"A ray of light peeked through the casket of his heart and shone a ray on the decayed hope there." - Holt McKnight
Description:
After Holt McKnight's criminal informant disappears, the DEA agent must go undercover to get close to the missing man's sister, who may know more than she's letting on. But when Blair Sullivan's attacked, it's up to him to protect herwithout blowing his cover. Blair isn't sure she can trust her new neighbor, Holt. After all, the last charming and handsome man she fell for was her late husband, and he turned out to be the brother of a ruthless drug lord. Yet when it's clear the target on her back is somehow linked to her past, she has no choice but to accept Holt's protection. Even if getting close is the last thing her scarred heart can handle.
About the Author:
Jessica R. Patch lives in the mid-south where she pens inspirational contemporary romance and romantic suspense novels. When she's not hunched over her laptop or going on adventurous trips in the name of research with willing friends, you can find her watching way too much Netflix with her family and collecting recipes to amazing dishes she'll probably never cook.
My Review: 4 stars
This is the first book I’ve read by Jessica R. Patch and I was so excited to start it! I’ve heard so many wonderful things about her books that I just couldn’t resist snatching it up, and I can happily say that I was not disappointed! It was full of suspense that kept me guessing, hoping I was right and debating who the mastermind was, and romancing that left me smiling along with the characters.
I really enjoyed Ms. Patch’s writing style and how it sounds so down to earth. She uses phrases and slang that I hear almost every day, being from the “South,” and I loved how real the familiar words made the story feel. She truly brought to life the little town of Hope, Tennessee and all of its curious characters. I’m really hoping she decides to continue with more stories set in the quirky little town, I have so many questions about a few of the more prominent cast members I met and I’d very much like to hear their stories!
Speaking of, I have to say that I so enjoyed Holt and Blair’s story and getting to know them! Blair is cautious about everyone, but particularly men. She’s made mistakes in the past and is afraid of repeating them, or worse. She has trust issues and doesn’t care to rely on anyone. I loved seeing Holt, with his mysteries and secrets, break through her defenses, despite better judgment trying to prevail. Holt is everything Blair doesn’t want, so she thinks, but turns out to be exactly what she needed. I’m not usually a fan of books where one of the characters starts out lying, but Ms. Patch handled it quite well in this case, and I could almost feel Holt’s indecision and uncertainty. He so wanted to tell the truth, but felt bound by honor to follow the rules of his work. I also loved how the author chose to describe Holt’s journey back to faith, and his dreams being resurrected from the place he had buried them. The pictures her words created were spot on to explain his emotions and many questions.
My only negative comment is that I found the ending a bit rushed and mildly confusing as I tried to keep everything straight and understand what was going on. Though my confusion probably almost perfectly matched Blair and Holt’s, The epilogue was perfect, though! Definitely worth a reread or two.
Thank you so much for stopping by and taking the time to read my review! Oh, and I have to share! My hope that more stories will be set in this town will be a reality come April 4th! Final Verdict, which will be Beckett Marsh's book (you'll meet him in this book), is only four months away from being in my hands! I'm so excited! You can learn more about it here and as always, there are links below for Concealed Identity.
Have a grand day!
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