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Misted Pines #1
The Girl in the Mist
Renowned author Delphine Larue needs a haven.
A crazed fan has gone over the deep end, and she's not safe. Her security team has suggested a house by a lake. Secluded. Private. Far away. In a beautiful area of the Northwest close to the sleepy town of Misted Pines. It's perfect. So perfect, Delphine has just moved in, and she's thinking she'll stay there forever.
Until she sees the girl in the mist.
After that, everything changes.
Delphine quickly learns that Misted Pines isn't so sleepy. A little girl has gone missing, and the town is in the grips of terror and tragedy. The local sheriff isn't up for the job. The citizens are up in arms. And as the case unfolds, the seedy underbelly of a quiet community is exposed, layer by layer.
But most importantly, girls are dying.
There seems to be only one man they trust to find out what's happening.
The mysterious Cade Bohannan.
A crazed fan has gone over the deep end, and she's not safe. Her security team has suggested a house by a lake. Secluded. Private. Far away. In a beautiful area of the Northwest close to the sleepy town of Misted Pines. It's perfect. So perfect, Delphine has just moved in, and she's thinking she'll stay there forever.
Until she sees the girl in the mist.
After that, everything changes.
Delphine quickly learns that Misted Pines isn't so sleepy. A little girl has gone missing, and the town is in the grips of terror and tragedy. The local sheriff isn't up for the job. The citizens are up in arms. And as the case unfolds, the seedy underbelly of a quiet community is exposed, layer by layer.
But most importantly, girls are dying.
There seems to be only one man they trust to find out what's happening.
The mysterious Cade Bohannan.
512 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 4, 2022
905 people are currently reading
4556 people want to read
About the author
Kristen Ashley
138 books39.5k followersKristen Ashley was born in Gary, Indiana, USA. She nearly killed her mother and herself making it into the world, seeing as she had the umbilical cord wrapped around her neck (already attempting to accessorise and she hadn't taken her first breath!).
Kristen grew up in Brownsburg, Indiana but has lived in Denver, Colorado and the West Country of England. Thus she has been blessed to have friends and family around the globe. Her posse is loopy (to say the least) but loopy is good when you want to write.
Kristen was raised in a house with a large and multi-generational family. They lived on a very small farm in a small town in the heartland and existed amongst the strains of Glenn Miller, The Everly Brothers, REO Speedwagon and Whitesnake (and the wardrobes that matched).
Needless to say, growing up in a house full of music, clothes and love was a good way to grow up.
And as she keeps growing up, it keeps getting better.
Kristen grew up in Brownsburg, Indiana but has lived in Denver, Colorado and the West Country of England. Thus she has been blessed to have friends and family around the globe. Her posse is loopy (to say the least) but loopy is good when you want to write.
Kristen was raised in a house with a large and multi-generational family. They lived on a very small farm in a small town in the heartland and existed amongst the strains of Glenn Miller, The Everly Brothers, REO Speedwagon and Whitesnake (and the wardrobes that matched).
Needless to say, growing up in a house full of music, clothes and love was a good way to grow up.
And as she keeps growing up, it keeps getting better.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 831 reviews
January 31, 2022
This review will contain spoilers.
Sigh...😕
I had high hopes but hmmmm.....
Okay so if you are a KA reader then you are used to, possibly fed up with her endless pages/paragraphs of description.
This for me means I skip a paragraph, a page, you get the idea.
I often have no idea what she's talking about as I'm in the UK and USA labels, stores etc often mean little to me.
And do I care that the heroine's bangles match her underwear?
So the heroine has moved into a new home so this gives KA a free ride to describe every home improvement plan, colour scheme.....
Of course as usual the heroine is very rich, she has endless money, several properties all over the world.
The Hero is a brooding non entity tbh.
I found the writing disjointed. There was no flow, it seemed as if KA assumed you knew she'd changed subject/ characters but you have to read the rest of the context to catch on who or what is going on.
As an example.
"She’d heard the news.
She just hadn’t heard where they’d found Malorie.
And she’d been in such a state, she hadn’t seen the crime scene tape that now cordoned off the pier.
I really liked the guy, and he had it rough right now, and I’d take the hit of talking to her about boys."
She's talking, I think about the young girl, Celeste boyfriend, Will but she hasn't explained that.
Will hasn't been in it for ages so it's just a bit disjointed, to me anyway.
There are no scenes of the Hero and heroine being intimate with anyone else.
He has 3 older kids, a broken marriage.
She has 2 grown up daughters and 2 ex husbands.
The plot of mystery was okay. I worked it out way before they did.
There is a huge weird sex scandal plot that comes out of nowhere, which includes BDSM, anal the usual KA recent fascination that she can't seem to not include in her recent books.
It is referred to, watched on video and described several times.
There is a quote that the heroine feels it's like pleasantville with a secret underground sex dungeon.
I get that was clever, everything looked sweet but was sordid underneath but honestly when an author brings it into every book it gets old.
The Hero and heroine are more or less insta but as he's busy it's a bit slow burn to be intimate.
It's just the heroine's POV and the Hero was really hard to read and a bit vague I felt.
Lots of name dropping or phone calls from previous characters in the author's books.
Let me see.
Lee nightingale
Hawk does bodyguards, Mo is mentioned.
Joe did the house security.
Shirleen rings her as does Layne from Golden Trail.
Breadcrumbs dropped for future books in series if the author feels like it.
HEA.
Epilogue.
My rating is 2.5 stars.
I almost didn't bother finishing it.
I think it just makes me sad, KA was a really good writer but these repetitive themes and I felt a bit lectured on social issues, including bringing up a teen, things are not always resolved the way KA writes it.
Sample under bonus material https://www.kristenashley.net/titles/...
Sigh...😕
I had high hopes but hmmmm.....
Okay so if you are a KA reader then you are used to, possibly fed up with her endless pages/paragraphs of description.
This for me means I skip a paragraph, a page, you get the idea.
I often have no idea what she's talking about as I'm in the UK and USA labels, stores etc often mean little to me.
And do I care that the heroine's bangles match her underwear?
So the heroine has moved into a new home so this gives KA a free ride to describe every home improvement plan, colour scheme.....
Of course as usual the heroine is very rich, she has endless money, several properties all over the world.
The Hero is a brooding non entity tbh.
I found the writing disjointed. There was no flow, it seemed as if KA assumed you knew she'd changed subject/ characters but you have to read the rest of the context to catch on who or what is going on.
As an example.
"She’d heard the news.
She just hadn’t heard where they’d found Malorie.
And she’d been in such a state, she hadn’t seen the crime scene tape that now cordoned off the pier.
I really liked the guy, and he had it rough right now, and I’d take the hit of talking to her about boys."
She's talking, I think about the young girl, Celeste boyfriend, Will but she hasn't explained that.
Will hasn't been in it for ages so it's just a bit disjointed, to me anyway.
There are no scenes of the Hero and heroine being intimate with anyone else.
He has 3 older kids, a broken marriage.
She has 2 grown up daughters and 2 ex husbands.
The plot of mystery was okay. I worked it out way before they did.
There is a huge weird sex scandal plot that comes out of nowhere, which includes BDSM, anal the usual KA recent fascination that she can't seem to not include in her recent books.
It is referred to, watched on video and described several times.
There is a quote that the heroine feels it's like pleasantville with a secret underground sex dungeon.
I get that was clever, everything looked sweet but was sordid underneath but honestly when an author brings it into every book it gets old.
The Hero and heroine are more or less insta but as he's busy it's a bit slow burn to be intimate.
It's just the heroine's POV and the Hero was really hard to read and a bit vague I felt.
Lots of name dropping or phone calls from previous characters in the author's books.
Let me see.
Lee nightingale
Hawk does bodyguards, Mo is mentioned.
Joe did the house security.
Shirleen rings her as does Layne from Golden Trail.
Breadcrumbs dropped for future books in series if the author feels like it.
HEA.
Epilogue.
My rating is 2.5 stars.
I almost didn't bother finishing it.
I think it just makes me sad, KA was a really good writer but these repetitive themes and I felt a bit lectured on social issues, including bringing up a teen, things are not always resolved the way KA writes it.
Sample under bonus material https://www.kristenashley.net/titles/...
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 28, 2021
Even though I've had numerous recommendations to read this author, this is the first one where I was finally able to pop that KA cherry!!
Not going to lie, it did take me a wee while to adjust to her writing style, but in saying that I think that's this authors trademark.
So going into this one I also thought I'd be jumping into a ghosty kind of story 'the girl in the mist'
🙈I must've been drunk from the sherry trifle I scoffed because I don't even know where that thought came from, anyways that's not what we're given and either way I enjoyed this one and can't wait to jump into another book by this author.
It never entered Delphine Larue's mind that she'd have to find a safe haven when a crazed fan has her seeking a place to hide away, she finds such a place where she can sink her teeth into renovating a place by the lake in a small sleepy town where secrets are buried deep in the Northwest, close to a town called 'Misted Pines.'
Cade is a man of few words, a few chin lifts and few head kisses where Delphine is concerned makes him a hard man to read, but he's all present where his kids are concerned.
Girls are turning up dead, fingers are pointed, assumptions are made, whodidit had me on tenterhooks throughout as the author weaved her magic. Leading me down one track only to be blindsided completely.
And as a side note I don't think I have ever read or encountered a book where our heroine was in our fifties so that was another tick for this author.
January 14, 2022
2 Stars
Overall Opinion: Uuugh! I hate this. I hate giving KA such a low rating! I read (more like skimmed in hopes of not ruining it/getting my hopes too high) some of my GR friends’ reviews and was hoping for a read similar to her older works, that I really enjoy. That along with the Instagram teasers she posted about this being so different for her, made me jump right in once I saw it was available. It took a while to get into because I was thinking of her Instagram posts and wondering — is this going to have a ghost aspect, paranormal spin, or maybe even be dark?! No, no, and Nope. Once I did get into it, I could see where some had the comparison to her earlier books, but it was a stretch. The H was mysterious and the quiet/grunting/one word badass that I come to expect from KA, it’s just that his character didn’t progress much from there except quoting some Confucius and being able to wow the h by his profiling. There was also a town-wide sex scandal that didn’t feel like it fit and was kind of OTT if I’m being completely honest. There were suggestions of BDSM desires in the mcs but it was thrown out there and then glossed over. There wasn’t much family integration between the mcs on page, which I typically like so that was disappointing. And my biggest gripe is that she went political more than a few times. I read romance to escape all that! I don’t read to get into an author’s view on political stances. While I agree with a lot of her points, I felt like this was extremely off-putting. This was overall a big disappointment for me.
Brief Summary of the Storyline: This is Delphine and Cade’s story. Delphine is a famous tv actor and author and she has a deadly stalker that takes her to being the new neighbor and under the protection of Cade, ex special ops and FBI profiler. There are some funny things going on in her new town when a young girl goes missing, so while they instantly connect, there is a lot of other things going on that takes their focus. There is some suspenseful moments, some mystery, and some sexy times…and they get a HFN ending.
Point Of View (POV): This was told in Delphine’s POV. I think it would’ve helped connect me with the H if we got some of his POV.
