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Secrets of Shadow Falls #3
Kiss Me, Kill Me
She's protected him since the day he was born. Since the day the LIE BEGAN.
A long-ago act of kindness to a desperate woman changed Dr. Carrie Overton's life forever. Before disappearing, the grateful stranger had given Carrie her newborn son. When the woman is murdered, the secret becomes Carrie's alone.
She had kept both it and her son, Sam, safe for sixteen years. But now a friend of Sam's has gone missing. The police believe he's a runaway--until he's found dead. Then another teen disappears, and talk turns to that long-ago murder.
Newcomer Gabriel Cain is asking too many questions, befriending Sam, getting too close. Carrie distrusts him even as she finds herself falling for him. But Gabriel has secrets, too...
Is it time for the lying to end?
A long-ago act of kindness to a desperate woman changed Dr. Carrie Overton's life forever. Before disappearing, the grateful stranger had given Carrie her newborn son. When the woman is murdered, the secret becomes Carrie's alone.
She had kept both it and her son, Sam, safe for sixteen years. But now a friend of Sam's has gone missing. The police believe he's a runaway--until he's found dead. Then another teen disappears, and talk turns to that long-ago murder.
Newcomer Gabriel Cain is asking too many questions, befriending Sam, getting too close. Carrie distrusts him even as she finds herself falling for him. But Gabriel has secrets, too...
Is it time for the lying to end?
394 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 2010
40 people are currently reading
677 people want to read
About the author
Maggie Shayne
258 books2,582 followersI live in the teeny, tiny town of Taylor, NY, (Alliteration Alert!) though my mailing address is Cincinnatus, my telephone exchange is Truxton and I pay taxes and vote in Cuyler. All of these are at least in the same rural county in the southern hills of New York State; Cortland County. There are more cattle than people here. The nearest “big” cities are Syracuse and Binghamton and they are an hour away, in different directions, and not really all that big by most standards, though they both seem humongous to me. I look out my window to see rolling, green, thickly forested hills, wildflower laden meadows and wide open blue, blue skies. My road is barely paved. The nearest neighboring place is a 700 acre dairy farm.
My house is a big, century old farmhouse. I moved in here after my divorce in 2006. Just a little over a year later, the house, which I had named, SERENITY, burned. It was 99% gutted, and I lost my two dogs, Sally, an 11-year-old great Dane, and Wrinkles, my 14-year-old, blind bulldog. This was the culmination of my Dark Night of the soul, which had seemed to hit me all at once in 2006-2007. My mother died that year, after a 14 month battle with pancreatic cancer. She was only 60. The youngest of my five daughters had left home that same year, and while that’s not a tragedy at all, it felt like one to me. Then came the divorce. And finally there was the fire--it seemed my darkest night wasn’t quite finished with me after all. I had lost almost everything before that point, and as I poked through the wet ashes and soot the next day, I realized that I had now been stripped all the way to the bone.
No better time to start over. (And no, I didn’t come to that realization that day--there were a few days of wallowing in pity first, particularly the day after the fire, when I hit a deer and smashed up my car, which I was practically living in!)
That’s when I started to laugh. Just sat on the side of the road as the deer bounded, uninjured and carefree, out of sight, and laughed. It was just too ridiculous at that point, to do anything else!
And from there, I picked myself up, and brushed myself off, and said, okay, there’s only one way to go from here. Forward. And that’s what I did. There I was at the age of harrurmphemmph, living in my one, mostly undamaged remaining room, with a dorm-sized mini-fridge, a futon, a TV, my cat (nine lives!) and a laptop. And not much else. (Though thank goodness the room that survived the fire, was a room that had its own attached bathroom!)
Since then I have rebuilt my beloved home, which really has become my haven, my “Serenity.” I share it now with my fiancé, Lance, and we have accumulated quite the little family together. “Little” being a relative term. We have a pair of English Mastiffs, Dozer and Daisy, who weigh 203 pounds and 208 pounds respectively, and a little pudgy English Bulldog named Niblet, who is bigger than both of them, inside her mind. We also have the aforementioned cat, Glorificus (“Glory” for short,) who adores her canine pups and keeps them firmly in line. And we've acquired a pair of stray cats as well, a mother and son, Luna (Lulu for short) and Butters aka Buddy. Lulu showed up pregnant during a lunar eclipse, had a litter, and vanished again. We found homes for all the kittens except one. Butters. We got him fixed and kept him. A few months later, Lulu returned, again expecting. This litter was born on the "Monster Moon." Again, all the kittens were spayed and neutered and placed in homes, and this time we got Lulu to the vet in time to spay her before the cycle could repeat.
Glory is not amused.
She has a story of her own, my old Glory cat, having been with me before the Dark Times descended, she went through it all with me, moved with me, survived the fire, and remains with me still. She's tolerating the newcomers. Barely.
My partner is an artist, a mechanic, a welder and an inventor, and the rumors are true, he is much younger than I
My house is a big, century old farmhouse. I moved in here after my divorce in 2006. Just a little over a year later, the house, which I had named, SERENITY, burned. It was 99% gutted, and I lost my two dogs, Sally, an 11-year-old great Dane, and Wrinkles, my 14-year-old, blind bulldog. This was the culmination of my Dark Night of the soul, which had seemed to hit me all at once in 2006-2007. My mother died that year, after a 14 month battle with pancreatic cancer. She was only 60. The youngest of my five daughters had left home that same year, and while that’s not a tragedy at all, it felt like one to me. Then came the divorce. And finally there was the fire--it seemed my darkest night wasn’t quite finished with me after all. I had lost almost everything before that point, and as I poked through the wet ashes and soot the next day, I realized that I had now been stripped all the way to the bone.
No better time to start over. (And no, I didn’t come to that realization that day--there were a few days of wallowing in pity first, particularly the day after the fire, when I hit a deer and smashed up my car, which I was practically living in!)
That’s when I started to laugh. Just sat on the side of the road as the deer bounded, uninjured and carefree, out of sight, and laughed. It was just too ridiculous at that point, to do anything else!
And from there, I picked myself up, and brushed myself off, and said, okay, there’s only one way to go from here. Forward. And that’s what I did. There I was at the age of harrurmphemmph, living in my one, mostly undamaged remaining room, with a dorm-sized mini-fridge, a futon, a TV, my cat (nine lives!) and a laptop. And not much else. (Though thank goodness the room that survived the fire, was a room that had its own attached bathroom!)
Since then I have rebuilt my beloved home, which really has become my haven, my “Serenity.” I share it now with my fiancé, Lance, and we have accumulated quite the little family together. “Little” being a relative term. We have a pair of English Mastiffs, Dozer and Daisy, who weigh 203 pounds and 208 pounds respectively, and a little pudgy English Bulldog named Niblet, who is bigger than both of them, inside her mind. We also have the aforementioned cat, Glorificus (“Glory” for short,) who adores her canine pups and keeps them firmly in line. And we've acquired a pair of stray cats as well, a mother and son, Luna (Lulu for short) and Butters aka Buddy. Lulu showed up pregnant during a lunar eclipse, had a litter, and vanished again. We found homes for all the kittens except one. Butters. We got him fixed and kept him. A few months later, Lulu returned, again expecting. This litter was born on the "Monster Moon." Again, all the kittens were spayed and neutered and placed in homes, and this time we got Lulu to the vet in time to spay her before the cycle could repeat.
Glory is not amused.
She has a story of her own, my old Glory cat, having been with me before the Dark Times descended, she went through it all with me, moved with me, survived the fire, and remains with me still. She's tolerating the newcomers. Barely.
My partner is an artist, a mechanic, a welder and an inventor, and the rumors are true, he is much younger than I
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 74 reviews
July 5, 2018
I enjoyed this romantic suspense with plenty of action that moved right along. I liked each of the different personalities of the four main characters. The plot was good leading me down a 'who done it' path then throwing a surprise twist. Best friend of Dr Carrie's teenage son is missing and out-of-towner Gabe joins the volunteers in searching for him.
September 14, 2013
Though this book stands on it's own, it would help with the back story if you read the first two in the series first.
Dr. Carrie Overton has basically been on pins and needles for 16 years because of the secret that could yank her medical license. When a young girl gave birth on the side of the road and promptly disappeared (late to wind up dead), childless Dr. Overton took the baby and named him Sam at the mother's request (via a note left with the baby). Now 16 years later, teenage kids are disappearing and Carrie is terrified that Sam will be next. Enter hippie Gabriel Cain, musician and drifter who just happens to be in town looking for the missing baby from 16 years ago.
