It’s almost laughable at this point that I’m still reviewing Laura Griffin books. I could save everyone time and just write a one-liner: great book, read it. I really like these books. Deep Tide focuses on a character I’ve really enjoyed in this series: Leyla Breda. Her brothers were the heroes in the other books and I enjoyed them when they found their HEAs, but in this one, they were often a little one dimensional with some … Continue reading Deep Tide by Laura Griffin →
Content warning: homophobia I love romantic suspense, but they can sometimes be a little light on the suspense and a little heavy on the romance for me. The mystery plot in this book is strong enough to stand on its own, but my god, does the romance sweeten the deal. Detective Everett Larkin works for the cold case squad in New York. A tree has blown over in Madison Square Park and in its uprooting, … Continue reading Madison Square Murders by C.S. Poe →
In a world of lockdowns and panic-buying, I want two things in a romance novel: suspense and sex. This book gave me both. Meet Carter Warren, a Special Agent with the FBI, who moves from one undercover assignment to the next with nary a home base in sight. He’s buff, smart, and a little cocky. Now, allow me to introduce you to Lincoln Monroe AKA Mr Homebody. He’s a professor at Quantico and a silver … Continue reading Variable Onset by Layla Reyne →
Whiteout by Adriana Anders is a romantic suspense novel with elements of survival and espionage. The tropes are 100% Elyse-bait and the author’s ability to sell me on two people falling in love during some really dire circumstances was impressive. Despite this book being the first full book in a series, readers may want to read the prequel novella in Turn the Tide to be fully introduced to the secondary characters. The book opens in … Continue reading Whiteout by Adriana Anders →
I love creepy romance; before I started reading romance novels I read Old Skool Gothics by Victoria Holt and Phyllis Whitney. The Widow of Pale Harbor by Hester Fox contained some Gothic elements, but it’s really a historical romance with suspense elements. I enjoyed the spooky atmosphere, but I found the romantic development to be a little weak and I wasn’t happy with how the mystery was laid out. The novel is set in Pale … Continue reading The Widow of Pale Harbor by Hester Fox →
If Present Day Elyse traveled back in time and told Past Elyse that someday Nora Roberts would write a romantic suspense novel that didn’t quite work for her, Past Elyse wouldn’t have believed her. Then Past Elyse would have squinted at Present Day Elyse and said, “Are we growing out our bangs again? You know we’re only going to last six weeks before we cut them.” I love Nora Roberts’ romantic suspense books. I schedule … Continue reading Under Currents by Nora Roberts →
CW/TW: Sexual assault I’ve been a romantic suspense/mystery/thriller mood lately (Ed. note: “always”) so I was excited to read Kat Martin’s latest rom sus about a woman searching for her missing brother. At first, The Conspiracy worked okay for me; the hero was a little bit boner-led, but the action and the plot made up for that flaw. Then I got a graphic sexual assault scene that was totally unnecessary and I just noped on out. The … Continue reading The Conspiracy by Kat Martin →
Solace Island is a book that isn’t entirely sure what it wants to be. It starts off reading very much like a romantic comedy and finishes up as romantic suspense. This didn’t greatly bother me since those are both things I enjoy, but I could see how another reader could feel like they started one novel only to finish an entirely different one. Maggie Harris is trying to figure out her future after her fiancé … Continue reading Solace Island by Meg Tilly →
Consumed by JR Ward is an angsty contemporary romance with lots of dark themes and a hint of romantic suspense. I really liked the heroine, but the hero never clicked with me, and I felt like there was too much going on with the plot at times. Anne Ashburn is a New Brunswick firefighter who loves her job and carries a torch for her coworker, Danny McGuire. Anne and Danny had a mind-blowing one night … Continue reading Consumed by JR Ward →
I first heard about Kiss the Sky at RT where the author described it as the story of two people falling in love while climbing (and surviving) K2. I’m pretty sure Amanda tweeted a photo of me one-click buying it right there. I love disaster/survival stories, especially stories set in extreme locations. I’ve read a lot of non-fiction about K2 and Everest (which is now unfortunately a literal poo disaster). I’m fascinated with the Dyatlov Pass … Continue reading Kiss the Sky by MK Schiller →
I was all excited to read The Man in the Black Suit. It’s a jet-setting, glamorous romantic suspense set around the art world, and if you wrote all those things on a piece of paper and put it under a propped up box, you’d have yourself an effective Elyse trap. The first part of the book was good, really good, but the last third went completely off the rails and enraged the hell out of me. The … Continue reading The Man in the Black Suit by Sylvain Reynard →
