Secrets at Synergy

U-District #1

by Jodi Ashland

Twenty-two-year-old Jade Buchanan suffers one blow after another. First, her grandmother dies, then she’s forced to quit college to take over Gran’s mysteriously ailing company. While handling a rebellion among the senior managers, who resent taking orders from an inexperienced CEO, Jade desperately tries to uncover the reason for the company’s financial difficulties before it goes under. The only bright spot is working side by side with her long-time crush, Bryce, but he runs so hot and cold, she doesn’t know where she stands. Can Jade uncover the murderous embezzler in the company’s midst before she becomes a target—or is it already too late?

Even though Jade seems under-qualified, Bryce Radisson accepts his new position as COO, but working with an impulsive—and incredibly attractive—woman like Jade could be more than he can handle. His feelings for her are irrational and unprofessional. Even worse, she stokes in him a deep, uncontrollable passion that he fears will ruin him. As Jade digs deeper into the truth, Bryce has to choose between protecting himself or protecting the woman he loves.

Genres: Romance, Thriller, Contemporary, Mystery

350 pages, Kindle Edition

First published July 17, 2015

About the author

Jodi Ashland is an award-winning author of romantic suspense. If you enjoy reading about empowered women who overcome adversity, the flawed sexy heroes who love them, and action-packed mystery and suspense, then you’ll love Jodi Ashland’s books. Jodi has a B.S. in Information Systems and an M.B.A. but has also pursued her true passion: writing novels and poems. She is a mother of two and a cancer survivor, kayaker, skier, gardener, camper, and lover of all things outdoors. www.jodiashland.com

Reviews

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Terrific Read!

Synergy has it all. Romance, mystery and a heroine that struggles to make her mark as CEO at the young age of 22. I know … too young right … but a bizarre set of circumstances force her into a position she didn’t sign up for.

Jade is young, innocent and naive yet smart and quick to learn. Her romantic relationship with Bryce speaks to her youth and innocence and, at times, is wildly inappropriate and very fun.

The story evolves into a real page turner as Jade reveals a plot to take down the company. I could go on and on but I don’t want to spoil the intrigue and exciting conclusion to this story …. but I will say, it did keep me guessing.

[Abby Lewis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not a bad book if I do say so myself..
Id say it is both a romance and thriller rolled into one... and done so well!

Happy for Jade and Bryce in the end, who doesn't like a happy ending?!
There were man suspects for who was stealing the money fro the company, and the man twists and turns dont give nothing too much away till the last few chapters... genuinely thought it was someone else!

Must read if you want a romance with a thriller twist.

[Sally Brandle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved the pace: got me interested, set the hook and reeled me in. Good combo of action/suspense/romance. Well written and loved the Seattle references. Hunk meter is high-does Bryce have a brother??

[John · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book by Jodi Ashland is simply an outstanding example of a romantic suspense and murder mystery as she puts the two main characters, Jade and Bryce, through many many life threatening trials and tribulations before the murder and suspense plotline is finished. Then, just for the readers to enjoy and savor, she sprinkles in some flirting, resisting, and then explodes with several hot and juicy and vividly described sexual escapades before the love plot flowers and grows. After reading the excerpt for her next book, I can't wait to read it too. This is a voluntary review of an Advanced Reader Copy of this book from Hidden Gems Books.

[Patricia Baxes · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a kickass read! Ohmigod...you simply cannot put this book down. A masterful storyline, with a cast of well developed characters; twists and turns that keep you flipping the pages; and an amazing conclusion. Talk about a roller coaster ride of emotions...WoW! You definitely want to put this one on your TBR. (I voluntarily reviewed an advance reader copy of this book and was totally blown away!)

[Tracey Tranter · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very good storyline that makes for a fun and interesting read.

If you like romance novels mixed with a bit of mystery and suspense then you will love this book.

It's a very good, well written story, with well-developed and believable characters.

Really looking forward to more books from Jodi Ashland.

I voluntarily reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy of this book from Hidden Gems.

[HELEN CLAWSON · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mystery Roomance

Excellent! I surely enjoyed this book from the first page. The mystery, intrigue and romance was great. Bryce, Jade and their journey to finding love. Jade was so very beautiful but extremely intelligent, carrying on her grandmother 's legacy. A really good mystery with a side of romance.

[S. J. Y. C. · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 STARS!!

Synergy by Jodi Ashland is book one of the U-District series.

Synergy is an amazingly entertaining book that kept me reading until 4 a.m. in the morning to finish! It was that good!