This is a suspense driven mystery with a romantic backdrop of both the main characters and their teenage son. I totally loved this conclusion to the Secrets of Shadow Falls trilogy though I must say that I usually do love Maggie Shayne's writing. This one just grabbed me from the first chapter (heck the epilogue really) and kept me turning pages faster and faster as the danger increased.
Dr. Carrie Overton has basically been on pins and needles for 16 years because of the secret that could yank her medical license. When a young girl gave birth on the side of the road and promptly disappeared (late to wind up dead), childless Dr. Overton took the baby and named him Sam at the mother's request (via a note left with the baby). Now 16 years later, teenage kids are disappearing and Carrie is terrified that Sam will be next. Enter hippie Gabriel Cain, musician and drifter who just happens to be in town looking for the missing baby from 16 years ago.
This is a suspense driven mystery with a romantic backdrop of both the main characters and their teenage son. I totally loved this conclusion to the Secrets of Shadow Falls trilogy though I must say that I usually do love Maggie Shayne's writing. This one just grabbed me from the first chapter (heck the epilogue really) and kept me turning pages faster and faster as the danger increased.
September 9, 2010
Maggie Shayne delivers an uncompromising, impossible-to-put down and addicting story of suspense in her latest release, Kiss Me, Kill Me.
Yearning for motherhood but told, medically, that this would be an impossibility, Dr. Carrie Overton meets fate one late night, as she helps a young mother deliver a baby along the roadside. When she returns from searching for help, Carrie discovers the mother gone and the baby wrapped tightly, along with a note saying that the young mother believes that it was fate that brought her and Carrie together and that she wants Carrie to raise the baby as her own.
Knowing that, legally, what she is doing is wrong, Carrie knows in her heart, that she would be a wonderful mom and that this is her chance to make her dreams come true. With every intention of finding the biological mother, Carrie soon discovers that very shortly after giving birth, the mother is found dead. So begins the search for the missing baby.
Sixteen years later, Sam has grown into a magnificent young man, Carrie an adoring and protective mother, hoping her secret will never emerge. Then teenagers begin disappearing and dead bodies piling up. Carrie fears that her son will be next and will do anything to protect him and keep him safe.
When a stranger, Gabriel Cain, appears in town, Sam is quickly taken with him and questions begin to form. A strange resemblance between Sam and Gabe is apparent and a shocking revelation comes to light. A sizzle of ignition sparks between Carrie and Gabe, Sam’s sudden disappearance brings heated feelings to a peak and the race to find Sam is ticking quickly away. Will death reach Carrie’s son before she and Gabe can, or will the killer win?
Kiss Me, Kill Me is the third in the Secrets of Shadow Falls series and honestly, my favorite. The characterization of Carrie is excellent and her feelings are truly felt—her compassion and intense love for her son and desire to keep him safe at all costs, shines through without a doubt and is easily relatable by any parent. Gabe is amazing, sexy and delightful. With a few secrets of his own, the reader will quickly become engrossed in what will happen once these secrets surface and his ability to bring a positive vibe to any scene is refreshing.
Below is the scene after Sam’s girlfriend has been discovered missing and shortly following the murder of his best friend:
Carrie moved closer to her son and slid a hand to his shoulder. “We can go into town, join the next shift of volunteers, if you want. Or we can get a supply of posters and drive around putting them up.”
He finally met her eyes—his so woefully tormented that she nearly gasped aloud. “I don’t know what to do.” Then he looked at Gabe. “What do you think we should do?”
Gabe drew a breath, pulled a chair in front of Sam’s and sat down, leaning forward, elbows on his knees, hands clasped. “You shouldn’t take action until you get your head straight about a matter. I know it sounds like New Age fluff, but everything that exists was a thought before it was a thing. And the thing usually follows the thought. So we need to get our thoughts about Sadie into line with the outcome we want here, and I think we’d better do it soon.”
As a suspenseful and tense-filled story, Kiss Me, Kill Me is perfect. Each page leaves the reader racing to flip to the next, dying to see what happens and holding their breath as one thrilling moment leads to the next. As well as suspense, Kiss Me, Kill Me is sprinkled with a healthy dose of romance, sizzle and sparks as the relationship between Carrie and Gabe takes off. Their desire and attraction is highly palpable and adds a delightful dimension to the story.
Maggie Shayne is a mesmerizing talent and her stories delight and exalt. Kiss Me, Kill Me is no exception and will bring thrilling pleasure to a vast audience of readers.
Yearning for motherhood but told, medically, that this would be an impossibility, Dr. Carrie Overton meets fate one late night, as she helps a young mother deliver a baby along the roadside. When she returns from searching for help, Carrie discovers the mother gone and the baby wrapped tightly, along with a note saying that the young mother believes that it was fate that brought her and Carrie together and that she wants Carrie to raise the baby as her own.
Knowing that, legally, what she is doing is wrong, Carrie knows in her heart, that she would be a wonderful mom and that this is her chance to make her dreams come true. With every intention of finding the biological mother, Carrie soon discovers that very shortly after giving birth, the mother is found dead. So begins the search for the missing baby.
Sixteen years later, Sam has grown into a magnificent young man, Carrie an adoring and protective mother, hoping her secret will never emerge. Then teenagers begin disappearing and dead bodies piling up. Carrie fears that her son will be next and will do anything to protect him and keep him safe.
When a stranger, Gabriel Cain, appears in town, Sam is quickly taken with him and questions begin to form. A strange resemblance between Sam and Gabe is apparent and a shocking revelation comes to light. A sizzle of ignition sparks between Carrie and Gabe, Sam’s sudden disappearance brings heated feelings to a peak and the race to find Sam is ticking quickly away. Will death reach Carrie’s son before she and Gabe can, or will the killer win?
Kiss Me, Kill Me is the third in the Secrets of Shadow Falls series and honestly, my favorite. The characterization of Carrie is excellent and her feelings are truly felt—her compassion and intense love for her son and desire to keep him safe at all costs, shines through without a doubt and is easily relatable by any parent. Gabe is amazing, sexy and delightful. With a few secrets of his own, the reader will quickly become engrossed in what will happen once these secrets surface and his ability to bring a positive vibe to any scene is refreshing.
Below is the scene after Sam’s girlfriend has been discovered missing and shortly following the murder of his best friend:
Carrie moved closer to her son and slid a hand to his shoulder. “We can go into town, join the next shift of volunteers, if you want. Or we can get a supply of posters and drive around putting them up.”
He finally met her eyes—his so woefully tormented that she nearly gasped aloud. “I don’t know what to do.” Then he looked at Gabe. “What do you think we should do?”
Gabe drew a breath, pulled a chair in front of Sam’s and sat down, leaning forward, elbows on his knees, hands clasped. “You shouldn’t take action until you get your head straight about a matter. I know it sounds like New Age fluff, but everything that exists was a thought before it was a thing. And the thing usually follows the thought. So we need to get our thoughts about Sadie into line with the outcome we want here, and I think we’d better do it soon.”
As a suspenseful and tense-filled story, Kiss Me, Kill Me is perfect. Each page leaves the reader racing to flip to the next, dying to see what happens and holding their breath as one thrilling moment leads to the next. As well as suspense, Kiss Me, Kill Me is sprinkled with a healthy dose of romance, sizzle and sparks as the relationship between Carrie and Gabe takes off. Their desire and attraction is highly palpable and adds a delightful dimension to the story.
Maggie Shayne is a mesmerizing talent and her stories delight and exalt. Kiss Me, Kill Me is no exception and will bring thrilling pleasure to a vast audience of readers.
July 7, 2010
This was a good read. It was part mystery, part love story. There was very little violence, no sex, and no bad language. That was a refreshing change of pace from some of my usual reads. The mystery part had a nice surprise at the end and a neat, Stephenie Meyer-like ending. I have to say that I'm a sucker for an all-tied-up ending!
The premise is unique. I was drawn to the story just by reading the summary and the plot did not disappoint. The love story is nothing we haven't read before, but it is sweet nonetheless. I would recommend Kiss Me,Kill Me to fans of mystery and suspense novels. Those looking for a hot-and-heavy romance will be disappointed. Although I have to say, sometimes a well-written kissing scene is more touching than a typical romance novel love scene. (The tension between Jace and Clary in The Mortal Instruments series is coming to mind here versus the heavy description of Georgina Kincaid's exploits). Do you know what I mean?
Just One Gripe:
The dialogue felt a little superficial at times. The writing was heavy on the dialogue, so the shallowness of some of the conversations got old.
The Best Thing About This Book:
I liked the resolution of the mystery, and how Shayne ties all the characters into the story.