Overall Pace of Story: Alright. I did skim some of the decor descriptions and it took me a little bit to get into, but otherwise I thought it flowed well.
Instalove:Yes. It had hardly any development.
H (Hero) rating: 3 stars. Cade. He was alright. I like the broody, quiet Hs! He just was kinda boring (which is surprising because of all that he was supposed to be).
h (heroine) rating: 3 stars. Delphine. She was just alright too. She had some qualities that I typically like in KA hs, but I felt like we didn’t really get deep into her character (I don’t even think we for a physical description!).
Sadness level: Low, no tissues needed
Push/Pull: No
Heat level: Alright. They have some tension, chemistry, and scenes -- but not so much it takes away from the story. I didn’t feel like it was as good as some of her other works in this department. It takes them a while to be intimate too.
Descriptive sex: Yes
OW (Other Woman)/OM (Other Man) drama: Mild
Sex scene with OW or OM: No
Cheating: Technically yes, but not really…
Separation: No
Possible Triggers: Yes
Closure: This ends in an alright place but I wouldn’t call it a HEA even though I’m sure others would be fine calling it one , so I would call it a HFN ending.
Safety: This one should probably be Safe with exception for most safety gang readers depending on personal preferences.
Overall Opinion: Uuugh! I hate this. I hate giving KA such a low rating! I read (more like skimmed in hopes of not ruining it/getting my hopes too high) some of my GR friends’ reviews and was hoping for a read similar to her older works, that I really enjoy. That along with the Instagram teasers she posted about this being so different for her, made me jump right in once I saw it was available. It took a while to get into because I was thinking of her Instagram posts and wondering — is this going to have a ghost aspect, paranormal spin, or maybe even be dark?! No, no, and Nope. Once I did get into it, I could see where some had the comparison to her earlier books, but it was a stretch. The H was mysterious and the quiet/grunting/one word badass that I come to expect from KA, it’s just that his character didn’t progress much from there except quoting some Confucius and being able to wow the h by his profiling. There was also a town-wide sex scandal that didn’t feel like it fit and was kind of OTT if I’m being completely honest. There were suggestions of BDSM desires in the mcs but it was thrown out there and then glossed over. There wasn’t much family integration between the mcs on page, which I typically like so that was disappointing. And my biggest gripe is that she went political more than a few times. I read romance to escape all that! I don’t read to get into an author’s view on political stances. While I agree with a lot of her points, I felt like this was extremely off-putting. This was overall a big disappointment for me.
Brief Summary of the Storyline: This is Delphine and Cade’s story. Delphine is a famous tv actor and author and she has a deadly stalker that takes her to being the new neighbor and under the protection of Cade, ex special ops and FBI profiler. There are some funny things going on in her new town when a young girl goes missing, so while they instantly connect, there is a lot of other things going on that takes their focus. There is some suspenseful moments, some mystery, and some sexy times…and they get a HFN ending.
Point Of View (POV): This was told in Delphine’s POV. I think it would’ve helped connect me with the H if we got some of his POV.
Overall Pace of Story: Alright. I did skim some of the decor descriptions and it took me a little bit to get into, but otherwise I thought it flowed well.
Instalove:Yes. It had hardly any development.
H (Hero) rating: 3 stars. Cade. He was alright. I like the broody, quiet Hs! He just was kinda boring (which is surprising because of all that he was supposed to be).
h (heroine) rating: 3 stars. Delphine. She was just alright too. She had some qualities that I typically like in KA hs, but I felt like we didn’t really get deep into her character (I don’t even think we for a physical description!).
Sadness level: Low, no tissues needed
Push/Pull: No
Heat level: Alright. They have some tension, chemistry, and scenes -- but not so much it takes away from the story. I didn’t feel like it was as good as some of her other works in this department. It takes them a while to be intimate too.
Descriptive sex: Yes
OW (Other Woman)/OM (Other Man) drama: Mild
Sex scene with OW or OM: No
Cheating: Technically yes, but not really…
Separation: No
Possible Triggers: Yes
Closure: This ends in an alright place but I wouldn’t call it a HEA even though I’m sure others would be fine calling it one , so I would call it a HFN ending.
Safety: This one should probably be Safe with exception for most safety gang readers depending on personal preferences.
January 9, 2022
1 *generous star*
rant review (spoilers ahead)
we all know kristen ashley is kristen ashley. This entails pages of home decor room descriptions down to lighting fixtures, she may secretly work at ikea... sentences that never end just seem to die down when characters short circuit and lots of head nods, using "babe" as a universal response, sort of like the smurfs ? anyway, these are things that are quirky to her writing. Fatal but endearing flaws.
this being said none of these things influenced my rating because I know who I'm dealing with.
the story starts with our super famous but retired tv series actress/ new Harper Lee after writing one single book, Delphine. Homegirl is getting stalked by a serial killer, he's obsessed with her and is holding women hostage until she agrees to marry him?? so obviously, she has to hide in a remote lake house being guarded by a super hot guy. well, don't worry because the guy gets caught like in the first act!! and delphine is like damn... guess I'll just kick it here then. so she develops a relationship with cade who is the most badass guy ever. KA decorated this guy with every government title ever, I'm honestly surprised she left out the purple heart?? like he is green beret, FBI, ex military?? what else astronaut, paleontologist, gynecologist?
naturally, when girls start dying cade is on the case! (Paw patrol don't sue me) anyway 2 girls get murdered and there's a killer ... but there's also cheating. you see the first girl who died, her mom was a homewrecker to the 4th degree and messed up like 4 homes. so everyone is like how did this woman get all these men?? the answer may surprise you ... pegging!!! that's right. KA perfectly skates the line between white liberalism and internalized homophobia. Because why did you have to make the killer a liberal, bisexual, polyamorous dude?? he couldn't be like a racist misogynist? I digress.
3 other bones to pick
Delphine writes this book called We Strum the Chord and someone says it's better than to kill a mockingbird and people write theses on it and it's taught in schools, and I was going to give it the benefit of the doubt. until she describes the plot as a romance novel that is so groundbreaking because the heroine loves the hero but she doesn't need him!!! Wow, I guess pride and prejudice doesn't exist in this universe. Delphine basically credits herself with inventing feminism.
Then throughout the book, gender roles are traditionally followed. Delphine can acknowledge they are in place but totally accepts it. she's like cade is going to take out the trash because he is so strong and it's cold so I'll just cook because women don't belong in the kitchen but they sure do shine in it!!! Like i don't care about feminism in romance novels so either do it right or sit down.
Despite all of this if the romance was actually good I could overlook everything. But it was bland ... I know cade is 55 years old and super hot and broody. Delphine is 53 but looks 25 *sigh* give us romance novels with mature characters and let them be old. The whole book not a single complaint of back pain!!
also I know I said kristen ashley has an issue with run-on sentences and so do i.
rant review (spoilers ahead)
we all know kristen ashley is kristen ashley. This entails pages of home decor room descriptions down to lighting fixtures, she may secretly work at ikea... sentences that never end just seem to die down when characters short circuit and lots of head nods, using "babe" as a universal response, sort of like the smurfs ? anyway, these are things that are quirky to her writing. Fatal but endearing flaws.
this being said none of these things influenced my rating because I know who I'm dealing with.
the story starts with our super famous but retired tv series actress/ new Harper Lee after writing one single book, Delphine. Homegirl is getting stalked by a serial killer, he's obsessed with her and is holding women hostage until she agrees to marry him?? so obviously, she has to hide in a remote lake house being guarded by a super hot guy. well, don't worry because the guy gets caught like in the first act!! and delphine is like damn... guess I'll just kick it here then. so she develops a relationship with cade who is the most badass guy ever. KA decorated this guy with every government title ever, I'm honestly surprised she left out the purple heart?? like he is green beret, FBI, ex military?? what else astronaut, paleontologist, gynecologist?
naturally, when girls start dying cade is on the case! (Paw patrol don't sue me) anyway 2 girls get murdered and there's a killer ... but there's also cheating. you see the first girl who died, her mom was a homewrecker to the 4th degree and messed up like 4 homes. so everyone is like how did this woman get all these men?? the answer may surprise you ... pegging!!! that's right. KA perfectly skates the line between white liberalism and internalized homophobia. Because why did you have to make the killer a liberal, bisexual, polyamorous dude?? he couldn't be like a racist misogynist? I digress.
3 other bones to pick
Delphine writes this book called We Strum the Chord and someone says it's better than to kill a mockingbird and people write theses on it and it's taught in schools, and I was going to give it the benefit of the doubt. until she describes the plot as a romance novel that is so groundbreaking because the heroine loves the hero but she doesn't need him!!! Wow, I guess pride and prejudice doesn't exist in this universe. Delphine basically credits herself with inventing feminism.
Then throughout the book, gender roles are traditionally followed. Delphine can acknowledge they are in place but totally accepts it. she's like cade is going to take out the trash because he is so strong and it's cold so I'll just cook because women don't belong in the kitchen but they sure do shine in it!!! Like i don't care about feminism in romance novels so either do it right or sit down.
Despite all of this if the romance was actually good I could overlook everything. But it was bland ... I know cade is 55 years old and super hot and broody. Delphine is 53 but looks 25 *sigh* give us romance novels with mature characters and let them be old. The whole book not a single complaint of back pain!!
also I know I said kristen ashley has an issue with run-on sentences and so do i.
April 19, 2023
The first thing I have to mention is how much I love the cover of this book. I think it reflects the story perfectly even though I want to say the book was and wasn't what I thought it would be. I went in blind and I got the impression this was going to be mainly a thriller. What it turned out to be was her classic older couple romance, just with a heavy dose of a thriller/suspenseful plot. I am far from disappointed. In fact, I think the author did a perfect blend of this combination.
I loved the main characters in this. Delphine was unique enough that she stands out compared to your typical heroine. She was super cool for a 53 year old. Almost too cool to be believed, but I liked it. Her ability to read people was not normal and I almost thought for a second there that she might have an ability. Maybe she really does cause it was eerie the way she could peg someone so quickly. She was also a cool mom.
Cade Bohannan is your typical Kristen Ashley hero which is 90% why I read her books. (the other 10% is her awesome heroines) He's what I call a gentleman alpha. He's dominant without being domineering. He's very protective and when he focuses on Delphine, she's all he focuses on. You do not have to worry about him straying. That's a huge, huge draw for me when I read. Add in he is a single dad and he's a very good dad, that pretty much takes the cake.
It's rare for me to say that both main characters were everything I love to read. I like that they worked together against the drama, issues or whatever thing that could have pulled them apart. I love that kind of relationship. I loved the kids and adult kids that made this story more. I loved most of the side characters. I loved the thriller/suspense plot. I can't decide if it's more thriller or more suspense so I'm just labeling it both. I pretty much loved it all.
I loved the main characters in this. Delphine was unique enough that she stands out compared to your typical heroine. She was super cool for a 53 year old. Almost too cool to be believed, but I liked it. Her ability to read people was not normal and I almost thought for a second there that she might have an ability. Maybe she really does cause it was eerie the way she could peg someone so quickly. She was also a cool mom.
