Book Review Genre: Romantic Suspense

Disclaimer: Reading is all about exploring new worlds, but this Book Review does not shy away from spoiling specific scenes as this is more of my free-flowing thoughts about a book.

The Analysis:

The book was a late birthday present to myself that just arrived in the mail. This book is a part of a series, but I read it as a standalone. So, let’s book review the first book. But first, follow me on Goodreads.

Here’s The Blurb:

When Brody McTavish sees Harper Hamilton’s runaway horse galloping across the pastures, he does what any good cowboy would do—gives chase and rescues her. Unfortunately for him, the woman he’s secretly loved for years didn’t need saving, and she’s just reached her limit with people treating her as hopeless. But they soon have bigger problems when they make a gruesome discovery—human remains revealed by a recent rainstorm. Remains that will dredge up old Hamilton family mysteries…and bring about a scandal that could threaten all Harper’s loved ones.

With her father running for president, every move Harper makes is under scrutiny. But despite the risks, she’s determined to uncover the truth about her family’s role in a long-ago murder. If she can trust him enough, Brody will be more than an ally. He could be the only thing standing between Harper and an enemy intent on keeping the past buried forever.

Cover Critique:

I like it. It’s a simple one. The cover is definitely on trend with the genre.

Now The Story:

Book Info:
Pages: 384
Author: BJ Daniels
Available: Google Play

This story introduces us to multiple povs. Our main couple and the heroine’s parents. I do feel comfortable calling this a family saga as most of the povs are related in some way. We even get some flashbacks of the past. The father is running for a presidential election and the mother has recently returned to the family after faking her death. It’s not totally her fault though because she has amnesia. Her memory only came back in short bursts (or something). Talk about upheaval. Did I mention she had 6 kids? (lol).

We also get a few chapters from the sheriff’s point of view. About chapter 9 expect one more point of view from a psychic. The introduction of supernatural elements does not bother. But at this point in the story, it is one point of view too many. It doesn’t throw off the story in any way. Your face will just be like.

Side note: If it matters the presidential candidate is a Republican. But politics don’t play a role in the story at all. The biggest culture shock moment was the ease of which they talk about being president. No one talks about money, education, or upbringing. Just go be president. If it were a POC we would have to consider grassroots efforts and half the people we know would be telling us not to do it. Yet everyone on canvas is fit to be president without one sentence of explanation, smh. It could be talked about more in-depth in other iterations.

Now, mother dearest had moved on, but with the return of her memory, she was trying to put it all back together. Enter the heroine, the only daughter willing to talk to her, and that doesn’t believe she’s lying about her memory. She seems relatable and like someone, you could root for.

My first thoughts about the hero are mixed. I’m not sure I can call him an alpha male because he’s not quite that, but he’s certainly a man’s man and I found myself rolling my eyes at his simple thought process. For example; he says I thought I rescued a damsel in distress and seems almost disappointed that she’s not. Like alright dude, my heart bleeds for you. His thought process will certainly throw you for a loop on occasion. [Small rant: I was writing this and I thought about O’Connell from The Mummy. A character that’s widely regarded for being handsome, but also for respecting Evie’s intelligence and strength. A perfect example of a man’s man without being an alpha jerk.]

Any confusing moments were owed to the frequent phrase “stealing memories.” For a minute, I didn’t know if that was an analogy or if the man had really stolen her memories because she did have amnesia. Also, at the introduction of the flashbacks, I was still getting used to the different povs. So, it took a little bit for me to catch on to who these povs were. Of course, I wouldn’t recommend skipping as these scenes are important to the murder.

By chapter 8, I had my guess as to who killed Maggie. I was wrong. The real killer is a surprise. After some separation, would I prefer the killer to be revealed as someone else? Yes, but only because I felt like there were people closer to the situation with better motives to do it than the reveal. But I’m not upset about who is at fault.

But this story is about the investigation. The sheriff in this town was extremely competent and a likable character. I was rooting for him to solve this case. My face was frowned up, when the heroine stepped into the ring just because she was in love with the hero and didn’t want to be rejected. Like, no sis, leave this to the professionals. I do feel like the book tries to justify her involvement in scenes by specifically pointing out things she found that the sheriff didn’t.

But the psychic (married to the sheriff) isn’t the only supernatural element in the story. The amnesiac mother back from the dead had some mind-wipe procedure done on her. It reminded me of another mind-swap storyline in my favorite soap opera, General Hospital.

It’s a fair assessment by some reviews that the romance in this story isn’t very strong. But only in the sense that it’s a B plot and not the main focus. Personally, the mystery is so good that it overshadows it in a way that will ensure that you don’t miss it. I am upset at the hero, who was taking his Romeo role too seriously. The heroine kept asking them if they could ride out this storm. He kept saying no. For who? There are exceptions but as the old saying goes, children are supposed to bury their parents. So, if you’re not planning for what your future happiness looks like then you’re only planning for your loneliness. At the very least, it seems to indicate that he doesn’t love her deeply enough because he actually thinks he can live without her.

However, in a book like this, his feelings are short-lived. Something I appreciate because we avoid the preamble and the angst. Yet, I still felt like the author communicated what was at stake and I genuinely felt the character’s loss at the splitting up of the family.

I definitely found all the secrets intriguing. And in this book, everyone has one. A body is found in chapter 1 and the mystery is strong. I didn’t think I’d like following so many people, but that works for me too. The storyline between our main couple is very much Romeo and Juliet with feuding families trying to warn them away from each other. I’m not a fan of the trope that has become, but this girl’s death has me tied in knots. Everyone’s lying and everyone had a reason to kill her even if it was as deep as green-eyed envy. Which seemed to be the primary motive.

By the end, the murder is solved, but the mystery of the mother’s amnesia drifts into the next book. Not a fan. This is book 4. I haven’t read the others but it would be understandable if she was causing frustration in readers by doing this every book with the mother’s storyline, inching it along.

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Book Review At A Glance:

Recommendation:  5 out of 5

Book Cover Appeal (for new cover):

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Story & Narration:

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Romance:

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Character/(s) Personality:

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