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Burned
Burned (A Southern Romantic Suspense Novel)
Fans of LDS and Christian fiction will love this clean romance that takes place in the South.
Sydney Lassiter has the perfect life—glamour, wealth, and all the high-society status to go with it. But something is tell her that she needs to return to the sleepy little town of Stoney Creek, Alabama where she grew up. She hasn’t been there since her father was killed in a boating accident—or was he murdered? She takes a job as a safety consultant at the local sawmill—the same place where her father worked—and sets out to discover the truth about his death.
In Stoney Creek, you don’t ask the kinds of questions Sydney is asking. There are too many secrets—secrets that someone will do anything to keep hidden. To complicate matters, Sydney becomes enmeshed in a confusing love quadrangle involving two men, and the other woman, who seems to want both of them. And both men seem to have some connection to the death of her father.
The closer Sydney gets to the truth, the more it seems that her quest could destroy not only her but the people and town she has come to love.
Fans of LDS and Christian fiction will love this clean romance that takes place in the South.
Sydney Lassiter has the perfect life—glamour, wealth, and all the high-society status to go with it. But something is tell her that she needs to return to the sleepy little town of Stoney Creek, Alabama where she grew up. She hasn’t been there since her father was killed in a boating accident—or was he murdered? She takes a job as a safety consultant at the local sawmill—the same place where her father worked—and sets out to discover the truth about his death.
In Stoney Creek, you don’t ask the kinds of questions Sydney is asking. There are too many secrets—secrets that someone will do anything to keep hidden. To complicate matters, Sydney becomes enmeshed in a confusing love quadrangle involving two men, and the other woman, who seems to want both of them. And both men seem to have some connection to the death of her father.
The closer Sydney gets to the truth, the more it seems that her quest could destroy not only her but the people and town she has come to love.
584 pages, Paperback
Published March 5, 2017
616 people are currently reading
300 people want to read
About the author
Jennifer Youngblood
175 books783 followersJennifer loves reading and writing clean romance. She believes that happily ever after is not just for stories. Jennifer enjoys interior design, rollerblading, clogging, jogging, and chocolate. In Jennifer’s opinion there are few ills that can’t be solved with a warm brownie and scoop of vanilla-bean ice cream.
Jennifer grew up in rural Alabama and loved living in a town where “everybody knows everybody.” Her love for writing began as a young teenager when she wrote stories for her high school English teacher to critique.
Jennifer has a BA in English and Social Sciences from Brigham Young University Hawaii where she served as Miss BYU Hawaii. Before becoming an author, she worked as the owner and editor of a monthly newspaper named The Senior Times.
She now lives in the Rocky Mountains with her family and spends her time writing and doing all of the wonderful things that make up the life of a busy wife and mother.
Jennifer grew up in rural Alabama and loved living in a town where “everybody knows everybody.” Her love for writing began as a young teenager when she wrote stories for her high school English teacher to critique.
Jennifer has a BA in English and Social Sciences from Brigham Young University Hawaii where she served as Miss BYU Hawaii. Before becoming an author, she worked as the owner and editor of a monthly newspaper named The Senior Times.
She now lives in the Rocky Mountains with her family and spends her time writing and doing all of the wonderful things that make up the life of a busy wife and mother.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 54 reviews
March 28, 2017
Fun book- full of mild tension, mystery and suspense. I liked it! I had it figured out pretty early on but I doubted myself a couple times. :)
Content: Mild violence
I picked this up when it was free on Amazon but it's on Kindle Unlimited as well.
Content: Mild violence
I picked this up when it was free on Amazon but it's on Kindle Unlimited as well.
July 2, 2017
WHOA! I can't even. . . WOW! I had the most number of pages on my list of books and it read so fast. I had two things figured out pretty quick being a writer and knowing how to write certain things I picked those two things out pretty quick BUT I was still stunned how other things worked out. IT was a mind blowing game all enclosed in a blood racing, mind churning book. SO AWESOME!
