If you’re coming into this book looking for a conventional romantic suspense read, you might want to have a rethink. I’d describe this more as a crime thriller with a side of romance, and it contains some much heavier themes than a typical romantic suspense.

The surviving girls of the title are Lei and Emma, the only survivors of a sorority house massacre twelve years before the story is set. Best friends, they live a pretty co-dependent life, sharing a fortresslike house where agoraphobic Emma has become a tech expert helping solve crimes and Lei, along with her trained cadaver dog Saul, search for victims of crime. Though they believe the killer to be safely behind bars, a copycat killing in Seattle brings the FBI to their door and old fears resurface again.

Lei is the primary protagonist of the novel, and this is very much her story, from her survivor’s guilt and PTSD to her determination never to let anyone suffer as she did again. Dante, her love interest, is an FBI agent assigned to the case, and while the two of the do their level best to be professional it’s quite simply a case of powerful chemistry between them which they find hard to ignore.

The reason why this book may feel a bit ‘too much’ for some romantic suspense readers is that the crimes are described in fairly graphic detail and there is a fair bit of delving into the mind of the killer and the troubled psyches of both Lei and Emma. I love crime fiction and suspense thrillers, and I don’t have any trauma triggers, so I thoroughly enjoyed it, but I would advise to read with care if some of the things described in this review might trouble you.

This is a wonderful, thoroughly absorbing read and I’d definitely give it five stars.

3.75 stars--THE SURVIVING GIRLS is the third instalment in Katee Robert’s contemporary, adult HIDDEN SINs romantic, suspense series. This is FBI agent Dante Young, and Lei Zhang’s story line. THE SURVIVING GIRLS can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty. There are no apparent connections to the previous instalments.

NOTE: Due to the story line content, there may be some triggers for more sensitive readers.

Told from several third person perspectives including Dante and Lei THE SURVIVING GIRLS follows the hunt for a serial killer. Twelve years earlier Lei Zhang, and Emma Nilsson were the lone survivors of the Sorority Row Murders but survivors who continue to struggle with PTSD and panic attacks. Living together, off the grid, Lei and Emma hoped to remain out of the public eye but a copycat killer pulls our heroine back into the game as he pointedly targets Lei and Emma with every kill, and threatening call. Enter FBI agent Dante Young, a man whose job it is to take down a killer but a killer who is supposedly serving a life-sentence in prison. What ensues is the search for the killer, and the emotional fall-out as a psychopathic mind continues to taunt Emma and Lei.

FBI agent Dante Young takes an immediate liking to our story line heroine. Lei Zhang is a feisty woman who has suffered at the hands of her former boyfriend, a man who turned serial killer in the blink of an eye. As Dante battles his attraction to Lei, Lei knows it is only a matter of time before her past catches up, and destroys her life, once again. Lei and Emma’s co-dependency upon one another is a psychiatrist’s nightmare, and yet with all of their precautions against an inevitable attack, someone, someway, the evil gets through.

THE SURVIVING GIRLS is not a story of romantic suspense; in fact there is limited romance as our couple keep one another at arm’s length, considering the circumstances of which they are now involved. Katee Robert pulls the reader into a thrilling and suspenseful tale of abduction and murder; a copycat killer who has been stalking our heroine for close to twelve years.

The world building looks at Emma and Lei twelve years after Lei’s boyfriend mutilated and murdered twenty-one of their sorority sisters. As a copycat killer begins to reimagine the murders, the FBI opens a different line of thinking as they consider the possibility of the how and why.

I had a couple of issues with believability. There were some revelations that came out of left field, but such is the nature of a fictional story line.

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This is the third book in the Hidden Sins series but all the books can stand alone. How do I know? Because when I received this book on NetGalley, I decided to check out the rest of the series and when I saw it on Kindle Unlimited, I read the first two and then this one. This is an incredibly fast-paced romantic thriller series centred about three agents in the BAU, this book focusing on Dante.

