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Paradise County
THE ELECTRIFYING NATIONAL BESTSELLER PARADISE COUNTY
Left bankrupt after her billionaire father's sudden death, Alexandra Haywood returns to Shelby County, Kentucky -- that bit of Southern splendor known as Paradise County -- to sell the family's magnificent horse farm. Part of her mission is to fire Joe Welch, the sexy, stubborn farm manager who worked hard for the Haywoods while raising his children. But Joe refuses to be fired, and he and Alex clash. They also fall for each other -- hard. Just as their attraction flares, a shocking murder with ties to the past rocks the county -- and cuts close to home when Joe's teenage son, Eli, and Alex's wild-spirited younger sister, Neely, vanish. Now, the evil that lurks beneath Paradise County raises its gruesome head -- and Alex is targeted as the next victim.
Left bankrupt after her billionaire father's sudden death, Alexandra Haywood returns to Shelby County, Kentucky -- that bit of Southern splendor known as Paradise County -- to sell the family's magnificent horse farm. Part of her mission is to fire Joe Welch, the sexy, stubborn farm manager who worked hard for the Haywoods while raising his children. But Joe refuses to be fired, and he and Alex clash. They also fall for each other -- hard. Just as their attraction flares, a shocking murder with ties to the past rocks the county -- and cuts close to home when Joe's teenage son, Eli, and Alex's wild-spirited younger sister, Neely, vanish. Now, the evil that lurks beneath Paradise County raises its gruesome head -- and Alex is targeted as the next victim.
464 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 2000
272 people are currently reading
941 people want to read
About the author
Karen Robards
135 books3,241 followersKaren Robards is the New York Times, USA Today, and Publishers Weekly bestselling author of more than fifty books and one novella. She has won multiple awards including six Affaire de Coeur Silver Pen Awards for favorite author.
Karen has been writing since she was very young, and was first published nationally in the December 1973 Reader's Digest. She sold her first romance novel, ISLAND FLAME, when she was 24. It was published by Leisure Books in 1981 and is still in print. After that, she dropped out of law school to pursue her writing career.
Karen was recently described by The Daily Mail as "one of the most reliable thriller....writers in the world."
Karen has been writing since she was very young, and was first published nationally in the December 1973 Reader's Digest. She sold her first romance novel, ISLAND FLAME, when she was 24. It was published by Leisure Books in 1981 and is still in print. After that, she dropped out of law school to pursue her writing career.
Karen was recently described by The Daily Mail as "one of the most reliable thriller....writers in the world."
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 101 reviews
February 23, 2017
I almost gave up on this book and threw it across the room. I put it down for awhile and picked it up again later. There was a part in the beginning about a torture that I never want to read about ever again. I dismissed it and started the next chapter. I'm glad I did. This was one of the best novels by KR that I have read so far. When a mystery leaves me wrong about "who did it", I am very satisfied.
November 18, 2016
Great book! You can't go wrong with a sexy horse trainer!
December 9, 2017
Книгата е може би една от най-добрите на авторката, но познах убиеца още преди средата на книгата, така че няма да са 5* :)
March 30, 2011
I wish I could put it into words how much I loved this book! I read it in a day and-a-half, it was that good. I could't put it down, even though I was trying to force myself to- ah I just couldn't!
The rolling fields of Shelby County are home to some of the finest horseflesh and bluest blood in Kentucky. With it's rural beauty and tranquil lifestyle, it is easy to see why the locals call it Paradise County. But beneath the serene exterior lies a dark underside, and an evil that threatens everyone who touches it.
Alexandra Haywood and her younger sister, Neely, have always loved Whistledown, the family's magnificent Shelby County horse farm. After their billionaire father's sudden and tragic death, the devastated Alex returns to Whistledown to try to make peace with her memories- and to oversee the sell of their gorgeous home. For the family fortune is now a shambles and, like everything else the Haywoods own, Whistledown has to go. But Joe Welch, the sexy, handsome farm manage, refuses to cooperate. When Alex fires him, he tells her he has an unbreakable contract that can't be let go.
