Whoa. What did I just read? K.A. Tucker just gave us an intense suspenseful ride. I was hooked from the start. With each paged I turned I was attempting to figure out what the next twist would be and most of the time I was completely surprised.

I have always been a big fan of K.A. Tucker's writing style. She has an amazing way with words and each one seems so intentional and purposeful. I have been reading her for years and as she grows as a writer I continue to fall in love with her stories. Noah and Gracie's intense story captivated me and stole away all my attention from all the tasks I was supposed to be doing. I loved them and the mystery they find themselves wrapped up in. 

4.5 Smooches
~miranda

I try not to read blurbs. I like to go into things not knowing anything about the book. I read them based on recommendations from friends or there’s a list of authors that anything published by them I pick up.
KA Tucker is one of those authors. I love her writing and Keep Her Safe did not disappoint. It’s actually my favourite of hers. It has a little of everything to keep you on your toes. I don’t know how she’ll ever top this one. Can’t wait for the next book!

Romantic Suspense is one of my favorite genres and luckily Keep Her Safe falls into this category. I enjoyed reading it just like so many of Mrs. Tucker's other books.

So what's the story about?

Noah Marshall's world turns on its axis when his mother, the Chief of the Austin Police Department decides to tell him a secret which she has carried with her for years. After he learns about it, Noah's life will never be the same and he's determined to get to the bottom of the deceit and fix his mother's mistakes.

Gracie Richards's life has not been easy. When her father, Abe Wilkes was treated as a corrupt cop and her family was disgraced, she had to move into a trailer park in The Hollow. With a junkie for a mother and having no one to help her, she will fight to keep the family afloat. When Noah comes knocking, she's not sure about him but the more she gets to know him, the more she realizes, he's the real deal.

K. A. Tucker has a way of creating great characters with engaging plots, making me a fan of her work. I truly enjoyed her stories and I knew I was going to like this one too. I like that the romance was there but the suspense was as much of a factor too. Both Noah and Gracie were great for each other and of course, having a pet like Cyclops is always a plus.

Cliffhanger: No

4/5 Fangs

A complimentary copy was provided by Atria via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

If you glanced at the tags above, then you have just a hint of the complexity of K. A. Tucker’s latest book Keep Her Safe which is set to be published January 23rd. Noah Marshall and Grace Richards are two characters who have grown up believing and yet not believing a lie. Regardless of public opinion and evidence to the contrary, it is apparent that neither of them truly believes Noah’s friend and Grace’s father, Abraham Wilkes, died a dirty cop in a drug bust gone wrong. It is Noah’s mother’s dying wish that Noah will try to make things right for Abe Wilkes’ family whose lives were destroyed by the events surrounding Abe’s death. Taking his mission to heart, Noah tracks down Grace and her mother and from that point, readers walk hand-in-hand with Noah and Grace as they try to uncover the truth. As always, there is a price to be paid for the truth. Relationships will be irrevocably damaged and reputations will be destroyed. Lives will be changed forever as each sordid layer of corruption and perversion is brought to light.
Fans of K. A. Tucker’s are going to find Keep Her Safe to be a slight departure from the author’s usual work, but that is by no means a criticism. This is a dark story, with complex characters who have suffered greatly because of the greed and ambition of people they trusted. My heart broke for Noah because he lost so many people either through death or betrayal yet he remained a person of integrity and honor. Grace was one of those characters who could have let the circumstances of her life defeat her, but she remained strong and demonstrated remarkable courage and tenacity. In the midst of all the darkness, strolls a feisty one-eyed dog named Cyclops who has climbed some mountains of his own and claimed victory.
There is light at the end of Keep Her Safe, but readers will have to take their licks along with the characters before stepping into it. The road is too painful and the peace of mind is too hard-won to call the ending happy, but as with all stories where devastating loss leads to growth and hope for the future, the conclusion will leave readers with a good feeling.

