Zebra Books and NetGalley provided me with an electronic copy of Pretend You're Safe. I voluntarily chose to review this novel and my opinion is freely given.

In a nutshell, a teenager has a stalker that leaves a macabre gift. Jaci grows up, leaves town, and lives peacefully until returning back. When the gifts start again, this time coinciding with a flood that exposes prior bad acts, will law enforcement take the young woman seriously this time? Will someone from her past help Jaci in her time of need?

Basically, Pretend You're Safe is a romantic suspense novel with a thinly veiled plot. The author telegraphed the criminal much too early on, so I spent the rest of the book just waiting to affirm my guess. The interludes with the perpetrator did not have the desired effect and, instead, impeded the flow of the novel. There was not enough substance to propel the book forward nor were the characters all that unique or interesting. Pretend You're Safe is not a novel that is all that memorable and, for that reason, is not one that I would recommend to my fellow readers.

The heavens have opened up on Heron, Missouri, and the banks of the Mississippi are overflowing, taking over crops and releasing hidden evil in the female body and unknown skull freely floating along with other debris. Gossip is widespread and the townsfolk are left with an uneasy feeling. Especially Jaci, because she’s the one in town who received an extra surprise – a bloodied locket at her front door, which is shades of her past she hoped was over. When she was sixteen, everyone patted her head and told her the lockets were a sick joke. Now there’s people in her life who realize they should have taken her more seriously all those years ago.

One of those is Rylan Cooper – the boy Jaci wanted with her young heart but who left her without a backward glance, though it took every ounce of effort he had to do so. Rylan had his reasons, of course, but he’s rethinking every one of them now that he’s home. He misses his father and he certainly would like to be part of Jaci’s life, if only she’d forgive him for being the young idiotic fool he was back then. Rylan now has the resources to help local sheriff Mike O’Brien track down the serial killer who is making life frightening for the women around town, including Jaci.

It’s a good thing they can put aside their competition when it comes to Jaci, because the villain they’re after is one sleazy psychopathic scumbag. Ms. Ivy does an excellent job of getting his joy of killing across to the reader in short chapters from his point of view. That’s about all you can taken of him. She also keeps you on edge with giving the killer the ability to keep one step ahead of Rylan, Jaci, and Mike as they try to stop the next death.

There are plenty of suspects and the author gives you a good look at each of them, keeping you guessing until just the right time to reveal all. Rylan takes protecting Jaci very seriously, doing his job in placing high-tech surveillance equipment around her farm. He also takes getting back in her good graces – and ending up in her bed – just as seriously. Something she definitely needs after so many years of being on the wrong end of her family after her mother remarries the rich dude in town and pops out a couple of spoiled brats. I like that Rylan doesn’t back down in the face of Jaci’s chilliness toward him. It’s worth the wait when they finally come together.

So there are many of us that have been long time fans of the paranormal magic of Alexandra Ivy, but this novel is an all new side of one of my favorite authors as she ventures not out of the dark of the demon world and instead into the dark and disturbing side of the human mind. This story revolves around a woman that has been haunted for decades by the fears conjured when she was a teen and that has carried into her adulthood and now that there are bodies popping up around her small farm town she knows her worst fears have come to pass. Jaci has a unique ability to hold on to her innocence despite the darkness stalking her and that sweetness draws the protective nature of her neighbor and her former crush, who has returned home to care for his father. Rylan never imagined when he returned home to take care of his father, that he would find himself the central character of a murder plot and having to protect a woman that has always drawn him in even when he tried to resist her. As they work together to try to keep Jaci safe and help the police unravel the mystery of the killer stalking her, Rylan and Jaci become closer to one another and slowly he begins to understand that the feelings he resisted all those years ago might have been even deeper than he imagined. Jaci was an interesting woman, always looking for the best in others, despite all evidence to the contrary, but that ability is what allows her to look past the hurt and find a way to work to find this killer. Rylan was also an interesting character that had to overcome a lot of his mistakes of the past in order to get Jaci to trust him and allow him to keep her safe, but once he forced her to accept his help and let him in she was unable to resist him. He was sexy, bossy, alpha and more than able to handle himself in any situation, but the best part of him was his intense protective nature and the way he refuses to let anything take the love of his life from him. The love between Rylan and Jaci builds slowly as they spend more time together, building on their feelings from their youth, and slowly they each come to understand that their passion for one another is undeniable and not something to lose. I enjoyed every second of this story, even as there was some seriously scary moments and I cannot wait for the next suspense novel that Alexandra sends my way. A whole new shelf to add Ms. Ivy to, but one I can see her filling quickly with her magic!

