athlete by day and an officer for the Atlanta PD by night--until an injury took her off the field and out of the force. For four years, she worked to reestablish herself as a private investigator in her hometown of Macon, Ga. And it looks like all her hard work finally paid off when a high profile case unexpectedly falls in her lap. Taylor Ross may have grown up privileged, but she faced more than her fair share of heartache and loss when she was convicted of a crime she didn’t commit. In a last ditch effort to clear her name, Taylor enlists the help of a virtually unknown private eye, whose sexy body and soft lips make her forget all about her ex-lover’s betrayal and the ticking clock on her freedom. Passion ignites between the polar opposites on the trail of a serial killer. But the question Who really killed Claire Ross?

Genres: Mystery, Romance, LGBT, Lesbian, Crime

185 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 12, 2016

About the author

Kat Evans is the new voice in Lesbian Romance. Kat's stories are characterized by intrigue and witty dialogue with an undercurrent of chemistry that leaps off the pages into the heart of the reader. Before gaining success as a writer, Kat worked as an Executive Director in the non-profit arena. Kat is a children's rights activist, coffee lover, champagne sipper, oyster seeker, and hope-"ful" romantic. When Kat isn't writing, she is chasing after her two toddlers and remodeling their family home. For more information, contact Kat at katevansnovels@gmail.com

Reviews

[lov2laf · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'll admit the opening chapter grabbed me. However, the book went downhill from there. I almost DNF'd it but I borrowed the book and wanted to finish it.

I found the first half of the book more palatable than the last. The melodrama was more limited and my major contention was the lead character being a cocky private investigator that I couldn't bring myself to like. She's a self-admitting former womanizer who has since settled some. I think she's supposed to be desirable to us readers but "smarmy", "arrogant", and "ass" are more the adjectives I'd use by the time I got to the end of the book. Granted, I know I'm probably being harsh. If cocky butches with leering smiles and egos the size of blimps are your thing, go for it.

Stephanie, the Arrogant One, is the lone investigator willing to take on Taylor's case, though, when no one else will. Taylor's been accused of her own daughter's murder and is out on appeal and will do anything to find the real killer. And, since the femme has "Taylor" as her name, yes I was stereotypical and kept getting Stephanie and Taylor mixed up as to who was who. "Stevie" or "Steph" would've helped here.

The mystery itself isn't actually bad. It's decent. The FBI and police angles were even plausible (to my non-criminal background self). But, throwing Taylor and Stephanie together for a romance...it didn't feel right. It was a combo of everything I don't like: initial infidelity, insta-love, forced breakups, conflicts of interest, and an unlikeable lead. When the sex scene actually hit I stopped reading because my repulsion factor was so high.

And then once Stephanie and Taylor were together, the melodrama kicked into high gear all over the place, escalating into the Land of Cheesy. Both dialogue and situations just got worse and worse to me.

My red flags were in the beginning of the story, though. When Stephanie's internal monologue used the word "Bazinga!" upon seeing Taylor it made me think of cartoon eyeballs coming out of a skull. And then Stephanie essentially forces Taylor to arm herself with a gun when, what was it, it was only the second time they ever met? Maybe the third? No questions asked, no warning that Stephanie was taking Taylor to a gun shop. A gun is a big responsibility regardless of the situation and is a topic that should at least be broached with a person before they're spontaneously asked to pick their firearm. It's just weird.

I nearly forgot about this part but Stephanie also has an odd take on bisexuals:

“I’ve never dated a bisexual woman. Not even in college. They always just seemed confused to me. One day they’re straight, the next day they’re gay. A week later they’re straight again. It’s just weird. Guess I prefer a woman who has her shit together, ya know.”

It absolutely rubbed me the wrong way. Stephanie essentially overcomes her prejudice because she's so attracted to Taylor but her thought process isn't challenged. Argh.

Also, know there there are some editorial issues in the book, too, if that's a peeve. The plausibility factor here with both dialogue and situations is what killed it for me. It would've been much better without the romance.

If you're curious, the ratio of mystery to romance is about 50/50 and Taylor is a sexually fluid character.

I'll say if you like murder mysteries and melodrama then you may like this but I can't recommend this one.

[Lex Kent · Rating 4 out of 5]

A nice quick read with a satisfying mystery. I enjoyed this, and won't hesitate to read another book by Evans. The story is about a women, Taylor, who is out on appeal for murdering her daughter. She hires an investigation team, lead by Stephanie, to prove her innocents and find her daughters killer. Steph doesn't know if she will find the killer or prove Taylor is guilty, but with Taylor expected to be re-arrested shortly, time is of the essence.
As I said above, I thought the mystery was good. I thought it had a nice slow build and the clues fell together realistically. It really felt like you were watching a murder case be cracked.
The romance was decent. It started off slow, but kind of jumped fast to the "I love yous". I could have used a little m0re relationship building in between. But, considering the length of the book, Evans didn't have all day to make this happen.
If you are looking for a fast read with a good mystery at the heart of it, give this book a chance.