Before I go on to talk about the book, let me just say that there are two dogs in this book and neither of them die. This can sour a book for me and I was worried a few times in the book but it’s fine. They’re okay by the end.

Lei and Emma are the only two survivors of a massacre of their sorority sisters twelve years ago. After their parents' not-so-ideal reactions, they are left with only each other and haunted by their nightmares. Lei, the girl who had dated the killer before the massacre, is the focus of this book, and we see her deal with her own guilt over letting the killer into the house and the recurring nightmares she gets when her past gets dragged up again. The two of them are friends in a slightly unhealthy codependent way, something which is acknowledged in the text, and I liked how they supported each other and called each other when they did stupid things. I also liked how their friendship continued throughout the book.

Dante is such a sweetheart. He has a self-admitted white knight complex which means I really liked him, but I also liked how Lei would call him out if he wasn’t going too far with it. He and Lei were very complementary to each other, Dante being nice and calm and relaxing and Lei being get-up-and-go. The both of them were actually really cute together, though I feel like I could have done with just a little more development of their relationship. They spent enough time together but I would have liked to see more of them rather than of the case. The tension behind them was nicely done but I would have liked to see a little more romance.

However, the case was really creepy. It was a perfect BAU case and I loved how complex it was. The book was fast-paced, keeping us guessing right up until the end. I really liked the final climatic scene and how the killer was apprehended in the end, as well as the uncertainty about whether everyone would survive or not. The twists and turns kept me turning the page right up until the end which meant I finished this book in one sitting.

I think this book was better at the plot rather than the romance but I liked both elements. It was a fun book, definitely fits with the rest of the series and one I would recommend to anyone. Four stars!

I received this book from the publisher for a review through Netgalley. I have not read any of the other books in the series, and this is also my first time reading this author, but it will not be the last. I didn't think it was necessary to read the previous novels to enjoy this one. I thought that the romance was believable between the two characters. I read a lot of mystery and thrillers and thought that this was an original idea and I didn't have the ending figured out which I enjoyed being surprised. I would recommend this to others and didn't think that it was overly violent/scary so it would appeal to lots of different readers

The Surviving Girls is the third volume in the Hidden Sins series but can easily be read alone. We meet Lei, one of the two survivors of a slaughter in their sorority twelve years ago, when new killings in a sorority forces her to help the FBI investigation by reliving her worst memory.

I thought Lei and her best friend Emma were well done and realistic. Only survivors of the slaughter, they are both deeply marked by what happened and they suffer from PTSD: Emma never goes out of their house but has become a computer genius, and Lei helps police with her cadaver dog. They are very united, live together in a house transformed in a fortress, and if we see Lei is the strongest there’s a kind of synergy between them making them support each other. The news about the murders and the similarities with what they experienced shake them in a very untestable way, and that was well done too. Lei is quickly attracted to the quiet calm and force coming from Dante but she resists a long time because she doesn’t trust anyone except Emma (the first killer was her boyfriend).

Dante is much more classical hero almost without any surprise. As a FBI agent he’s straight, honest, attentive and protective, and if he’s immediately attracted to Lei he’s conscious that goes against his job deontology. However we see their feelings evolve and they get closer little by little, but they deliberately put their possible story aside because of the investigation.

The plot is interesting, there are some developments I didn’t foresaw, but the general rhythm is quite slow, and made slower by a lot of repetitions on the characters’ thoughts. And worst of all IMO the ending leaves some questions unanswered or with partial answers which left me frustrated.

To conclude it’s a likeable novel but unfortunately it won’t leave a lasting memory.

Oh my… what a sick, twisted, amazing, wonderful story. 21… yes 21 sorority girls killed in one night by the boyfriend of one of the girls. From there we learn more about the two girls who survived that night, more about the killer, and the reader feels it all come together in one thrilling book.