Appropriate for a younger audience:
Yes
Score:
Characters: 3/5
Plot: 3/5
Setting/Imagery: 4/5
Originality: 3/5
Ending: 4/5
Total Score: 18/25; 3.5 stars
*I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an impartial review.
The premise is unique. I was drawn to the story just by reading the summary and the plot did not disappoint. The love story is nothing we haven't read before, but it is sweet nonetheless. I would recommend Kiss Me,Kill Me to fans of mystery and suspense novels. Those looking for a hot-and-heavy romance will be disappointed. Although I have to say, sometimes a well-written kissing scene is more touching than a typical romance novel love scene. (The tension between Jace and Clary in The Mortal Instruments series is coming to mind here versus the heavy description of Georgina Kincaid's exploits). Do you know what I mean?
Just One Gripe:
The dialogue felt a little superficial at times. The writing was heavy on the dialogue, so the shallowness of some of the conversations got old.
The Best Thing About This Book:
I liked the resolution of the mystery, and how Shayne ties all the characters into the story.
Appropriate for a younger audience:
Yes
Score:
Characters: 3/5
Plot: 3/5
Setting/Imagery: 4/5
Originality: 3/5
Ending: 4/5
Total Score: 18/25; 3.5 stars
*I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an impartial review.
October 29, 2021
MY RATING
5 stars--WOW
4 stars--would read again
3 stars--was good
2 stars--didn't enjoy
1 star--didn't finish
Should I read books before this one: no
Cliffhanger: no
SUMMARY
16 years ago, Carrie, on her way to her first job as a doctor, helps a young woman give birth on a country road. Carrie has defective fallopian tubes, so she can't have children. The baby's born. Carrie drives to the nearest house, crying. No one answers. She drives back. The girl is gone and left her baby. The note says his name is Sam. You wanted a baby and I was looking for a solution. Fate.
Kyle, Sam's best friend, has been missing 5 days. News of Olivia's Baby Doe with a $500k reward is making life tough for Carrie. There are 2 guys, suit and hippie, reading the tabloids at Sam's soccer match. A soccer player has an asthma attack. She races on field. The hippie offers CPR. Sam drives his SUV onto the field, ready to transport. Carrie tells the hippie to drive while she sits with Marty.
Gabe can't believe a kid has a $40k car or that he's attracted to the woman who's his type's complete opposite. He's looking for his child. He's come to talk to the woman who'd been living under his girl's name. She's out of town. Gabe believes in karma. He admires how the doctor cares for the asthmatic.
After the crisis is over, they introduce themselves, then talk about Sam's car as a gift. He wants to meet the professor. She's on her honeymoon, Sam and I are watching her house. Sam, is that a family name? Carrie defends Sarah who didn't know about the baby. No one knows Sam is Baby Doe. They get back to the school, the only car left is a VW bus with crazy paint. Where's Scooby-Doo? Haven't found a dog that likes to travel as much as I do. He's a song writer. She invites him to help look for Kyle in the morning.
Her father had had itchy feet, and she'd hated it. To calm down, she listens to country singer Sammy Gold on the way home. Sam's on the porch with his girlfriend, Sadie. A woman comes about renting the room over the garage. Everyone thinks she's not rented it this year because of missing teens. No, she doesn't want prying eyes. Grandmotherly Rose McQueen talks Carrie into it anyway.
Gabe meets Sam, who recognizes him as the award winning song writer. Sam wants to jam with him. Sure, guitar's in my bus, Livvy. They talk cars. Gabe thinks he sees something in Sam's eyes. Sam thinks Kyle was taken. If anyone has reason to run away, it's Sadie, but not Kyle. The suit man from earlier joins their group of searchers. Ambrose Peck from Milwaukee.
Rose pays for the first week in cash. Her bags are Prada. When Dr Overton finally leaves, Rose pulls out a Shadow Falls yearbook, looks at the sophomores. Some are circled. I'll find you soon, baby. She crosses out Kyle.
EVALUATION
Carrie is a dedicated mom who adores her son. Sam adores her back. What a relationship. Gabe is well developed. And his wisdom is wonderful.
The suspense is incredible, as are the red herrings. The romance develops organically.
I enjoyed all 3 books in this series.
RECOMMENDATION
For those who like romance and suspense AND can handle triggers
FAVORITE QUOTES
Smart did not equal interesting.
Kyle's path is his own to walk. We can't figure out anyone's issues but our own. We can try, but we'd be way off base. When things happen where you can't see any good side, it's usually best to focus on things where you can. Hold onto the good. The bad stuff is there. Crap happens, as they say. The question is, do you focus on it and feel bad, or try to find reasons to feel good in spite of it?
POSSIBLE TRIGGERS (SPOILERS)
Sex: 1 scene
Language: 1 f***, 98 Lord's name in vain, 14 s***
Violence: child abductions, searches, victim's PoV trying to escape, bludgeoning, drugging, fight, murders including a child
5 stars--WOW
4 stars--would read again
3 stars--was good
2 stars--didn't enjoy
1 star--didn't finish
Should I read books before this one: no
Cliffhanger: no
SUMMARY
16 years ago, Carrie, on her way to her first job as a doctor, helps a young woman give birth on a country road. Carrie has defective fallopian tubes, so she can't have children. The baby's born. Carrie drives to the nearest house, crying. No one answers. She drives back. The girl is gone and left her baby. The note says his name is Sam. You wanted a baby and I was looking for a solution. Fate.
Kyle, Sam's best friend, has been missing 5 days. News of Olivia's Baby Doe with a $500k reward is making life tough for Carrie. There are 2 guys, suit and hippie, reading the tabloids at Sam's soccer match. A soccer player has an asthma attack. She races on field. The hippie offers CPR. Sam drives his SUV onto the field, ready to transport. Carrie tells the hippie to drive while she sits with Marty.
Gabe can't believe a kid has a $40k car or that he's attracted to the woman who's his type's complete opposite. He's looking for his child. He's come to talk to the woman who'd been living under his girl's name. She's out of town. Gabe believes in karma. He admires how the doctor cares for the asthmatic.
After the crisis is over, they introduce themselves, then talk about Sam's car as a gift. He wants to meet the professor. She's on her honeymoon, Sam and I are watching her house. Sam, is that a family name? Carrie defends Sarah who didn't know about the baby. No one knows Sam is Baby Doe. They get back to the school, the only car left is a VW bus with crazy paint. Where's Scooby-Doo? Haven't found a dog that likes to travel as much as I do. He's a song writer. She invites him to help look for Kyle in the morning.
Her father had had itchy feet, and she'd hated it. To calm down, she listens to country singer Sammy Gold on the way home. Sam's on the porch with his girlfriend, Sadie. A woman comes about renting the room over the garage. Everyone thinks she's not rented it this year because of missing teens. No, she doesn't want prying eyes. Grandmotherly Rose McQueen talks Carrie into it anyway.
Gabe meets Sam, who recognizes him as the award winning song writer. Sam wants to jam with him. Sure, guitar's in my bus, Livvy. They talk cars. Gabe thinks he sees something in Sam's eyes. Sam thinks Kyle was taken. If anyone has reason to run away, it's Sadie, but not Kyle. The suit man from earlier joins their group of searchers. Ambrose Peck from Milwaukee.
Rose pays for the first week in cash. Her bags are Prada. When Dr Overton finally leaves, Rose pulls out a Shadow Falls yearbook, looks at the sophomores. Some are circled. I'll find you soon, baby. She crosses out Kyle.
EVALUATION
Carrie is a dedicated mom who adores her son. Sam adores her back. What a relationship. Gabe is well developed. And his wisdom is wonderful.
The suspense is incredible, as are the red herrings. The romance develops organically.
I enjoyed all 3 books in this series.
RECOMMENDATION
For those who like romance and suspense AND can handle triggers
FAVORITE QUOTES
Smart did not equal interesting.
Kyle's path is his own to walk. We can't figure out anyone's issues but our own. We can try, but we'd be way off base. When things happen where you can't see any good side, it's usually best to focus on things where you can. Hold onto the good. The bad stuff is there. Crap happens, as they say. The question is, do you focus on it and feel bad, or try to find reasons to feel good in spite of it?
POSSIBLE TRIGGERS (SPOILERS)
Sex: 1 scene
Language: 1 f***, 98 Lord's name in vain, 14 s***
Violence: child abductions, searches, victim's PoV trying to escape, bludgeoning, drugging, fight, murders including a child
August 21, 2017
Sixteen years ago, Sam was born on the side of a road. His birth mother disappears and ends up murdered, and he is secretly adopted by the doctor who delivered him. Now his best friend is missing.