Cade Bohannan is your typical Kristen Ashley hero which is 90% why I read her books. (the other 10% is her awesome heroines) He's what I call a gentleman alpha. He's dominant without being domineering. He's very protective and when he focuses on Delphine, she's all he focuses on. You do not have to worry about him straying. That's a huge, huge draw for me when I read. Add in he is a single dad and he's a very good dad, that pretty much takes the cake.
It's rare for me to say that both main characters were everything I love to read. I like that they worked together against the drama, issues or whatever thing that could have pulled them apart. I love that kind of relationship. I loved the kids and adult kids that made this story more. I loved most of the side characters. I loved the thriller/suspense plot. I can't decide if it's more thriller or more suspense so I'm just labeling it both. I pretty much loved it all.
January 27, 2022
2 stars - Contemporary Romance/Romantic Suspense
This book is a trainwreck. I know there are KA fans that will probably like it or love it, but honestly, it’s a hot mess. KA’s rambling writing style is in full effect here. I’m honestly shocked the story made it past editors and beta readers without someone (or several) being honest and telling her it needed some serious editing and revamping. I gave it 2 stars mainly because it was such a crazy train that I had to stay aboard to see what happened next.
Here are some of the unbelievable plot points and issues that I had with the book.
I keep reading KA hoping I'll be wowed again, but maybe I've changed as a reader because her writing style just doesn't seem to work for me anymore.
This book is a trainwreck. I know there are KA fans that will probably like it or love it, but honestly, it’s a hot mess. KA’s rambling writing style is in full effect here. I’m honestly shocked the story made it past editors and beta readers without someone (or several) being honest and telling her it needed some serious editing and revamping. I gave it 2 stars mainly because it was such a crazy train that I had to stay aboard to see what happened next.
Here are some of the unbelievable plot points and issues that I had with the book.
I keep reading KA hoping I'll be wowed again, but maybe I've changed as a reader because her writing style just doesn't seem to work for me anymore.
January 15, 2022
I haven't rated KA's book with five stars since 2017 and here I am still reading her books...
January 6, 2022
I have always been a huge Kristen Ashley fan so it pains me to rate any of her books a 1 star read but there is just no escaping it this time. I can sum up my feelings regarding this story with 5 simple questions:
WHO?
Who is Larue? Who is Bohannan? Who in their right mind calls the person they are falling for by their last name, FOR THE ENTIRE BOOK, when there last name doesn’t even REMOTELY sound like a first name??? Why would she call him Bohannan when it’s not his nickname and his first name is one syllable and MUCH easier to say. Cade. Simple. Rolls off the tongue. But no, let’s call him something else that has no purpose or sentimental reason. This annoyed me for the whole book.
WHAT?
What was she thinking with the plot twist? Did anyone really believe the first story??? No spoilers… just know that the twist was no twist at all for anyone who graduated past reading Dick and Jane books.
WHERE?
Where was the classic KA writing? The build up to the romance? The flawed and yet totally endearing and lovable characters? Where was the humor, even in the more suspenseful stories? Where was the heart? And most importantly WHERE WAS THE EDITOR?!? This book was all over the place!
WHEN?
When did KA turn so crass? Why does every new book include very over the top, vulgar story lines? And why do they always seem to be included in the same sex relationships? Todd and Stevie are one of my all time favorite KA couples. When did she decide to go so dark with her same sex storylines? And when for that matter, did she decide that her very hot, very steamy, love scenes of the past were not good enough and she should throw some hard core kink into EVERY couple’s sex life? I used to read those scenes and say wow. Now I read them and say eww.
And finally, HOW are the die hard KA fans expected to remain die hard when every new book makes us talk about how much we miss the classic KA writing?
I haven’t given up all hope yet but with each new story I am getting closer and closer to completely jumping ship… and that makes me very sad.
WHO?
Who is Larue? Who is Bohannan? Who in their right mind calls the person they are falling for by their last name, FOR THE ENTIRE BOOK, when there last name doesn’t even REMOTELY sound like a first name??? Why would she call him Bohannan when it’s not his nickname and his first name is one syllable and MUCH easier to say. Cade. Simple. Rolls off the tongue. But no, let’s call him something else that has no purpose or sentimental reason. This annoyed me for the whole book.
WHAT?
What was she thinking with the plot twist? Did anyone really believe the first story??? No spoilers… just know that the twist was no twist at all for anyone who graduated past reading Dick and Jane books.
WHERE?
Where was the classic KA writing? The build up to the romance? The flawed and yet totally endearing and lovable characters? Where was the humor, even in the more suspenseful stories? Where was the heart? And most importantly WHERE WAS THE EDITOR?!? This book was all over the place!
WHEN?
When did KA turn so crass? Why does every new book include very over the top, vulgar story lines? And why do they always seem to be included in the same sex relationships? Todd and Stevie are one of my all time favorite KA couples. When did she decide to go so dark with her same sex storylines? And when for that matter, did she decide that her very hot, very steamy, love scenes of the past were not good enough and she should throw some hard core kink into EVERY couple’s sex life? I used to read those scenes and say wow. Now I read them and say eww.
And finally, HOW are the die hard KA fans expected to remain die hard when every new book makes us talk about how much we miss the classic KA writing?
I haven’t given up all hope yet but with each new story I am getting closer and closer to completely jumping ship… and that makes me very sad.
January 8, 2022
2.5 Stars
*squints* I can see...through the mist.....a Hot Mess Express, coming through! Let's discuss, shall we? Or skip to the end if you don't want spoilers
The Bottom Line: I roast it but I read it because I can't quit KA, and through the mist I saw glimpses of KA stories past, so this is a VERY, very qualified recommendation only for a hardcore KA fan who loves all her quirks, hints of BDSM, and a mystery/suspense that's more of a focus than the actual romance.
*squints* I can see...through the mist.....a Hot Mess Express, coming through! Let's discuss, shall we? Or skip to the end if you don't want spoilers
The Bottom Line: I roast it but I read it because I can't quit KA, and through the mist I saw glimpses of KA stories past, so this is a VERY, very qualified recommendation only for a hardcore KA fan who loves all her quirks, hints of BDSM, and a mystery/suspense that's more of a focus than the actual romance.
Read
January 5, 2022I can't believe I am doing this, but this story isn't working for me. I just find the h is annoying and the rambling is getting on my nerves. It's probably just me being cranky because I loved KA's older work. Anyway, I'm at 10% and tapping out. I may try to go back and finish at another time, maybe.
No rating, unless I finish a book.
No rating, unless I finish a book.
January 30, 2022
3.75 stars
i know not everybody agrees, but i feel like this is more KA than her newer books ive been inhaling are. its still not the same as her old books, but the old KA-ness shone through more here than in her recent releases.
so supposedly this was KAs first thriller? but to me it just felt like her usual mystery/romantic suspense. ALTHOUGH the plot was something shes never done before and i feel like it played center stage to the romance. so i guess thats the difference and why it was a thriller?
the plot was one big convoluted mess, and tbh i dont think i fully comprehend what was going on, but i still really enjoyed the book. 🙈 i liked how the romance and the family dynamic sorta complemented it instead of being the drive or main focus for a change.
the H&h were literally of my parents age (early fifties). it was weird to grasp for a sec. but i feel like the way KA portrayed their relationship was fitting? like it was just so sweet, mature, and level-headed? not as vulgar, passionate, or dramatic as her younger couples.
there were (indirect) cameos of her OG characters as per usual. i would say this book is like the combination of her The ’Burg series & Magdalene series, but with a twist of its own. im excited for the next book ngl!
(read as an audiobook)
i know not everybody agrees, but i feel like this is more KA than her newer books ive been inhaling are. its still not the same as her old books, but the old KA-ness shone through more here than in her recent releases.
so supposedly this was KAs first thriller? but to me it just felt like her usual mystery/romantic suspense. ALTHOUGH the plot was something shes never done before and i feel like it played center stage to the romance. so i guess thats the difference and why it was a thriller?
the plot was one big convoluted mess, and tbh i dont think i fully comprehend what was going on, but i still really enjoyed the book. 🙈 i liked how the romance and the family dynamic sorta complemented it instead of being the drive or main focus for a change.
the H&h were literally of my parents age (early fifties). it was weird to grasp for a sec. but i feel like the way KA portrayed their relationship was fitting? like it was just so sweet, mature, and level-headed? not as vulgar, passionate, or dramatic as her younger couples.
there were (indirect) cameos of her OG characters as per usual. i would say this book is like the combination of her The ’Burg series & Magdalene series, but with a twist of its own. im excited for the next book ngl!
(read as an audiobook)
April 16, 2022
5 Mature Love Rocks Stars
* * * * * Spoiler Free
Wow, this new KA book really hit all of the notes of KA of old Plus, a plus of new, a different way of communicating. I LOVED THIS BOOK because it had all the elements KA loves to do but was never over the top or too much for me.
It had descriptions of locations and homes, it had details about all of the characters, things we expect from her. It had the mystery and threat, and it had mentions of characters from our beloved series. Yet, with this book from the start all of it just fit and gave me the sense of what was needed, nothing more.
What KA also did was give us a man who may not have been chatty BUT when he did speak, It Was In Complete Sentences, and the wisdom he shared was everything. These people had lived lives that gave them Perspective. Both were accomplished and independent with monetary means. They had their own habits and ways, were established as people who were not the usual but had worked to try to have as normal a life as they could at this point.
Oh, and the best...it was a love story for the over 50 crowd! Yes, shock of shock, people over the age of 35 can have feelings and desires. They can be sexy and want sex. And it doesn't need to be creepy.
There was so much goodness in this book, a true mystery, a true love story and all the secondary characters that were part of the families made you want to know more about them. I think this has huge potential to become a solid series for KA and I sincerely hope she does it.
The Girl in the Mist (Misted Pines, #1)
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
1/8/22-Yes, I just finished after of days when I should have been doing other things. Review to come because work is calling me. This did not disappoint at all and had lots of Classic KA moments to hold dear.
b>December 20, 2021
Per Kristen Ashley...This took place:
The Mysterious Cade Bohannan...
A Man who Seems To Be...
The Only One Who Might Be Able...
Save This Community...
A Community Where An Author Sought...
In Order To Hide From A Stalker...
Inside Of The Seemingly Perfect, Perfect Place...
It Turns Into Something More Disturbing...
Especially When Our Author Sights...
The Girl in the Mist (Misted Pines, #1)-January 4, 2022
For more Reviews, Free E-books and Giveaways
* * * * * Spoiler Free
Wow, this new KA book really hit all of the notes of KA of old Plus, a plus of new, a different way of communicating. I LOVED THIS BOOK because it had all the elements KA loves to do but was never over the top or too much for me.
It had descriptions of locations and homes, it had details about all of the characters, things we expect from her. It had the mystery and threat, and it had mentions of characters from our beloved series. Yet, with this book from the start all of it just fit and gave me the sense of what was needed, nothing more.
What KA also did was give us a man who may not have been chatty BUT when he did speak, It Was In Complete Sentences, and the wisdom he shared was everything. These people had lived lives that gave them Perspective. Both were accomplished and independent with monetary means. They had their own habits and ways, were established as people who were not the usual but had worked to try to have as normal a life as they could at this point.