For years Joe has worked to make Whistledown's stables flourish while he struggled to keep his own dreams alive, and no rich rhymes-with-witch is going to threaten his livelihood- or his family life. Ever since his wife betrayed him years ago, Joe has raised his three kids alone and did it damn well. Now, his always dependable sixteen-year-old son Eli has become hopelessly infatuated with teenage while child Neely. Joe refuses to let his boy get caught up with Neely- a nose stud and penchant for illegal substances among her less desirable traits- and he tells Alex in no uncertain terms.
Sparks of rage give way to a fiery attraction when Joe and Alex meet head-on. But just as a volatile passion begins flaring up between the, the discovery of a shocking murder with ties to the past rocks the county- and cuts frighteningly close to home when Neely and Eli disappear.
Alex and Joe have only each other to rely on as they search frantically for their loved ones. What they don't know is that they are racing against time, too. Because the evil that lurks beneath the bucolic surface of Paradise County has once again raised its gruesome head- and now Alex is targeted as the next victim.
Plot - ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ As you can see by how many stars I gave it, I loved the plot! I loved the plot big time! The plot, it was something I had never read before and that was refreshing to me. It was nice to read something that was original, well to me anyway. I give the plot five stars!
Writing - ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ The writing was good, but it was missing that certain something, that usually is missing in a lot of books. I can't really put my finger on it, but something was missing... I give the writing four stars!
Characters - ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ Okay I can only say I loved all the characters BIG time! The characters were real to me and I loved them for that! It's always a plus in a book when you feel as if you know the characters and you feel as if your in the story with them...! I give the characters five stars!
Alexandra 'Alex' Haywood - I loved Alexandra for her pride and her stubbornness! When she didn't want to do something, or she set her mind to something, no one could change her mind.
Joe Welch - The farm manager of Whistledown. Handsome, sexy and strong...enough said. I loved him for his hardheadedness and loving nature towards his family!
Eli Welch - Joe's oldest and near look-at-like. Hot (well to Neely anyway) athletic and strong. I loved him for just cute and adorable!
Cornelia 'Neely' Haywood - I liked her cocky attitude and always thinking she knew best, and that she was never wrong about anything. Even though she did get on my nerves a little I still couldn't help liking her!
Joshua 'Josh' Welch - Joe's second oldest and the attitude of the Welch family. Joe is worried that Josh will end up getting into trouble when he is older, and to be honest...I don't blame him.
Jenny Welch - Joe's youngest and only little girl. She's sweet and kind and one smart ass kid!
Cary Welch - Father of Joe and ex-horsetrainer. A Drunk and a very loving grandpa!
Overall I give this book ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ - nothing more and nothing less!
The rolling fields of Shelby County are home to some of the finest horseflesh and bluest blood in Kentucky. With it's rural beauty and tranquil lifestyle, it is easy to see why the locals call it Paradise County. But beneath the serene exterior lies a dark underside, and an evil that threatens everyone who touches it.
Alexandra Haywood and her younger sister, Neely, have always loved Whistledown, the family's magnificent Shelby County horse farm. After their billionaire father's sudden and tragic death, the devastated Alex returns to Whistledown to try to make peace with her memories- and to oversee the sell of their gorgeous home. For the family fortune is now a shambles and, like everything else the Haywoods own, Whistledown has to go. But Joe Welch, the sexy, handsome farm manage, refuses to cooperate. When Alex fires him, he tells her he has an unbreakable contract that can't be let go.
For years Joe has worked to make Whistledown's stables flourish while he struggled to keep his own dreams alive, and no rich rhymes-with-witch is going to threaten his livelihood- or his family life. Ever since his wife betrayed him years ago, Joe has raised his three kids alone and did it damn well. Now, his always dependable sixteen-year-old son Eli has become hopelessly infatuated with teenage while child Neely. Joe refuses to let his boy get caught up with Neely- a nose stud and penchant for illegal substances among her less desirable traits- and he tells Alex in no uncertain terms.