The killer is convicted, spending the rest of his life in prison. The survivors are living together in a house with safe rooms, security beyond the norm, and fear every day. I was scared for Emma and Lei. They survived an event that they have not been able to get past, they live in constant fear of the outside world, and they only have each other. I cannot imagine their lives but I could picture how they were living. Their story was described in such detail that I could see their house, feel the fear, and picture how hard they were working to live a life of value. The hope I had for them was to find happiness, find peace, and be able to step outside of their house being unafraid of the rest of the world.

The Surviving Girls is a fast pace, thriller full of twists and turns. I was turning page after page, hoping that the end would come so I could find out what would happen while at the same time hoping the book would never end because I was so into what was going on. There was a small romance going on and it was the perfect complement to the rest of the book.

Lei and Emma are the sole survivors of a horrific and brutal serial killer, but Lei also bears the guilt of the fact that the killer was her boyfriend and she let him into the house that night. After the trial, she and Emma realized that no one would be able to truly understand the impact that night had on their lives as their families reacted in different but equally offensive ways. They found themselves a home that is slightly off the beaten path but still close enough to a town that they will be able to access help if they need it, created a defensible fortress to help them see any attack coming with sufficient time to arm themselves, and built a business around being the voice for those who are lost. Lei trains cadaver dogs and contracts out as needed to help find victims, and Emma has created a computer program that allows her to significantly narrow the search area for missing persons while never leaving the safety of their home. But they are about to find out that the safe haven they created has been nothing but an illusion when a copycat killer makes a statement in Seattle and sends a message to Lei and Emma that they are in the crosshairs.

Agent Dante Young is usually the epitome of professionalism with his calm and steady demeanor, but he is completely unprepared for Lei Zhang. From the moment they meet, there is an undeniable zing in the air between them, but if he has any hope of keeping her and her best friend safe, he absolutely cannot act on it. The 2 women fascinate him for their ability to survive and thrive after the ordeal they lived through, but he completely loses his ability to be smooth around Lei and ends up putting his foot in his mouth more often than not much to his partner Clarke's unending amusement.

I really liked all the characters in this story which is something of a rarity for me. Lei is the strong one but she has never forgiven herself for the part she played in bringing her sorority sisters' nightmares to life so she has closed herself off from everyone except Emma, the only person she trusts. Her attraction to Dante scares the hell out of her but she finds herself uncharacteristically willing to take a chance on him when so many of her prior attempts at a relationship went so very wrong. Emma is agoraphobic now and hides behind their defenses and a computer screen. She and Lei are definitely a bit co-dependent but there is no doubt Emma needs Lei more. She has a brilliant mind but they were both left broken in different ways from their experiences. As it becomes more and more obvious that their nightmare has only been on "pause" for the last decade and they are the true target of this latest killer, the suspense ramps up in a hurry as they all search for the identity of the person targeting them. And the answer is one they never suspected!

The Surviving Girls is a fast paced, suspenseful thrill ride that keeps you on your toes with a little bit of fierce attraction thrown in as well. The UST is set to high in this story but the romance is secondary to the action which leaves the heat level at a low setting overall. The author created a wonderfully twisty story arc that keeps you guessing, and I definitely recommend this story for anyone who loves a good suspenseful thriller!

A thoroughly enjoyable and gripping suspense story!!!

This was another extremely well-written novel by Katee Robert. The story managed to hold an air of mystery right until the very end and despite trying to second-guess the path the story was taking I was completely shocked by the turn of events.

Lei and Emma were intriguing characters. Once sorority sisters, they now share another title and that is survivors. Having both escaped death when 21 of their sorority sisters were brutally murdered, Lei and Emma now live a quiet life although it’s a life still lived in fear. With Travis Berkley behind bars, and hopefully staying there for a very long time, Lei and Emma are stunned when they find themselves in the middle of what appears to be a copycat case. Despite the slight differences to their story, it is clear that the recent killings are linked to their case but with Travis behind bars, just who is committing these latest atrocious acts?