Oh, and the best...it was a love story for the over 50 crowd! Yes, shock of shock, people over the age of 35 can have feelings and desires. They can be sexy and want sex. And it doesn't need to be creepy.
There was so much goodness in this book, a true mystery, a true love story and all the secondary characters that were part of the families made you want to know more about them. I think this has huge potential to become a solid series for KA and I sincerely hope she does it.
The Girl in the Mist (Misted Pines, #1)https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
1/8/22-Yes, I just finished after of days when I should have been doing other things. Review to come because work is calling me. This did not disappoint at all and had lots of Classic KA moments to hold dear.
b>December 20, 2021
Per Kristen Ashley...This took place:
I got a wild idea to write this book, it wouldn't let me go, and since I've had a lot of wild ideas to write a number of books (like...all of them), I ran with it and I loved every charged, anxious, what's-going-to-happen-next minute of crafting my first thriller romance..."This Feeling Caused The Creation Of...
The Mysterious Cade Bohannan...
A Man who Seems To Be...
The Only One Who Might Be Able...
Save This Community...
A Community Where An Author Sought...
In Order To Hide From A Stalker...
Inside Of The Seemingly Perfect, Perfect Place...
It Turns Into Something More Disturbing...
Especially When Our Author Sights...
The Girl in the Mist (Misted Pines, #1)-January 4, 2022
For more Reviews, Free E-books and Giveaways
January 5, 2022
When I heard extra hype around this book being KA's version of a thriller, I didn't really understand. Didn't we get that with books such as For You? After reading it, I can tell you that it's not a huge departure from that type of book. At all. This is definitely a "KA book."
What was a huge departure for me was her character development and relationship development in the first half of the story. Much more shallow than I'm used to with this author. The dialogue was choppy and disjointed, and there wasn't the seamless flow from chapter to chapter that I'm used to with Ashley.
Characters were talking. And the other MC would understand them. But I sure didn't. One of the themes in the book was putting puzzle pieces together and seeing things by taking clues further. The first half of the book - I was just constantly looking for more. More dialogue. More depth of character development. Just more.
The second half was better. KA finally goes deeper with the story and her characters. But by then, I just wasn't as invested. I didn't bond with these MCs, or side characters, as I do in virtually ALL her books.
Additional side thought- KA makes a note (literally) to purposefully place many social issues in this book, which I've noticed more from her last handful of books. My personal thought is that I can't turn on the TV or go on social media without encountering this. When I read, I want that escapism, and I don't want that in my stories. Just a personal preference that I don't want to feel preached at in my romance.
What was a huge departure for me was her character development and relationship development in the first half of the story. Much more shallow than I'm used to with this author. The dialogue was choppy and disjointed, and there wasn't the seamless flow from chapter to chapter that I'm used to with Ashley.
Characters were talking. And the other MC would understand them. But I sure didn't. One of the themes in the book was putting puzzle pieces together and seeing things by taking clues further. The first half of the book - I was just constantly looking for more. More dialogue. More depth of character development. Just more.
The second half was better. KA finally goes deeper with the story and her characters. But by then, I just wasn't as invested. I didn't bond with these MCs, or side characters, as I do in virtually ALL her books.
Additional side thought- KA makes a note (literally) to purposefully place many social issues in this book, which I've noticed more from her last handful of books. My personal thought is that I can't turn on the TV or go on social media without encountering this. When I read, I want that escapism, and I don't want that in my stories. Just a personal preference that I don't want to feel preached at in my romance.
May 30, 2024
⭐️⭐️⭐️ 2.5 - 3 Stars! ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Every time I see a new KA series and/or book I wonder if this will be the one. The one where I’ll fall in love KA’s writing again, I’m still not sure if this series will be that. I didn't know what to expect going into this book, but as a fan of romantic suspense I had hopes of finally enjoying a new KA book! It’s different from KA’s norm and one of my fav genres. For the most part it still had all the characteristics of a KA book but with a suspenseful storyline. I'm not sure that I’ll be hooked on this new series, but I’m looking forward to see where goes next.
Delphine is a well known former actress and now author who relocated to the small mountain town of Misted Pines to hide out from a crazy stalker….little does she know her new place has a little crazy of its own. Murders, infidelity, sex scandals and more rock this sleepy little town. Seems the only person to keep her and the town safe is Cade Bohannon. Cade is ex-military, ex-FBI profiler, a single dad and of course the prerequisite hot alpha male.
For the most part I liked this book but didn’t love it. I’m having a hard time coming up with something that tells you exactly how I feel, but I know what I liked/loved about it and what I didn’t like so here it goes…..
Breakdown of likes & dislikes:
Likes:
▪️ Main H&h in their (very early) 50’s.
▪️ Blended families, young adults, & teen characters.
▪️ The mystery had me guessing throughout who the killer was.
▪️ All the little cameos from her early series characters.
▪️ The storyline was really good but not great….it could have been great if all the town scandalous stuff wasn’t so prevalent.
Dislikes:
▪️ Once again SO MANY characters, I found them hard to keep straight and at times had to go back.
▪️ The wives club. Wow talk about bitter and vindictive women. Crazy!
▪️ Kids of these same crazy women seeing sicka$$ videos of their parents in very disgusting sexual situations? Yeah….Just no! (Sound familiar?)
▪️ I’m not a fan of M/M, F/M/M, BDSM, etc….yet once again it’s part of the many secondary characters storylines. Had I been pre-warned I most likely would have skipped this book as it was unnecessary to the main characters or their storyline…..just MY personal preference.
▪️ KA injection of commentary of todays social/political issues. It’s brave and admirable but I personally read as an escape from RL and reality. I haven’t read her last 3 or 4 series so not sure if this is her norm now? If so, I’m definitely done.
* 🎧 Audiobook review: Great narration by Hillary Huber
Every time I see a new KA series and/or book I wonder if this will be the one. The one where I’ll fall in love KA’s writing again, I’m still not sure if this series will be that. I didn't know what to expect going into this book, but as a fan of romantic suspense I had hopes of finally enjoying a new KA book! It’s different from KA’s norm and one of my fav genres. For the most part it still had all the characteristics of a KA book but with a suspenseful storyline. I'm not sure that I’ll be hooked on this new series, but I’m looking forward to see where goes next.
Delphine is a well known former actress and now author who relocated to the small mountain town of Misted Pines to hide out from a crazy stalker….little does she know her new place has a little crazy of its own. Murders, infidelity, sex scandals and more rock this sleepy little town. Seems the only person to keep her and the town safe is Cade Bohannon. Cade is ex-military, ex-FBI profiler, a single dad and of course the prerequisite hot alpha male.
For the most part I liked this book but didn’t love it. I’m having a hard time coming up with something that tells you exactly how I feel, but I know what I liked/loved about it and what I didn’t like so here it goes…..
Breakdown of likes & dislikes:
Likes:
▪️ Main H&h in their (very early) 50’s.
▪️ Blended families, young adults, & teen characters.
▪️ The mystery had me guessing throughout who the killer was.
▪️ All the little cameos from her early series characters.
▪️ The storyline was really good but not great….it could have been great if all the town scandalous stuff wasn’t so prevalent.
Dislikes:
▪️ Once again SO MANY characters, I found them hard to keep straight and at times had to go back.
▪️ The wives club. Wow talk about bitter and vindictive women. Crazy!
▪️ Kids of these same crazy women seeing sicka$$ videos of their parents in very disgusting sexual situations? Yeah….Just no! (Sound familiar?)
▪️ I’m not a fan of M/M, F/M/M, BDSM, etc….yet once again it’s part of the many secondary characters storylines. Had I been pre-warned I most likely would have skipped this book as it was unnecessary to the main characters or their storyline…..just MY personal preference.
▪️ KA injection of commentary of todays social/political issues. It’s brave and admirable but I personally read as an escape from RL and reality. I haven’t read her last 3 or 4 series so not sure if this is her norm now? If so, I’m definitely done.
* 🎧 Audiobook review: Great narration by Hillary Huber
January 6, 2022
There's so much I could say, but I don't know how to say it without spoiling the book. Plus, I'm not going to jump on the trash KA wagon. Also, I have friends still reading this and I sincerely hope they love it. I'll just say, this one wasn't for me.
Happy reading (next time)!
Happy reading (next time)!
January 8, 2022
3.75 Stars
January 4, 2022
I’ve been addicted to KA books since the read my first one, and I’ve always been captivated by each one since.
I believe it’s because even though they’re all unique, they also have her signature writing style along with these common denominators:
➵ A beautiful, heartwarming romance between a couple who were incredible as individuals and perfect together
➵ A mystery with plot twists I didn’t see coming (ok, maybe the mystery is only for the suspense books, but the plots in each are all hooking)
➵ Wonderful family/friend dynamics
➵ Great side characters you want to read more of.
➵ A respectful way of tackling difficult social issues.
I’m not sure where to start with my review. I’m not going to do a recap because the blurb gives readers a really good starting point and there’s so much to say about it, but I also don’t want to give all the thrilling suspense and steamy romance away. So besides the previously mentioned elements, how about a bullet list of the things I liked?
➵ The plot had me sitting on the edge of my seat wanting to know whodunit. And although I wanted to devour it in a single sitting, I was reminded repeatedly that KA books are meant to be savored. But not that I’ve read it and know whodunit, I can re-read at a faster pace.
➵ I LOVED having a kick@$$ 53YO heroine. Not that she kicked @$$ literally, she was just such a great character: smart, loving, observant, perceptive, strong.
➵ Both Delphine and Cade are wonderful single parents, so watching them integrate their families was lovely. Their romance was a sexy and even cute at times slow burn with off the charts chemistry.
➵ I loved the introduction to characters I know I’ll love in future books from this series.
➵ Having a set of questions to reflect on the story at the end is great for book club or just for some introspection.
The Girl in the Mist is book #1 of the Misted Pines series by Kristen Ashley. It’s a romantic suspense / mystery / thriller told from the heroine’s point of view with a happy ending. Tropes: older couple| ex-military| billionaire heroine | single parents
By the numbers quick review:
➵ Character development: 👤👤👤👤👤
➵ Plot/Pace : 📚📚📚📚📚
➵ World building: 🌏🌎🌍🌍🌎
➵ Sexiness : 🔥🔥🔥🔥
➵ Romance : 💕💕💕💕💕
Overall rating: 4.8
Amazon: https://amzn.to/3Htloa1
★ I was given an ARC of this book courtesy of the author via Social Butterfly. The excerpts are from that copy. I am voluntarily reviewing this title.
★ Check out all my book edits over at Instagram
I believe it’s because even though they’re all unique, they also have her signature writing style along with these common denominators:
➵ A beautiful, heartwarming romance between a couple who were incredible as individuals and perfect together
➵ A mystery with plot twists I didn’t see coming (ok, maybe the mystery is only for the suspense books, but the plots in each are all hooking)
➵ Wonderful family/friend dynamics
➵ Great side characters you want to read more of.
➵ A respectful way of tackling difficult social issues.
I’m not sure where to start with my review. I’m not going to do a recap because the blurb gives readers a really good starting point and there’s so much to say about it, but I also don’t want to give all the thrilling suspense and steamy romance away. So besides the previously mentioned elements, how about a bullet list of the things I liked?