Sparks of rage give way to a fiery attraction when Joe and Alex meet head-on. But just as a volatile passion begins flaring up between the, the discovery of a shocking murder with ties to the past rocks the county- and cuts frighteningly close to home when Neely and Eli disappear.
Alex and Joe have only each other to rely on as they search frantically for their loved ones. What they don't know is that they are racing against time, too. Because the evil that lurks beneath the bucolic surface of Paradise County has once again raised its gruesome head- and now Alex is targeted as the next victim.
Plot - ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ As you can see by how many stars I gave it, I loved the plot! I loved the plot big time! The plot, it was something I had never read before and that was refreshing to me. It was nice to read something that was original, well to me anyway. I give the plot five stars!
Writing - ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ The writing was good, but it was missing that certain something, that usually is missing in a lot of books. I can't really put my finger on it, but something was missing... I give the writing four stars!
Characters - ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ Okay I can only say I loved all the characters BIG time! The characters were real to me and I loved them for that! It's always a plus in a book when you feel as if you know the characters and you feel as if your in the story with them...! I give the characters five stars!
Alexandra 'Alex' Haywood - I loved Alexandra for her pride and her stubbornness! When she didn't want to do something, or she set her mind to something, no one could change her mind.
Joe Welch - The farm manager of Whistledown. Handsome, sexy and strong...enough said. I loved him for his hardheadedness and loving nature towards his family!
Eli Welch - Joe's oldest and near look-at-like. Hot (well to Neely anyway) athletic and strong. I loved him for just cute and adorable!
Cornelia 'Neely' Haywood - I liked her cocky attitude and always thinking she knew best, and that she was never wrong about anything. Even though she did get on my nerves a little I still couldn't help liking her!
Joshua 'Josh' Welch - Joe's second oldest and the attitude of the Welch family. Joe is worried that Josh will end up getting into trouble when he is older, and to be honest...I don't blame him.
Jenny Welch - Joe's youngest and only little girl. She's sweet and kind and one smart ass kid!
Cary Welch - Father of Joe and ex-horsetrainer. A Drunk and a very loving grandpa!
Overall I give this book ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ - nothing more and nothing less!
November 29, 2012
I'm not sure I really enjoyed Paradise County. In truth, it was kind of dull. Even the mystery was just so-so. Don't get me wrong, the killer is very twisted and some of the scenes are gruesome. But the motivation behind his acts isn't totally clear. Also,the identity of the killer came out of nowhere for me.
I didn't really care for the heroine. Other than lust, I didn't really see what Joe saw in her either. Alex comes across as unemotional and kind of bitchy. She just wasn't very likeable. The only interesting character in the book was Joe. I really felt for him when he realizes he is about to lose his horses as well as his job. I also had to commend him for putting his family first.
I ended up listening to the audiobook. The narrator's voice annoyed me, especially when she was reading the part of the younger sister. Think high pitched valley girl. Yuck. I love Karen Robards, but I can't say I would recommend this one.
I didn't really care for the heroine. Other than lust, I didn't really see what Joe saw in her either. Alex comes across as unemotional and kind of bitchy. She just wasn't very likeable. The only interesting character in the book was Joe. I really felt for him when he realizes he is about to lose his horses as well as his job. I also had to commend him for putting his family first.
I ended up listening to the audiobook. The narrator's voice annoyed me, especially when she was reading the part of the younger sister. Think high pitched valley girl. Yuck. I love Karen Robards, but I can't say I would recommend this one.
October 5, 2016
I usually find books from Karen Robards a bit old-school. This one is fortunately not as dated as some other of her books.
I generally liked the story, although it is a very typical book by Robards. The hero is older than the heroine (big plus for her not being a virgin this time), they don't like each other in the beginning but they feel the passion and there are some children in the background (this time his). Joe has alpha man attitude but it isn't overbearing which is is a good thing. And Alexandra is not your typical damsel in distress.