The paths in life that force us to change aren’t always the easiest road to travel. For Noah Marshall – life slowly unraveled over the years for his family. With a mother who was the police chief of Austin, Noah knew all too well how someone suffers when the shadows of your past come home with you. Those demons led Jackie to take her own life. Something that was very unexpected. Before Jackie left this world, she mentioned some things that Noah just can’t get out of his mind.

Now Noah is reliving a moment in his family’s history that forever changed their family dynamic. A past that was intertwined with Gracie and her family. Gracie’s dad was also a cop. A man dedicated to helping his community and living the with honor behind his badge. Until his death changed it all. A death that forever became tainted with greed and corruption. A reality that changed how and where Gracie lived.

As Noah heads to find Gracie, he discovers her life is a far cry from his own. The trailer park in The Hollow is nothing like Noah expected. Survival was the name of the ‘game’ and Gracie has managed to hang on by a thread. As Noah and Gracie begin to spend more time together, they both quickly discover that there are more secrets about the past than meets the eye. Danger is swirling from all directions, but Noah and Gracie discover that they have a bond that just cannot be ignored. Will they still feel the same when the truth threatens to destroy one of them?

Are you ready for it? Keep Her Safe is a mystery and romance rolled up in one suspenseful read. The twists and turns to this tale of corruption and greed kept me hooked from the very first chapter. You will second guess yourself as you uncover the layers to the past, and still find yourself glued to the pages of this engaging novel. While I did unravel the mystery, it did not distract from the overall plot for me! Yes….the mystery was that good!!

While I love the suspenseful elements of this tale, the romantic relationship between Gracie and Noah was also a focal point. Noah showed so much dedication and commitment that you couldn’t help but fall in love with his character. A true gentleman with a heart of gold. Gracie was the pillar of strength when circumstances and individuals failed her time and again. Together they made the most amazing couple even though life was against them in every way.

KA Tucker has stepped outside of her ‘norm’ with Keep Her Safe. A bit more of a suspenseful read that the author generally delves into. While the romance took a back seat in this novel, it wouldn’t hurt my feelings to see more suspenseful reads in the author’s collection!!!

This book started out with a bang.....literally!

The story involves the Austin Police Department and the possible corruption spreading throughout it. Noah is looking for answers after her mother, the Chief of APD, dies. He has lots of questions and not many answers at all.

This takes him on a road trip to find Gracie......whom he grew up with for a short time when they were little, but then she moved. He had reasons he needed to find her, and then hopefully they could find the answers together.

I think because of Noah knowing Gracie as a baby, he automatically went into protective mode over her. I loved his seriousness and determination.

But in the end, it was obvious someone was going to get hurt....because the answers were leading in directions neither of them wanted to face. Too many family secrets have them second guessing things and they knew the outcome could potentially destroy what relationship they were building with each other.

This was a great romantic suspense, with police corruption, secrets, and a bit of a plot twist!

I’ve been a fan of K.A. Tucker for a while now, but after reading Keep Her Safe, it’s brought my fangirling to an entirely new level. It is so unlike anything I have come across from her, but everything I adore about a fantastic read. This standalone novel was heavy on the suspense mixed with the perfect amount of romance, resulting in my favorite read of the year thus far. With superb writing, interesting characters, and a plotline that left me guessing at every turn, I could not put the book down and am honestly still left with my jaw on the floor.

“But she’s got a haunted gaze in her eyes, the kind you get when life has disappointed you over and over again, when you’ve seen and suffered.”

Keep Her Safe is one of those books that is ridiculously difficult to review. Each reader needs to experience it for him/herself in order to get the full effect and appreciate it to the fullest extent. There are so many twists and turns that even when I thought I knew what to expect, it was never quite what it seemed. My only complaint about the novel was due to the pacing in the very beginning; it was a little bit slow given how quickly the rest read. However, once things picked up, house chores be damned because I could not put it down. I appreciated that it read almost like a puzzle, with most of the chapters being written in the present day point of view, but with glimpses of the past as well. Readers were given bits and pieces of information, never knowing where it would truly lead. Furthermore, Tucker infused the perfect amount of romance between Grace and Noah. It was such a natural, slow development that almost enhanced the suspense piece. While it felt important, it never overshadowed their own individual journeys. Tucker did such a fantastic job weaving all the elements together to result in such an amazing piece of art.