➵ The plot had me sitting on the edge of my seat wanting to know whodunit. And although I wanted to devour it in a single sitting, I was reminded repeatedly that KA books are meant to be savored. But not that I’ve read it and know whodunit, I can re-read at a faster pace.
➵ I LOVED having a kick@$$ 53YO heroine. Not that she kicked @$$ literally, she was just such a great character: smart, loving, observant, perceptive, strong.
➵ Both Delphine and Cade are wonderful single parents, so watching them integrate their families was lovely. Their romance was a sexy and even cute at times slow burn with off the charts chemistry.
➵ I loved the introduction to characters I know I’ll love in future books from this series.
➵ Having a set of questions to reflect on the story at the end is great for book club or just for some introspection.
The Girl in the Mist is book #1 of the Misted Pines series by Kristen Ashley. It’s a romantic suspense / mystery / thriller told from the heroine’s point of view with a happy ending. Tropes: older couple| ex-military| billionaire heroine | single parents
By the numbers quick review:
➵ Character development: 👤👤👤👤👤
➵ Plot/Pace : 📚📚📚📚📚
➵ World building: 🌏🌎🌍🌍🌎
➵ Sexiness : 🔥🔥🔥🔥
➵ Romance : 💕💕💕💕💕
Overall rating: 4.8
Amazon: https://amzn.to/3Htloa1
★ I was given an ARC of this book courtesy of the author via Social Butterfly. The excerpts are from that copy. I am voluntarily reviewing this title.
★ Check out all my book edits over at Instagram
March 2, 2024
Can we just have a moment for this icy pretty cover.
KA branched out.
Did a thriller.
I rarely find myself with a thriller in my hands (suspense &action, yes- but thrillers, no).
But I am not against this genre.
It was okay.
I liked the focus points.
I liked the setting.
I was surprised we didn’t get more in terms of getting closer to the killer.
More leads. More anticipation. But again, my knowledge of thrillers are quite limited.
I loved it was 50+ MC’s. (We need MC’s of all ages).
I loved that they both had families (kids). I don’t think their stories were that powerful though. (Please note that movie stars/celebrities is also one of my least favorite tropes, so it could just be me not vibing with that.)
But I really, and I mean really liked that Delphine didn’t just talk and agreed with the common gossip or simply conversations. I think that’s one of the hardest thing to do, because people expect an answer. I think you could tell she was more mature in those situations. She didn’t feel compelled to answer, if she didn’t feel she needed to. That stood out to me, because I am trying to be more like that. It’s harder than you think.
Read: 09/06/2022
1st rating: 3 stars
Genre/tropes:Thrillers/romance/50+MC’S/movie star/small town/murders
Cover: 4 stars
POV’s: Single-1st person (Delphine)
Will I recommend: Yeah
KA branched out.
Did a thriller.
I rarely find myself with a thriller in my hands (suspense &action, yes- but thrillers, no).
But I am not against this genre.
It was okay.
I liked the focus points.
I liked the setting.
I was surprised we didn’t get more in terms of getting closer to the killer.
More leads. More anticipation. But again, my knowledge of thrillers are quite limited.
I loved it was 50+ MC’s. (We need MC’s of all ages).
I loved that they both had families (kids). I don’t think their stories were that powerful though. (Please note that movie stars/celebrities is also one of my least favorite tropes, so it could just be me not vibing with that.)
But I really, and I mean really liked that Delphine didn’t just talk and agreed with the common gossip or simply conversations. I think that’s one of the hardest thing to do, because people expect an answer. I think you could tell she was more mature in those situations. She didn’t feel compelled to answer, if she didn’t feel she needed to. That stood out to me, because I am trying to be more like that. It’s harder than you think.
Read: 09/06/2022
1st rating: 3 stars
Genre/tropes:Thrillers/romance/50+MC’S/movie star/small town/murders
Cover: 4 stars
POV’s: Single-1st person (Delphine)
Will I recommend: Yeah
January 7, 2022
Almost 4 stars. Kristen Ashley does romantic suspense well, and while this wasn’t perfect (nor was this my favorite from her), there were things I enjoyed about The Girl in the Mist (which isn’t a gothic romance, even though the title makes it feel like it might be). Firstly, and maybe most importantly, I wasn’t able to guess “whodonnit.” Predictability is normally something that ruins romantic suspense for me, and I was relieved that there were surprises in this one. Because surprise is so important, I’m going to refrain from giving too many specifics with this review.
Delphine reminded me a lot of Imogen’s character in the River Rain series. So if you loved Imogen, you’ll prob also really love Delphine. Speaking of Delphine, this is another thing I really liked about this book. Delphine is a woman in her 50s, and it’s less common for contemporary romances to feature a middle aged woman. Delphine was a caring mother and was wildly successful in not 1, but 2 careers. I loved the portrayal of a middle aged woman kicking ass and taking names, so to speak. I also loved that she didn’t need a man to achieve success or complete her life, but that she also wasn’t a man-hater. She recognized that being in a relationship with a good man was something to cherish, but that if it didn’t happen for her, she could still be happy and fulfilled.
This brings us to Cade, who is a pretty stereotypical KA hero. He’s a man of few words and lots of chin lifts. He’s also pretty alpha and protective, but given the circumstances, was probably an appropriate level of controlling/ domineering. Finally, I feel like I say this in all my reviews for her books, but KA does kids well. I love the relationships that both Cade and Delphine have with the kids in this one (kids is a loose term because most of these kids are in their twenties… but you get my drift). This wasn’t as steamy as some of her other books, but sex and sexuality were an important theme in this one (which I didn’t necessarily love if I’m honest). Parts of this were a little wordy and confusing (KA has a signature writing style that is in general wordy). I recommend this to fans of KA’s work and/or romantic suspense in general. This won’t got down as a fave from her for me, but it did do enough for me to be interested in reading more in this series. And like I said, I did like the characters and liked the overall plot.
I received an ARC of this in exchange for an honest review.
Delphine reminded me a lot of Imogen’s character in the River Rain series. So if you loved Imogen, you’ll prob also really love Delphine. Speaking of Delphine, this is another thing I really liked about this book. Delphine is a woman in her 50s, and it’s less common for contemporary romances to feature a middle aged woman. Delphine was a caring mother and was wildly successful in not 1, but 2 careers. I loved the portrayal of a middle aged woman kicking ass and taking names, so to speak. I also loved that she didn’t need a man to achieve success or complete her life, but that she also wasn’t a man-hater. She recognized that being in a relationship with a good man was something to cherish, but that if it didn’t happen for her, she could still be happy and fulfilled.
This brings us to Cade, who is a pretty stereotypical KA hero. He’s a man of few words and lots of chin lifts. He’s also pretty alpha and protective, but given the circumstances, was probably an appropriate level of controlling/ domineering. Finally, I feel like I say this in all my reviews for her books, but KA does kids well. I love the relationships that both Cade and Delphine have with the kids in this one (kids is a loose term because most of these kids are in their twenties… but you get my drift). This wasn’t as steamy as some of her other books, but sex and sexuality were an important theme in this one (which I didn’t necessarily love if I’m honest). Parts of this were a little wordy and confusing (KA has a signature writing style that is in general wordy). I recommend this to fans of KA’s work and/or romantic suspense in general. This won’t got down as a fave from her for me, but it did do enough for me to be interested in reading more in this series. And like I said, I did like the characters and liked the overall plot.
I received an ARC of this in exchange for an honest review.
January 19, 2022
This was everything I needed and more for my first book of 2022. No one, and I mean no one writes the way Kristen Ashley does.
This was a completely classic KA style of writing and was I was fucking here for it the whole time. The talking in circles, the time jumps with a recaps, the sassy strong heroine that doesn't need a man but wants one, the over protective strong alpha that claims his woman instantly, the amazing kids on both sides and the details, oh the details.
This book had me from the start. There isn't much that can be said without giving anything away, but here is what I will give you........ You won't stop until you get to the end. And when you get there you will want to go back and read it again just to see it play out over and over again.
This book is not just about the steam in a beautiful romance. This book is a mystery/thriller that will have you sitting on the edge of your seat to see what happens next. This book is about a strong as fuck 53 year old woman who knows her shit, who is strong and is everything her hero needs. This book is about 2 families becoming one. This book is about a couple meshing so perfectly together. This book is about what happens in a quiet little town when not everyone is as they seem.
This book is a perfect example of why I love this author so fucking much.
This book is the best way to start a New Year, but make sure you start it early in the day without your family around to bug you, or you will be up until 2 am finishing it.....like I was.
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This was a completely classic KA style of writing and was I was fucking here for it the whole time. The talking in circles, the time jumps with a recaps, the sassy strong heroine that doesn't need a man but wants one, the over protective strong alpha that claims his woman instantly, the amazing kids on both sides and the details, oh the details.
This book had me from the start. There isn't much that can be said without giving anything away, but here is what I will give you........ You won't stop until you get to the end. And when you get there you will want to go back and read it again just to see it play out over and over again.
This book is not just about the steam in a beautiful romance. This book is a mystery/thriller that will have you sitting on the edge of your seat to see what happens next. This book is about a strong as fuck 53 year old woman who knows her shit, who is strong and is everything her hero needs. This book is about 2 families becoming one. This book is about a couple meshing so perfectly together. This book is about what happens in a quiet little town when not everyone is as they seem.
This book is a perfect example of why I love this author so fucking much.
This book is the best way to start a New Year, but make sure you start it early in the day without your family around to bug you, or you will be up until 2 am finishing it.....like I was.
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March 19, 2022
2.5 stars
For what it is, I respect it. It's your typical KA writing with an interesting plot that's completely fail-proof. A rich heroine moved into a small tight-knit town for whatever reason, an alpha hero who partially gruff and extra macho. And there's a serial killer on the loose. I've seen this story rolled out so many times and like I said, it's always an exciting read for me.
However, the meandering writing. Maybe I moved on from her style of writing but God, it was so frustrating to stay in the protagonist's head. I got extremely bored towards the halfway mark. So much so, I can't even pick up the pages without groaning in misery.
But still, solid plot. Just too heavy with the dramatic wordings.
For what it is, I respect it. It's your typical KA writing with an interesting plot that's completely fail-proof. A rich heroine moved into a small tight-knit town for whatever reason, an alpha hero who partially gruff and extra macho. And there's a serial killer on the loose. I've seen this story rolled out so many times and like I said, it's always an exciting read for me.
However, the meandering writing. Maybe I moved on from her style of writing but God, it was so frustrating to stay in the protagonist's head. I got extremely bored towards the halfway mark. So much so, I can't even pick up the pages without groaning in misery.
But still, solid plot. Just too heavy with the dramatic wordings.
September 12, 2024
A strong 3.5!
Long-time fans of Kristen Ashley will be pleasantly surprised—I sure was! Very plot-forward and emotionally wholesome, The Girl in the Mist is the start of a new leg for KA.
Characters: ★★★★
Emotional angst: ★
Plot/Pacing: ★★★
Let's get two things out of the way right at the top: This book felt EXACTLY like a Kristen Ashley book in many ways. It also, surprisingly, did not.