I'm not sure I could find real love between Alex and Joe. And I can't believe that she feels nothing regarding her ex-fiancé who betrayed her just because she is fascinated by Joe. She is not even angry about this situation. It's unnatural, she planned to marry this guy a week ago and now she doesn't give him a second thought. That's strange.
I also wish the suspense part is more developed.
I generally liked the story, although it is a very typical book by Robards. The hero is older than the heroine (big plus for her not being a virgin this time), they don't like each other in the beginning but they feel the passion and there are some children in the background (this time his). Joe has alpha man attitude but it isn't overbearing which is is a good thing. And Alexandra is not your typical damsel in distress.
I'm not sure I could find real love between Alex and Joe. And I can't believe that she feels nothing regarding her ex-fiancé who betrayed her just because she is fascinated by Joe. She is not even angry about this situation. It's unnatural, she planned to marry this guy a week ago and now she doesn't give him a second thought. That's strange.
I also wish the suspense part is more developed.
November 6, 2017
Paradise County by Karen Robards is another one of her best works. She is a master storyteller who always knows how to build up the tension between the main characters. Alexandra is reeling from the tragic loss of her father. She comes back home to help settle up his affairs, but her whole world spirals out of control. Fresh from losing her father, she has to deal with a broken engagement, and taking care of her half-sister. The dynamics between Alexandra and her farm manager Joe is off the charts. Fate keeps throwing them together.
I am a huge fan of Karen Robards, I have yet to read a book of hers that I do not like. I will recommend this story to others. I give it 5/5 Stars
I am a huge fan of Karen Robards, I have yet to read a book of hers that I do not like. I will recommend this story to others. I give it 5/5 Stars
June 21, 2017
Well, it didn't totally suck. Just mostly and almost entirely. That's the best thing I can say. This is one of those romances where the attraction is all sexual and you wonder what the couple would talk about when they got old and not hot. ALL the characters were obsessed with sex, including a fifteen-year-old, which hit my "Ugh" button. The mystery was an afterthought, wrapped up in the last few pages like a newspaper article. Not recommended.
February 24, 2018
Writing about a serial killer requires details that are usually not pleasant and animal cruelty is one leg of the well documented triad of evil. Even knowing that I found the scene with the dog in this novel to be gratuitous gore. Not to say the captivity, repeated rape and torture, and then burning alive of women isn't horrific, but those details were more often implied. As much as I liked Joe and Alexa's story, the sadistic serial killer in the background was disturbing.
August 2, 2007
Alexandra is grief stricken when her father commits suicide. She travels to his farm to handle his affairs and encounters Joe Welch, the farm manager who is not happy with the impending sale of the farm.
August 5, 2017
Review deleted. Attempting kinder reviews in the future.
December 10, 2021
The murderer aspect was creepy and I def didn't love the animal abuse. I thought the two main characters were well-written, compared to other romance novels I've read recently. As a Kentuckian, I thought the representation was pretty good and honest, though I gotta say making Joe a UK fan made it hard to imagine him as desirable!
What really irked me was the representation of women in this. Every other woman in this story was ditzy or a whore or both. I just really think all women should support each other instead of seeing each other as competition. Women were really represented poorly in this way.
Another complaint was the representation of horse racing/breeding as a positive thing. Again, I'm a Kentuckian born n raised, and I grew up around horses, which is why I know that the horse racing industry is cruel and horrible and one of Kentucky's greatest shames. Sentient, feeling creatures being treated as commodities is hard to read about. Otherwise it was fine, except that the steamy scenes were really vanilla. Joe essentially having a baby monitor for Alex was kinda weird.
I recommend reading it as opposed to listening to the audiobook. The narrator attempted a "southern accent" for many characters including Joe. Except it was a different accent every time, from Louisiana to Tennessee to Appalachian to like 1800's frontier. Never once was it a 21st century central Kentucky accent, which are honestly pretty subtle--more like a soft drawl as opposed to super twangy. You'd think she'd never have spoken to a Kentuckian before. And trigger warning to Louisville natives: she does *not* pronounce Louisville correctly.
