Murder Notes by Lisa Renee Jones is the 1st book in a new series called "Lilah Love". When I heard Ms. Jones had a new series and it was a romantic suspense, I was super excited to see what the new series was all about. I definitely was impressed by the writing and the main characters. This is a MUST READ new romantic suspense series that all need to read.
Lilah Love is a successful FBI Profiler and works hard in the job she adores. But there are some scary new murders that have popped up that have clues that lead back to Lilah’s home town and something hidden in her past from several years before . The more Lilah digs for answers, the muddier things become. Within hours of her arrival she starts to receive the first of several notes from an unidentified stalker. On top of the stalker, she is back in town and has to deal with her family which is comprised of her Dad the mayor and her brother the police chief. Then add in the ex-factor-her ex is the son of the town's 'crime lord'. There is still a lot of steam between them. It is felt thru the story and Kane, her ex, knows about what her secret is. Which complicate things--- Lilah knows it’s only a matter of time before this secret can get loose and that means if she doesn’t want to lose her job and her family plus the people she has come to care for then she needs to find out who is doing the killing and stop them and fast or Lilah is going to lose everything. Problem is , her every move being watched by family , the whole island plus her stalker. Will Lilah be able to get one step ahead of everyone to make her move ? Who can she trust? The story ended on a cliffhanger and I am dying to know what happens next. This was an outstanding read, I loved the chemistry between Lilah and everyone she came into contact with. There are a lot of twists and turns in this read. I want to say I think I knew who her stalker was when I was reading but as soon as I would say that, BAM I was wrong. So I am just going to say many things will keep you on the edge of your seat. I look forward to reading book 2 in this new romantic suspense series by Lisa Renee Jones.


My Rating: 4.9 stars *****
“I received an advanced copy of this book from the author at no cost to me."

Great story!
I have read several by this author and I have loved them all. This one included. This is an action packed, mystery, suspense story full of secrets. Con’t get me wrong, there is romance it’s just not the main theme. The characters relationship is full of tension and complex. This story will keep your attention from start to finish. It does end in a cliffhanger but that’s ok, it just makes you want to read the next book even more.

I have read many books by Lisa Renee Jones so this is definitely a departure from her previous novels. It is also a good mystery novel with good characters and a great story line. Lilah Love, a FBI proffiler has a deep and dark past and also with a very mysterious man from Southampton, Kane Mendez. The books starts off in California where Lilah is leaving and being away from home for two years. But then another murder happens in New York which might have something to do with what is going on in California. Her boss tells her to go back to Southampton. There we meet her father, Chief of police, her brother Andrew also in the police department and her ex, Kane Mendez whose father, now dead, was head of the Mendez cartel. Kane is a attorney and a Yale graduate and he and :Lilah have major history together, There is also a tattoo involved in this and there ar dead bodies showing up. Who to trust. This books ends on a cliffhanger so i will have to read book 2 to finally know how it ends. I enjoyed this book. I received this book as an ARC from netgalley.com for an honest review.

I admit that I only got a third of the way through this book. I wanted to like it, but the writing style wasn't clicking with me. It seemed like all of the verbs were a bit more exaggerated than the context required. For instance, in the first few pages, Detective Oliver "glowers" and "scowls," and the main character "whirls" and "yanks" her gloves off. I am just citing two pages I happened to bookmark. I don't think any of these verbs/descriptors are bad. Used periodically, they would be great. It just felt like every descriptor was a bit exaggerated. Similarly, it felt like the main character was unnecessarily reactive towards everyone she met. It is possible these factors got better, and I am sure lots of people wouldn't even notice them.. They just bothered me a bit too much to finish.

I did not like this book. It is a longer Mills and Boon romance book. I also didn’t like that the book did not conclude the story for that you have to buy book two. When the book said book one I just presumed it was the first in a series using the same character. I won’t be reading book two.
Thanks to Montlake romance and NetGalley for an ARC

I have lots of feelings about this book but the strongest right now is the ending. It’s a cliffhanger. No case solved and now I’m trying to decide if my need to know the outcome outweighs my annoyance. Because who’s to say anything gets solved in the next one. The book is well written. I found the female character annoying but less so towards the end. Very good plot line but I am frustrated that there was nothing solved!

i thought this was a good book. kept my interest and was fast paced i need to know what happens now. Lilah Love is a girl/woman with a past, not everyone can be a FBI criminal profiler and she is dang good at what she does. I like the way Mrs. Jones wrote the store to keep you captivated and to keep you guessing. Just when you think you have everyone figured out, something changes that and you are back to square one again.

I actually don't want to rate Murder Notes because it does not seem fair because unfortunately, I wasn't able to finish it but giving feedback on Netgalley requires me to rate it, hence the 1 Star.
It has got nothing to do with the book or the author. I just wasn't in the right headspace to enjoy it.
Maybe someday, when I am ready I will come back to read it and hopefully, I will be able to enjoy it to its true potential.