“I kiss her like I want her to pine over me. I kiss her like I want her to remember this moment in case we never have another chance.”

I honestly feel like this novel came at the perfect time. I had been aching for something different and unique to read, and Keep Her Safe fit the bill perfectly. It grabbed my attention and held fast until long after I turned that last page. The characters were so real, with genuine emotions and reactions to the things they were going through. The plot kept me guessing, even in the final five minutes of the book – which is not easy to accomplish. K.A. Tucker wrote the trifecta of everything I have come to love in books and definitely pulled me from my reading slump. I absolutely can’t wait to see what she comes up with next, but I hope there’s some more romantic suspense in her future!

Keep Her Safe by K.A. Tucker is the first book of Tucker's that I have read. It is a great romantic suspense novel.

Noah Marshall is a young man whose life is turned upside down. His mother, the police chief of Austin, Texas, kills herself. Noah is left with a puzzle on his hands. He needs to find the daughter of his mother's old partner and bring her a package...with $98,000 in it.

Noah finds Gracie in dire need of the money. Her mother is a heroin addict who is always one hit away from death. Why are the FBI involved? And is the City of Austin ready to deal with the mess that has been revealed.

There are lots of twists in Keep Her Safe. I had a hard time putting it down.

Highly recommend Keep Her Safe.

I rarely read thrillers. I rarely enjoy thrillers. But as cliche as it sounds I loved this one.

While it is plenty dark in some areas and full of triggers in others I really enjoyed the story itself. I loved the characters Noah and Grace most, especially Noah. Every character felt real based upon their terrible life choices and poor decision making skills.

This book was a fast paced action packed romantic thriller and I generally stay away from those kinds of books. This was a refreshing change of pace and I am now a fan of the author. Their writing is captivating and enthralling. I stayed up till 1 in the morning to finish this book and while the ending was bittersweet it was still a favorite book.

Keep Her Safe could very well be K.A. Tucker's best work to date. And believe me, I've read all of her books and I have loved all of her books. But this one has me spellbound in a way that renders me speechless. This is a story that is so much more than what appears on the surface. A story that is multi-layered and complicated and completely engrossing to the point where I was both anxious and impatient to turn the page. I don't often feel that way and as I sit here, only minutes after reading the very last words, I can't help but want to go back and start all over again. It's that brilliant.

The web of mystery that surrounds the death of Officer Abraham Wilkes back in 2003 is about to turn his former partner's son's life upside down in 2017. Noah Marshall never could have imagined that a note from his late mother could put him on the most unusual and surprising journey of his young life. But wanting to right so many wrongs that he begins to uncover one by one is one heck of a mission. And with Abe's daughter Gracie by his side, I was as gobsmacked as they were as the layers get peeled away and the truth desperately finds a way to be free.

I am in awe of K.A. Tucker. The meticulous way she writes is mesmerizing. I couldn't look away from my Kindle if I tried. As everything unfolds and Noah and Gracie stumble and fall on their quest for the truth, I was once again lost in the author's words. The words that make my heart beat faster as they uncover multiple wrong-doings they can't believe truly happened. The words that make my heart sing because despite all they have endured, Noah and Gracie manage to see the other as not only as someone to lean on but as someone to love. Yes there is some happiness to find amidst the heartache. Sometimes just in the form of a hand to hold and sometimes in the form of a one-eyed ratty stray dog named Cyclops. There is so much tenderness despite all the sadness and shock that Noah and Gracie continue to experience. And underneath it all is the hope that good will trump evil and those who were innocent all along will finally get their due.

Keep Her Safe is a book to savor. There are no words written that aren't necessary. Each one is part of a masterfully crafted story that will undoubtedly leave you amazed. I know I am.