What really irked me was the representation of women in this. Every other woman in this story was ditzy or a whore or both. I just really think all women should support each other instead of seeing each other as competition. Women were really represented poorly in this way.
Another complaint was the representation of horse racing/breeding as a positive thing. Again, I'm a Kentuckian born n raised, and I grew up around horses, which is why I know that the horse racing industry is cruel and horrible and one of Kentucky's greatest shames. Sentient, feeling creatures being treated as commodities is hard to read about. Otherwise it was fine, except that the steamy scenes were really vanilla. Joe essentially having a baby monitor for Alex was kinda weird.
I recommend reading it as opposed to listening to the audiobook. The narrator attempted a "southern accent" for many characters including Joe. Except it was a different accent every time, from Louisiana to Tennessee to Appalachian to like 1800's frontier. Never once was it a 21st century central Kentucky accent, which are honestly pretty subtle--more like a soft drawl as opposed to super twangy. You'd think she'd never have spoken to a Kentuckian before. And trigger warning to Louisville natives: she does *not* pronounce Louisville correctly.
January 20, 2016
3.5 stars. Set in the horse farms in Kentucky, a predator kills its game. Both the predator and game are human. The book opens with the death of a wealthy horse owner of an apparent suicide. But the owner's oldest daughter, Alexandra Haywood doesn't believe her father would kill himself. She and her 16 year old sister come to Whistledown to sell the farm and horses and they meet up with farm manager Joe Welch and his family. Alexandra wakens in the night to hear someone breathing and other strange occurences happen in the house. Then her younger sister disappears, probably taken by the sadistic killer. Although she is falling in love with Joe, can he keep Alex and his own family safe from the predator?
This book is a nice romantic suspense novel. I liked the author calling the killer a predator and infusing the narrative with his point of view.
This book is a nice romantic suspense novel. I liked the author calling the killer a predator and infusing the narrative with his point of view.
February 24, 2011
I have never read anything by this author previously, so I really had no idea how good/bad her books would be. I've been on a bit of a suspense kick lately and this seemed to fit the bill.
I did enjoy this book for the most part. Joe was pretty hot and the story didn't drag too much. The serial killer aspect, however was quite disturbing. Too much info for my sensibilities. It was just too weird reading his story and the horror of his perversion, then switching gears to read Alex and Joe's steamy scenes. That should have been thought out a little bit better, IMHO. I also agree with other reviewers who felt there was a lot of loose ends still hanging when the book abruptly ended, however these weren't enough to keep me from planning to try some other books by this author.
I did enjoy this book for the most part. Joe was pretty hot and the story didn't drag too much. The serial killer aspect, however was quite disturbing. Too much info for my sensibilities. It was just too weird reading his story and the horror of his perversion, then switching gears to read Alex and Joe's steamy scenes. That should have been thought out a little bit better, IMHO. I also agree with other reviewers who felt there was a lot of loose ends still hanging when the book abruptly ended, however these weren't enough to keep me from planning to try some other books by this author.
May 5, 2024
TRIGGER WARNING
Although I love the premise and am a huge fan of the author, there should be a notable trigger warning for animal abuse. At about 20% in (kindle) a graphic and horrific scene of animal abuse is described. I won't give details because I'm sincerely hoping my brain erases it for me, but if you're distressed about that kind of thing then you can safely skip to the next chapter (without losing important info relevant to the story) the second you're introduced to the stray dog.
Although I love the premise and am a huge fan of the author, there should be a notable trigger warning for animal abuse. At about 20% in (kindle) a graphic and horrific scene of animal abuse is described. I won't give details because I'm sincerely hoping my brain erases it for me, but if you're distressed about that kind of thing then you can safely skip to the next chapter (without losing important info relevant to the story) the second you're introduced to the stray dog.