This is the third book in a trilogy, and I don't think I have the first two. I haven't read them, at any rate. But it really didn't feel like I'd missed anything. I didn't even realize until I logged on to Goodreads. IMO, that's a sign of a well-written series book, that you can read it without noticing you've missed two previous books.
I really enjoyed the suspense, and the various twists. A couple of them even surprised me.
I was bothered by the odd focus on the hero's notion of the power of positive thinking. The heroine is, thankfully, dubious (it would be really odd if a doctor agreed that in a crisis, the best thing to do is just think really hard about a positive outcome), but she still goes along with it.
There was also what I felt was a cold, unjustified, and out-of-character dismissal of the missing boy. When Sam is faced with losing not just his best friend, but his girlfriend as well, it's supposed to make him feel better to point out that his friend was weak and stupid? Okay, it was put as the girlfriend was stronger and more clever, but still.
I have too many books in my TBR pile to look for and buy the previous books in this trilogy, but if they end up being buried in it somewhere (entirely possible), I'll read them happily.
This is the third book in a trilogy, and I don't think I have the first two. I haven't read them, at any rate. But it really didn't feel like I'd missed anything. I didn't even realize until I logged on to Goodreads. IMO, that's a sign of a well-written series book, that you can read it without noticing you've missed two previous books.
I really enjoyed the suspense, and the various twists. A couple of them even surprised me.
I was bothered by the odd focus on the hero's notion of the power of positive thinking. The heroine is, thankfully, dubious (it would be really odd if a doctor agreed that in a crisis, the best thing to do is just think really hard about a positive outcome), but she still goes along with it.
There was also what I felt was a cold, unjustified, and out-of-character dismissal of the missing boy. When Sam is faced with losing not just his best friend, but his girlfriend as well, it's supposed to make him feel better to point out that his friend was weak and stupid? Okay, it was put as the girlfriend was stronger and more clever, but still.
I have too many books in my TBR pile to look for and buy the previous books in this trilogy, but if they end up being buried in it somewhere (entirely possible), I'll read them happily.
October 6, 2018
Sinds de verdwijning van tiener Kyle Becker hangt er een bedrukte, sombere sfeer in het stadje Shadow Falls. Hoewel dokter Carrie Overton graag wil geloven dat de beste vriend van haar zoon is weggelopen, lijkt het er sterk op dat hij is ontvoerd. Maar door wie? En waarom? Carrie zit niet bepaald te springen om alle mediaaandacht rondom Kyles vermissing. Het zou zomaar kunnen dat een nieuwsgierige journalist bij toeval op haar grote geheim stuit – wat zou betekenen dat ze alles verliest wat haar dierbaar is. En wat moet ze denken van de aantrekkelijke vreemdeling Gabriel Cain, die al snel een belangrijke rol speelt in haar leven, maar die haar wel erg veel lastige vragen stelt? Wanneer er een tweede tiener verdwijnt, dringt het tot Carrie door dat er een rechtstreeks verband bestaat tussen de ontvoeringen en dat wat ze al zestien jaar verborgen heeft weten te houden. Ze weet nu ook dat de ontvoerder niet zal stoppen met zijn gruwelijke werk totdat hij de juiste persoon te pakken heeft. En alleen zij weet wie dat is...
Goed boek, leuke hoofdpersonen.
Tijdens het lezen kwam ik erachter dat dit boek het derde deel van een serie is. Maar het is prima los te lezen.
July 30, 2021
I really enjoyed the story and felt it was unique and interesting. I loved the main characters. Dr. Carrie Overton was a wonderful character. She was a good mother with a secret. Gabriel Cain was a really good guy with great deal of baggage from his past. Carrie's son, Sam, was a wonderful young man with a interesting and capable girlfriend who played a big role. There were a couple of things that weren't great for me. One was the title of the book. I always feel that a book title should be relevant to the story and with this one I can't figure out the relationship between the title and the story. The second is there was one issue that I felt wasn't really dealt with to its conclusion.
May 24, 2025
I enjoyed this book although my tastes skew more towards thrillers and high suspense. Perhaps a little too smugly, upon realizing that it was a "romantic" suspense novel, I thought I had everything figured out, but the author did surprise me quite a few times towards the end. Although there was romantic interest and eventual fulfillment within its pages, the author did not go into lurid detail for pages on end (thank God!). The characters were well drawn and, while some story lines were wrapped up a little too neatly, the book ended well, if a little far-fetched. Still, it is approaching summer, and, let's face it, frothy reads are quintessentially fun!
November 13, 2010
Sixteen years ago a child was born. Sixteen years ago a young woman who had just given birth to a baby was found murdered. The child was never found and the murder was still in the books. In Shadow Falls, sixteen-year-old children are disappearing, one by one. When the first one, Kyle, is found dead, Carrie Overton, the local doctor, begins to panic. She has a secret that she has been keeping for sixteen years. As she races against time to help the police find the kidnapper and murderer, she fears for her own son's safety.
Carrie Overton is a loving and well-liked doctor in the small town of Shadow Falls. She is also a mom and a wonderful parent to her son Sam. Carrie also acts as mother to Sam's girlfriend, Sadie. Sadie comes from a broken home and has had to care for her mother all her life. She is tough and resilient, a strong young woman to the core. But she has become a part of Carrie's extended family.
Carrie has a secret that has been with her for sixteen years. Sam is not her real child. She could not have children. She ran into Sam's real mother on the first night she came into Shadow Falls to begin her career as a doctor. The young woman's car was pulled over to the side of the road. When Carrie pulled over to offer assistance, she found the woman in labor, just ready to deliver. This would be Carrie's first delivery in her new job. Once the baby was born, a boy, she checked to make sure that the mother was alright, tucked her coat around mother and baby and went to the nearest home to contact an ambulance. When she found no one there, she returned to where she had left the young woman and her new baby in the car, only to find the car gone. As she got out, she saw her coat on the ground. Wrapped in her coat, with a note asking her to care for him was the baby, Sam.
Carrie made a decision at that time to keep Sam and to be the best mother ever. It was one of the most unethical things she had ever done, forging a birth certificate as well as claiming him as her own, but she never looked back, and he was her son in every other way possible.
Sam is smart and fun, he has put himself in harm's way in the past to help save someone he did not know, but was well rewarded. He is well-respected for a young sixteen year old and has many friends. He is sports-oriented, loves to camp, and absolutely loves his mom. The other person in his life is his girlfriend Sadie, a girl much like his mother, to be honest—tough, with a core of steel, but also wonderful and compassionate.
Gabriel (Gabe) Cain is a drifter, a musician, with the standard look. He has long hair but is quite handsome. He, like everyone else has just heard the news that a woman who was murdered sixteen years ago had been misidentified at the time. He has come to Shadow Falls with a secret of his own. He is free-spirited and a wonderful, kind man. He first meets Carrie at a sports event where she is watching her son play. One of her son's friends has an asthma attack and he volunteers his help.
The area is rife with tourists, and the police have their work cut out for them. Lining up volunteers for searching for the lost boy proves to be providential. Everyone, including many of the tourists turn out for the search. It is one of these tourists, Ambrose Arthur Peck, who finally finds the body of young Kyle. He is so traumatized by it that he is almost inconsolable. Being a tourist in Shadow Falls has just become a terrible disadvantage. Everyone is being looked at with suspicion, but no one more so than any stranger in town.
As the action heats up, Carrie and Gabe are drawn together. Neither of them are the other's type, and yet they begin the slow dance of attraction. Respect turns into a smoldering and cautious tension between them, but they are both holding a secret. Carrie wants to entrust her secret to Gabe, but she is afraid to entrust this secret to just anyone. When Sam's girlfriend Sadie disappears, Sam becomes inconsolable. Gabe steps in to help. His logic and free thinking style seems to be the only thing keeping Sam from the brink, who is petrified that Sadie will be found dead just like his friend Kyle. As the tension and longing continue to scorch the pages, the action and suspense continues. Who is taking the children? Not even Gabe is free from suspicion.
In Kiss Me, Kill Me, Maggie Shayne has delivered an extremely fast-paced, action-filled suspense, filled with romance and longing. The characters are so well developed you get a great visual as they come into their part of the play. The tension and longing between Carrie and Gabe is heartfelt and intense. As each new action plays into the story, they have to continue to rethink their values. Carrie is ready to offer it all to Gabe including her secret, but is afraid. There is more going on in the little town of Shadow Falls, and they have to strengthen their bond of trust because without that, they may miss the signs. And as everything she holds dear comes into danger, she must find the strength with Gabe at her side to protect what is theirs at all costs.