K.A. Tucker has outdone herself and Keep Her Safe will definitely be at the top of my list of favorite reads for 2018. It is outstanding and a book not to be missed.

I am a huge fan of K.A. Tucker so her books are always a sure thing for my and let me tell you Keep Her Safe is no different! I love how she writes amazing thrillers with a good dash of romance. Seriously her books have it all!
You need to one click this amazing thriller and be warned you will not be able to do anything but read this book until the very last word....and even then you will be left wanting more!!!

Tucker is one of my favorite authors and has been an auto-read for years. While she is talented in multiple genres, her romantic suspense has always been my favorite. I couldn’t wait to get my hands on her latest installment. Set in two of my favorite cities, Keep Her Safe is a thrilling tale of betrayal, coverup, and the struggle to finally clear a cop’s name.

Noah is the quintessential good guy hero, down to his polite manners and Texas chivalry. I couldn’t have adored him more. Tucker does an excellent job conveying his struggle to protect his mother and the need to discover the truth. His POV chapters were easily my favorites of the book. Grace is full of sass and her difficult life has left her hardened but not bitter. Cyclops completely steals the show and he adds a touch of humor the book needs.

Sadly, the chemistry between Noah and Gracie is somewhat flat. For the slow burning aspect, the payoff is lacking. While I enjoyed their romance, it was not the intensity I anticipated. However, it never detracts from the overall storyline and buildup is the best piece.

I can never get enough of the “good cop/bad cop” struggle, and Tucker does a fabulous take on this trope. I found the suspense element to be somewhat predictable but entertaining nonetheless. The flashback chapters allow firsthand insight leading up the death of Abe, so it removes some, but not all of the mystery. The police procedures and criminal justice aspects are not 100% accurate (they never can be in this genre) but they are believable and realistic.

I was excited to see the Tucson setting. The city doesn’t get much attention in the novel world, and I was saddened to not see more real places and unique characteristics of the city. Tucker does a solid job mixing real and fictitious places to make the Austin setting unique.

If you enjoy romance based suspense, this is one I recommend. K.A.Tucker ranks among Sandra Brown and Nora Roberts as my favorites in this genre. I can’t wait to see what she writes next.

A huge thank you to Atria Books for my advanced review copy.

I can't believe this is the first book I have ever read by K.A.Tucker!
I read this book last week and omg I loved this book. I don't often read romantic suspense novels but I now want to read more books by K.A. Tucker .

If you are looking for a good romantic suspense book that you won't want to put down I do highly recommend you read this book.

I give this 4 out of 5.

Do you ever find yourself wanting to yell at characters while reading and then reminding yourself that they don’t know they’re characters in a mystery novel? Therefore, they are not as highly attuned to the danger you know they’re in.

But still, I’ll want to argue with myself, they should know better. If you find out someone you love was killed because they threatened to expose a dirty cop, you should probably keep your cards close to your chest and not talk about it outside while playing basketball with your buddy where anyone could overhear. I’d remind myself: Noah and Gracie are young. They don’t know better! But I still wanted to yell at them.

You might read that and think I didn’t have a good reading experience as a result but it was the exact opposite. I wanted to yell because I LOVED these characters. I wanted to prevent them from coming to harm.

Noah and Gracie are the reason to read this novel. They are well developed characters and I loved the growth that happens in this novel. Their lives used to be closely connected when they were young but Gracie and her mom left Austin when she was little after her dad Abe was killed and exposed as a dirty cop. She has few memories of her dad and even fewer of Noah and his mom Jackie.

I don’t want to say more about the plot because you need to experience it for yourself.

The word that kept coming to mind as I read was complicity. Good people are complicit when they see evil and do not act. Whether it’s the events that led to Abe’s death or the current circumstances of uncovering the truth, people have the option to avert their gaze or do the right thing and share what they know. Maybe they didn’t pull the trigger but many people were ultimately responsible for Abe’s death.