May 2, 2011
I love that Karen writes about her home state of Kentucky. I really feel like if I wanted to, I could pick up and drive to wherever the book takes place and watch the story play out right before my eyes. She is an awesome writer and I am glad she doesn't make us all sound like toothless, shoeless, ignorant rednecks that have tornados carrying our mobile homes away daily (lol). Keep up the good work Karen!
August 22, 2017
Not my normal type of book but so glad I stayed with it.. Alex is struggling with her father's suicide when she meets Joe who worked for her father and she had to fire . When strange things happened in Alex's house she went running to Joe . Little did they know the strange things that were going on right under their noses until Joe was called into question and both Alex and Joe's families are put in harms way..
Read
March 1, 2017I've only read the first few chapters - I was expecting a romance novel but in the first chapter there is a dead body and by the third chapter there are two people missing (who you expect will show up dead later). Not what I was expecting...
Wow - excellent book! The killer's methods gave me the creeps but I had to finish so I knew what and how everything happened.
Wow - excellent book! The killer's methods gave me the creeps but I had to finish so I knew what and how everything happened.
March 26, 2019
I really enjoyed this one. A very typical romance with a splash of suspense. It was more heavy on the romance and story of the families than on the suspense, but I liked the characters so I was rooting for them. I would have liked more clues to the killer and more detail about that part of the story, but overall, it was good. I read it on the plane from London to Baltimore.
Read
February 11, 2016I love horses and the country life so the backdrop of this storyline is what really caught my attention. Then i started reading it and really enjoyed it even more. This is probably one of my favorites by this author!
August 30, 2019
Paradise County by KarenRobards
A good read with some gruesome scenes that will delight those who like to read the scary. Ms Robards tops it off with a most perfect ending.
Reviewed by Heide Katros, Winter Haven News, Florida
A good read with some gruesome scenes that will delight those who like to read the scary. Ms Robards tops it off with a most perfect ending.
Reviewed by Heide Katros, Winter Haven News, Florida
November 6, 2008
I've read this book time and time again -- a good read.
September 12, 2011
Another book that I picked up at a bookswap. Discovered that I dont like psycho/thrillers. Only made it thru Chapter 2..... Yuck! Oh well, the price was right.
September 9, 2015
Excellent!! Couldn't put it down and read it just over a day and a 3-4 hours!!
November 6, 2015
Took me to near the very end to figure out who it was, but loved the book, and the story. Would love to see a sequel.
October 1, 2024
Ehhhh. The dead father’s ghost coming to warn his daughters and helping them defeat the villain? Noooot my thing.
July 22, 2025
Paradise county
"About someone new in your life," he said with the merest hint of an edge. "Honey, you've got yourself a volunteer."
Having a man na dependable saka strong enough to protect and comfort u, sana all kay Alexandra, billionaire's daughter. While single dad with three kids + horse trainer naman si Joe. Right amount of romance with hint of suspense ito eh.
Huhu super horrible ng killer dito, di ko masikmura iyong sa doggie huhu. Tapos wala rin talagang clue maliban sa word na florid iyong nagturo sa killer eh.
About naman kila neely and Eli, naloloka ako sa teenage rebellion ha. Nung una, naiinis me sa influence ni neely kay eli eh kaso siyempre, teenagers pa nga huhu. Pero kaloka na magiging step auntie siya ni eli 😂😂
Dahil binalikan nila iyong stash sa bahay, nahuli tuloy sila ng killer huhu. Pero cutie ni Hannibal dito, shadow pala niya iyong nagpakitang tatay nila sa porch tapos siya pa ang dahilan bakit nalaman iyong hidden basement.
Over all, mas lamang talaga romance here
"About someone new in your life," he said with the merest hint of an edge. "Honey, you've got yourself a volunteer."
Having a man na dependable saka strong enough to protect and comfort u, sana all kay Alexandra, billionaire's daughter. While single dad with three kids + horse trainer naman si Joe. Right amount of romance with hint of suspense ito eh.
Huhu super horrible ng killer dito, di ko masikmura iyong sa doggie huhu. Tapos wala rin talagang clue maliban sa word na florid iyong nagturo sa killer eh.