Not my favorite book. While well written, there is still a lot of filler and a heroine I really couldn't stand. She's jus mean. It started strong at the scene of a murder (and I love murder books). but then is quickly diverges to a lot of internal thought that gets repetitive. I had to skim bits of the book just to keep going.

I haven’t read this authors books for a while, and this seemed like it would be something different to those I have read in the past. I love stories of this genre so was looking forward to reading it. I wasn’t disappointed.

Lilah Love has a checkered past with her ex, Kane. The case she finds herself embroiled in brings her into close contact with him once again. Whether this will help or hinder her investigation is something you will find out for yourself when you read this story.

Plenty of romance and intrigue throughout the pages, and the ending is one which had me instantly want to read book two.

Many thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing a copy.

I loved the premise and the story, it's characters and the writing but found the book dragged a little and that put me off for a while. I am glad I waited to read this when the second one was out already to read the duet in one go.
I found Murder Girl to be at a faster pace and more enjoyable.

FBI Profiler, Lilah Love, has had to build thick wall around herself over the years. This wall provides Lilah the self-preservation she needs and craves. She has seen too much horror having helped the FBI solve countless murders; seeing the truly heinous things others can and do inflict onto their victims, day in and day out.

Lilah has sharpened and honed her skills over the years as she tries to vindicate the victims and bring the killers to justice. But when a new string of murders strike close to home, Lilah must figure out how best to balance her professional life and that of her personal one without butting heads with the family and lover she left on the other side of the country years ago.

With a calling card that keeps reappearing, threatening to bring back a secret that Lilah is desperate to keep locked away, she is faced with one inescapable truth. This killer knows Lilah. It seems personal. So, has she finally met her match?

Many view Lilah as a no-nonsense, serious, and emotionally detached woman. That may be so, but I could not get enough of her character. I found that the more I read about her, the more I wanted to know about her. Yes, she was serious, but she was also skilled, smart and tenacious. She was funny and she had to keep things light in her own way to survive in a heavily male dominated profession. I am craving to learn more about her - from what her upbringing was like, to what drove her to be a profiler in the first place.

I cannot wait to read more Lilah Love books. I highly recommend them to you as well. You will be captivated, entertained, and you will be on the edge of your seat as you too try and solve the murders that Ms. Love is investigating.

I really enjoyed Murder Notes by Lisa Renee Jones. It was an interesting story that kept me wondering what was going to happen next the entire time I read it. The main character Lilah Love is truly a badass. I was left wanting to know a little more about her and felt her character could have been developed a little more. I also really loved Kane. He is one of those bad boys you just can’t help to fall for. He’s super good looking and has enough good guy in him that leaves you wondering exactly how bad is he? There were really only a couple of things that kept me from raving about this book. It ended on a cliffhanger. For some reason to me it didn’t seem like a natural place to end the book, even in a cliffhanger. Plus it could just be because I’ve never read a murder mystery book where there was a cliffhanger. It was really hard for me reading all the way through, thinking she’s about to figure it all out, and then its the end of the book. The other thing was the use of metaphors. I don’t mind metaphors here and there but it seemed like Jones relied pretty heavily on them to the point that it stood out to me. Other than those two issues I had though, I really enjoyed it. To the point I couldn’t put it down. I liked the way we explore her relationships with her family and the people surrounding her family. I really can’t wait for the next book to come out because I want to know more. And it’s not just about finding out who done it. I want to know more of her background, her secrets, why she feels certain ways about people. I really think this was a good start to the Lilah Love series and really, who doesn’t love an FBI profiler (Criminal Minds)? I keep going back and forth between 3.75 stars and 4 stars and I think I’ll go with 4 just because I couldn’t put it down and I can’t wait to see what happens.

Wow! A fast paced, highly detailed who-done-it storyline starring a female FBI profiler who gets called back to her home town in New York to work a murder case and her family is right in the thick of things. Lilah Love reminds me a lot of J.D. Robb’s Eve Dallas character because she’s smart, tough as nails and exceedingly talented at her job. She’s not afraid to kick butt and take names especially when it looks like her father, her brother and her ex-lover are all mixed up in a tangled mess of clues she has to chase down. Adding to the building suspense is a huge secret from Lilah’s past that a stalker threatens to expose while he watches her every move. Lilah has no choice but to follow each and every clue, even when her father, brother and her ex-lover are suspects she has to clear to get to the truth. This is a smartly woven thriller that ends with a shocking cliffhanger and the best part is the anticipation of waiting for the next book to be published. I can’t wait to find out what happens next. I read a copy of this book provided by Montlake Romance through NetGalley and all opinions expressed in my voluntary review are completely my own.