Before long, what appears to be just a similar case changes tack and Lei and Emma find themselves the focal point of the current killer. Emma is practically housebound due to anxiety and Lei, although prepared to face her demons head-on, is spooked by how she is once again a target. Now a handler for a cadaver dog, Lei works to give the families of missing, presumed dead, people closure but even with her knowledge and experience, she couldn’t foresee the danger living right underneath her nose. Supported by the FBI and in particular, Agent Dante Young, who forms an immediate attachment with Lei, the girls work with Dante to try to piece together the pieces of the jigsaw and to stop the killer before any more innocent girls are murdered.

The story held my attention throughout and there is even a developing love affair to lift you from the darkness of the killings. Although there is an inference to the killings, the acts are not brutally portrayed and the violence, as a result, is kept to a minimum, which I appreciated. The story portrays a darkness but manages not to unnecessarily exploit it. Lei and Emma’s story was certainly memorable and overall the book was a thoroughly rewarding read

Lei Zhang and her best friend were lucky to survive the Sorority Row murders that ended with twenty-one of their sorority sisters dead. Yet, now years later, there's a copycat killer determined to make sure Lei and Emma don't survive this time. Luckily though, they have FBI agent Dante Young on their side and he's not about to let the killer get anywhere near the women again. Will Dante be able to keep them safe or will he lose Lei before he even has a chance to win her heart?

I love this series by Ms. Robert and I've got to say that she's penned another very thrilling, fast-paced, enthralling read in this book where the main characters have interesting back stories; and the dialogue drew me in from the very beginning, as the heroine is determined to make sure others get closure. Then again, she feels responsible for what went down years ago, so why shouldn't she be helping others the way she does? It's her penance. However, it was from the moment the hero and heroine met where this story gets very interesting, as the heroine doesn't trust easily and isn't afraid to go head-to-head with the agents to discover all they know. Will she and Emma be able to help them?

As for the dialogue, it was intense due to the main characters back stories and everything they go through on their journey to happy ever after. Will the killer get to Emma and Lei? Will the heroine and her best friend be thrown off balance by how far the killer is willing to go to get to them? Moreover, the heroine is resilient, courageous and I liked that she gave the hero a chance, even though it would be understandable if she never gave another man a chance after her last boyfriend turned out to be a psychopath. I also liked the tight bond she shares with her best friend and that she would do anything to help Emma get through the tough times they face. Yet, what I liked most of all about the heroine was how far she was willing to go to put a stop to the person responsible for the latest killings. Will Lei and Dante find a way to take down the person targeting the women?

While Dante, he's hard-working, fearless, a good FBI agent, confident and I liked how protective he was of the heroine. I also liked the challenge the heroine provided the hero because she doesn't trust easily and isn't about to let anyone get as close as her ex once did. Will Dante be able to win Lei over and show her that she can trust him? Yet, what I liked most of all about the hero is the lengths he was willing to go to in order to put a stop to the person targeting Lei, especially since the killer is upping his game with everything he does.

Overall, Ms. Robert has delivered an absolutely riveting and wild ride in this book, which was filled with plenty of suspense and a good dose of sweet romance; where the chemistry between this couple was powerful and kept getting stronger the more the hero proved to Lei he was someone she could trust; and the ending had me worried for the main characters because of the way things go when they finally face off against the bad guy, but in the end left me completely satisfied and smiling because of how things work out for Lei and Dante. I would recommend The Surviving Girls by Katee Robert, if you enjoy romantic suspense, the sexy protector trope or books by authors Laura Griffin, Laura Kaye, Kaylea Cross and Cynthia Eden.

As college students, Emma and Lei lived through the brutal assassination of 21 of their fellow sorority members while they were there but to make the situation that much more tragic the crime was committed by Lei’s boyfriend.

They have managed to move forward with their life the best way they can but the PSTD and guilt from surviving are their constant companions. They are fearful of those around them, so they have chosen to live in a well secured home and are trying to help others who suffer immense tragedies. Their past comes crashing back when 12 years later a similar crime occurs with details eerily similar to the original crime.