About naman kila neely and Eli, naloloka ako sa teenage rebellion ha. Nung una, naiinis me sa influence ni neely kay eli eh kaso siyempre, teenagers pa nga huhu. Pero kaloka na magiging step auntie siya ni eli 😂😂
Dahil binalikan nila iyong stash sa bahay, nahuli tuloy sila ng killer huhu. Pero cutie ni Hannibal dito, shadow pala niya iyong nagpakitang tatay nila sa porch tapos siya pa ang dahilan bakit nalaman iyong hidden basement.
Over all, mas lamang talaga romance here
November 14, 2024
WARNING- there is a very graphic and horrible depiction of a dog being tortured. If you are sensitive to this, don’t read this book. Personally, I will never read another book by Karen Robards as long as I live. I’ve read a bunch of them, and thought I’d be safe from extreme gore and torture, but no.
Could’ve been a great book- but for some reason early in the story, ol’ KR decided to torture a dog in graphic detail, and from what I gather, also went into great detail about the torturing of other victims of the “serial killer” in this story. It was unexpected, and just really unnecessarily graphic and sad. I work with animal rescue and this type of thing happens more than you’d realize, so it was particularly upsetting for me and def was not the shit I want to think about right before bed.
I did not and will not finish it.
Could’ve been a great book- but for some reason early in the story, ol’ KR decided to torture a dog in graphic detail, and from what I gather, also went into great detail about the torturing of other victims of the “serial killer” in this story. It was unexpected, and just really unnecessarily graphic and sad. I work with animal rescue and this type of thing happens more than you’d realize, so it was particularly upsetting for me and def was not the shit I want to think about right before bed.
I did not and will not finish it.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 21, 2017
This was a hard book to finish. It was my second book by this author and I don't think it was enough to make me want to read more. It wasn't terrible but it was very putdownable. I would find myself itching for something else to do while in middle of a chapter.
Alex was very flat and contradictory for me. Neely was too teenage angsty until the very end of the novel. Joe was pretty awesome though and I feel like he drew the short end of the stick in this story.
Now for the suspense/mystery. I will admit that I am not very good at guessing the whodunnit in mysteries but I knew immediately who it was when they were introduced in the novel. I also had a big problem with Joe and Alex being able to get it on while their child and sister were missing. If my child were missing I would be a vomiting, crying, emotional wreck.
I like romantic suspense but this just wasn't done well enough for me. I like to feel them both at the same time but this was either romance or suspense. They didn't seem to occur simultaneously.
Alex was very flat and contradictory for me. Neely was too teenage angsty until the very end of the novel. Joe was pretty awesome though and I feel like he drew the short end of the stick in this story.
Now for the suspense/mystery. I will admit that I am not very good at guessing the whodunnit in mysteries but I knew immediately who it was when they were introduced in the novel. I also had a big problem with Joe and Alex being able to get it on while their child and sister were missing. If my child were missing I would be a vomiting, crying, emotional wreck.
I like romantic suspense but this just wasn't done well enough for me. I like to feel them both at the same time but this was either romance or suspense. They didn't seem to occur simultaneously.
June 19, 2024
For me, this was definitely not one of KR best offerings. I felt like the meat and potatoes of the story were glossed over and I got more details about rooms, furniture and wall paper than I ever wanted to know. This one could probably have been 150 pages shorter and we'd still have gotten the same story.
That said, while I found the lust-mance and the mystery predictable, it wasn't all bad. There were some charming family moments and the killer was about as creepy as they come.
If this is your first book by this author, don't base your opinion of her stories on this one alone. I've been reading her for years and this one was just so-so compared to others I've found superb!
That said, while I found the lust-mance and the mystery predictable, it wasn't all bad. There were some charming family moments and the killer was about as creepy as they come.
If this is your first book by this author, don't base your opinion of her stories on this one alone. I've been reading her for years and this one was just so-so compared to others I've found superb!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 101 reviews