March 22, 2016
It had some good qualities
I did enjoy this book. But I think Sydney was a little disjointed as a character. We are led to believe that she had this eagle eye focus to complete an education to bring down the sawmill that killed her father. But when she gets to town she is constantly vacillating in her focus on that task and on her choice if man. I did like that it was clean. And it did hold my attention to finish. I will not likely read any more from this author. For those who pick this because it was categorized as Christian, be aware that the author is Mormon.
I did enjoy this book. But I think Sydney was a little disjointed as a character. We are led to believe that she had this eagle eye focus to complete an education to bring down the sawmill that killed her father. But when she gets to town she is constantly vacillating in her focus on that task and on her choice if man. I did like that it was clean. And it did hold my attention to finish. I will not likely read any more from this author. For those who pick this because it was categorized as Christian, be aware that the author is Mormon.
July 11, 2017
Burned (A Southern Romantic Suspense Novel)
Sydney Lassiter has the perfect life—glamour, wealth, and all the high-society status to go with it. But something is tell her that she needs to return to the sleepy little town of Stoney Creek, Alabama where she grew up. She hasn’t been there since her father was killed in a boating accident—or was he murdered? She takes a job as a safety consultant at the local sawmill—the same place where her father worked—and sets out to discover the truth about his death.
In Stoney Creek, you don’t ask the kinds of questions Sydney is asking. There are too many secrets—secrets that someone will do anything to keep hidden. To complicate matters, Sydney becomes enmeshed in a confusing love quadrangle involving two men, and the other woman, who seems to want both of them. And both men seem to have some connection to the death of her father.
The closer Sydney gets to the truth, the more it seems that her quest could destroy not only her but the people and town she has come to love.
Suspense, yes. Romance – not so much.
This is the second book by this author I’ve read. The first was ‘False Identity’ which was the perfect mix of emotion, angst and suspense with a thread of romance running through the story. So this story was a little disappointing. It was good enough, though, that I will still be checking out more by this author.
This is a good story, but very long and drawn out. It didn’t become a page turner until about 85% of the way through the nearly 600 pages. It took me nearly 10 days for me to read it because it was so easy to set down – but still in the end it proved to be a good story.
The characters had a lot of depth; maybe too much depth at times – making the book a lot longer and making it drag on at times.
I feel like I had Kendall and Sean figured out early on – even though there was room for doubt at times. And sometimes I wondered if the reveal would ever happen. I really felt that Cindy, a.k.a. Sydney, was too smart a girl to date a creep like that. There was nothing romantic at all there. She seemed to spend a lot of time following her feelings, but her feelings seemed to be all over the place and not to be trusted.
There is definitely a good degree of mystery here. So many characters and so hard to tell the good guys from the bad.
Lastly, this has to be the most backwards, uneducated town ever. I definitely tired of hearing what felt like exaggerated uneducated speech from everybody in that town. Thar just ain’t no bodies ‘round these parts dat got no schoolin’ atall.
I really do believe it is a good story even though I felt frustrated while reading it as I wondered if anything would ever actually happen. And like I said, I will be checking out more by this author.
Sydney Lassiter has the perfect life—glamour, wealth, and all the high-society status to go with it. But something is tell her that she needs to return to the sleepy little town of Stoney Creek, Alabama where she grew up. She hasn’t been there since her father was killed in a boating accident—or was he murdered? She takes a job as a safety consultant at the local sawmill—the same place where her father worked—and sets out to discover the truth about his death.
In Stoney Creek, you don’t ask the kinds of questions Sydney is asking. There are too many secrets—secrets that someone will do anything to keep hidden. To complicate matters, Sydney becomes enmeshed in a confusing love quadrangle involving two men, and the other woman, who seems to want both of them. And both men seem to have some connection to the death of her father.
The closer Sydney gets to the truth, the more it seems that her quest could destroy not only her but the people and town she has come to love.
Suspense, yes. Romance – not so much.
This is the second book by this author I’ve read. The first was ‘False Identity’ which was the perfect mix of emotion, angst and suspense with a thread of romance running through the story. So this story was a little disappointing. It was good enough, though, that I will still be checking out more by this author.