Who is Lilah? What is happening to her at the beginning of the book? What does Lilah do for a living? Who is Rich? What does everyone else think is going on that Lilah disagrees with? What does she think? Wow, this book certainly gets intense with mystery, murder, politics, intrigue, and a ton of secrets. Holy Smokes! This is a must read. I cannot wait to read Murder Girl.

Intense, fast paced, and exciting. This is the first book in the Lilah Love series and it is fantastic. Lilah is one of the best profilers the FBI has working for them. She knows exactly how to get into a killers head. When a series of murders takes her back to the Hamptons her past is quickly intertwined with the present making the current cases very personal.

This is not the full story. It has a cliffhanger so be warned. The rest of the story will be revealed in upcoming books. The storyline is intricate and complex with twists and turns all over the place. There are a lot of characters each with their own agenda. This is a suspense filled thriller that will keep you on the edge of your seat. Definitely a must read. I highly recommend it.

I don’t know where to start with this review because my emotions are all over the place. What I can say is I. LOVED. IT. that thought is followed by GIVE. ME. MORE! Murder Notes is one of the best romantic suspense books I have ever read. Lisa Renee Jones is a brilliant writer and has just made it onto my one click buy author list.

This review will appear on https://powerlibrarian.wordpress.com/ on Monday, July 16, 2018.

FBI Agent Lilah Love is working a serial killer case that brings her back home to the Hamptons, where she hasn’t returned for two years. She left behind her family, her lover, and a dark secret, the latter of which she’ll do anything to protect. But this serial killer seems to know her secret. Will she be able to catch him before he strikes again? Or worse—before he reveals her secret to the world?

Lilah is one badass main character. At one point she mentions that she has a “potty mouth”—which couldn’t be more aptly put. She's equally rude to her friends and her enemies. Within a few sentences of this remark, Lilah mentions putting on her pink lipstick. Thank you, Lisa Renee Jones! Girls can be strong and love pink lipstick! It’s such a pet peeve of mine that female FBI agents, cops, PIs, always have to be Tom boys. They can never like pretty things or they won't be considered "tough". While Buffy the Vampire Slayer was one of the first to break this mold, this trope is still an irritating trend in books and TV.

That said, there were a few times when I noticed that Lilah was a little too harsh on others, a little too abrasive. That’s an entirely different character flaw, and I loved that about her. Sometimes the things she said would make me cringe, but it’s all about what makes Lilah Love’s name ironic. She’s badass, she’s broken, she’s hiding her pain with biting jabs directed at everyone within jabbing distance of her.

Murder Notes also has a romantic subplot. Kane Mendez is beyond sexy, and he and Lilah have a history that isn’t fully revealed until later in the book. Lilah is a tough-as-nails FBI agent, and I absolutely love that she doesn’t lose herself in the romance. She is able to stay level-headed, acknowledging that he is a suspect in the murder case, even when her heart says that he isn’t the killer. She still investigates him. Her judgment might be slightly clouded, but she’s a competent enough FBI agent to realize this and overcome it. This is rare in a book series where the romance is integral to the plot, and Jones executes this very effectively.

Another element of this story that I appreciated is the mentions of Lilah’s mother. She died years ago, but she was the one who designed the guest house that Lilah is living in. Throughout the novel, Lilah’s staying at this house, and the little things trigger memories of her mother. This is realistic and heart-breaking. Her mother’s death has impacted her considerably, and it’s something that’s stayed with her ever since. Some authors will just say “oh, by the way, she misses her mother” (or something to that effect), but this book does more than that. It’s a part of who Lilah is, and her mother is ingrained in every aspect of the home that Lilah is staying in, which doesn’t get forgotten as the plot picks up its pace.

The family dynamic is dysfunctional yet delightful. I love how Lilah fights with her brother, how she reacts to her father’s political aspirations, and how she doesn’t quite trust them. That said, a lot of the men in Lilah’s life – from her former police partners in the Hamptons to her brother who’s a cop—all seem to be very similar. They’re all varying levels of antagonistic toward Lilah, with the exception of her not-boyfriend Rich. There are some women in the story – her former best friend and a medical examiner, but they don’t get very much screen time. I would have liked for these strong women to play more integral roles in the plot.

The killer leaves behind strange messages for Lilah to find. To be honest, I wasn’t very impressed with what they said. Without including any spoilers, I will say that they seemed like they were written by a seven-year-old with a grudge. Not particularly terrifying. Unlike Lilah, these notes wouldn’t scare me enough to sleep with my shotgun “Cujo” by my side, that’s for sure.