Maggie Shayne has created red herrings at every turn, sending the reader in different directions. Just when you think you know what is happening, another twist to the story turns your direction. But through it all you feel the strong, yet also fragile love, testing its wings, looking for that one sure word or action that will set it in stone. To the very end, there are surprises, a powerful love story and a marvellous mystery, set with an ending that will leave you fulfilled.
Carrie Overton is a loving and well-liked doctor in the small town of Shadow Falls. She is also a mom and a wonderful parent to her son Sam. Carrie also acts as mother to Sam's girlfriend, Sadie. Sadie comes from a broken home and has had to care for her mother all her life. She is tough and resilient, a strong young woman to the core. But she has become a part of Carrie's extended family.
Carrie has a secret that has been with her for sixteen years. Sam is not her real child. She could not have children. She ran into Sam's real mother on the first night she came into Shadow Falls to begin her career as a doctor. The young woman's car was pulled over to the side of the road. When Carrie pulled over to offer assistance, she found the woman in labor, just ready to deliver. This would be Carrie's first delivery in her new job. Once the baby was born, a boy, she checked to make sure that the mother was alright, tucked her coat around mother and baby and went to the nearest home to contact an ambulance. When she found no one there, she returned to where she had left the young woman and her new baby in the car, only to find the car gone. As she got out, she saw her coat on the ground. Wrapped in her coat, with a note asking her to care for him was the baby, Sam.
Carrie made a decision at that time to keep Sam and to be the best mother ever. It was one of the most unethical things she had ever done, forging a birth certificate as well as claiming him as her own, but she never looked back, and he was her son in every other way possible.
Sam is smart and fun, he has put himself in harm's way in the past to help save someone he did not know, but was well rewarded. He is well-respected for a young sixteen year old and has many friends. He is sports-oriented, loves to camp, and absolutely loves his mom. The other person in his life is his girlfriend Sadie, a girl much like his mother, to be honest—tough, with a core of steel, but also wonderful and compassionate.
Gabriel (Gabe) Cain is a drifter, a musician, with the standard look. He has long hair but is quite handsome. He, like everyone else has just heard the news that a woman who was murdered sixteen years ago had been misidentified at the time. He has come to Shadow Falls with a secret of his own. He is free-spirited and a wonderful, kind man. He first meets Carrie at a sports event where she is watching her son play. One of her son's friends has an asthma attack and he volunteers his help.
The area is rife with tourists, and the police have their work cut out for them. Lining up volunteers for searching for the lost boy proves to be providential. Everyone, including many of the tourists turn out for the search. It is one of these tourists, Ambrose Arthur Peck, who finally finds the body of young Kyle. He is so traumatized by it that he is almost inconsolable. Being a tourist in Shadow Falls has just become a terrible disadvantage. Everyone is being looked at with suspicion, but no one more so than any stranger in town.
As the action heats up, Carrie and Gabe are drawn together. Neither of them are the other's type, and yet they begin the slow dance of attraction. Respect turns into a smoldering and cautious tension between them, but they are both holding a secret. Carrie wants to entrust her secret to Gabe, but she is afraid to entrust this secret to just anyone. When Sam's girlfriend Sadie disappears, Sam becomes inconsolable. Gabe steps in to help. His logic and free thinking style seems to be the only thing keeping Sam from the brink, who is petrified that Sadie will be found dead just like his friend Kyle. As the tension and longing continue to scorch the pages, the action and suspense continues. Who is taking the children? Not even Gabe is free from suspicion.
In Kiss Me, Kill Me, Maggie Shayne has delivered an extremely fast-paced, action-filled suspense, filled with romance and longing. The characters are so well developed you get a great visual as they come into their part of the play. The tension and longing between Carrie and Gabe is heartfelt and intense. As each new action plays into the story, they have to continue to rethink their values. Carrie is ready to offer it all to Gabe including her secret, but is afraid. There is more going on in the little town of Shadow Falls, and they have to strengthen their bond of trust because without that, they may miss the signs. And as everything she holds dear comes into danger, she must find the strength with Gabe at her side to protect what is theirs at all costs.
Maggie Shayne has created red herrings at every turn, sending the reader in different directions. Just when you think you know what is happening, another twist to the story turns your direction. But through it all you feel the strong, yet also fragile love, testing its wings, looking for that one sure word or action that will set it in stone. To the very end, there are surprises, a powerful love story and a marvellous mystery, set with an ending that will leave you fulfilled.
May 7, 2014
3 stars for Kiss Me, Kill Me
She's protected him since the day he was born. Since the day the LIE BEGAN.
A long-ago act of kindness to a desperate woman changed Dr. Carrie Overton's life forever. Before disappearing, the grateful stranger had given Carrie her newborn son. When the woman is murdered, the secret becomes Carrie's alone.
She had kept both it and her son, Sam, safe for sixteen years. But now a friend of Sam's has gone missing. The police believe he's a runaway--until he's found dead. Then another teen disappears, and talk turns to that long-ago murder.
Newcomer Gabriel Cain is asking too many questions, befriending Sam, getting too close. Carrie distrusts him even as she finds herself falling for him. But Gabriel has secrets, too...
My 'Gist of the Story' Synopsis
Sixteen years ago Carrie was on her way to a new job in a small town when she sees a young woman in distress along the side of the road. It's night time, and dark, so she immediately pulls over to help. Turns out, she's in labor. Thank goodness Carrie is a doctor! Anyhow, after delivering the baby, Carrie goes to call for help, only to return to a note and the baby abandoned by the roadside. Months later, the baby's mother is murdered before Carrie can find her and Carrie made some decisions that could come back to haunt her.
Now Sam is a teenager, and frightening things are happening to their small town. Kids are going missing. Sam's friends are being taken one by one. At first it was thought that his first missing friend simply ran away, or got lost in the expansive woods surrounding the town. Everyone is looking, including tourist visiting the town like wandering hippie/songwriter Gabriel Cain, aka Gabe. Everyone is hopeful until he is found, dead. While it's not the ending they were hoping for, everyone thinks the terror is over. Until another teen is kidnapped, and the search starts anew...
Main Characters
Carrie, mother to Sam and a doctor/coroner of the town. Always prepared and ready to act, this is how she meets Gabe. Normally she dates average looking men, smart but not too smart, stable...men her son refers to as 'boring.' She hides the secret of who Sam really is from everyone and I mean everyone. Even Sam himself. While she was one of the main characters, there's really not a lot to report on her personality other than she's a kind, protective, caring mother.
Gabriel, potential father to Sam and love interest to Carrie. Gabe is traveling in search of his long lost child. Upon learning that his pregnant girlfriend died near the town, he decides to see if his kid is there and he's not the only one searching for Baby Doe. Gabe is an interesting character, with intriguing views on the world that seem to fit with his 'hippie' persona. Right down to his ponytail and scruffy facial hair.
Sam is more of a support character. He's pretty much described as the perfect kid, the one that every parent hopes to raise. He's kind, friendly, caring, outgoing, thoughtful and helpful. Doesn't hurt that he's also star of the soccer team, and a drama kid. Basically, he's pretty perfect. He got a decked out SUV for saving a woman's life for crying out loud!
Sadie is Sam's girlfriend and also plays the support role. This type of support character I find was pretty common and now has recently died out of books, replaced by the love triangle second love interest, but ultimate loser of the romance. Or is that just in YA? Anyhow, Sadie has a rough home life, with only a drunken mother to care for at home. So she spends a lot of time at Carrie and Sam's house because Sam is her boyfriend. Basically she's the mother and her mom is the drunken kid. Even with all that going on at home, she's a giving, thoughtful, straight A+ student, who has time to be a cheerleader and pursue a relationship with Sam. She;s completely selfless instead of an angry, messed up kid. She's also wise beyond her years and has "a spine of steel."
If only all kids were so perfect in real life...
What you can Expect
All in all this books was pretty good. There were little things like bad similes and awkward conversational pieces that didn't quite fit with the story. While I didn't find it a super awesome read, it wasn't terrible either.
One reviewer said there was no sex scenes in this book, but there is. However it's only about a paragraph or two long, only describes the passionate beginnings and doesn't go into extravagant detail. Just a quick 'and this happened here' section to help explain the emotions that take place later on in the book. Nothing outrageous or offensive.
While I think the kids in this book were almost too good to be true and too wise for their age, there were a few attempts to bring them back down to their age level. But to be honest, it kind of made them slightly less believable. However, I'm sure kids like these two do exist in real life (doing the math), so if you roll with it, I'm sure you'll find them to be lovely.
What I did like is how the author tries to keep you guessing about who the bad guy is in the story. There are several options to choose from as well, so you don't have to be disappointed if you think you figured it out because if you're anything like me, you'll keep reading until the end just to be sure the author is going where you think she's going. And whether or not you're right, you'll still enjoy the ride.