Ashley's extremely distinctive writing style was present here—in particular, her dramatic pacing of single sentences as paragraphs used in a blatant way for dramatic layering of thoughts. This is a "love it or hate it" style, and I'll be honest, I have to be in the perfect mood for it. (I also seem to feel differently about it based on the format I consume the story? Kindle is the way to go, folks. The printed page really highlights this style and drives me nuts to look at from a distance, whereas the ebook format disguises this technique and you get into the groove.)
However, the distinctive KA styling aside... I was taken aback by this story. The Girl in the Mist was a different type of romance for my expectations, and the setting/plot/characters were a refreshing experience.
Unlike many, many other KA stories, this one makes a fantastic entry point into the KA universe and could be read as a standalone series too.
Delphine LaRue is a famous actress-turned-author who has a stalker. At the beginning of this novel, we learn that Delphine's stalker has escalated to the point where she needs to leave town and go lay low for while—she's not in the witness protection program, but she's in the KA commando version of it. (Longtime fans will recognize some names, even though none of the names are actually present as active characters in this story.)
So Delphine escapes to a cabin on the lake in the small Pacific Northwest town of Misted Pines.
It's a small town where everybody knows everybody. And everybody already knows Delphine LaRue.
This interesting, small town vibe aside, Delphine also has an interesting development. She meets her smoking-hot neighbor—single dad and retired FBI profiler, Cade Buchanan.
When a local girl is discovered dead, Misted Pines circles the wagons and Cade Buchanan gets involved. Delphine, being an empty-nest mother herself and an independent woman of means, also gets involved.
Sparks fly and situations escalate as the murder mystery at the core of this small town exposes the rotten roots of the "picture perfect" Misted Pines neighborhood.
My thoughts:
I have some complicated feelings for this story. On the one hand, I think it's one of the most well-plotted and well-built worlds that I've read from this author. The mystery had some twists that I didn't see coming. The characters experienced quite a lot of emotional growth and unique situations. The town as a character was strong.
But... your girl loves drama. (Me, it's me, I love the drama.)
And I come to Kristen Ashley for that bad-boy, ridiculously Alpha male drama that involves a lot of running around, relationship drama complete with fights, making up, and all that jazz.
And Delphine and Buchanan just...didn't engage in any of that. I think it was a combination of their ages (they've done that before, they're wiser, they don't have the time for that B.S.), and the fact that the romance wasn't the core of this story. Their real-life drama was the murder mystery, so they didn't bring that into the home space.
Which was... fine. But there were several moments where Delphine and Buchanan had lots of reasons to have a lovers' drama and/or at least a playful dialogue about things and KA just... dropped it. We didn't get any of those highs and lows. This was emotionally wholesome to the point of being flat for the romantic pairing.
And, because of that, I found myself taking forever to finish this book. (Forever in KA standards, at least, whereas I usually start a KA book and don't put it down until it's done.) I think this book will have a wide readership, and it deserves it, but I do hope that the further books in the series give us a little Drama Drama for my drama-queen soul. Lol!
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Long-time fans of Kristen Ashley will be pleasantly surprised—I sure was! Very plot-forward and emotionally wholesome, The Girl in the Mist is the start of a new leg for KA.
Characters: ★★★★
Emotional angst: ★
Plot/Pacing: ★★★
Let's get two things out of the way right at the top: This book felt EXACTLY like a Kristen Ashley book in many ways. It also, surprisingly, did not.
Ashley's extremely distinctive writing style was present here—in particular, her dramatic pacing of single sentences as paragraphs used in a blatant way for dramatic layering of thoughts. This is a "love it or hate it" style, and I'll be honest, I have to be in the perfect mood for it. (I also seem to feel differently about it based on the format I consume the story? Kindle is the way to go, folks. The printed page really highlights this style and drives me nuts to look at from a distance, whereas the ebook format disguises this technique and you get into the groove.)
However, the distinctive KA styling aside... I was taken aback by this story. The Girl in the Mist was a different type of romance for my expectations, and the setting/plot/characters were a refreshing experience.
Unlike many, many other KA stories, this one makes a fantastic entry point into the KA universe and could be read as a standalone series too.
Delphine LaRue is a famous actress-turned-author who has a stalker. At the beginning of this novel, we learn that Delphine's stalker has escalated to the point where she needs to leave town and go lay low for while—she's not in the witness protection program, but she's in the KA commando version of it. (Longtime fans will recognize some names, even though none of the names are actually present as active characters in this story.)
So Delphine escapes to a cabin on the lake in the small Pacific Northwest town of Misted Pines.
It's a small town where everybody knows everybody. And everybody already knows Delphine LaRue.
This interesting, small town vibe aside, Delphine also has an interesting development. She meets her smoking-hot neighbor—single dad and retired FBI profiler, Cade Buchanan.
When a local girl is discovered dead, Misted Pines circles the wagons and Cade Buchanan gets involved. Delphine, being an empty-nest mother herself and an independent woman of means, also gets involved.
Sparks fly and situations escalate as the murder mystery at the core of this small town exposes the rotten roots of the "picture perfect" Misted Pines neighborhood.
My thoughts:
I have some complicated feelings for this story. On the one hand, I think it's one of the most well-plotted and well-built worlds that I've read from this author. The mystery had some twists that I didn't see coming. The characters experienced quite a lot of emotional growth and unique situations. The town as a character was strong.
But... your girl loves drama. (Me, it's me, I love the drama.)
And I come to Kristen Ashley for that bad-boy, ridiculously Alpha male drama that involves a lot of running around, relationship drama complete with fights, making up, and all that jazz.
And Delphine and Buchanan just...didn't engage in any of that. I think it was a combination of their ages (they've done that before, they're wiser, they don't have the time for that B.S.), and the fact that the romance wasn't the core of this story. Their real-life drama was the murder mystery, so they didn't bring that into the home space.
Which was... fine. But there were several moments where Delphine and Buchanan had lots of reasons to have a lovers' drama and/or at least a playful dialogue about things and KA just... dropped it. We didn't get any of those highs and lows. This was emotionally wholesome to the point of being flat for the romantic pairing.
And, because of that, I found myself taking forever to finish this book. (Forever in KA standards, at least, whereas I usually start a KA book and don't put it down until it's done.) I think this book will have a wide readership, and it deserves it, but I do hope that the further books in the series give us a little Drama Drama for my drama-queen soul. Lol!
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January 8, 2022
This review was originally posted on Addicted To Romance
First Impression
The Girl In The Mist is the first book in the NEWEST series by Kristen Ashley. This is also the first step into a different genre, the messaging behind this book from social media was romantic suspense but I actually think it’s a blend of romantic suspense and a romantic thriller. It has more focus on romance than most romantic thrillers have but it tends to have a bit less heat and sex scenes than what you normally would expect from this author. And the way that the plot develops in this one gives the impression that it’s a mix, or at least, that is the sense that I felt with this one. I have some mixed feelings about this book here, however, because even though I greatly loved this one, Kristen Ashley has a recent change in her writing that I don’t completely jive with. But I was so pleased by so many other factors that really come together in this story. You know how much I love this author, so I did have high expectations especially when so many other readers had said it was classic KA. I don’t think it really is, it has some similarities but not really. It was quite fun to see this author try out something so different from what she has done so far. But she does tend to go to different genres in such a fun way that it was quite an adventure to see how she handled the romantic thriller side of romance.
Summary
Delphine LaRue is no longer safe, a crazy fan has made some serious threats towards her, and she has settled in the small town of Misted Pines, in a safe house by the lake near the misty mountains that give her the perfect view. Delphine has had a good solid life. She has had two divorces, but two beautiful daughters who are successful in their own right. She is ready to find a new home here in Misty Pines. Even though she is in danger, there is a sense of haven she senses within this town even if she doesn’t have much freedom currently. But then she meets a teenage girl whom she connects with, in a way that resembles a connection to her daughters. And this bond only leads her to her sexy mature father who is impressionable and a man she would love to get to know further, Cade Bohannan. Cade is a man of mystery but a solid protector who sees so much from her than she normally feels comfortable with. But now there is a serial killer in the town, killing innocent girls, the law enforcement in the area being no help, and the only warmth Delphine finds is with Cade and his endearing family who wins her heart. But will Cade and Delphine find the killer before its too late?
What I Loved
There was so much to love about this book here and I just couldn’t resist sharing my love for this story here. I really enjoyed seeing Kristen Ashley explore a new sub-genre. Now I definitely feel like this is much closer to a romantic thriller (just with a bit more focus on the romance than what other authors do). There was such a solid plot with the serial killer and seeing who the culprit was and I didn’t see it coming. I felt so much love for the Bohannan family. I just adored every member of that family and saw their close-knit connections. Kristen Ashley has a talent for writing the best familial connections and in this story, it’s no exception. I adored the way the siblings play with each other and seeing how they support each other no matter what. Their father (our hero) has such a commanding presence, he is so QUIET at times and broody, love his personality. KA definitely hasn’t lost her touch when it comes to writing her heroes. He is so blunt and doesn’t hide what he is thinking and I found that refreshing. I did like that he was willing to voice his own opinion to the heroine even if he disagreed with her. But the heroine, Delphine, is the center of the story as it’s in her POV. I liked her for the most part, she had such a solid strength but a sweet nurturing personality. She is more mature and wise in many respects and she had a sense that others didn’t have. Both the hero and the heroine have the same type of psychic sense. I did feel like there could have been more focus on this psychic ability that they both have but I really enjoyed the light touch of it. It flowed gently within the story. The romance that develops between Cade and Delphine was so perfect, I just loved their sweet bond, and seeing them so “together” from the very beginning. I did really enjoy the level of couple-page time that we received even if the heat was lighter than I was expecting.
What I Struggled With
I won’t lie, this book I had some issues with and it might be some factors that won’t bother others, but it definitely was factors that kept this book from a higher rating. I did go into this book expecting this to have a classic KA feel to it. Other reviews I had read had left that impression but unfortunately, it didn’t quite have that. It had glimpses of course, but there could have been more consistency. Also, the pacing, is slow at times, especially at the beginning. So forewarned before going into this one here. But the pacing isn’t just slow at the beginning, there are spurts of slowness in and out of the whole story. And this is one of my favorite authors so I just wasn’t expecting that. Also, the tone in this story at times felt much more “feminist”, and even though it was more subtle, there were moments that it did rub me the wrong way because while KA has always written strong heroines, the way she writes her heroines lately is different and not as relatable. And there was also a feeling of this being an anti-marriage vibe. It happens toward the end of the book but it definitely had a cynism to it that really bothered me. (Now her book Knight wasn’t pro-marriage but it wasn’t anti either) but in this one, it just felt like an attack on marriage and the more traditional values and it felt so un Kristen Ashley. So I did try not to let it ruin my enjoyment of the story but it did affect it to a point.
Overall Outlook
I felt like The Girl In The Mist was such a unique twist in the different dynamics and growth of this author’s writing, I felt so drawn into this story despite my issues. Its a story that will touch the heart in the most poignant of ways while at the same time offer a delicious amount of thrills to entice you for more….
First Impression
The Girl In The Mist is the first book in the NEWEST series by Kristen Ashley. This is also the first step into a different genre, the messaging behind this book from social media was romantic suspense but I actually think it’s a blend of romantic suspense and a romantic thriller. It has more focus on romance than most romantic thrillers have but it tends to have a bit less heat and sex scenes than what you normally would expect from this author. And the way that the plot develops in this one gives the impression that it’s a mix, or at least, that is the sense that I felt with this one. I have some mixed feelings about this book here, however, because even though I greatly loved this one, Kristen Ashley has a recent change in her writing that I don’t completely jive with. But I was so pleased by so many other factors that really come together in this story. You know how much I love this author, so I did have high expectations especially when so many other readers had said it was classic KA. I don’t think it really is, it has some similarities but not really. It was quite fun to see this author try out something so different from what she has done so far. But she does tend to go to different genres in such a fun way that it was quite an adventure to see how she handled the romantic thriller side of romance.
Humans are animals. As such, we adapt. We’re also individuals. As such, how we do that is unique to every one of us.
Summary
Delphine LaRue is no longer safe, a crazy fan has made some serious threats towards her, and she has settled in the small town of Misted Pines, in a safe house by the lake near the misty mountains that give her the perfect view. Delphine has had a good solid life. She has had two divorces, but two beautiful daughters who are successful in their own right. She is ready to find a new home here in Misty Pines. Even though she is in danger, there is a sense of haven she senses within this town even if she doesn’t have much freedom currently. But then she meets a teenage girl whom she connects with, in a way that resembles a connection to her daughters. And this bond only leads her to her sexy mature father who is impressionable and a man she would love to get to know further, Cade Bohannan. Cade is a man of mystery but a solid protector who sees so much from her than she normally feels comfortable with. But now there is a serial killer in the town, killing innocent girls, the law enforcement in the area being no help, and the only warmth Delphine finds is with Cade and his endearing family who wins her heart. But will Cade and Delphine find the killer before its too late?
Stand on it as your foundation so that you allow no one, not one single soul, to shit on you again
What I Loved
There was so much to love about this book here and I just couldn’t resist sharing my love for this story here. I really enjoyed seeing Kristen Ashley explore a new sub-genre. Now I definitely feel like this is much closer to a romantic thriller (just with a bit more focus on the romance than what other authors do). There was such a solid plot with the serial killer and seeing who the culprit was and I didn’t see it coming. I felt so much love for the Bohannan family. I just adored every member of that family and saw their close-knit connections. Kristen Ashley has a talent for writing the best familial connections and in this story, it’s no exception. I adored the way the siblings play with each other and seeing how they support each other no matter what. Their father (our hero) has such a commanding presence, he is so QUIET at times and broody, love his personality. KA definitely hasn’t lost her touch when it comes to writing her heroes. He is so blunt and doesn’t hide what he is thinking and I found that refreshing. I did like that he was willing to voice his own opinion to the heroine even if he disagreed with her. But the heroine, Delphine, is the center of the story as it’s in her POV. I liked her for the most part, she had such a solid strength but a sweet nurturing personality. She is more mature and wise in many respects and she had a sense that others didn’t have. Both the hero and the heroine have the same type of psychic sense. I did feel like there could have been more focus on this psychic ability that they both have but I really enjoyed the light touch of it. It flowed gently within the story. The romance that develops between Cade and Delphine was so perfect, I just loved their sweet bond, and seeing them so “together” from the very beginning. I did really enjoy the level of couple-page time that we received even if the heat was lighter than I was expecting.
“It’s you,” he said to me. “I had her, but all along, I’ve been waiting for you to get to me.”
What I Struggled With
I won’t lie, this book I had some issues with and it might be some factors that won’t bother others, but it definitely was factors that kept this book from a higher rating. I did go into this book expecting this to have a classic KA feel to it. Other reviews I had read had left that impression but unfortunately, it didn’t quite have that. It had glimpses of course, but there could have been more consistency. Also, the pacing, is slow at times, especially at the beginning. So forewarned before going into this one here. But the pacing isn’t just slow at the beginning, there are spurts of slowness in and out of the whole story. And this is one of my favorite authors so I just wasn’t expecting that. Also, the tone in this story at times felt much more “feminist”, and even though it was more subtle, there were moments that it did rub me the wrong way because while KA has always written strong heroines, the way she writes her heroines lately is different and not as relatable. And there was also a feeling of this being an anti-marriage vibe. It happens toward the end of the book but it definitely had a cynism to it that really bothered me. (Now her book Knight wasn’t pro-marriage but it wasn’t anti either) but in this one, it just felt like an attack on marriage and the more traditional values and it felt so un Kristen Ashley. So I did try not to let it ruin my enjoyment of the story but it did affect it to a point.
Overall Outlook
I felt like The Girl In The Mist was such a unique twist in the different dynamics and growth of this author’s writing, I felt so drawn into this story despite my issues. Its a story that will touch the heart in the most poignant of ways while at the same time offer a delicious amount of thrills to entice you for more….
June 22, 2022
Ok, so on the positive side this wasn’t anywhere near as bad as the last one but it wasn’t great either.
The romance was a bit flat, that wasn’t really what the story was about. I did like that they were older characters though. Unfortunately, the thriller plot wasn’t terribly thrilling either so it kind of failed at both.
I listened to the audiobook and while I’m grateful this was narrated in single first person instead of flipping from one character to another and completely confusing me as the last few have done, the rambling was hard to listen to. Lengthy monologues with the main character pontificating on morality or feminism or ethics along with endless details about interior decor ( for a house, incidentally, she never actually lived in) meant my attention wandered. Frequently. And that meant some characters barely registered. That really didn’t help me feel any tension or jeopardy because I wasn’t really right there in the story.
Complete story. I don’t think I’m in any hurry to read any more about these characters or this place. It’s hard to believe this was written by the same person who brought us At Peace and Sweet Dreams.
The romance was a bit flat, that wasn’t really what the story was about. I did like that they were older characters though. Unfortunately, the thriller plot wasn’t terribly thrilling either so it kind of failed at both.
I listened to the audiobook and while I’m grateful this was narrated in single first person instead of flipping from one character to another and completely confusing me as the last few have done, the rambling was hard to listen to. Lengthy monologues with the main character pontificating on morality or feminism or ethics along with endless details about interior decor ( for a house, incidentally, she never actually lived in) meant my attention wandered. Frequently. And that meant some characters barely registered. That really didn’t help me feel any tension or jeopardy because I wasn’t really right there in the story.
Complete story. I don’t think I’m in any hurry to read any more about these characters or this place. It’s hard to believe this was written by the same person who brought us At Peace and Sweet Dreams.
June 7, 2024
Re-Read, 2024
I knew I wanted to re-read The Girl in the Woods as a quick refresher before the next book/final book since I've only read that once. I just wasn't sure if I was going to re-read this too. It would be my third read of a book that I didn't really like all that much but has grown on me a bit. But, I decided to just go ahead and re-read them both, starting here, so I'm ready for the next/final story in Misted Pines. (I keep saying final because I swear I read that somewhere. I could be wrong though.)
So, I'm not going to really add anything to my review this go round. I didn't like it any more or less than I already did. I noticed some things I didn't before, or at least I payed different attention to things, as it would happen on a re-read, but I don't really have any new thoughts to add.
Aside from the mention of Twin Peaks in the story, this read, I didn't focus on that at all so that was a plus for sure.
On to the next.
*******
Re-Read 2023
Ok, without my focus on all that below, I enjoyed this so much more than the first read. Yes, some things still snuck in and some were hard to ignore, but mostly, I read this as a Romantic Suspense or Thriller Romance as KA is calling it, and I was into it. I'd add a star to my rating but I hate changing from my first read so I'll just mention it here.
Can anyone recommend and fantastic Romantic Suspense? I definitely need more.
*******
I finished this on the 7th of January and it is now the 31st.
I now have five drafts of this review. FIVE. One of which I started before I was even halfway though because I had THOUGHTS, and I still don’t know exactly what I want to say or how I want to say it.
Thing is, I was so excited for this book. KA was calling this a Thriller Romance and man, that just sounded perfect. Add to that it totally had a Twin Peaks vibe and I was beside myself with anticipation.
Plus, she’s like my favorite, top three I’d say.
This was just not at all what I had gotten my hopes up for.
I’m going to start with the whole Twin Peaks thing because I think it is bothering me the most.
I expected a nod. An Easter Egg thrown in here and there for those who know. A homage so to speak. A tip of her hat acknowledging the greatness. I totally dig that KA is a super fan like me. I found it brilliant to use that vibe as a stepping stone but wasn’t a tip, this was a pour. I lost count but almost every character had some sort of Twin Peaks connection Character names, actor names, places, all of it. I made a list and then just grew so angry I had to move on. I get it. Twin Peaks is my most favorite, my ring tone is the theme song, but this, this was just too much. It totally took away from the charm that a couple similarities would have given the story.
Plus, it wasn’t all that much like Twin Peaks at the end of the day anyway. The town and some of the people, yeah, I get it but the rest, NOT SO MUCH.
The writing was so odd. Delly’s voice, I just felt like I had no idea what she was talking about and even if I had a clue, I didn’t understand how she was conveying it. It was really, really odd. I’m really use to KA’s speak but this, I don’t know, this was not flowy or something and I really struggled to get a feel for what was happening. I re-read so many paragraphs and pages it isn’t funny. At first I thought she was some sort of clairvoyant or ghost whisperer. Really, she was just super rich and could read people. I didn’t get it. It did improve but the beginning was definitely a struggle.
I also never got a feel for what Delly looked like. Did I miss her description? I don’t know. I felt like she was faceless.
I was not a fan of the way women spoke in this either. Sue me. I don’t know. I’m all about being a woman and I get the “I don’t need a man” mentality but I don’t live extreme and I just couldn’t relate. The scene with Bobby and his wife?? What even was that whole bunch of pages? What even did that have to do with YOUR DEAD FUCKING DAUGHTER? .
Everything that happened with those wives was such an oddity.
KA has an agenda and kudos to her for having a voice. It’s her book to do what she wishes but I’m not the biggest fan. It doesn’t even matter if I agree or not, I just wonder why not just write a diverse and inclusive story if that is the point you are trying to make? You know how to write strong women and you know how to include all types of people. Do that or at least have a reason for making a point that had nothing to do with the story.
And mostly, the romance. The meet was weird and everything after that was weird too. I just don’t for a second believe Cade was into Delly. I can totally see the celebrity crush, yes. But the man he was portrayed to be just did not seem like a man who would be into her. She was so vain and so rich it just didn’t seem to fit for me. I normally love how KA integrates her families in her stories but this, well, some of it I liked but some of it was just too unbelievable.
It’s been too long for me to even think or talk about the actual crime. They were brutal for sure, anything with kids would be.
I think I should give it another go. It pains me to no end to give this three stars. Although, now that I get the gist of the story and have a sort of better feel for what is going on, maybe a re-read would be smoother. I don't know if that would make my rating better or worse but I think I could focus better. I truthfully spent a lot of the initial read re-reading to understand and getting completely pulled out of the story.