Dante is the FBI agent that is assigned to the case and he is immediately drawn to Lei. Lei has severe trust issues and is not about to let anyone get that close to her again and while Dante knows that he must keep his focus on keeping them alive rather than on her he can’t deny his feelings for her.

This story takes you on a thrilling adventure filled with twists and turns as with the man convicted of the original crime in jail they can only wonder who is after them and why. I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book.

4.5

Twelve years ago Lei Zhang and her friend Emma Nilsson were the only two survivors of the notorious Sorority Row Murders that left twenty-one of their sorority sisters dead. In the intervening years, Lei and Emma have found ways to help other victims and their families all while still dealing with the trauma of that horrible night. For the most part, they've at least been moving forward if not exactly moving on with their lives. They've been, for lack of a better word, surviving. That is, until an apparent copycat killer begins targeting Lei and Emma in the places they feel the safest.

When FBI Agent Dante Young is called in to investigate, he doesn't know what to expect from the women who lived to tell their stories, but he definitely wasn't expecting Lei. As the killer ups their game and inches ever so closer to the final confrontation, Dante and Lei's attraction for one another will prove another hurdle the pair will have to work through if they want to survive to the end.

With The Surviving Girls Katee Robert certainly ups her thriller game. This story was simply chilling in places. I found myself reading until the late hours of the night, but then I'd have to turn out the lights and, Oh My, did my imagination mess with me. It was filled with quite a lot of dark and twisting turns. I'm pretty sure I was kept guessing until close to the end. I was convinced everyone had a motive and pretty much no one was safe from my scrutiny.

I loved that Katee Robert really chose to put the romance in the backseat to the more dominant thriller aspect of the story. Yes, it's there, and I might even go so far as to say it was quite the insta-love, but I liked that the focus remained on the case. Seeing as how the murders are linked so closely to Lei and Emma, if any other choice had been made, I probably would have done a huge eye-roll, but as it was, I thought it was the right decision to make this more thriller, less romance.

That being said, I did like the emphasis put on the relationship between Lei and Emma. Their shared trauma and survival links these women inextricably together, probably for the rest of their lives. They lean on each other, they help each other survive. While Lei is a bit more independent than Emma - Emma is unable to even leave the house - she still needs to comfort of her other half. The only other person who could possibly understand the panic that seems to arise out of nowhere or waking up in the middle of the night with a scream on your lips. Despite the fact that they are joined together due to what they went through, I liked the way Katee Robert portrays their relationship.

I think this is the best one of the Hidden Sins series so far. There were a couple of threads that I felt weren't completely tied up at the end, but I kinda think that's par for the course sometimes in investigations. You might not know the full motivations behind every act. That's at least how I'm looking at it as it doesn't impact my overall enjoyment of the story.

While I can't remember if Lei and Emma's story was mentioned in either of the previous two books in the series or not, I am interested to see if Katee Robert decides to move any of the secondary characters to the main character spotlight in upcoming books. There are definitely a couple that I have pegged as favorites. Regardless, The Surviving Girls works well as a standalone. Any glimpses, or mentions of characters, of previous books does nothing to detract from the focus of this story.

Trust me, this one will have you looking over your shoulder.

4.5 Stars

Lei Zhang and her friend Emma Nilsson have spent over a decade trying to get their life back after living through the sorority row murders, that left 21 of their sisters dead. They devoted their days to helping others victims find closure. Even with the knowledge that the killer is behind bars they still have lingering fear from that night. When a copy cat murder happens very close to their home the FBI is called in to head up the investigation. Dante Young is put in charge of anticipating the unsub’s every move. But what he doesn’t expect is his immediate attraction to Lei. When he discovers that the feelings are mutual, Dante vows to protect Lei at any cost. Their future together depends on it.

I have read all 3 books in this series. Katee does a great job keeping the suspense going, and the reader always wanting to know what is going to happen next.

As a suspense thriller this book delivers a gripping and emotional story. One minute I was afraid to turn the page and the next I couldn't put it down. I have read several books by Katee Robert but they were more straight forward romance novels so I was probably expecting a little more from the romance in this book but I felt like there was a real connection between Lei and Dante that I did enjoy. I look forward to checking out the other books in this series.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I think Ms.Robert has found her niche in the suspense genre. Clearly The Surviving Girls is a testament to that. Her characters are flawed but resilient and never the victim despite the odds. Plus it takes a twisted mind to come up with that plot! And that is a complement for a reader like me who likes her suspense as nail biting as possible. The romance is developing, more a symbol of hope rather than pushed to develop in the confined space of a novel. This is extremely appropriate, an HFN with a possible HEA. But the mystery suspense aspect is a definite winner.

Lei Zhang and Emma Nilsson were the only survivors of a brutal attack that took the lives of twenty one of their sorority sisters. It’s been twelve years since the Sorority Row Murders and both women still feel the after effects of the trauma. Lei feels extra guilty as she was dating Travis Berkley, the man sent to prison for the murders. Emma never leaves the home she shares with Lei in Stillwater, Washington. She works at home in the tech industry working with grids and hacking. Emma and her cadaver dog, Saul search and find victims, bringing closure to families who have lost a loved one.

When a new set of murders pops up that is eerily similar to the Sorority Row Murders, FBI Agents Dante Young and Clarke Rowan are assigned the case which leads them to seek out the help of Lei and Emma who seem to have caught the eye of a copycat killer. Travis is still in prison, so it could not be him. Will they be able to catch a killer before he makes Lei and Emma his next victims?

The Surviving Girls is just one of those stories that can easily make your skin crawl. The creepiness factor had me pretty shaken and scared, probably due to the fact that I read this book in the wee hours of the morning. I kept thinking someone was looking in my window or at my back door. For a while, I didn’t even want to leave my room! There is one scene in particular that freaked me out the most and it was the tap, tap, tap on the door scene. OMG! I kept looking over my shoulder afraid someone was going to jump out behind me! Katee Robert sure knows how to take it up a notch in the “scare me senseless” category. Well done, I have not been this freaked out from a book in a long long time.

The plot moves at a relatively fast pace with a lot of action. Things get going right from the start and I didn’t find any place that ever lagged. The suspense surrounding the serial killer really kept me guessing and going back and forth between a few characters and to be honest, I really couldn’t figure out who was behind the new killings.

Character development really shined in this story. Lei and Emma have been through so much pain and suffering, but they did not let their past rule them. Were they still fearful? Yes, but they also became kind of badass as well. They learned how to take care of themselves and one another and to not rely on anyone for protection. They were by far my favorite characters in the story

The romance takes second fiddle to the suspense. The main story is the serial murders taking place and trying to catch the unsub. I did feel a connection between Lei and Dante and although it was not explored deeper, I felt it worked well given the storyline.

If you like hair-raising suspense, strong female characters, and a serial killer you never want to hear knocking on your door, then pick up a copy of The Surviving Girls, you will be in for one hell of a ride. It is well worth five stars.

Rating 4.5/5*

WOW!! This story is packed with intrigue, deception, puzzles, danger, threats and, of course, murders. It is twelve years since Lei Zhang and Emma Nilsson were the only survivors from the Sorority Row murders that resulted in twenty one other people in the same sorority being killed. They have both obviously been affected by the experience and are a mutual support team. Now Emma is a skilled computer hacker and researcher working with Lei to help find the bodies of people who are missing believed murdered. Both have working dogs - Lei's is specially trained to search for cadavers . . . .

When a copycat killer starts targeting other sorority women and sending messages to Lei and Emma FBI agent Dante Young is tasked with arresting the perpetrator and protecting the two young women. He is the strong, silent type, born to wealthy parents who don't support his choice of job. He keeps himself to himself, rarely opening up, but Lei soon breaks down his barriers as attraction builds between the two. However, with someone targeting her and her friend, can they remain the surviving girls or will the killer succeed in ending their lives?

This is a fast paced thriller that keeps the reader on the edge of their seat! It has plenty of twists, turns, misdirection and secrets that keep you guessing to the very end. I thoroughly enjoyed reading it and didn't want to put it down till I'd finished it. I've enjoyed every book in this series, each of which works as a standalone, and have absolutely no hesitation in highly recommending it to anyone who enjoys thrilling, suspense filled stories.

I requested and was given a copy of this novel, via NetGalley, with no obligation. This is my honest review of the book after choosing to read it.

I love Robert's suspense! I also like the premise of this book for sure-survivors guilt, killer on the loose...so much suspense!

Review goes live on May 29 and will show up on Goodreads sometime later.

In a Flutter: Tense and exciting
Fluttering Thoughts:
Worldbuilding: The home of Lei and Emma, Stillwater, was creepy as all small towns with lots of vegetation are to me, lol. But it was a great setting for them. I enjoyed the Seattle and Fed involvement, too.
Characters: Lei was an interesting character. She has PTSD but at the same time she’s a hardcore survivor. It’s almost as if the traumatic experience made her fierce and committed to being almost obsessively brave, while Emma is withdrawn, scared stiff at the slightest danger. I liked Lei’s fierceness, but the contrast to Emma made them both shine, imo. I loved Lei’s disciplined process and methodical approach to things, as well as her line of work. And ofc I loved their dogs, Saul the cadaver dog, and Prince who’s Emma’s guard dog xD
Dante Young and Rowan, the FBI profilers, were also a duo built on contrasts. It also made them both shine, imo. Dante was very hot and protective, which I like.
Plot: The procedural mystery arc is super tense and exciting, and I loved every minute of the ride. It had awesome tempo and chilling moments. The romantic suspense arc was also cool, with Lei not playing a damsel in distress but a participant to the solving of the mystery of who was after her – I really liked that.
Writing: Third person, past tense narrative, her/his POV. I really liked her snarky voice and his more diplomatic approach.
Curb Appeal: Cool cover, hooking blurb – impulsive buy material for my Romantic Procedural moods (which is to me a distinct sort of Romantic Suspense, and I’m particular about my cravings, lol!)

I recommend The Surviving Girls to fans of Romantic Suspense, specifically Romantic Procedural variety which includes trying to catch a serial killer and stories about survivor of horribly traumatic events (and this novel is not, imo, triggering).

Wow! What a premise. Two girls who lived through a massacre of twenty-one of their sorority sisters. And it’s worse for Lei because she was dating the killer and gave him access.

Emma becomes a recluse, comfortable in front of a computer screen but afraid to leave their highly fortified home while Lei uses her highly trained cadaver dog to help police. They can’t possibly come out of such a tragedy unaffected but they can shape lives that work for them.

Now a killer is imitating the man they sent to prison and making it personal to the girls. The FBI agents assigned to the case realize the new murders are too similar to the “Sorority Row Murders”. While working with Lei and Emma to protect them and determine how and if the new murders relate to their experience, agent Dante Young is far too attracted to Lei. An attraction she feels as well. He’s a very good agent and too professional to act on it for much of the story.

This story was chocked full of intrigue with just enough romance. I loved the grit of these two women. Each fighting back from one of the worse experiences a young woman can live through. Some might find them sad and damaged but I see them as heroes. It takes real strength to keep going even if their lives aren’t normal.

Robert takes the story to an unexpected revelation of who the real killer is and the trip there is highly entertaining in a hang on to your chair kind of way. Every Robert book I’ve read has been filled with well defined, gritty characters and a well-paced plot. The women aren’t Cinderallas and the Princes Charming have an edge to them. Just the way I like it.

reviewed by Jem

Absolutely loved this book! The two surviving girls, Emmy and Lei, of serial killer Travis Berkeley are drawn back into his cat and mouse game. Even though he is sitting behind bars, there is a copycat killing that screams Berkeley did it. Enter special agent Dante and his attraction to Lei. Can they catch the killer before he completes his mission? 5 nail biting stars