She's protected him since the day he was born. Since the day the LIE BEGAN.
A long-ago act of kindness to a desperate woman changed Dr. Carrie Overton's life forever. Before disappearing, the grateful stranger had given Carrie her newborn son. When the woman is murdered, the secret becomes Carrie's alone.
She had kept both it and her son, Sam, safe for sixteen years. But now a friend of Sam's has gone missing. The police believe he's a runaway--until he's found dead. Then another teen disappears, and talk turns to that long-ago murder.
Newcomer Gabriel Cain is asking too many questions, befriending Sam, getting too close. Carrie distrusts him even as she finds herself falling for him. But Gabriel has secrets, too...
My 'Gist of the Story' Synopsis
Sixteen years ago Carrie was on her way to a new job in a small town when she sees a young woman in distress along the side of the road. It's night time, and dark, so she immediately pulls over to help. Turns out, she's in labor. Thank goodness Carrie is a doctor! Anyhow, after delivering the baby, Carrie goes to call for help, only to return to a note and the baby abandoned by the roadside. Months later, the baby's mother is murdered before Carrie can find her and Carrie made some decisions that could come back to haunt her.
Now Sam is a teenager, and frightening things are happening to their small town. Kids are going missing. Sam's friends are being taken one by one. At first it was thought that his first missing friend simply ran away, or got lost in the expansive woods surrounding the town. Everyone is looking, including tourist visiting the town like wandering hippie/songwriter Gabriel Cain, aka Gabe. Everyone is hopeful until he is found, dead. While it's not the ending they were hoping for, everyone thinks the terror is over. Until another teen is kidnapped, and the search starts anew...
Main Characters
Carrie, mother to Sam and a doctor/coroner of the town. Always prepared and ready to act, this is how she meets Gabe. Normally she dates average looking men, smart but not too smart, stable...men her son refers to as 'boring.' She hides the secret of who Sam really is from everyone and I mean everyone. Even Sam himself. While she was one of the main characters, there's really not a lot to report on her personality other than she's a kind, protective, caring mother.
Gabriel, potential father to Sam and love interest to Carrie. Gabe is traveling in search of his long lost child. Upon learning that his pregnant girlfriend died near the town, he decides to see if his kid is there and he's not the only one searching for Baby Doe. Gabe is an interesting character, with intriguing views on the world that seem to fit with his 'hippie' persona. Right down to his ponytail and scruffy facial hair.
Sam is more of a support character. He's pretty much described as the perfect kid, the one that every parent hopes to raise. He's kind, friendly, caring, outgoing, thoughtful and helpful. Doesn't hurt that he's also star of the soccer team, and a drama kid. Basically, he's pretty perfect. He got a decked out SUV for saving a woman's life for crying out loud!
Sadie is Sam's girlfriend and also plays the support role. This type of support character I find was pretty common and now has recently died out of books, replaced by the love triangle second love interest, but ultimate loser of the romance. Or is that just in YA? Anyhow, Sadie has a rough home life, with only a drunken mother to care for at home. So she spends a lot of time at Carrie and Sam's house because Sam is her boyfriend. Basically she's the mother and her mom is the drunken kid. Even with all that going on at home, she's a giving, thoughtful, straight A+ student, who has time to be a cheerleader and pursue a relationship with Sam. She;s completely selfless instead of an angry, messed up kid. She's also wise beyond her years and has "a spine of steel."
If only all kids were so perfect in real life...
What you can Expect
All in all this books was pretty good. There were little things like bad similes and awkward conversational pieces that didn't quite fit with the story. While I didn't find it a super awesome read, it wasn't terrible either.
One reviewer said there was no sex scenes in this book, but there is. However it's only about a paragraph or two long, only describes the passionate beginnings and doesn't go into extravagant detail. Just a quick 'and this happened here' section to help explain the emotions that take place later on in the book. Nothing outrageous or offensive.
While I think the kids in this book were almost too good to be true and too wise for their age, there were a few attempts to bring them back down to their age level. But to be honest, it kind of made them slightly less believable. However, I'm sure kids like these two do exist in real life (doing the math), so if you roll with it, I'm sure you'll find them to be lovely.
What I did like is how the author tries to keep you guessing about who the bad guy is in the story. There are several options to choose from as well, so you don't have to be disappointed if you think you figured it out because if you're anything like me, you'll keep reading until the end just to be sure the author is going where you think she's going. And whether or not you're right, you'll still enjoy the ride.
June 16, 2023
Great book! I loved all the characters. Dr. Carrie Overton stumbles across a young woman on a desolate road one night who happens to be in labor. After delivering the baby, Dr. Overton goes to get help only to come back and find the young woman gone but the baby left behind. Sixteen years later, a teenager disappears and is found dead. More teens begin to disappear that happen to be friends with Dr. Overton's adopted son. With several new people in town, the possibility of suspects in the murder and disappearances keep you guessing. I love happy endings and this story did not disappoint!
November 2, 2017
This final book in the Secrets of Shadow Falls trilogy was not as good as the others but was still a good read. The final secret is revealed but the ending seemed to be missing something. I would like to have had an epilogue to bring all the main characters together one last time. I do like Maggie Shayne's romantic suspense novels so I would recommend this whole trilogy.
April 28, 2022
This book is part mystery and part romance and both are terrible. The writing is passable. The plot is stupid and contrived and the outcome is obvious. So much for a mystery. As far as the romance goes, I'm not sure there was one. The characters are boring. There is no clever banter or repartee and there is no sex. So much for romance.
Also, the teenage angst was very annoying.
Also, the teenage angst was very annoying.
October 24, 2017
Good read
This was the third in a series and it answered many of the questions from the first and second book. All these books can stand alone, but I would recommend that you read them in order. They are well worth the read.
This was the third in a series and it answered many of the questions from the first and second book. All these books can stand alone, but I would recommend that you read them in order. They are well worth the read.
June 10, 2019
Nice book, but the culprit was obvious from the start, as well as the misdirections. I liked that you don't need to read the other books in the series to enjoy this one. The main characters are well defined, but the supporting cast is a little bit stereotypical.
July 8, 2020
Nancy
Woohoo! Loved the story! Suspenseful, intriguing ,and romantic all in one story. Wish there was an epilogue so we could go over the other characters in the other two books in this trilogy.but it was a really great series! Thanks
Woohoo! Loved the story! Suspenseful, intriguing ,and romantic all in one story. Wish there was an epilogue so we could go over the other characters in the other two books in this trilogy.but it was a really great series! Thanks
February 26, 2024
This is a new author I picked up. What a great story. I am not sure why the title is called what it is, but it was a great book. Read it in two nights. I will look for her other two books in this series.
Very well written. A lot going on, but not confusing.
Very well written. A lot going on, but not confusing.
May 6, 2018
You’re the bad guy, no you’re the bad guy, no you’re the bad guy!
December 25, 2018
Another book I couldn't stop reading. First one by this author but I'll look for more.
June 8, 2020
Really good story. I was doubting my instincts on the killer the whole time. I loved this book.
July 22, 2021
2.5 stars
August 19, 2021
Trite romance/thumbs down
January 15, 2022
Excellent
Read all three books, once you started to read them very hard to put them down. Writer is very good
Read all three books, once you started to read them very hard to put them down. Writer is very good
September 28, 2024
This was such a fantastic end to the series, loved how it wrapped up!
October 8, 2018
Maggie Shayne has become one of my favorite authors.
August 31, 2010
4.5/5 Stars!
Following Killing Me Softly and the awesome Kill Me Again, The third and last book in Maggie Shayne’s Secret of Shadow Falls Trilogy closes this awesome trilogy with a bang. Until I read Kiss Me, Kill Me, Kill Me Again was my favorite, but this third and final book blew me away and I absolutely loved it.
As a Paranormal junkie, is not often that I let my self wonder off from the genre and I am so happy that i have let myself branch out lately, because I have found some amazing books out there that I wouldn’t have found if I hadn’t given a chance to them.
At the end of Kill Me Again we get a bit of a cliff hanger that connects with the plot we see unfold in Kiss Me, Kill Me and I am just glad that the wait between books wasn’t long.
Dr. Carrie Overton has a secret, a secret that has been hidden for the past 16 years. One night she found a woman by the side of road giving birth, as a newly graduated doctor on the way to her first official job, she stops and helps the woman. Desperate for reasons unknown, that woman leaves the baby behind with only a note.
