My Review: Dubiosity

I saw someone comment that they didn't care for this cover, but I actually really like it.  It has a mysterious feel, which is fitting; the colors are very natural and it catches my eye.  I also love the title, because it is very accurate and unique.  So many books seem to have similar titles right now, so this one really stands out. :)

Description:
Savannah Harris vowed to leave behind her old life as an intrepid investigative reporter. But when a friend raises suspicions about two migrant workers who’ve gone missing from the sleepy coastal town Savannah calls home, her curiosity spikes.

As ever more eerie incidents begin afflicting the area, each works to draw Savannah out of her seclusion and raise the stakes—for both Savannah and the surrounding community. Even as Savannah’s new boarder, Clive Miller, makes her feel things she thought long forgotten, she suspects he’s hiding something too, and he’s not the only one. Doubts collide in Savannah’s mind: Who can she really trust?

As secrets emerge and danger closes in, Savannah must choose between faith and uncertainty. One wrong decision might spell the end…not just for her, but for everyone around her.

Will she unravel the mystery in time, or will doubt get the best of her?

About the Author:
USA Today calls Christy Barritt’s writing “scary, funny, passionate, and quirky.” Her mystery and romantic suspense novels have sold half a million copies, won the Daphne du Maurier Award for Excellence in Suspense and Mystery, and were twice nominated for the Romantic Times Reviewers’ Choice Award. Christy was born in Virginia and, while she has been writing since she was very young, she’s also sung at local coffeehouses and was a newspaper journalist for ten years. Her husband is a children’s pastor, and together they have two adorably handsome sons. Christy is most well known for her Love Inspired Suspense novels, as well as her Squeaky Clean Mystery series. She currently has more than two dozen books published.
(Description from Amazon [italics mine], cover photo from the author's site, and about the author from NetGalley.  No infringement intended.)

My Review: 3.5 stars Interesting mystery, if a little long.
I’m a big fan of Christy Barritt’s, so when I saw she had a new book coming out I was pretty excited. She always draws me into a story and brings the characters and mystery to life. Unfortunately, I didn’t like this one as much as her previous books.
Ms. Barritt does an excellent job of bringing the town of Cape Thomas, and the quirky characters therein, to life. Her descriptions are great, as always, and you can tell she has either visited the area, or done extensive research. I was captured by the imagery of the very first page and felt as though I was actually there. I could almost feel the heroine’s pain, imagined standing beside the villain (which was a little creepy, I’ll admit). I loved it. But, unfortunately, I began to lose interest after a while. 

One of the things I love about Christy’s writing is her ability to stump me and keep me guessing the identity of the villain. But it just became annoying in this story. There are so many possible suspects and motives that I found myself getting frustrated. I wanted the story to progress a bit faster than it actually was, I think. The mystery was very interesting, don’t get me wrong, but I got tired of all the questions and secrets. I just wanted to get to the end and find out “whodunit.”     

I did love the heroine, Savannah Harris. She is very realistic and I connected with her quickly. The very first sentence from her point of view grabbed my heart, “Solitary. Definition: to exist alone” I wanted to cry for her, her pain is that palpable. I loved getting to know her and understanding why she was alone and hurting so much. After a terrible tragedy, she walked away from God, claiming He is just a myth. She has become almost a hermit, until strange things begin happening and she is pulled out of her self-imposed isolation. I enjoyed following her as she slowly came back to life and began really living again.

Clive Miller is the hero and a very interesting character. He actually seemed a little bit like a background character at first. The story mainly revolved around Savannah and her search for answers until about a third of the way through the book. So we didn’t really get to know him until later. He is a mystery, as well. We know he’s living off the grid, though we don’t know why. We also know someone may be looking for him, though again, no reason why. I found this to be rather exasperating after a while. I did appreciate the little pieces of information we are given throughout, but I didn’t enjoy waiting until close to the end to find out most of the answers.

Clive and Savannah’s romance was sweet and I really enjoyed it. It kind of has that sigh factor to it. They are both widowed, so they are wary of moving too quickly, especially since neither one has left the past behind, yet. Through the whole story I was rooting for them, hoping everything would work out okay. Of course you know it will, unless you’re reading something like a Nicholas Sparks novel.

I also really liked the spiritual side of the story. While it isn’t overly prominent, there is still a fair amount woven in. Savannah and Clive have questions, though there is a big difference between them. Clive is looking to God, while Savannah looks everywhere but God for answers. I enjoyed their journey as they both found answers, though not without a lot of struggling, especially in Savannah’s case.
Overall, I did like this book a lot. The mystery was interesting, if drawn out, and I fell in love with the characters. I recommend this book if you enjoy mysteries and sweet romance.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley for my honest review, which I have given. I was not required to write a positive review and have not been compensated for it in any way. All opinions expressed are my own.
*Note: The quotation is from an advanced copy and may appear differently in the final edition. No infringement intended. 

Thank you so much for coming by and reading my review!  I hope you enjoyed it and I would love to hear any thoughts you have.  So, please comment! 
If you're interested in checking out the book some more, maybe purchasing a copy for yourself, here are a couple links.  I happened to have noticed that the Kindle edition is currently on sale for $3.99.  Just so you know. ;)

Amazon

Barnes & Noble

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