This is a good story, but very long and drawn out. It didn’t become a page turner until about 85% of the way through the nearly 600 pages. It took me nearly 10 days for me to read it because it was so easy to set down – but still in the end it proved to be a good story.
The characters had a lot of depth; maybe too much depth at times – making the book a lot longer and making it drag on at times.
I feel like I had Kendall and Sean figured out early on – even though there was room for doubt at times. And sometimes I wondered if the reveal would ever happen. I really felt that Cindy, a.k.a. Sydney, was too smart a girl to date a creep like that. There was nothing romantic at all there. She seemed to spend a lot of time following her feelings, but her feelings seemed to be all over the place and not to be trusted.
There is definitely a good degree of mystery here. So many characters and so hard to tell the good guys from the bad.
Lastly, this has to be the most backwards, uneducated town ever. I definitely tired of hearing what felt like exaggerated uneducated speech from everybody in that town. Thar just ain’t no bodies ‘round these parts dat got no schoolin’ atall.
I really do believe it is a good story even though I felt frustrated while reading it as I wondered if anything would ever actually happen. And like I said, I will be checking out more by this author.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 23, 2017
Romantic Suspense
I received this book from the author for an honest review. I had trouble putting this book down once I started reading it. The main character, Sydney, takes a job at a sawmill as a safety specialist after the plant failed an OSHA inspection. No one knows her main reason for being there is to find out why her Dad died when she was a teenager. He had worked at that sawmill and uncovered why accidents were happening but was killed before he could reveal the truth. The more Sydney digs into the accident reports from the past ten years, the more danger she faces. The suspense keeps the reader on edge wondering how the story will end and if she uncovers the truth and if she lives to reveal the truth or ends up like her Dad. I highly recommend this book.
I received this book from the author for an honest review. I had trouble putting this book down once I started reading it. The main character, Sydney, takes a job at a sawmill as a safety specialist after the plant failed an OSHA inspection. No one knows her main reason for being there is to find out why her Dad died when she was a teenager. He had worked at that sawmill and uncovered why accidents were happening but was killed before he could reveal the truth. The more Sydney digs into the accident reports from the past ten years, the more danger she faces. The suspense keeps the reader on edge wondering how the story will end and if she uncovers the truth and if she lives to reveal the truth or ends up like her Dad. I highly recommend this book.
January 14, 2018
I obtained this free e-book from Amazon and I am voluntarily writing a review. Cindy at age sixteen lost her mother to cancer and not too long after lost her father in a questionable boating accident. Cindy suffered severe burns to her face and lower back and underwent extensive reconstructive surgery to her face. Years later she is back in Stoney Creek as the Safety Consultant at the lumber mill where her father had worked as the Operations manager. There has been a rash of accidents and injuries and they are under the gun from OSHA to fix the violations or face being shutdown. This was a great clean romantic suspense that keeps you guessing to the very end.
November 13, 2023
a good deap plot
With a few proof reading errors and editing snaffs to show that this book is not as sharp as it could have been, is a shame.
The plot was a good one, the characters were all interesting, so it was also a shame that the story was cut off abruptly at the first ‘forever’ kiss and we didn’t get to find out what happened to any of the other characters involved in the story. This was unsatisfactory for me.
Still I gave it 4 stars because of the length of the story, it’s background story we are first introduced to and the plot.
With a few proof reading errors and editing snaffs to show that this book is not as sharp as it could have been, is a shame.
The plot was a good one, the characters were all interesting, so it was also a shame that the story was cut off abruptly at the first ‘forever’ kiss and we didn’t get to find out what happened to any of the other characters involved in the story. This was unsatisfactory for me.
Still I gave it 4 stars because of the length of the story, it’s background story we are first introduced to and the plot.
August 31, 2017
Be careful what you wish for
Grief is something we all have to deal with sometime in our lives, whether it be as a sixteen year old who has lost her mom to cancer and then be horribly disfigured by a boat explosion that took the life of her father. Life has a way of making us come to terms with the ugliness that surrounds each of us. Although this book was a lesson in how not to find a murderer it was well written. I look forward to reading other books by this author.