This becomes Noah’s test as well. Does he keep his mouth shut about his mom's drunken ramblings or does he track down Gracie and try to learn the truth? Is he willing to change his understanding of who his mom and Abe were after years of believing otherwise? I can’t imagine learning this kind of thing about your family and having to figure out the right thing to do. But he does. Not always perfectly but he does keep choosing to learn the truth and give Gracie and her mother closure.

This story opens up a lot of questions related to power dynamics and racism. I thought these aspects were handled really well. Although I’m more cynical when it comes to “a few rotten apples,” it can be hard for a story about police corruption to also show respect for the good men and women in blue and I think the author managed to do it.

Noah and Gracie’s relationship was the best part. I loved watching them slowly connect and become closer. The romance was developed so well and I could not get enough of their burgeoning feelings for each other.

It would have been stronger without the additional POVs, as their voices weren’t as compelling as Noah and Gracie’s. The chapters yanked me out of the story. I wanted to experience these characters through the people who loved them, not relive the days leading up to Abe’s death.

I figured out what happened fairly early on but seeing it come together was still a satisfying experience, maybe in part because I didn’t want to be right about certain aspects. My dread was right up there with Noah and Gracie’s.

The ending was refreshing. The story may not have surprised me but I really enjoyed my reading experience. Other people have said they were really surprised by the twists and turns and I hope that’s your experience too.

Sensitive readers will want to know this story has the following trigger: suicide.

4.5/5
Everything I want to say about Keep Her Safe has already been said - Complex, gritty, sexy, and thrilling - this story sucks you in and keeps you there.

KA Tucker has established herself as a master of plot weaving, Keep Her Safe is intricately crafted weaving together past events with the repercussion they have on the present and the many people they affect.  Multiple points of view add depth and clarity to the plot, aiding understanding and developing the revelations to have much impact as possible.

The main characters, Noah and Gracie, have been shaped by the actions of others and have to untangle themselves from the consequences before their future is compromised further. Noah and Gracie's lives have been intertwined from the beginning, unfortunately, not always in a positive manner. However, it does bring to mind the idea of fate and destiny controlling aspects of our lives, as well as the notion that soulmates truly exist. Noah and Gracie's connection and attraction add another dimension to the story as a whole.

The plot is complex and multi-layered, each layer adding to the whole and seriously keeping you on the edge of your seat desperate to see how it will all tie together and the outcome for Noah and Gracie. I am not willing to go into details of the plot for fear of inadvertently giving away a spoiler - just know this - there is a LOT going on within the pages of Keep Her Safe.

Keep Her Safe would make a fantastic movie - even though I already have my own version playing in my imagination :D

My 4 star review is posted on GR and will be posted on blog and social media on release tour 1/23/18 and links will be updated and live at that time. Amazon will be updated later on release day as there have been issues of early reviews not posting.
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2243249543?book_show_action=false&from_review_page=1

4 stars
Noah Marshall's life has been irrevocably changed by the unexpected death of his mother and fragmented mysterious information she left him to ponder. It sends him from Austin to Tucson to deliver something to the daughter of his mother's old police partner.

Grace Richards life was negatively changed fourteen years ago when her father was killed and labeled a dirty cop. Now she lives in a trailer park and deals with her addict mom and hopeless life. But Noah showing up on her door, brings up questions, anger, and maybe a bit of hope. She is untrusting, prickly, mad, sad, independent minded, and fierce. And if there is a chance that her dad was falsely accused, she is determined to set the record straight.

Noah's life had been comfortable with a nice home, successful mother, good job, and supportive family. But the rabbit hole they are falling into is making him question everything he thought he knew. And he is hoping what they find will not destroy the reputation of his late mother or his family. But he can't seem to leave Grace alone and is protective, charming, smart, and analytical. But he has some secrets that are harder to share.