Carrie starts to hunt the baby’s mother so she can legally adopt the kid, but she is murdered not long after and Carrie is left with the kid and the secret. Sixteen years later and that secret is on the verge of coming out and Dr. Overton can’t really do anything about it.
Gabriel Cain has come to Shadow Falls looking for the kid who might be his son. He then meets Carrie and her boy, Sam. Chemistry is immediate between Gabriel and Carrie and between him and Sam as well. Now he not only is looking for his son, but he is also hoping that Sam is that boy and that he and Carrie can become his family.
I LOVED this book! I am literally at a lost of how to get the message through about what i loved so much about it. Yes, the was predictable at times and yes, the ending was tightly woven together, but Kiss Me, Kill Me has enough surprises and twists to make up for it and a nice and tight ending was exactly what i needed for this book.
I am in LOVE with Gabriel Cain, not only is he hot and a songwriter, but his life philosophy is one that I have believed myself for years now and I couldn’t help but feel giddy whenever he talked about it. Gabe believes that everything happens for a reason, even the bad things and that if you pay enough attention you can actually see the threads woven though time; and if you still can’t, just give it time and it will make sense in the future.
I wholeheartedly believe in that and I have actually seen the truth to it, many times over in my own life. He also believes in focusing on the positive whenever the negative is inevitable. I am so in love with this man, it’s insane LOL
Now, Dr. Carrie was definitely Gabriel’s match and I was really happy to read about their story and see them together. She is an amazing woman, a modern time warrior with a wonderful heart. They are perfect for each other!
The mystery in Kiss Me, Kill Me was also great and I could not put this book down for a second. I loved that Maggie gave us a few chapters in different points of view other than the hero and heroine, that gave such depth to the story and it just made it that more wonderful.
I could not recommend this book and this trilogy enough. Full of action, mystery and a heart warming romance that will no doubt touch your heart. Kiss Me, Kill Me has a bit for everyone and it does not disappoint! Maggie Shayne has definitely become an author to watch for me and I can’t wait for more!
Previously Published on my blog: Welcome to Larissa's Bookish Life
Following Killing Me Softly and the awesome Kill Me Again, The third and last book in Maggie Shayne’s Secret of Shadow Falls Trilogy closes this awesome trilogy with a bang. Until I read Kiss Me, Kill Me, Kill Me Again was my favorite, but this third and final book blew me away and I absolutely loved it.
As a Paranormal junkie, is not often that I let my self wonder off from the genre and I am so happy that i have let myself branch out lately, because I have found some amazing books out there that I wouldn’t have found if I hadn’t given a chance to them.
At the end of Kill Me Again we get a bit of a cliff hanger that connects with the plot we see unfold in Kiss Me, Kill Me and I am just glad that the wait between books wasn’t long.
Dr. Carrie Overton has a secret, a secret that has been hidden for the past 16 years. One night she found a woman by the side of road giving birth, as a newly graduated doctor on the way to her first official job, she stops and helps the woman. Desperate for reasons unknown, that woman leaves the baby behind with only a note.
Carrie starts to hunt the baby’s mother so she can legally adopt the kid, but she is murdered not long after and Carrie is left with the kid and the secret. Sixteen years later and that secret is on the verge of coming out and Dr. Overton can’t really do anything about it.
Gabriel Cain has come to Shadow Falls looking for the kid who might be his son. He then meets Carrie and her boy, Sam. Chemistry is immediate between Gabriel and Carrie and between him and Sam as well. Now he not only is looking for his son, but he is also hoping that Sam is that boy and that he and Carrie can become his family.
I LOVED this book! I am literally at a lost of how to get the message through about what i loved so much about it. Yes, the was predictable at times and yes, the ending was tightly woven together, but Kiss Me, Kill Me has enough surprises and twists to make up for it and a nice and tight ending was exactly what i needed for this book.
I am in LOVE with Gabriel Cain, not only is he hot and a songwriter, but his life philosophy is one that I have believed myself for years now and I couldn’t help but feel giddy whenever he talked about it. Gabe believes that everything happens for a reason, even the bad things and that if you pay enough attention you can actually see the threads woven though time; and if you still can’t, just give it time and it will make sense in the future.
I wholeheartedly believe in that and I have actually seen the truth to it, many times over in my own life. He also believes in focusing on the positive whenever the negative is inevitable. I am so in love with this man, it’s insane LOL
Now, Dr. Carrie was definitely Gabriel’s match and I was really happy to read about their story and see them together. She is an amazing woman, a modern time warrior with a wonderful heart. They are perfect for each other!
The mystery in Kiss Me, Kill Me was also great and I could not put this book down for a second. I loved that Maggie gave us a few chapters in different points of view other than the hero and heroine, that gave such depth to the story and it just made it that more wonderful.
I could not recommend this book and this trilogy enough. Full of action, mystery and a heart warming romance that will no doubt touch your heart. Kiss Me, Kill Me has a bit for everyone and it does not disappoint! Maggie Shayne has definitely become an author to watch for me and I can’t wait for more!
Previously Published on my blog: Welcome to Larissa's Bookish Life
August 26, 2010
After the second book in this trilogy fell completely flat for me, I was a little wary of this one. But I liked it mostly. I had two middle-of-the-road issues, but otherwise I liked it.
Series Note:
Third book in Shayne's "Secrets of Shadow Falls" trilogy. I'd recommend reading the trilogy in order.
Summary:
Doctor Carrie Overton has a deep, dark secret she's been hiding from everyone around her: the sixteen year old son she has when medically she can't have any children. Carrie has kept the secret safe all these years, but with recent events in Shadow Falls, VT, the chance of discovery has increased dramatically.
Things in town get even more tense when her sons best friend disappears and is found murdered. Everyone is one edge...especially Carrie when she realizes there may be a connection to her secret. Making things more tense is newcomer to town Gabriel Cain. He sets off butterflies in Carrie's stomach like no one before. But who is he? And why does he seem to interested in her son?
Review:
I got a little worried a little ways into this book that it was going to drive me nuts from all the secret keeping. Because this is one of those books where both the hero and heroine keep major secrets from each other for nearly the entire book. I HATE that. It drives me nuts. And it's a horrible way for the h/h to build trust in each other for a future relationship. So when I saw that this book was heading this way I got frustrated. And I stayed that way for the most part. It annoyed me, but not as bad as in some other books I've read. I put up with it since the rest of the book was interesting.
And I loved the character of Gabe. What a unique, interesting guy he was. Sort of a laid-back new-age hippie. He's got long hair, drives a old VW bus, spouts off zen-isms and whatnot. I was totally fascinated by him. He's such a different type of hero than you find in 95% of romance books these days. And he was a nice guy period. So I enjoyed that part of the book.
Carrie was pretty good too. A bit insecure and judgmental at times, but I didn't mind her. The romance was fairly average. Not bad, not great. There's only one sex scene and it gets skimmed over fairly quickly. So that aspect of the book wasn't as good as I hoped.
The suspense plot was interesting and tense. Not one of the best I've read, but I liked it. It had some interesting facets and twists and turns that kept me wanting to read more to know what would happen.
My only other complaint on this book (other than the secret keeping thing) was some stuff at the end. Carrie's got the big secret about how Sam came to be her son, which turns out to be related to the suspense plot. But when you finished the book, you're left hanging over whether the secret stays a secret among a few select individuals or whether it comes out to everyone. If so, how did that affect Carried? And then there was an issue between Sam and Gabe that they never get to talk through. And Gabe has an issue with his father that is totally glossed over at the end. I just felt like when I finished the book that all this important stuff had bee left hanging. It was rather annoying. Kind of a lousy ending to a fairly decent book.
Good series overall, for the most part. I liked books 1 and 3. Book 2 was a bit of a stinker. It's a decent romantic suspense trilogy if you're looking for something new to read.
Series Note:
Third book in Shayne's "Secrets of Shadow Falls" trilogy. I'd recommend reading the trilogy in order.
Summary:
Doctor Carrie Overton has a deep, dark secret she's been hiding from everyone around her: the sixteen year old son she has when medically she can't have any children. Carrie has kept the secret safe all these years, but with recent events in Shadow Falls, VT, the chance of discovery has increased dramatically.
Things in town get even more tense when her sons best friend disappears and is found murdered. Everyone is one edge...especially Carrie when she realizes there may be a connection to her secret. Making things more tense is newcomer to town Gabriel Cain. He sets off butterflies in Carrie's stomach like no one before. But who is he? And why does he seem to interested in her son?