Grief is something we all have to deal with sometime in our lives, whether it be as a sixteen year old who has lost her mom to cancer and then be horribly disfigured by a boat explosion that took the life of her father. Life has a way of making us come to terms with the ugliness that surrounds each of us. Although this book was a lesson in how not to find a murderer it was well written. I look forward to reading other books by this author.
November 7, 2023
Hey, this is a really good mystery that keeps you guessing… and then changing your mind, believing that someone else must be the master criminal. The focus is on solving a crime that took place 10 years earlier, but it was covered up as a suicide. Drug trafficking is also a major issue in this small town… As a result, there’s greed, violence and murder throughout the storyline. The character development is really good and it does have a romantic undertone. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED
May 9, 2017
Just out of reach
WOW! That's what I say. Grab a seat and no nail biting. This mystery kept me hoping Sydney would live to find the answers. Who to trust, where to go, what to believe. It's all answered at the very end. Once I started reading it couldn't stop.
Mystery first with just a touch of romance.
WOW! That's what I say. Grab a seat and no nail biting. This mystery kept me hoping Sydney would live to find the answers. Who to trust, where to go, what to believe. It's all answered at the very end. Once I started reading it couldn't stop.
Mystery first with just a touch of romance.
September 2, 2017
Good mystery.
A good storyline and some different characters. It was hard to know who to trust and the main character was not experienced in how to search out the truth. She was young but was determined to solve the puzzle to her father's death. It will hold you attention so it is a good read.
A good storyline and some different characters. It was hard to know who to trust and the main character was not experienced in how to search out the truth. She was young but was determined to solve the puzzle to her father's death. It will hold you attention so it is a good read.
November 20, 2017
Different writing style
I have rarely not finished a book I started. Considered on page 150 to stop. I found it hard to follow the characters. But, I stuck it out and finished it. The last half of the book was better. I kept trying to figure out who the bad guy was. Won't ruin the end but not what I expected. Glad I finished the book.
I have rarely not finished a book I started. Considered on page 150 to stop. I found it hard to follow the characters. But, I stuck it out and finished it. The last half of the book was better. I kept trying to figure out who the bad guy was. Won't ruin the end but not what I expected. Glad I finished the book.
July 14, 2018
Fire is lovely it provides warmth and you can cook over an open flame.But if you are caught in it's flames the pain is unimaginable.
Sydney (aka Cindy)was caught in the flames of a boat explosion. Her father is killed. Now that She is grown, she is determined to find out what happened.
Sydney (aka Cindy)was caught in the flames of a boat explosion. Her father is killed. Now that She is grown, she is determined to find out what happened.
September 14, 2020
Intriguing!
Great book. I almost stopped it about after the first quarter because it had became tedious. Then I decided to give it one more chapter. It was convoluted. and hard to connect characters. But then it became more intriguing and ended with a bang. These two authors work well together.
Great book. I almost stopped it about after the first quarter because it had became tedious. Then I decided to give it one more chapter. It was convoluted. and hard to connect characters. But then it became more intriguing and ended with a bang. These two authors work well together.
July 19, 2017
Very good.
An exciting story and one I would recommend to anyone who enjoys a good mystery, that is devoid of sex innuendo, bad language and graphic violence. Thanks for another great read.
An exciting story and one I would recommend to anyone who enjoys a good mystery, that is devoid of sex innuendo, bad language and graphic violence. Thanks for another great read.
August 19, 2017
A Somewhat Misleading Title
Despite the title, I still enjoyed this book and would recommend it to anyone. There were many directions to be followed, & sometimes the plot seemed to be going in several of them at once. I had to be careful not to become dizzy!
Despite the title, I still enjoyed this book and would recommend it to anyone. There were many directions to be followed, & sometimes the plot seemed to be going in several of them at once. I had to be careful not to become dizzy!
January 15, 2018
I couldn't read this book because it has pages missing through the book.
I could not read the book because there are pages missing throughout the whole book. Very disappointed, would like to read.
I could not read the book because there are pages missing throughout the whole book. Very disappointed, would like to read.
