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jbro12's review
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
mjamm's review against another edition
4.0
Very good. I was not familiar with Patricia Bradley, but would definitely read her books again!
Thanks to NetGalley for a free ebook for an honest review.
Thanks to NetGalley for a free ebook for an honest review.
turquoiseavenue's review against another edition
3.0
*I received a complimentary copy of this book from Revell at Baker Publishing Group in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts below are my own.
This is a solid three stars read in my opinion for romantic suspense with the biggest points given for suspense, setting and educational details. I really enjoyed learning more about the Natchez Trace and its surrounding area. Bradley does an excellent job of bringing the cultural, historical and scenic aspects of the location to life. The suspense builds over the course of the novel and a little over halfway through, the book really snagged my attention. Another great feature of this novel is how Bradley integrated the various roles of the park ranger service positions. As a result, I learned many things I did not already know.
What kept me from tipping this book over into the four star category were the characters and the ending. The amount of characters and multiple viewpoints in the beginning of this story left me a little confused and jumped around too often for my taste. I was not able to connect well with the main characters in this story, unfortunately, but I really wanted to! Brooke came across as a bit immature at her supposed age and the narrative that her parents did not support her becoming law enforcement was too repetitive. While I understood why Luke did the things he did to protect his undercover status, I felt he did not have enough internal conflict over lying to someone he considered a good friend and was developing deeper feelings for thus making him appear shallow. However, I did appreciate his heroism and protective nature over Brooke. As for the ending, well, it wrapped up really fast with a romantic suspense novel cliche and left little to be savored for me.
Overall, the book was good and just that. For me, it redeemed itself about 2/3 of the way through when I felt hooked and wanted to know how the suspense played out. The romance aspect strengthened and I enjoyed the deeper dive into the characters feelings and thoughts. The suspense was great right from the start, and moved along well while the plot was pretty strong. And again, the historical, educational and location aspects were really enjoyable. As a result, I Am looking forward to giving the second book in this series a read when it releases! This book is appropriate for readers 16+.
This is a solid three stars read in my opinion for romantic suspense with the biggest points given for suspense, setting and educational details. I really enjoyed learning more about the Natchez Trace and its surrounding area. Bradley does an excellent job of bringing the cultural, historical and scenic aspects of the location to life. The suspense builds over the course of the novel and a little over halfway through, the book really snagged my attention. Another great feature of this novel is how Bradley integrated the various roles of the park ranger service positions. As a result, I learned many things I did not already know.
What kept me from tipping this book over into the four star category were the characters and the ending. The amount of characters and multiple viewpoints in the beginning of this story left me a little confused and jumped around too often for my taste. I was not able to connect well with the main characters in this story, unfortunately, but I really wanted to! Brooke came across as a bit immature at her supposed age and the narrative that her parents did not support her becoming law enforcement was too repetitive. While I understood why Luke did the things he did to protect his undercover status, I felt he did not have enough internal conflict over lying to someone he considered a good friend and was developing deeper feelings for thus making him appear shallow. However, I did appreciate his heroism and protective nature over Brooke. As for the ending, well, it wrapped up really fast with a romantic suspense novel cliche and left little to be savored for me.
Overall, the book was good and just that. For me, it redeemed itself about 2/3 of the way through when I felt hooked and wanted to know how the suspense played out. The romance aspect strengthened and I enjoyed the deeper dive into the characters feelings and thoughts. The suspense was great right from the start, and moved along well while the plot was pretty strong. And again, the historical, educational and location aspects were really enjoyable. As a result, I Am looking forward to giving the second book in this series a read when it releases! This book is appropriate for readers 16+.
historyrebel's review against another edition
4.0
I stumbled onto this somehow and got curious enough to read it. The story is good. There's enough twists and turns to keep it interesting, but it still feels plausible. It's nice to read a story that feels more like real life Mississippi than the "Hollywood" version of Mississippi that checks off a bunch of stereotypes. I liked both main leads, Brooke Danvers and Luke Fereday. Luke's undercover story is more tense, while Brooke's is more emotionally connected. The dynamic works well. The culprits aren't that hard to figure out (admittedly, the major one isn't a mystery at all), but there was one twist to the story I didn't see coming that worked pretty well.
I did find it odd Natchez was portrayed as some tiny town where the whole town knows each other. While not a big city by any measure, it's definitely larger than that. The love triangle with Brooke receiving interest from Luke and Jeremy is the book's biggest weak spot, particularly when it's so plainly obvious who she's going to end up with right from the start.
The book does get a bit political with discussions of medical marijuana. It's not preachy, though it seems clear which side the author takes. It didn't really bug me, but some people might be turned off by it.
Standoff was a good read. I'm glad I accidentally found it.
I did find it odd Natchez was portrayed as some tiny town where the whole town knows each other. While not a big city by any measure, it's definitely larger than that. The love triangle with Brooke receiving interest from Luke and Jeremy is the book's biggest weak spot, particularly when it's so plainly obvious who she's going to end up with right from the start.
The book does get a bit political with discussions of medical marijuana. It's not preachy, though it seems clear which side the author takes. It didn't really bug me, but some people might be turned off by it.
Standoff was a good read. I'm glad I accidentally found it.
rusticreadingal's review
4.0
I can't believe this was my first time reading a Patricia Bradley book. I'm definitely gonna have to check out more from her. This one was so good! It had everything I look for in a romantic suspense. It was impossible to put down and full of great characters, lots of suspense, an intriguing mystery, sweet romance, and an inspirational message.
This pulled me right in and didn't let go until the very end. There were a lot of characters and there was a lot going on, so I was a little concerned that I'd be lost. But no worries. It wasn't long at all before I had everything straight.