[C · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked this book though the ending left me a bit wanting. It did such a great job developing not just the romance but also the suspense...and then it just ended. No fall out from the previous obstacle, no begging for forgiveness, and so forth. Just...it's done. But other than that, the book was really good. You feel for the main character, Taylor Ross, who was wrongly accused of murdering her daughter. You find out little tidbits about her time in jail and I really wish they elaborated on it more but oh well. She falls into a whirlwind romance with the PI hired to help her, Stephanie Scruggs. I do wish there was more character development not only on the main characters but the supporting ones as well. I think it would have helped the book along but it was still really good and an easy read. Not too heavy on the romance, not too heavy on the crime, and not too heavy on anything else really. Easy read and still a good one.

[Kelly · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars, this is the second book I've read by this author. I did really enjoy her other book the domme trainer but this one kinda fell flat. The mystery aspect was intriguing. I had a hard time connecting with either main character stephanie(butch womanizer P.I.) or Taylor (fluid former murder suspect). There seemed to be a bit of bisexual prejudice against Taylor. This is a quick read & I have another book of this author's to read as well. Currently this is a KU book option

[Musa · Rating 3 out of 5]

As a romance/ suspense novel at this length, this story and the plot is actually quite well balanced. The author did quite a good job fleshing out the characters and portrait the emotions/ reaction of a person who's been in the system for years. I've actually enjoyed the romantic plot quite a bit. As to the suspense portion - I personally felt the plot needs to be a bit more convincing. The issue wasn't when Stephanie was on the case to this murder mystery, but how Taylor was convicted in the first place and why it took five years to unearth something which seemed reasonably obvious. Having said that, this is still a very decent read, 3.5 stars overall.

[BookFiend17 · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Space Between Our Hearts by Kat Evans is an extremely enjoyable mystery read. It’s a well-paced whodunit that follows Taylor and her private investigator Stephanie. There is also the romance element that develops between Taylor and Stephanie and I found it sexy and enjoyable. I think I would say most of the focus is on the mystery part of the story. There was one issue that I would’ve liked to have been shown to the reader and that was the resolution after the blow-up/argument, but I’m going to assume it took place “off-screen”. I found this book to be a quick read and I would love to read more from Evans. I would very much recommend The Space Between Our Hearts by Kat Evans.

[MizLiz · Rating 3 out of 5]

Decent mystery, just did not pull me in too much.

[Doreen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Short romance/mystery. The book is more of a story outline than a novel. The writing was good, the mystery was hurried and the love story was silly.

A private investigating team solve a complex crime spree by a serial killer which occurred over several years and in different states. Heroic, of course, but unbelievable. A romance arose just as easily as falling off a log. While breaking off a four year relationship, Stephanie is working a major crime as well as her usual case work. How does she have enough time, energy or attention to take on a new lover? She's just gone back to living with father in her troubled childhood home and took her dog with her. Her pro bono client/lover might be a murderer, or straight, or bisexual, and isn't even her type. Taylor hasn't got much of a bio of her own other than having been a cheerleader, a beauty pageant winner, a stay at home mom and a convicted child killer. Her ex is greedy, her parents are wealthy, her prison girlfriend is M.I.A. and her four year old daughter is mothered by another woman.

Since both the plotline and characters were weak, the mystery and romance come together too easily. Serious conflicts of every type were whisked off magically. It is not bad as lightweight entertainment. Whether that is good enough is up to each reader.

[Nolly Frances Sepulveda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love Wins the day

This was a wonderful, mini suspenseful romance that showed the love and courage of a mother determined to right a wrong. Stephanie and Taylor's story was warm, at times humorous, a bit suspenseful and finally rewarding. The romance between the two was a good healing balm for both women and Love won out.

[Anja · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars (because of the ending, everything felt a bit rushed). Nice built-up though!

[Nicky Sol · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had no idea it is a self-published book until I did a little research on Kat Evans, and this is why I give it more credit and encourage such beautiful writings.
 
I had no idea it is a self-published book until I did a little research on Kat Evans, and this is why I give it more credit and encourage such beautiful writings.
 