The story is about a girl named Jade, who finds out that her grandmother dies and now Jade is expected to become the new CEO of her grandmother's company: Synergy. But with her young age, the senior managers disapprove of her inheriting the company and being CEO. They find her too young and inexperienced to run the company. But something strange is happening in the company. Someone is stealing money from the profits, and they will do anything necessary to keep their identify from being discovered. As Jade investigates deeper into the scandal, she becomes close to her COO, Bryce Radisson, the handsome and sexy man that she has crushed on since she was a teenager. As Jade and Bryce work together to find the criminal, trusts will be questioned, lives will be endangered, and love will be at risk.

Jodi Ashland does a stunning job on this novel! She kept me intrigued from page one to the end the whole time. What made it really entertaining, and some-what frustrating, is trying to identify the culprit. One minute Jodi will have you thinking it is one person, and the next, she'll have you thinking it's another person. Or two other people. But that was what made this book fan-fucking-tastic!

The chemistry between Bryce and Jade was perfect! It wasn't too sudden nor was it dragged out. It was the perfect amount of romance. And the ending couldn't have been more perfect!

This book had my heart racing from beginning to end and I absolutely love it! Normally, I don't read mystery stories, but after I found this book, I knew I had to read it right away. And Jodi did not disappoint. This is a wonderful mystery and romance story that is a definite must read!

[Coleen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this relatively short, quick read of a young and immature girl, Jade, inheriting her grandmother's company upon grandma's death. Someone had been cheating the company and apparently Gram was in the process of discovering the fraud at the time of her untimely death.

Jade takes over but her immaturity and lack of ability to deal with others in a business-like manner hinders her progress. That, and the fact that she has a juvenile crush on the man that her grandmother designated the COO, prevent her from taking care of the business at hand. I felt that the author went a bit far with the sexual attraction and the descriptive sex parts, but maybe that was what the she intended. It seemed to me to be distracting, and I was anxious to skip it and get on with the cat and mouse plot of whodunit.

I won the book in a Goodreads giveaway, and would like to read other books by this author!

[SkiSocks · Rating 5 out of 5]

Synergy grabbed my attention from the first page. Jade is eccentric and driven. She is constantly challenging the statues quo (even when the status quo is in a suit and tie) and ultimately uncovers a financial mystery that puts her life in danger. The sexual tension between her and her co worker, Bryce, made me continue reading for hours. Seriously, I kept reading until I fell asleep with the book beside me. The only faux pas I have is that I was very sleep deprived the next day. The alternating perspectives were intriguing and gave a unique insight into the motivations and actions (bad, good and otherwise) of several different people. The conflict and romance kept me constantly intrigued and I would recommend this to a friend in a heartbeat.

[Colleen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book. I read it quickly because I was curious on how the scheme underlying the suspense was constructed and also how it was unraveled. This is a fantastic beach read / weekend escape.

The novel has romance, suspense, and action. I especially enjoyed the suspense portions - they ring the most true to me, including how ordinary people can get caught up in a lie that goes out of control. The romance parts were a bit fantasy for my taste, but it's it's because I can't imagine running a company, solving crimes, and finding time for romance. The heroine is not perfect, but she can juggle quite a bit going on at the same time...however, that does not go without consequences, which keeps her realistic.

Overall, a relatable heroine, interesting situation, and a fun read!

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received this book in a giveaway and am so glad I did. I was hooked by the end of the first page. The story is about Jade, a young woman, who inherits her Grandmother's company upon her death. She has been groomed for this most of her life, but she never expected to be a CEO at such a young ago.

The story follows Jade's trials trying to get the failing company back on financial track while someone is out to kill her. Mix in a little romance, a senior staff that does not respect her, and someone stealing from the company and Jade has her hands full.

Very entertaining. Looking forward to reading the next one.

[Jennifer Hilt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jodi Ashland's debut novel "Synergy" is an engaging romantic suspense novel set in Seattle. When Jade's grandmother dies suddenly, twenty something Jade steps in run the company but nothing is easy. She's booksmart but inexperienced, someone's stealing from the company and her longtime crush is her new colleague. I love Bryce! Give me a brooding hero anyday with danger thrown in. Great chemistry and tension make this an absorbing read during a hot summer. Order a pizza, grab a cool drink and read "Synergy" tonight to see how it all turns out for Jade and Bryce.

[Stacey · Rating 4 out of 5]

First off I don't normally read suspense , but this was so good I couldn't put it down .
Loved the pace: got me interested from the word go scene was set then hook line and sinker I was a goner .
Good combo to make in my words perfection action/suspense/romance and red hot electricity .
Well written it flowed
Plenty of moment I was guessing and I was wrong. I did guess towards the end but after many guesses .
The ending was lovely
Gran knows best .......

