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Emerald Coast 911 #1
Perfect Target
The corpse in her path was Bayley Foster's first warning. The second? A break-in at Bayley's own home! She's certain that the stalker who once tormented her has returned to toy with her again. But has her stalker truly escalated to murder? Her fiercely protective neighbor, police detective Cruse Conyers, is determined to get answers. Even if it takes him into the murky depths of the criminal underworld. What he uncovers adds a terrifying twist to the case that could land both Cruse and Bayley in the cross fire….
224 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2009
4 people are currently reading
246 people want to read
About the author
Stephanie Newton
14 books48 followersAward-winning author Stephanie Newton lives in Alabama with her pastor husband and three children, aged 23 months to 21 years. A Southern girl through and through, she loves sweet tea, SEC football, corn on the cob and air conditioning. She’s written eight books for Harlequin’s Love Inspired Suspense line.
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
March 20, 2024
Great characters and story.
June 22, 2017
I loved Stephanie Newton's first book in this series and couldn't wait to read her other books. It was a hard book to put down as it was very suspenseful.
July 27, 2018
First book I've read by this author and I loved it. Great story and characters with suspense and romance. Have already downloaded book #2.
April 9, 2014
Actual rating 2.5 stars
The corpse in her path was Bayley Foster's first warning. The second? A break-in at Bayley's own home She's certain that the stalker who once tormented her has returned to toy with her again. But has her stalker truly escalated to "murder?" Her fiercely protective neighbor, police detective Cruse Conyers, is determined to get answers. Even if it takes him into the murky depths of the criminal underworld. What he uncovers adds a terrifying twist to the case that could land both Cruse and Bayley in the cross fire....
I'll start by trying not to get into too much detail and spoiling the whole thing.
Well, I really loved the way the book started off...with Bayley making it to safety all by herself! Got me all excited for a female lead character that actually had some staying power and backbone...and that's exactly what I got, a realistic looking character that doesn't burst into tears and scream "save me, save me oh hunky one" every time something happens to her. Nope. This gal, while she does realistically cry in a couple of spots in the book, has a backbone...and a 9mm handgun. And resists the whole "I have insta-loved you since I laid eyes on you" thing.
Cruse, after ignoring the fact that once again I have basically read a book where the man looks like a blonde Nordic God of muscle, wasn't half bad. Cruse is a cop, a homicide investigator to be exact, so having him slide into the story right after Bayley ends up with a dead body laying on her beach naturally works. Particularly when she has him as a neighbor... He was realistic and almost always wearing black. I can deal with that. After all, his dark, brooding ways are something I inexplicably like in my lead male romance characters. He also resists the insta-love...because he's dark and brooding! I just wish he had dark hair...
Book was fast paced and totally had my vote, with only a few mentions of God here and there during the beginning. That is what it takes (in my opinion) to write a good Christian Romance. God is mentioned, but they don't take religion and repeatedly beat you over the head with it. Yeah, we got it, why do you think we're reading these things to start with????
It was going great...until page 117....and then IT started. I have read many a Christian romance that beats the religion aspect to death, and this one, I am sad to say, was no exception. What's worse is the gentle lull you get sucked into, that this will be a nice light religion kissed read, and then BAM you get hit in the back of the head unexpectedly with the proverbial bag of bricks!!!! I actually moaned out loud when it started and started murmuring "no no no, this was looking like such a good book." I read faster, hoping it was just page long thing....nope. After several pages I resigned myself to the fact that as of page 117, this book was going to preach long and hard. that's when it lost half a star. I felt so misled!
So the preaching let up a tiny little bit after that, which was good...anyhow, skipping along. The climax of the story was a tiny bit disappointing after all the suspense building and such. Mind you one of the characters did face a debilitating fear and managed to conquer it and save the day (one guess who that was!). So all in all I was happy...until the end.
SPOILER ALERT Not that it comes as a surprise. Endings like this seem to almost be a requirement in these books...
And because of that, 2.5 stars instead of a solid 3.5...and it would have been a solid 4 had the religion bricks not hit me in the head like a tanker truck.
2.5 stars...and that makes me sad, because it could have been SO much more with just a few tweaks and a little less.
The corpse in her path was Bayley Foster's first warning. The second? A break-in at Bayley's own home She's certain that the stalker who once tormented her has returned to toy with her again. But has her stalker truly escalated to "murder?" Her fiercely protective neighbor, police detective Cruse Conyers, is determined to get answers. Even if it takes him into the murky depths of the criminal underworld. What he uncovers adds a terrifying twist to the case that could land both Cruse and Bayley in the cross fire....