3.5 stars

Jaci is back home on her grandparents farm baking goods and selling crafts. In high school she began receiving gold lockets with locks of hair rapped in bloody ribbons and its begun again.
Jaci and Rylans relationship was cute and the story flowed but the excitement wasn't very high. I guess i wasn't on the edge of my seat but i wanted to continue reading.
Thanks NetGalley for my copy to review.

Pretend You're Safe is the first romantic suspense book in The Agency series written by author Alexandra Ivy. Thanks to NetGalley and Kensington Books for the advance copy.

I thought this was a dark and edgy romantic suspense. To me it had an eerie quality. When Jaci was a teen, a stalker left her a gift of a locket wrapped with a ribbon with blood and strands of hair with it. The local law enforcement though that she was seeking attention and blew her off, including her cocky neighbor Rylan who was a young deputy at the time. Years later, she has come back and the stalking has begun again, as well as missing women in the flood torn area. This time Rylan is ready to believe the wary Jaci. The writing kept me interested and I thought is was good suspense as well as a second chance romance between Jaci and Rylan. Great start to a new series!

Pretend You're Safe is romantic suspense at it's finest. Alexandra Ivy gives readers a story that's creepy and thrilling in one go. Jaci Patterson enjoys the close bonds of her small town community. But when gruesome gifts from her past begin to resurface everyone becomes a suspect. Her childhood crush Rylan Cooper steps back into her life under the guise of providing her with high tech security, but he would rather escape to California and take her away from danger.

Readers are first engaged in the story when bodies are discovered by Jaci's neighbor. This scene sets the tone for the novel: dark and ominous. Ivy leads readers through a story rife with tension and worry. Jaci is the last person you'd expect to be on the receiving end of this kind of attention. She's a hard working, independent woman raised by her grandparents after her father died and her mother abandoned her to start a new family. Somehow she's grabbed the attention of a serial killer. The person sending her lockets is hiding in plain sight and the local sheriff is having a hard time tracking him down. Thankfully, Rylan is determined to protect Jaci throughout the ordeal. The two of them put the romance in this suspense and warm you after the chilling conclusion.

Alexandra Ivy does romantic suspense well and she even adds a little family drama on the side. I thought there was going to be a bit of a love triangle thrown in for good measure, but it didn't really pan out by the end of the story. It hardly mattered because the need to know who's behind the sordid lockets is intense. Pretend You're Safe is a hot start to The Agency series, perfect for fans of Kat Martin or Cynthia Eden.
*ARC provided in consideration for an honest review*

Oh my goodness this was a good one. I thought I had it figured out and then changed my mind probably 20 times throughout. Jaci came home to her small town and is doing good with her little business and enjoying life. That is until a body is found after the river flooded. That brings back memories of her teens and the stalker that she had.
Her family is a mess. The only ones who cared about her have passed away and now she is on her own. Rylan is just home to help out his dad and then he is back to California. He is pulled into the situation with Jaci because of his father and then because of his feelings for her. There are a lot of small town dynamics. The fear was palpable, and I wasn't sure who to trust! The writer did a great job with this one. Had me on my toes and guessing throughout (not to mention the romance was pretty good too! :) ).
It was a 5/5 for me. Completely enjoyed start to finish. Hoping there is going to be another!

Thank you to the author for the review copy of this book. I received this book in exchange for an honest review and the opinions stated above are 100% mine.

I voluntarily read an advanced reviewers copy of this book

Jaci and Rylan have a troubled past... she believed that someone was stalking and trying to scare her and...he didn't. Years go by and Jaci and Rylan return back to their home town at different times for different reasons and the stalking begins again.

The question on everyone's mind should be...will Rylan believe her this time? Will Jaci forgive Rylan long enough so that he can keep her safe? Will Rylan and Jaci survive long enough to rekindle their old feelings and fall in love? Read and find out!