[Cynthia A · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jade is a young CEO who is very driven. She is out to make her mark on the world, but runs into trouble when she discovers some shady financial dealings. This book has romance, mystery, twists and turns, but also has the power to make you want to keep reading. I loved the story. I won this book in a Goodreads giveaway and look forward to more books from this author.

[Cindy B. · Rating 2 out of 5]

Flesh-fetish sex had to be slogged thru till I realized it was s 1/3 of the book. Used fast forward then enjoyed the plot. I can’t recommend for anyone who doesn’t like sex graphics or doesn’t have FF.

[Lisa Gallant · Rating 5 out of 5]

love this book...couldn't put it down this is my first book from this author ...love the characters so much not be my last book of author... It a must buy ....you won't regret

[Floraljoy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Keeps you guessing
I really enjoyed this book that was full of mystery, suspense and a touch of romance. The plot had plenty of twists and it kept me guessing right till the end. It was a slow burn romance with a bit of heat. Overall an enjoyable read.
I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Cheryl Winter · Rating 3 out of 5]

An average read

Jodi Ashland’s book has a decent plot, but poor character development. Too much attention was spent on the two main characters mooning over each other. Even though all things came together at the end, the story did not flow but seem a bit fragmented.

[Heidi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Received this book as an ARC for my honest review.
I really liked this book. I like how Jade went from knowing her path to not knowing her path and making the best of it. I didn't expect the bad guy until right at the end. I can't wait to read more books by this author.

[Rebecca Flatt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kept me guessing

A well written mystery romance that kept me guessing. I thought I had it figured out who the culprit was but the author would throw in some little rod bits here and there that made me second guess myself.

[Shea Carlson · Rating 3 out of 5]

No romantic suspense. All the internal dialogue told me how the characters felt.

[ShellyW · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful mix between romance and thriller. It is a well-written book and has a good pace. I enjoyed the characters a lot and look forward to reading more of this author.

[Jennifer Hutcheson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great romance and a great mystery

This book kept me guessing the whole time. I must have changed my top suspect five times. Great storyline and character development. Nice job!

[Renee · Rating 2 out of 5]

I received this book through the goodreads giveaway and I was really excited to read it when I saw that it averaged 4 stars on the site. Unfortunately, the book did not live up to my expectations.
I tried to keep in mind that this is a debut novel, but even so, most of the stuff that bothered me about the book cannot be attributed to "rookie mistakes".
The style of the storytelling is quite pleasant and easy flowing, and the mystery part was actually pretty decent, but I could not get on friendly terms with the characters or the plot.
Apart from the grandmother, none of the characters seem to have an outlined personality, and always seem to adapt to whatever the scene needs them to be. And lets not forget the characters who just seem to pop up without having any purpose at all, or appear just to leave behind an unresolved story-line.
Also, some of the scenes seem unnecessary, including some of the erotic scenes which should be important from the story point of view, but do not leave that kind of impression. And lets not mention some plot points that are downright ridiculous.
If this were still a manuscript, I would say OK, it has potential, but it still needs a lot of work. As is, I can only recommend it to people wanting a leisurely and unchallenging read.

[Ayden · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received this book in a Goodreads giveaway.

Ever get the feeling when you're reading a book that you're not the target demographic? Synergy is a good book. It's an easy read, the author has an understanding of the environment the narrative takes place in, and did a good job at keeping me interested. Unfortunately, I found it very hard to care about any of the characters. While I'm sure being thrust into a CEO position of a multi-million dollar company would be a shock to the system, the salary you make would more than make up for it. You'll probably find this an easier novel to enjoy if you aren't as cynical and miserable as I am, but I always find it difficult to have sympathy for those affluent, arrogant, woe-is-me characters who don't live in the real world and think their lives are as hard as other people's because they're having 'boy' issues.

Overall though, Synergy is a solid read that will most likely be adored by its target audience. It’s a well-written drama, and if you like the characters more than I did, you’ll have a good time.

[Nicole · Rating 3 out of 5]

1st... I received this book in return for my review 2nd ... the book is just OK. the writing, characters and story are all just OK. I think the character Bryce tried to be a strong make lead but it was really missing. I also feel this book has an identity crisis.... is it a mystery or a romance. I think overall it is not a bad read it just wasn't a great one

[Katie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Won in giveaway

[Doreen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved the story line, it was fast paced and made me want to read farther along. The characters were interesting and well developed.