The end of the book left much to be desired. I wouldn’t even call the ending a cliffhanger. It’s more like the plot just stops in the middle. It’s not finished. Nothing was wrapped up. It’s just continuing into the second book. I was disappointed by this. I knew it would be the first in a series, but I thought that something would be resolved by the end of this book. Hopefully the next one doesn’t take too long to be released!

I recommend this book to readers who love a badass main character, a strong sense of place, and a fast-paced plot. While the threatening notes were laughable, there was genuine tension in parts of the book which made this a bonafide thriller.

5 F is for Fabulous Stars

WOW WOW WOW, what a read this one was and what a ride. This is not my normal type of read at all, and to be honest I normally stay away from these types of murder mystery romances, they just aren't my thing. I tend to stick to sport romances and second chance love stories, reads that are more fun and flirty or light and sweet. But Lisa Renee Jones this past year or so has become a one click author for me and I just couldn't not check this one out, so glad I did.

Lilah Love is an FBI profiler that has left a secret past in her hometown and has moved across the country. She shares this horrific secret with one person, the man she once loved and the man she should never have anything to do with ever again, Kane Mendez. But a string of murders have brought her back to her home town and the longer she is there the more she realizes these may have a connection to her and the secret she shares with Kane

I fell in love with Lilah's character from the moment we meet her. The story is told completely from her POV so we are constantly in her head and get to see how snarky she truly is and I absolutely love it. She is also kind of really badass FBI agent. But although she may deny it to herself, you can truly see there is more than just chemistry between her and Kane, they get each other and nothing she does will ever stop her from loving him, she just needs to realize that

Kane is your typical bad boy. He's the son of a former crime lord, who is no longer living. He swears he's not like his father but neither Lilah nor me as the reader truly believes that. But one thing is for sure, if it comes to protecting Lilah, he will do anything, even if it means becoming his father. Kane may be a bad boy, with bad connections and a bad reputation but he is the perfect hot alpha bad boy in my mind. He may be fierce, but when it comes to loving Lilah and protecting her, he's the kind of fierce you want.

Overall this was a fabulous read that sucked me in right from the very start and I couldn't put it down, inhaling this book in less than 24 hours, and now only to find out, Murder Girl is not out for another 10 days. At least we get a sneak peak of it at the end. If you love Lisa Renee Jone's writing and you love a good murder mystery, this is your book. If you haven't read anything by this author yet, WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR? This one truly has left me on the edge of my seat in a bundle of nerves waiting to find out what is going to happen and truly find out who is behind all this cause honestly I am left not having a single clue!

I've now read and reviewed a couple of Lisa Renee Jones' novels, some I've liked, some I've hated, and unfortunately this one falls into the latter category, and, because there were so many things that irritated me about this novel, I can only give it a 1-star rating.

I was eager to get in at the beginning of a series, since my luck in that area has been a bit spotty lately, but this book didn't read like the first novel in a series, it read like the second, with much of the backstory alluded to, but not fully explained.

Then we get to the heroine, Lilah Love (really?), and the entire novel is little more than her incessant, self-absorbed, internal dialogue, much of it confusing, filled with f-bombs, and I found her to be utterly obnoxious. Her age is indeterminate, but she's been a police officer and is now an FBI agent and profiler, yet her inner thoughts make her sound beyond immature. She's rude and abrasive to nearly everyone she encounters, and by the time I was 25% into the book, my opinion of her character didn't improve. Yes, she'd been through a traumatic event in the past, but then the why of her boss putting her on a case that is so similar to what happened to her made zero sense to this reader.

Then there's Kane Mendez, the supposedly sexy man in Lilah's past, but their prior relationship is never fully explained. And then we have her current flavor of the month, Rich, whom she is utterly rude to and his attraction to this cold, hard, nasty and emotionless woman certainly escaped me. There are also a large number of characters whose presence in this novel and their prior relationships with Lilah also remain a mystery. Oh, and apparently her actress mother was at one time the creme de la creme of society in the Hamptons. Was there any reason for her mother to even be mentioned? I felt it added absolutely nothing to this story, aside from making me think of Mariska Hargitay, star of Law & Order SVU and the real-life daughter of the late Jayne Mansfield.

While I voluntarily read an advance reader copy of the novel, and should keep my personal opinion to the story as told, and while I shouldn't comment on things like typos, there was one misused word that appeared repeatedly, when the author referred to getting verification of testimony, she kept using the word, "collaborated," rather than the correct word, "corroborated." Whenever it appeared, it had me gritting my teeth. If you're writing a murder mystery, it's kind of important to know the difference between those two words.

Just as I was finishing this novel, hoping for some resolution, it wasn't there. Instead, be forewarned, it ends with an annoying cliffhanger, and, after disliking this novel and its heroine as much as I did, there is no way on earth I'd voluntarily read the next novel in this series for closure. I really hate giving reviews as scathing as this one, but there was simply no other alternative in this case.