Overall this was a great book. I have only read Ivy's paranormal romances and was a little skeptical when I saw she changed things up a bit. I am happy I gave this book a chance because it blew me away. I honestly thought I knew who was behind it all and was proven wrong over and over again. Great job Alexandra Ivy!

The suspense aspect of the story was exciting and drew my attention right away. I had to fight myself from skipping pages to find out what was going to happen!

While I did enjoy the book, what I didn’t like was the hero, Rylan. He’s a pretentious, overbearing jerk and I didn’t care for him. I felt he railroaded the heroine Jaci and frankly, I wanted someone different for her to fall for. In the end, I felt more comfortable with Jaci’s choice, but it was a tough journey to get there.

If you’re looking for a thrilling romantic suspense, PRETEND YOU’RE SAFE is just what you need!

***I voluntarily read a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and feelings are my own***

Pretend You're Safe is what a good mystery should be. It held my interest and dangled carrots throughout, making me second guess myself about the killer's identity. While I liked Rylan's perseverance with winning Jaci over, the romance side of this tale could've done with a bit more depth. That aside, the suspense was good and at the conclusion, I found myself thinking back through the tale and realizing that while it isn't glaringly obvious, there are some clues. It's more investigation than action until the end, but the story is interesting and engaging throughout, and the suspense builds as the book progresses. With suspense, some romance, and bits of levity thrown in, this is one that I can easily recommend and I'll be looking forward to the next book in the series. Overall, a solid start to a promising series.

I really enjoyed this book. It was very criminal mindsesque with methodology used by the killer. The pacing was good. I had no idea who the killer was going to be so it definitely kept me on my toes.

I enjoyed reading this book. I think Rylan Cooper is a jerk. Sheriff Mike O'Brien is my favorite character. The murders were interesting.

This book was good for an arc but I prob won't buy it. It had it's moments where the suspense was great.

I was provided a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest and fair review. This book tells the story of Jaci Patterson and Rylan Cooper. When Jaci and Rylan were younger, Rylan worked in the sheriff's office as a deputy. It was there that he ignored Jaci's cries for help and created this whole problem. Jaci had been receiving lockets with bloody hair attached to them when she was still in high school and she was (obviously) worried about what it meant. Rylan was a little less worried as he was convinced that Jaci is just making all of this up to get his attention. Fast forward to years later, the lockets have started arriving again. And when women she know start disappearing, it becomes obvious that her stalker is losing control. Luckily Rylan is back in town and is now ready to protect her at all costs. 

Overall I liked this book, it was an ok story. The story line was interesting and the story built up but for some reason I couldn't feel much build up of suspense from the story. Jaci as a character too was kind of annoying, and Rylan too I guess. I did like that I had trouble figuring out who the bad guy was, and I liked the way that Rylan eventually figured it out I thought it was very creative/different. Overall this was a pretty good book.

Jaci has a stalker who didn't forget her after she left town and them returned years later. Sheriff Cooper never believed her stories however had to come to realization she was telling the truth when the bodies started being uncovered.
Suspense and romance keep the reader engaged to find that culprit.
Ebook from netgalley and publishers with thanks. Opinions are entirely my own.

Very well written and suspenseful mystery. I have read all of her books and have loved them all. I really like that she is writing romantic suspense now. Keeps you reading all through the night

When a flood rips through the town Jaci Patterson lives in, she believes her worst nightmare has started all over again, especially when she receives a golden locket; the same sort she received when she was sixteen. However, this time people are more inclined to believe her than they were back then due to the bodies that have been discovered. Yet, as the body count rises and more women go missing, will Rylan Cooper be able to keep Jaci safe, or will the killer that believes Jaci is his end Jaci and Rylan's chance at happy ever after?

Ms. Ivy has such an extraordinary ability to write romantic suspense that are gripping, fast-paced and compelling from start to finish and this book certainly proves how good this author is. The way this story started had me feeling sorry for the heroine, as what happened in the past has affected her more than anyone knows, especially now that what happened in the past is beginning to occur again. Will Jaci and Rylan figure out who the killer is before it's too late? However, it was from the moment the hero and heroine came face-to-face again for the first time in years that made this story very intriguing, as Jaci treats Rylan like the enemy.