There were quite a few suspects, and I kept going back and forth on who I thought the guilty party was. I was still guessing right up to the reveal. Each person had a strong motive, so I was never one hundred percent sure who it would be. I love when a mystery can keep me guessing like that.
If you're a fan of this genre, I highly recommend checking this book out. I'm excited to pick up a copy of the second one!
This pulled me right in and didn't let go until the very end. There were a lot of characters and there was a lot going on, so I was a little concerned that I'd be lost. But no worries. It wasn't long at all before I had everything straight.
There were quite a few suspects, and I kept going back and forth on who I thought the guilty party was. I was still guessing right up to the reveal. Each person had a strong motive, so I was never one hundred percent sure who it would be. I love when a mystery can keep me guessing like that.
If you're a fan of this genre, I highly recommend checking this book out. I'm excited to pick up a copy of the second one!
ashleyfuhr's review against another edition
4.0
Bradley continues to grow in her craft and I like each new book better than the last. I definitely enjoyed this first installment of the Natchez Trace Park Rangers series. All of the suspense of an award-winning mystery with just the right amount of romance to keep the story moving. Bradley does a delightful job of placing you in the scene and describing the delightful sights in and around Natchez.
Brooke is changing to the investigative division of the rangers, when her father is murdered in the very park she’s hoping to protect. Ruled a suicide, Brooke knows her father would never kill himself. The farther she digs, the more she suspects, but she isn’t sure who she can trust.
Luke (Brooke’s high school boyfriend) is living next door and keeps conveniently showing up close to suspicious happenings. Brooke is cautious, despite her attraction to Luke. He hurt her when he left, and she doesn’t know who he has become since then. She soon finds out Luke is working undercover to bring down a local drug ring, and her dad’s death could be a piece in his puzzle. Working together, they find that there must be a bad cop on the payroll, but who could it be?
With all of the possibilities, you’ll never see this one coming. While it takes a bit of time to absorb all of the different characters, I think the effort is worth it. Hopefully they will set the following books up in this series nicely.
I was given an early copy of this manuscript through NetGalley for my honest review. I enjoyed it enough that I purchased it, as well. All opinions expressed are my own.
Brooke is changing to the investigative division of the rangers, when her father is murdered in the very park she’s hoping to protect. Ruled a suicide, Brooke knows her father would never kill himself. The farther she digs, the more she suspects, but she isn’t sure who she can trust.
Luke (Brooke’s high school boyfriend) is living next door and keeps conveniently showing up close to suspicious happenings. Brooke is cautious, despite her attraction to Luke. He hurt her when he left, and she doesn’t know who he has become since then. She soon finds out Luke is working undercover to bring down a local drug ring, and her dad’s death could be a piece in his puzzle. Working together, they find that there must be a bad cop on the payroll, but who could it be?
With all of the possibilities, you’ll never see this one coming. While it takes a bit of time to absorb all of the different characters, I think the effort is worth it. Hopefully they will set the following books up in this series nicely.
I was given an early copy of this manuscript through NetGalley for my honest review. I enjoyed it enough that I purchased it, as well. All opinions expressed are my own.
randikaye's review against another edition
5.0
If the goal of the first book in the series it to make sure that the reader can't help but want to come back for more... well, consider this one a success! Right from page one I found myself drawn in, and those final moments still kept me wanting more. Needless to say, the second book cannot get here soon enough!
So, what made it such an enjoyable read? First and foremost, I loved that it kept me on the edge of my seat. It was fast paced with a good deal of action thrown in. There were several times when the timeline was mentioned that I found myself amazed at just how much action had occurred within just a few short days. Unlike many stories, we were actually able to get glimpses into the bad guy's point of view... without ever having been told exactly who that was. We were giving plenty of clues... aimed in many different directions, so it was difficult to figure out exactly who it could be. As much as I enjoy the challenge of figuring everything out on my own, I really love books like this that keep me guessing. While I may have suspected who would eventually be revealed (and even figured out some of the other surprise reveals), there was enough suspicion thrown in various directions that I just never could be sure...
For me, the only thing that can make a good suspense even better is a bit of romance too. The relationship between Brooke and Luke was really enjoyable, albeit a little frustrating at points too. I enjoyed both of these characters, and their chemistry was undeniable. While certainly very much a part of the story, I feel like it did definitely take a backseat to the action so while romance lovers like myself will greatly appreciate it, I would think that even those who don't particular care for romance might find it doesn't take away from their enjoyment.
Overall, this was a great way to start a series. I cannot wait to see what the next book will bring...
**I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley for consideration. All thoughts are 100% my own.
So, what made it such an enjoyable read? First and foremost, I loved that it kept me on the edge of my seat. It was fast paced with a good deal of action thrown in. There were several times when the timeline was mentioned that I found myself amazed at just how much action had occurred within just a few short days. Unlike many stories, we were actually able to get glimpses into the bad guy's point of view... without ever having been told exactly who that was. We were giving plenty of clues... aimed in many different directions, so it was difficult to figure out exactly who it could be. As much as I enjoy the challenge of figuring everything out on my own, I really love books like this that keep me guessing. While I may have suspected who would eventually be revealed (and even figured out some of the other surprise reveals), there was enough suspicion thrown in various directions that I just never could be sure...
For me, the only thing that can make a good suspense even better is a bit of romance too. The relationship between Brooke and Luke was really enjoyable, albeit a little frustrating at points too. I enjoyed both of these characters, and their chemistry was undeniable. While certainly very much a part of the story, I feel like it did definitely take a backseat to the action so while romance lovers like myself will greatly appreciate it, I would think that even those who don't particular care for romance might find it doesn't take away from their enjoyment.
Overall, this was a great way to start a series. I cannot wait to see what the next book will bring...
**I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley for consideration. All thoughts are 100% my own.