I had no idea it is a self-published book until I did a little research on Kat Evans, and this is why I give it more credit and encourage such beautiful writings.
The write is smooth and silky as a caress, not having the roughness of a detective story.
The two main characters are Taylor Ross and Stephanie Scruggs.
Taylor Ross is the soft half of the whole “love-being” the author wanted to create. She holds many  features I love, like her innocence regarding people’s intentions, her little life experience, her confusion regarding her sexuality or her sexual choices, her bisexuality, her clothes, her make-up, the cross necklace. The reader feels somehow closer to Taylor, than to Stephanie.
She seems soft, yet she is strong, she is a woman and a mother, that loves her children very much, she has even become too thoughtful regarding the care of her children, even over-protective towards her daughter Claire. That is why I found it very intriguing when we go along the storyline and her daughter is kidnapped while she is taking a shower, careless for a couple of minutes, she becomes the main suspect, of her daughter’s death. The reader doesn’t know if she is guilty or not, that is the author’s credit. She is accused of her daughter’s kidnapping and death and she spends five years in prison, on a far from clean case with indirect/ inconclusive proves. Even, Taylor’s ex-husband, Matt, believes her guilty and blames her for their daughter’s death during her moments of careless.
Another turning point in the book is Taylor’s relationship with Beth, which happens in prison and somehow, Beth becomes Taylor’s protector and lover. Beth gets out of prison and promises to visit Taylor and after she gets out to, to spend their lives together, yet after the first month Beth breaks every contact with Taylor and she can’t get a hold of her anymore, not even after Taylor gets out of prison. We can say she knows what is like to kiss another woman, but she doesn’t know how it is like to live with one, nor to have a relationship with her. She is confused, she doesn’t want to know if she can be with a man or with a woman, until she meets Stephanie, she feels weird around Stephanie and doesn’t understand why and has certain feelings towards her, like butterflies in her belly and the need to touch her, kiss her and being touched and kissed in exchange.
Check the whole review on link :
https://inkmarksonemptydreams.com/201...

[Zayne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kind of a slow-burn romance with some ice queen elements in there and I liked the main cast as well as the supporting characters, but I felt it was a bit stilted sometimes. Like it would flow, but it wouldn't be an even flow throughout chapters. A little choppy here and there. Not bad at all, but I found myself not really liking the not Kat Evans' best work to date. This is another story that takes place in a city, Macon Georgia, and I liked the brief descriptive nature of the city. It's pretty much like an instant attraction story, but also a bit different because it deals with a unique case involving a PI, the main character, and this other woman, Taylor Ross, who's been wronged and wants to clear her name, but things happen when two beauties who fancy each other begin to feel each other's heat (literally and metaphorically).

[Joc · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was looking forward to a story that was more than a simple romance. Taylor Ross' daughter disappears in the 10 minutes she takes to have a shower. A couple of days later her body is found and Taylor is convicted and imprisoned. Five years later she is released pending an appeal and seeks out the help of private investigator Stephanie Scruggs to find the real murderer of her daughter. This has all the markings of a really good thriller and in some parts Kat Evans succeeded.

Stephanie as a character is better than a cardboard cutout PI. Taylor has the makings of a good love interest and victim of injustice. Unfortunately the story just didn't quite get there for me.

The anguish of her husband failing to support her and then having her parental rights revoked on the birth of her second child in prison wasn't used effectively. The concept of people who supposedly love you stopping believing in your innocence was barely touched on.

That said, it was a good enough read which had some pretty tense moments but lacked the heart-wrenching drama of a novel like Give Me A Reason.

[Tiffany Arnold · Rating 5 out of 5]

Quite romantic

This book made a situation that normally wouldn’t be and created a beautiful romance. I loved how strong Taylor was because she was tough enough to stand up for what she wanted. Awesome read!

[Christine Reid · Rating 5 out of 5]

Omg wow what a fantastic storyline

Omg wow what a fantastic storyline it pulls your heart right out of your chest you go through every emotion with this book I couldn't put it down.

[April · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good thriller

Fun read. Good mystery, sweet romance & quite the nail biter for the ending. Great summer read so pack this one for the beach.

[Kathrin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great story.

Thanks for not making Taylor the victim again. I do feel strongly Brandy was a poser. Like most women in prison. That need to be the Dom in the relationship. Mostly cause whatever got them they're. Prison Lesbians are kind of sad. Understandable but sad. Yet jealous gardes r worse.

[Michelle Bradley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kat Evans is an incredibly talented writer. She has captured the emotional and physical intimacy that can exist only between two women in language that speaks to the heart. Her characters are well developed. They are classy, sassy, sometimes a bit smart-assy and sexy as they can be. The story line is one that holds you tight from the Prologue until the very last page. She successfully blends romance and suspense with enough twists and turns to keep you hanging just a bit. Breathtakingly beautiful, suspenseful and heartwarming all rolled into one. A great read. I highly recommend this new author and look forward to Kat Evans' next novel.

[Sascha Broich · Rating 4 out of 5]

While the story was conclusive, one major problem stands out: the lie detector result. How this inefficient device and the "inconclusive result" could lead an experienced PI to such an extreme action is beyond me.
Also the hangup of the district attorney and police around that single report seems strange.
The author should have thought about an other reason to include some action - of could have done even without it altogether.

[Faraona del sol]

Excellent story

First book I read from this author, I simply loved it. A mix of romance and psychological thriller... Stephanie and Taylor, like worlds apart colliding....to become the greatest love!!!!

[Heather Henkel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good book

I enjoyed the story. I liked the mystery solving and the hunt for the killer but also the twists and turns. Taylor proved to be one hell of a woman!

[Qu · Rating 3 out of 5]

Blah

It lacked depth. Book was to short and the sex scenes mind as well have not even been there. Predictable.

[Jenn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not my favorite Kat Evans book but still a good mystery. The love story was cute if a bit unbelievable. Quick, easy read, worth the Kindle price.