As for the dialogue, it was riveting and told by a few points of view such as the hero and heroine as well as the town sheriff and the killer. Every point-of-view was necessary, and I found each perspective attention-grabbing, so much so that I could not put this book down. Moreover, the heroine is resilient, courageous and I liked her stubbornness. It shows she's not going to back down and let the bad guy send her running. I also liked how she handled everything that was thrown her way, even though it's a painful reminder of her past torment and the fact that no one believed the lockets she was receiving were more than a prank. Yet, what I liked most of all about the heroine is how she isn't afraid to go head-to-head with her estranged family and does her best to show that their alienation doesn't affect her, even though it does very much.

While the hero, he's done very well for himself and I loved discovering everything about his back story. He's also confident, protective and I liked how determined he was to find the person responsible for terrorizing Jaci. I also liked how he won the heroine over and wasn't afraid to admit he made some bad judgment calls in the past. Yet, what I liked most about the hero was how far Rylan was willing to go to protect Jaci, even when things take a very dangerous turn for him and he has to challenge the sheriff to be allowed to be involved after what happens to him.

Overall, Ms. Ivy has penned a fantastic romantic suspense in this book where the chemistry between this couple was powerful, the romance wonderful, and the ending had me worried for the enchanting main characters due to what they go through because of the bad guy. However, it was the last chapter that wrapped this story up nicely, as Rylan is determined to do whatever it takes to take Jaci away, so she can have a break from everything that's happened. I would recommend Pretend You're Safe by Alexandra Ivy, if you enjoy romantic suspense, the enemy to lovers trope, the sexy protector trope or books by authors Sharon Sala, AJ Nuest, Toni Anderson and Cynthia Eden.

Alexandra Ivy was always one of my go to authors for Paranormal Romance. Since reading her Thrillers she is who I pick up for a fear fix. Pretend You're Safe had the creepy meter running high and kept me guessing until the very end. I loved it. She gave us insight into her killers mind without giving away who the culprit is and a victim's mentality.

I really like Jaci and Rylan. Jaci is a strong female character with a great balance of vulnerability. She isn't afraid to show it when she needs to but she also knows when to show her bad - A - attitude. She also has a bit of a broken girl inside of her. Rylan is pure alpha and very protective, but he knows when he was wrong. He works hard to right a wrong.

This book is suspenseful with a healthy dose of thriller. The romance is pretty great and not to mention the heat that sparks between Rylan and Jaci. These two know how to light things up. I very highly recommend this book to all who enjoy a creepy romantic thriller.

Pretend You're Safe is the first book in the new series The Agency. Alexandra Ivy spun a web of misdirection, she had me second guessing my second guesses, although the red herring was fairly obvious. This was a great first book for the series it introduces you to the characters and sets it up for more. It has some really good suspense but it's not very dark. This book really hooked it me it was hard to put this one down.

Jaci started to receive creepy little tokens when she was a teenager, but no one believed that these lockets meant anything bad. They finally stopped when she left for college and didn't start up again when she returned to her grandparents farmhouse. Jaci has successfully started her own bakery business, baking for local restaurants and cafes. This year the rains have been particularly bad, constant enough to start flooding the river and with the flooding comes the appearance of dead bodies.

Rylan is back in town to help his father with the house after the basement got flooded. He left to go to college and then go into the FBI but in college he met Baldwin and together they created a new program for security systems and made a butt load of money and started their own business. At the time Rylan didn't take the lockets Jaci was getting seriously, when she approached him he was working deputy and thought it was just her looking for attention; he had no idea that this went on for years. The appearance of the Jane Doe also brings a new locket on the door. Rylan understand his mistake and isn't going to make it again, he has an overwhelming urge to protect Jaci at all costs. But Rylan showing interest in Jaci makes the stalker escalate and starts kidnapping woman and leaving the bodies where Rylan can find them. Rylan and the Sheriff are forced to work together to track down the serial killer before he gets to Jaci.

Jaci and Rylan, I liked that romance. Jaci always had a crush on Rylan and Rylan always liked Jaci but she was too young for him; now that they are adults Rylan finally admits Jaci is the one. Once it becomes obvious where things are going they just sort of accept it, Jaci knows she can trust Rylan and that he will protect her. The only thing she is not sure if he's going to stay or go back to California when all this is over.

Overall, this was another great one by Alexandra Ivy.