So, as you can see, I just don’t even know if I am coming or going with this one.
I knew I wanted to re-read The Girl in the Woods as a quick refresher before the next book/final book since I've only read that once. I just wasn't sure if I was going to re-read this too. It would be my third read of a book that I didn't really like all that much but has grown on me a bit. But, I decided to just go ahead and re-read them both, starting here, so I'm ready for the next/final story in Misted Pines. (I keep saying final because I swear I read that somewhere. I could be wrong though.)
So, I'm not going to really add anything to my review this go round. I didn't like it any more or less than I already did. I noticed some things I didn't before, or at least I payed different attention to things, as it would happen on a re-read, but I don't really have any new thoughts to add.
Aside from the mention of Twin Peaks in the story, this read, I didn't focus on that at all so that was a plus for sure.
On to the next.
*******
Re-Read 2023
Ok, without my focus on all that below, I enjoyed this so much more than the first read. Yes, some things still snuck in and some were hard to ignore, but mostly, I read this as a Romantic Suspense or Thriller Romance as KA is calling it, and I was into it. I'd add a star to my rating but I hate changing from my first read so I'll just mention it here.
Can anyone recommend and fantastic Romantic Suspense? I definitely need more.
*******
I finished this on the 7th of January and it is now the 31st.
I now have five drafts of this review. FIVE. One of which I started before I was even halfway though because I had THOUGHTS, and I still don’t know exactly what I want to say or how I want to say it.
Thing is, I was so excited for this book. KA was calling this a Thriller Romance and man, that just sounded perfect. Add to that it totally had a Twin Peaks vibe and I was beside myself with anticipation.
Plus, she’s like my favorite, top three I’d say.
This was just not at all what I had gotten my hopes up for.
I’m going to start with the whole Twin Peaks thing because I think it is bothering me the most.
I expected a nod. An Easter Egg thrown in here and there for those who know. A homage so to speak. A tip of her hat acknowledging the greatness. I totally dig that KA is a super fan like me. I found it brilliant to use that vibe as a stepping stone but wasn’t a tip, this was a pour. I lost count but almost every character had some sort of Twin Peaks connection Character names, actor names, places, all of it. I made a list and then just grew so angry I had to move on. I get it. Twin Peaks is my most favorite, my ring tone is the theme song, but this, this was just too much. It totally took away from the charm that a couple similarities would have given the story.
Plus, it wasn’t all that much like Twin Peaks at the end of the day anyway. The town and some of the people, yeah, I get it but the rest, NOT SO MUCH.
The writing was so odd. Delly’s voice, I just felt like I had no idea what she was talking about and even if I had a clue, I didn’t understand how she was conveying it. It was really, really odd. I’m really use to KA’s speak but this, I don’t know, this was not flowy or something and I really struggled to get a feel for what was happening. I re-read so many paragraphs and pages it isn’t funny. At first I thought she was some sort of clairvoyant or ghost whisperer. Really, she was just super rich and could read people. I didn’t get it. It did improve but the beginning was definitely a struggle.
I also never got a feel for what Delly looked like. Did I miss her description? I don’t know. I felt like she was faceless.
I was not a fan of the way women spoke in this either. Sue me. I don’t know. I’m all about being a woman and I get the “I don’t need a man” mentality but I don’t live extreme and I just couldn’t relate. The scene with Bobby and his wife?? What even was that whole bunch of pages? What even did that have to do with YOUR DEAD FUCKING DAUGHTER? .
Everything that happened with those wives was such an oddity.
KA has an agenda and kudos to her for having a voice. It’s her book to do what she wishes but I’m not the biggest fan. It doesn’t even matter if I agree or not, I just wonder why not just write a diverse and inclusive story if that is the point you are trying to make? You know how to write strong women and you know how to include all types of people. Do that or at least have a reason for making a point that had nothing to do with the story.
And mostly, the romance. The meet was weird and everything after that was weird too. I just don’t for a second believe Cade was into Delly. I can totally see the celebrity crush, yes. But the man he was portrayed to be just did not seem like a man who would be into her. She was so vain and so rich it just didn’t seem to fit for me. I normally love how KA integrates her families in her stories but this, well, some of it I liked but some of it was just too unbelievable.
It’s been too long for me to even think or talk about the actual crime. They were brutal for sure, anything with kids would be.
I think I should give it another go. It pains me to no end to give this three stars. Although, now that I get the gist of the story and have a sort of better feel for what is going on, maybe a re-read would be smoother. I don't know if that would make my rating better or worse but I think I could focus better. I truthfully spent a lot of the initial read re-reading to understand and getting completely pulled out of the story.
So, as you can see, I just don’t even know if I am coming or going with this one.
Want to read
December 20, 2021Renowned author Delphine Larue needs a haven.
A crazed fan has gone over the deep end, and she's not safe.
Her security team has suggested a house by a lake. Secluded. Private. Far away. In a beautiful area of the Northwest close to the sleepy town of Misted Pines. It's perfect. So perfect, Delphine has just moved in, and she's thinking she'll stay there forever.
Until she sees the girl in the mist.
After that, everything changes.
Delphine quickly learns that Misted Pines isn't so sleepy. A little girl has gone missing, and the town is in the grips of terror and tragedy. The local sheriff isn't up for the job. The citizens are up in arms. And as the case unfolds, the seedy underbelly of a quiet community is exposed, layer by layer.
But most importantly, girls are dying.
There seems to be only one man they trust to find out what's happening.
The mysterious Cade Bohannan.
More reviews and book talk at :
You can find me here too ☞
A crazed fan has gone over the deep end, and she's not safe.
Her security team has suggested a house by a lake. Secluded. Private. Far away. In a beautiful area of the Northwest close to the sleepy town of Misted Pines. It's perfect. So perfect, Delphine has just moved in, and she's thinking she'll stay there forever.
Until she sees the girl in the mist.
After that, everything changes.
Delphine quickly learns that Misted Pines isn't so sleepy. A little girl has gone missing, and the town is in the grips of terror and tragedy. The local sheriff isn't up for the job. The citizens are up in arms. And as the case unfolds, the seedy underbelly of a quiet community is exposed, layer by layer.
But most importantly, girls are dying.
There seems to be only one man they trust to find out what's happening.
The mysterious Cade Bohannan.
More reviews and book talk at :
You can find me here too ☞
December 28, 2021
2.5/3 stars
Very mixed feelings here. Not even sure where to begin writing a review. Ugh. I need to think a while on this.
Very mixed feelings here. Not even sure where to begin writing a review. Ugh. I need to think a while on this.
January 6, 2022
I've been a fan of Kristen Ashley's for a while now and it never ceases to amaze me how she can write so many books that I absolutely LOVE, The Girl in the Mist is just the newest addition to the list.
We start off with Delphine Larue needing to get away and hide for a while while a search is going on for a crazed fan that has gone over the deep end. So she purchases a house in the sleepy little town of Misted Pines, but this sleepy town is anything but boring that's for sure!
Cade Bohannan is tasked with keeping Delphine safe, but now that young girls are showing up dead in his town he needs to catch a killer as well, because the town's sheriff isn't fit for the job.
This story was sooo good! The chemistry between Delphine and Cade was great and I LOVED their relationships with their children as well, but what I enjoyed even more than that Is that keeps you guessing to the very end on who the killer could be.
I listened to the audiobook version of this book and LOVED the narration done by Hillary Huber, she did a great job with bringing this story to life.
This is an easy book for me to recommend not only to fans of KA's work, but to anyone that enjoys a good Romantic Suspense as well.
Happy Reading!!!
Read an Excerpt here ➡ http://bit.ly/NBReviewTGitM
**I have voluntarily reviewed an Advanced Readers Copy of this book for my Blog, Nadine's Obsessed with Books**
I preordered a kindle copy, I also purchased and listened to the audiobook version of this book
You can find me here: https://linktr.ee/NadineBookaholic
We start off with Delphine Larue needing to get away and hide for a while while a search is going on for a crazed fan that has gone over the deep end. So she purchases a house in the sleepy little town of Misted Pines, but this sleepy town is anything but boring that's for sure!
Cade Bohannan is tasked with keeping Delphine safe, but now that young girls are showing up dead in his town he needs to catch a killer as well, because the town's sheriff isn't fit for the job.
This story was sooo good! The chemistry between Delphine and Cade was great and I LOVED their relationships with their children as well, but what I enjoyed even more than that Is that keeps you guessing to the very end on who the killer could be.
I listened to the audiobook version of this book and LOVED the narration done by Hillary Huber, she did a great job with bringing this story to life.
This is an easy book for me to recommend not only to fans of KA's work, but to anyone that enjoys a good Romantic Suspense as well.
Happy Reading!!!
Read an Excerpt here ➡ http://bit.ly/NBReviewTGitM
**I have voluntarily reviewed an Advanced Readers Copy of this book for my Blog, Nadine's Obsessed with Books**I preordered a kindle copy, I also purchased and listened to the audiobook version of this book
You can find me here: https://linktr.ee/NadineBookaholic
January 7, 2022
5 Stars!
Whoa. Not my usual style yet I'd follow Kristen Ashley anywhere when it comes to her words and stories. The Girl in the Mist is her AND my first thriller romance and y'all, I was completely obsessed in all the ways.
Every page. Every word. Every emotion. Unforgettable at every turn. This new release will have you on the edge of your seat the entire journey.. I'm talking allllllll the pages and leave you breathless in soooo many moments. A strong storyline and new characters that you won't soon forget.
I wish I could experience this beauty all over again for the first time because wow. I'm speechless.
Fans of KA and this genre are going to LOVE this book hard. And surprise appearances from past book boyfriends of KA? You betcha!
I highly recommend this book.
Reviewed for Renee Entress's Blog.
Whoa. Not my usual style yet I'd follow Kristen Ashley anywhere when it comes to her words and stories. The Girl in the Mist is her AND my first thriller romance and y'all, I was completely obsessed in all the ways.
Every page. Every word. Every emotion. Unforgettable at every turn. This new release will have you on the edge of your seat the entire journey.. I'm talking allllllll the pages and leave you breathless in soooo many moments. A strong storyline and new characters that you won't soon forget.
I wish I could experience this beauty all over again for the first time because wow. I'm speechless.
Fans of KA and this genre are going to LOVE this book hard. And surprise appearances from past book boyfriends of KA? You betcha!
I highly recommend this book.
Reviewed for Renee Entress's Blog.
January 14, 2022
I thought the mystery/suspense plot was well-written, and riveting. It was tightly plotted, very suspenseful, and had me guessing right up until the end. I’m thrilled Kristen has ventured forth into this subgenre, and can’t wait for the next one!
KA’s romances are filled with law enforcement officers, commandos, MCs, so naturally there are numerous plot threads filled with suspense and danger. Romantic Suspense seems like a natural progression and a good fit. If I had read this book not knowing who wrote it, I would have recognized the style right away.
KA’s romances are filled with law enforcement officers, commandos, MCs, so naturally there are numerous plot threads filled with suspense and danger. Romantic Suspense seems like a natural progression and a good fit. If I had read this book not knowing who wrote it, I would have recognized the style right away.
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