As these two investigate their parent's pasts and try to figure out what really happened with them it is hard to tell what is the truth. There are other players sharing their own information, half-truths, and trying to keep to their own agenda. It is hard to know who or what to trust. And they really can only rely on each other. The mysteries are slowly unraveled in Noah and Grace's present point of views and his mother and her father's points of view in the past.

Who can they believe? Whose side are the players really on? The past and present collide into a tragic story of wrongdoing, mistakes, loss, and cover ups.

This is a mystery and suspense story built on a tangled web of lies, corruption, betrayals, scandals, and secrets. As new facts and information come to light, pieces begin to click together until it all comes together. It does have an underlying friendship and romance component, but the real meat of the story is solving the case and getting to the truth. But if you are looking for something different, compelling, and intriguing then this is a well written and interesting read that will keep you wondering and guessing.

K.A. Tucker delivers a beautifully haunting tale of betrayal, secrets, and unexpected hope with her new novel, Keep Her Safe. I was riveted by the complexity of this storyline and found myself utterly entranced by the quiet love that grew between Grace and Noah as they explored the lies and loss that brought them together. Their love story was very much secondary to the mystery that unraveled within the pages of the book, and yet it was also absolutely essential to the plot. Grace and Noah’s relationship was understated and somehow so very vital and I couldn’t help but be moved by the power of their inimitable connection.

Noah easily captured my heart and I felt for him as he struggled to do the right thing in the wake of his painful loss. It was his persistence and dedication to the truth that had me so enamored with this hero. K.A. Tucker nurtured some fantastic emotional turmoil with this character as Noah discovered that the people we love the most often cut us the deepest. Grace was equally captivating and her personal evolution over the course of the story was probably my favorite part of the book. I loved how the author used her relationship with Noah to rub away Grace’s mask of indifference and self-preservation, carefully exposing the vulnerability and uncertainty that made this character so relatable.

K.A. Tucker has once again proven herself to be a master of words. I knew that this story would be twisted, suspenseful, and utterly intriguing, but still, it constantly surprised me. K.A. Tucker explored humanity on many different levels, making the reader feel for each of the characters as Grace and Noah set out to piece together the truth. The plot was engaging and the mystery addictive. Drawn to the complex personalities, poignant social commentary, and moving emotional journey, I was hypnotized by this novel. Gritty, dark, and devastatingly real, Keep Her Safe is K.A. Tucker at her best!

4.5+ stars

Noah Marshall’s life has been comfortable, thanks to his mom’s position as a rising police officer and eventually as the chief of police. But his privilege is shattered when his mom hits a moment of grief and confesses a secret that’s been haunting her for years. The confession sends Noah on a covert trip in search of answers, but instead of answers he is left with even more questions.

Gracie Richards has not had an easy life at all. Struggling to keep a trailer park roof over her head, her family is haunted by the legacy of a corrupt cop murdered in a deal gone wrong. She is a fighter, but the fight has taken a lot out of her.

These two are from completely different backgrounds, but what connects them has shattered both of their worlds. They have the same questions and are looking for the same answers. Together they begin a search that will rock everything they thought they knew of their cities, their families, and their pasts.

I loved the suspense structure of the story, with flashbacks to the original events narrated by those who were there. In the present, Noah and Gracie narrate to keep the story progressing and the threads tangling. There are so many threads tying the characters and plot points together. It is impossible to know who to trust -- my suspicions changed over and over throughout the course of the book.

The romance was light here. Both Noah and Gracie are focused on learning the truth that sent Noah’s mom into a spiral of guilt and changed the path of Gracie’s family catastrophically. But in the quiet moments, they reconnect and begin rebuilding the connection they had as children.

I love the way Tucker writes suspenseful romance. She keeps me guessing and second guessing throughout the book, making me think I know what is going on and then changing direction often. This is such a great combination of suspense, thriller, and a smattering of romance. I was hooked from the beginning and devoured this book.

I was gifted a copy in exchange for an honest review.

Keep Her Safe by KA Tucker
5 stars

“Best to let sleeping dogs lie. They’re less likely to bite.”