I'll start by trying not to get into too much detail and spoiling the whole thing.
Well, I really loved the way the book started off...with Bayley making it to safety all by herself! Got me all excited for a female lead character that actually had some staying power and backbone...and that's exactly what I got, a realistic looking character that doesn't burst into tears and scream "save me, save me oh hunky one" every time something happens to her. Nope. This gal, while she does realistically cry in a couple of spots in the book, has a backbone...and a 9mm handgun. And resists the whole "I have insta-loved you since I laid eyes on you" thing.
Cruse, after ignoring the fact that once again I have basically read a book where the man looks like a blonde Nordic God of muscle, wasn't half bad. Cruse is a cop, a homicide investigator to be exact, so having him slide into the story right after Bayley ends up with a dead body laying on her beach naturally works. Particularly when she has him as a neighbor... He was realistic and almost always wearing black. I can deal with that. After all, his dark, brooding ways are something I inexplicably like in my lead male romance characters. He also resists the insta-love...because he's dark and brooding! I just wish he had dark hair...
Book was fast paced and totally had my vote, with only a few mentions of God here and there during the beginning. That is what it takes (in my opinion) to write a good Christian Romance. God is mentioned, but they don't take religion and repeatedly beat you over the head with it. Yeah, we got it, why do you think we're reading these things to start with????
It was going great...until page 117....and then IT started. I have read many a Christian romance that beats the religion aspect to death, and this one, I am sad to say, was no exception. What's worse is the gentle lull you get sucked into, that this will be a nice light religion kissed read, and then BAM you get hit in the back of the head unexpectedly with the proverbial bag of bricks!!!! I actually moaned out loud when it started and started murmuring "no no no, this was looking like such a good book." I read faster, hoping it was just page long thing....nope. After several pages I resigned myself to the fact that as of page 117, this book was going to preach long and hard. that's when it lost half a star. I felt so misled!
So the preaching let up a tiny little bit after that, which was good...anyhow, skipping along. The climax of the story was a tiny bit disappointing after all the suspense building and such. Mind you one of the characters did face a debilitating fear and managed to conquer it and save the day (one guess who that was!). So all in all I was happy...until the end.
SPOILER ALERT Not that it comes as a surprise. Endings like this seem to almost be a requirement in these books...
And because of that, 2.5 stars instead of a solid 3.5...and it would have been a solid 4 had the religion bricks not hit me in the head like a tanker truck.
2.5 stars...and that makes me sad, because it could have been SO much more with just a few tweaks and a little less.
March 29, 2017
#1 Emerald Coast 911
Bayley notices someone in trouble in the sea and screams for someone to call 911 as she dashes off to the rescue. Only it's too late. The guy is dead ~ has been stabbed and left to wash up on the beach.
It's the second suited man to be found in the surf in a short space of time.
And both have connections with Save Our Shores.
And Bayley's stalker, who has been jailed, is active again. He has still managed to get to her, even from prison.
Bayley's neighbour, Cruse Conyers of Sea Breeze P.D. doesn't believe in co-incidence. What he can't work out is how they all tie together. In the meantime, he's keeping close to Bayley ~ she is not going to get hurt on his watch!
A great faith filled suspense, set on the Florida coast, and a great start to the series.
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Bayley notices someone in trouble in the sea and screams for someone to call 911 as she dashes off to the rescue. Only it's too late. The guy is dead ~ has been stabbed and left to wash up on the beach.
It's the second suited man to be found in the surf in a short space of time.
And both have connections with Save Our Shores.
And Bayley's stalker, who has been jailed, is active again. He has still managed to get to her, even from prison.
Bayley's neighbour, Cruse Conyers of Sea Breeze P.D. doesn't believe in co-incidence. What he can't work out is how they all tie together. In the meantime, he's keeping close to Bayley ~ she is not going to get hurt on his watch!
A great faith filled suspense, set on the Florida coast, and a great start to the series.
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March 20, 2021
This was alright. It started off strong but got steadily more preachy which was annoying.
I liked Bayley and her attitude to life. I liked that she was all about trying new things and making bold choices. I mean I wouldn't paint all the rooms in my house rainbow colours, but I liked the thought of it. I liked Bayley's job as the director of Hope House - a safe haven for abused women - and her dedication to ensuring the women's safety and happiness.
Cruse was alright. Spent a bit too much time beating himself up about not being good enough, but otherwise was okay. The main thing that annoyed me about him was the spelling of his name - why not Cruise or Cruze or Cruz. I don't know - pretty much anything other than Cruse.
The romance was pretty non-existent but they did build a friendship, sharing their pasts and that. I would've liked to see them spend more time with Sailor (Cruse's sister) or the rest of their friends/church group.