January 16, 2018
Liked it very much
Great characters, lots of suspense. Who can you trust? Some sad scenarios and some not so sad. New ideas on almost every page. Hope you enjoy it as much as I did.
Great characters, lots of suspense. Who can you trust? Some sad scenarios and some not so sad. New ideas on almost every page. Hope you enjoy it as much as I did.
June 5, 2018
There was plenty of suspense, but not a lot of romance. Although it's classified as Christian, there wasn't much about faith other than Scripture verses at the beginning of each chapter. The mystery kept me reading.
August 16, 2018
Great
It was great. Kept me hooked. I never doubted Sean could be the bad guy. Walter , yes I could guess he was the culprit, he was acting too nice. That actually gave him away.Kendal... I had my doubts on my. But never would have guessed. Wonderfully written.
It was great. Kept me hooked. I never doubted Sean could be the bad guy. Walter , yes I could guess he was the culprit, he was acting too nice. That actually gave him away.Kendal... I had my doubts on my. But never would have guessed. Wonderfully written.
July 6, 2019
Great read with Lots of Suspense
Wow. Just wow. I was all set to give them four stars until I got to the end. This story has a surprising ending. It's a great read with Lots of suspense and has helped me with my own writings.
Wow. Just wow. I was all set to give them four stars until I got to the end. This story has a surprising ending. It's a great read with Lots of suspense and has helped me with my own writings.
December 11, 2019
Burned, a real mystery.
This was an exciting story with a good deal of romance. It turned out to be a really good mystery. While the basic plot was apparent early on, twists and turns had me wondering right up to the very end. Great book.
This was an exciting story with a good deal of romance. It turned out to be a really good mystery. While the basic plot was apparent early on, twists and turns had me wondering right up to the very end. Great book.
June 3, 2020
I loved this book. The suspense kept me reading way later than I usually stay up. The characters were complex and interesting. I loved the scripture verse at the beginning of each chapter and the feelings that Sydney described. I did NOT have the mystery solved until the very end.
June 13, 2020
Confused?
I was frustrated at how naive Sydney was. It was good. It was a bit confusing how they jumped from character to character’s point of view. I see now that I finished it. But during the reading was a bit frustrating.
I was frustrated at how naive Sydney was. It was good. It was a bit confusing how they jumped from character to character’s point of view. I see now that I finished it. But during the reading was a bit frustrating.
June 20, 2020
Thrilling
I absolutely loved this book!! Thriller, romance and suspense? What more can you ask for? Kept me guessing until the very end. A must read by one of my favorite authors!😁
I absolutely loved this book!! Thriller, romance and suspense? What more can you ask for? Kept me guessing until the very end. A must read by one of my favorite authors!😁
September 5, 2020
What a plot twist!
Reading Sydney's adventure as she tries to solve a mystery from her past was quite a thrill ride. The plot twist near the end was definitely one I didn't see coming! Good, edge-of-your-seat read!
Reading Sydney's adventure as she tries to solve a mystery from her past was quite a thrill ride. The plot twist near the end was definitely one I didn't see coming! Good, edge-of-your-seat read!
January 2, 2022
Same chapters over & over
I chose a 2 because there were the same chapters over & over. Should have had someone check or even the author check repeating chapters before submitting this book. Overall I think this could be a good book to read!
I chose a 2 because there were the same chapters over & over. Should have had someone check or even the author check repeating chapters before submitting this book. Overall I think this could be a good book to read!
December 12, 2023
At first I wasn’t so sure about this book but once I started to figure out who the characters were and what was going on, I quickly got pulled into this lengthy romantic suspense. There was a love triangle, criminal activity, mystery, family, friends, and more. It was a well woven tale.
October 4, 2024
A really good story. Cast of characters was quite diverse. I actually got angry & happy at times with the main character, Sydney. Sometimes I wanted to slap her to tell her wake up! People are not what they seem!! Kept me interested right to the end.
March 7, 2025
Very well written. I thought the characters were well defined. The action that Cindy (Syndy) showed in trying to uncover her father’ d death and prove he was murdered was well written and kept you in suspense.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 54 reviews