I was blown away by this book. Billed as a romantic suspense, it has a solid romance aspect but spends a large part of the plot focused on the mystery surrounding the novel. It’s definitively a favorite of 2018! It ticked off so many boxes for me.

The story centers around the Austin Police Department, specifically the offspring of two members. One, the son of the police chief and two, the daughter of a supposed corrupt, murdered officer. Nick must grant his mother’s wish and reunites with Gracie in a move that will forever change their lives. Rattling the skeletons in their closet will bring up more lies and finally reveal a devastating secret that shocks them all.

I was on the edge of my seat! I read this in one sitting and COULD NOT stop. Police corruption, family secrets and above all a slow simmering romance. Interspersed between the fast pace of the plot are moments of banter between the Nick and Gracie. They were once family friends, Gracie has no recollection of her time in Austin but Nick certainly does. Gone is the little girl he remembers and in her place, is a strong, independent, beautiful woman that takes no prisoners. Gracie has had a hard life since leaving Austin and she’s ready to clear up all the mysteries that surrounds her past. I loved Gracie! She fights for herself and she isn’t afraid to look danger in the eye. While her temper gets the most of her sometimes, her resiliency is what makes the final reveals poignant.

“You sure you want to deal with the likes of me? Some people say I’m difficult.”
There’s a hint of something in her voice, something exposed. Like she actually may believe that I would second-guess my feelings, that I would decide that she’s too much for me.
My face is buried in her mass of floral-scented curls, so she can’t possibly see my mock frown, but maybe she can hear it in my voice.
“Who would say that?”

There is also a social awareness aspect to the novel that brings up a lot of relevant points while challenging your mindset that I really enjoyed.
If you love mystery, thrillers, leads that have strong chemistry or novels that are plain awesome, make sure to check out Keep Her Safe.

Keep Her Safe by K.A. Tucker
I'll start this by saying that I am a huge K.A. Tucker fan and have been reading and reviewing her books since her young adult paranormal books way back in the beginning. The type of books have changed over the years and I can't say gotten better and that's because they are always wonderful. I have loved all of them and there are only a few authors I can say that about. Needless to say, I couldn't wait to dive right into this one.
Noah is the adult son of the chief of police of Austin, Texas. When his mother is suddenly gone, it's up to Noah to handle all the details. One major detail comes to him in the form of a note from his mother telling him to take something to her ex-partner's daughter in Tuscon. Grace's dead father was killed by a drug dealer fourteen years ago. After a huge scandal surrounding his death, she is taken to Tuscon to live in near poverty by her drug addicted mother. When Noah shows up at her home, at first she doesn't want much to do with him-until he gives her what his mother wanted him to bring. The two realize that things at the Austin police department aren't what they seem, and her father was blamed for things he didn't do. Now they have to prove it. And in order to do it, Noah's family is the one that will probably take the hit. Trying to stay away from spoilers is not easy with this book!
I really enjoyed how well drawn the characters were and even the deceased characters have a POV at times. Going back and forth in time really worked for me as the reader, by giving me a look at what happened fourteen years before as well as what is happening now. I ended up really caring for a lot of these characters-even one of the deceased ones in particular. I thought Noah and Grace were good people that had been put into a bad situation. A situation that can only have an ending that will be bad for one and good for the other. Their slow burn romance was pretty great as well.
I know this is billed as romantic suspense, but there actually wasn't as much suspense as I thought there would be. Instead, it was a gripping murder mystery with several suspenseful scenes. And some romantic moments as well. Intricately plotted, the reader pretty much knows who the villains are. Or at least can guess. It's the how they go about proving their case after fourteen years that kept me turning the pages and on the edge of my seat wanting the bad guys to be taken down! It was very a satisfying read and even had a twist at one point that I didn't see coming. Always a good thing!

I would highly recommend this read to adult readers of suspense, mystery, and romance, although it's more a mystery than a full blown romance, In the end however, I was very happy with the romance as well.

My thanks to the publisher via Net Galley, for giving me a copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.