Review:
I got a little worried a little ways into this book that it was going to drive me nuts from all the secret keeping. Because this is one of those books where both the hero and heroine keep major secrets from each other for nearly the entire book. I HATE that. It drives me nuts. And it's a horrible way for the h/h to build trust in each other for a future relationship. So when I saw that this book was heading this way I got frustrated. And I stayed that way for the most part. It annoyed me, but not as bad as in some other books I've read. I put up with it since the rest of the book was interesting.
And I loved the character of Gabe. What a unique, interesting guy he was. Sort of a laid-back new-age hippie. He's got long hair, drives a old VW bus, spouts off zen-isms and whatnot. I was totally fascinated by him. He's such a different type of hero than you find in 95% of romance books these days. And he was a nice guy period. So I enjoyed that part of the book.
Carrie was pretty good too. A bit insecure and judgmental at times, but I didn't mind her. The romance was fairly average. Not bad, not great. There's only one sex scene and it gets skimmed over fairly quickly. So that aspect of the book wasn't as good as I hoped.
The suspense plot was interesting and tense. Not one of the best I've read, but I liked it. It had some interesting facets and twists and turns that kept me wanting to read more to know what would happen.
My only other complaint on this book (other than the secret keeping thing) was some stuff at the end. Carrie's got the big secret about how Sam came to be her son, which turns out to be related to the suspense plot. But when you finished the book, you're left hanging over whether the secret stays a secret among a few select individuals or whether it comes out to everyone. If so, how did that affect Carried? And then there was an issue between Sam and Gabe that they never get to talk through. And Gabe has an issue with his father that is totally glossed over at the end. I just felt like when I finished the book that all this important stuff had bee left hanging. It was rather annoying. Kind of a lousy ending to a fairly decent book.
Good series overall, for the most part. I liked books 1 and 3. Book 2 was a bit of a stinker. It's a decent romantic suspense trilogy if you're looking for something new to read.
June 13, 2011
What tangled webs we weave, when we practice to deceive...
Olivia Dupree - survived suicide, gave up drugs, but not drinking, spent the summer with Gabriel Cain. Gabriel - a famous song writer, hippieish philosophy, and his father was a famous country singer, and his handlers paid his mother handsomely to not tell anyone, including his father Sammy Gold, who was the father... Gabriel thought his father was the one paying off his mother... and one summer, he tried to save Olivia Dupree - but woke up one day and she was gone...
a rainy, dark night, Dr. Carrie Overton is driving to Shadow Falls. She knows she can never have a baby, and she is going to her first doctor post... she is ready to put down roots, and her family was always moving from one place to another... and she comes across a stranded car and a very pregnant woman (Olivia)... she delivers her baby, drives to call for help, and when she returns, only the baby is there, with a note to call him Sam and that it was meant to be that they met and both needed as they did...
a month later, the woman whom Carrie met is in her morgue - so she gives up getting her signature on adoption papers, and forges and files a birth certificate for Sam naming her mom...
16 years later, it comes out that a professor in town (must have been in an earlier book) had taken the name of the dead woman... and that the dead woman had a baby and there is a reward for finding him or her...
and Sam's friend is missing - found 5 days later in the woods, evidence of blood taken, and a powerful drug in his system... then Sam's girlfriend Sadie is missing (Sam, Sadie and Kyle were all born in the same month 16 years earlier)... she manages to get free...
in the meantime Carrie and Gabe are getting closer - and Gabe is starting to realize that Sam is his son... he did not know Olivia had been pregnant, and he came to town hoping he might ind him...he doesn't tell Carrie right away... but once she knows he knows, she confesses all to Gabe and to Sam...
and then Sam is taken... by an Ambrose Park - a crazy man who fixated on women with relationships that never happened... and he knew Olivia in the mental ward, and he decided he was the father... he kidnapped Kyle & Oliia, to get them tested, convinced he is the father and he needs to find the baby... finally he kidnaps Sam... Sam fakes an asthma attack... Ambrose calls mom, who calls Gabe... and they all manage to get out alive...
and Gabe finds out his father, Sammy Gold, did not know about him... and they talk... and 2 weeks later, Gabe takes Carrie to a Sammy Gold concert - and on stage, Sammy Gold talks about his son Gabe, and has Sam out to sing a song Gabe wrote for Carrie, proposing to her... ahhhhh
Olivia Dupree - survived suicide, gave up drugs, but not drinking, spent the summer with Gabriel Cain. Gabriel - a famous song writer, hippieish philosophy, and his father was a famous country singer, and his handlers paid his mother handsomely to not tell anyone, including his father Sammy Gold, who was the father... Gabriel thought his father was the one paying off his mother... and one summer, he tried to save Olivia Dupree - but woke up one day and she was gone...
a rainy, dark night, Dr. Carrie Overton is driving to Shadow Falls. She knows she can never have a baby, and she is going to her first doctor post... she is ready to put down roots, and her family was always moving from one place to another... and she comes across a stranded car and a very pregnant woman (Olivia)... she delivers her baby, drives to call for help, and when she returns, only the baby is there, with a note to call him Sam and that it was meant to be that they met and both needed as they did...
a month later, the woman whom Carrie met is in her morgue - so she gives up getting her signature on adoption papers, and forges and files a birth certificate for Sam naming her mom...
16 years later, it comes out that a professor in town (must have been in an earlier book) had taken the name of the dead woman... and that the dead woman had a baby and there is a reward for finding him or her...
and Sam's friend is missing - found 5 days later in the woods, evidence of blood taken, and a powerful drug in his system... then Sam's girlfriend Sadie is missing (Sam, Sadie and Kyle were all born in the same month 16 years earlier)... she manages to get free...
in the meantime Carrie and Gabe are getting closer - and Gabe is starting to realize that Sam is his son... he did not know Olivia had been pregnant, and he came to town hoping he might ind him...he doesn't tell Carrie right away... but once she knows he knows, she confesses all to Gabe and to Sam...
and then Sam is taken... by an Ambrose Park - a crazy man who fixated on women with relationships that never happened... and he knew Olivia in the mental ward, and he decided he was the father... he kidnapped Kyle & Oliia, to get them tested, convinced he is the father and he needs to find the baby... finally he kidnaps Sam... Sam fakes an asthma attack... Ambrose calls mom, who calls Gabe... and they all manage to get out alive...
and Gabe finds out his father, Sammy Gold, did not know about him... and they talk... and 2 weeks later, Gabe takes Carrie to a Sammy Gold concert - and on stage, Sammy Gold talks about his son Gabe, and has Sam out to sing a song Gabe wrote for Carrie, proposing to her... ahhhhh
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 24, 2011
This is my first and last book of Shayne's I'll ever read. This book really just....sucked. That's the only word that comes to mind to describe this book. The book had a great premise and actually started off really well (in the prologue) and went downhill in chapter one. I blame it on the characters that all seemed empty and fake. Nothing felt genuine. Especially the teenage kids. Also the ridiculous dialogue throughout did not help.
For a woman (doctor) (Carrie) who ended up with a newborn to keep as her very own and was always fearful that someone someday would find out the truth, she goes out of her way to make friends with complete strangers who've just arrived in town. This all the while someone has just abducted a teenager. Of course she finds herself sexually attracted to one of the strangers (Gabe) even letting him get close to her child. By day two she's bringing him home to share dinner with her son and talking too much about her son, Sam. Hello??? Anybody home? The police, along with the help of the FBI, come to the consensus of who the abductor/killer was except for Carrie who just didn't agree. I could not stand her or Gabe. Two ridiculous characters who seemed so fake with no heat or passion between the two all the while being pushed together by her kid. Thank God for his approval. Gabe was so annoying with his whole positive outlook on life even when his own kid is abducted. Give me a break! A total hippie loser! I also felt there was too many subplots and characters thrown into the mix to make it seem more suspenseful and intriguing which I felt worked against it.
So many better books out there so skip this one.
For a woman (doctor) (Carrie) who ended up with a newborn to keep as her very own and was always fearful that someone someday would find out the truth, she goes out of her way to make friends with complete strangers who've just arrived in town. This all the while someone has just abducted a teenager. Of course she finds herself sexually attracted to one of the strangers (Gabe) even letting him get close to her child. By day two she's bringing him home to share dinner with her son and talking too much about her son, Sam. Hello??? Anybody home? The police, along with the help of the FBI, come to the consensus of who the abductor/killer was except for Carrie who just didn't agree. I could not stand her or Gabe. Two ridiculous characters who seemed so fake with no heat or passion between the two all the while being pushed together by her kid. Thank God for his approval. Gabe was so annoying with his whole positive outlook on life even when his own kid is abducted. Give me a break! A total hippie loser! I also felt there was too many subplots and characters thrown into the mix to make it seem more suspenseful and intriguing which I felt worked against it.
So many better books out there so skip this one.
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