The plot moved along at a good speed. I have read a lot of stalker books with a cop next door neighbour - particularly with the living on a beach, but I felt this was sufficiently different in being fleshed out more and providing greater character depth. Perhaps also different because of the lack of romance and sex than some of the other books have had.
The mystery was interesting and the culprit was sufficiently hard to guess. Decently written, 3 stars.
I liked Bayley and her attitude to life. I liked that she was all about trying new things and making bold choices. I mean I wouldn't paint all the rooms in my house rainbow colours, but I liked the thought of it. I liked Bayley's job as the director of Hope House - a safe haven for abused women - and her dedication to ensuring the women's safety and happiness.
Cruse was alright. Spent a bit too much time beating himself up about not being good enough, but otherwise was okay. The main thing that annoyed me about him was the spelling of his name - why not Cruise or Cruze or Cruz. I don't know - pretty much anything other than Cruse.
The romance was pretty non-existent but they did build a friendship, sharing their pasts and that. I would've liked to see them spend more time with Sailor (Cruse's sister) or the rest of their friends/church group.
The plot moved along at a good speed. I have read a lot of stalker books with a cop next door neighbour - particularly with the living on a beach, but I felt this was sufficiently different in being fleshed out more and providing greater character depth. Perhaps also different because of the lack of romance and sex than some of the other books have had.
The mystery was interesting and the culprit was sufficiently hard to guess. Decently written, 3 stars.
October 10, 2015
Emerald Coast 911
Book 1
The author introduces us to some of the characters we will journey with on this new series. Bayley Foster comes from a rich family, but all she wants is independence - no money, no maid - just her. Finding a body floating outside her beach-side home doesn't help matters any either. Especially when she finds herself in the middle of the investigation and since it appears that her stalker is back!
But Detective Cruse Conyers comes to the rescue. He protects her and keeps her petty close to his side. He's always there every time she needs him. But he's from the wrong side of the tracks. His family history is a bad one - one that he feels will keep him away from Bayley.
The romance was sweet - I loved Cruse's endearing way he talked to Bayley and the way he took care of her. I loved the way Bayley wanted him to fall in love with her.
The suspense was great. The author took us on a journey. I kept going back and forth on "who." and "why." Some surprises!
Book 1
The author introduces us to some of the characters we will journey with on this new series. Bayley Foster comes from a rich family, but all she wants is independence - no money, no maid - just her. Finding a body floating outside her beach-side home doesn't help matters any either. Especially when she finds herself in the middle of the investigation and since it appears that her stalker is back!
But Detective Cruse Conyers comes to the rescue. He protects her and keeps her petty close to his side. He's always there every time she needs him. But he's from the wrong side of the tracks. His family history is a bad one - one that he feels will keep him away from Bayley.
The romance was sweet - I loved Cruse's endearing way he talked to Bayley and the way he took care of her. I loved the way Bayley wanted him to fall in love with her.
The suspense was great. The author took us on a journey. I kept going back and forth on "who." and "why." Some surprises!
July 31, 2011
Cruse Conyers is a cop who takes protecting people seriously, too seriously. He let his sister down when they were young and he would not let anyone down again.
Bayley Foster wants nothing worse then independence. Since she was almost kidnapped at four she has been surrounded by bodyguards, who always left at some point and forgot about her. After she had a stalker after her she allowed fear in her life. Now she was going to make it on her own.
When Bayley pulls a dead body of the ocean she is greeted by Cruse. They are both relationship shy. Once Bayley is threatened again their lives are thrown together.
A great suspense and romance in one.
Bayley Foster wants nothing worse then independence. Since she was almost kidnapped at four she has been surrounded by bodyguards, who always left at some point and forgot about her. After she had a stalker after her she allowed fear in her life. Now she was going to make it on her own.
When Bayley pulls a dead body of the ocean she is greeted by Cruse. They are both relationship shy. Once Bayley is threatened again their lives are thrown together.
A great suspense and romance in one.
May 7, 2009
I read this because the setting is in Destin, FL, where I grew up & because I know the writer's husband. It was good for the TYPE book it is. She's continuing with follow-up books developing the same characters. I'll give them a try, too.
June 23, 2011
Loved this series by Stephanie. A new author who I thoroughly enjoyed reading, Stephanie writes fast paced books that are quick to read but so enjoyable. Loved her characters and the quick-moving plot. Great for a summer beach read.
April 29, 2009
OK just about sums it up. I've read two books since this and I found that I had to look through the book to remember what it was about.
October 13, 2011
I really enjoyed this book.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews