Cover Image: Deep in the Alaskan Woods

Deep in the Alaskan Woods

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Member Reviews

Alex escapes the clutches of her fiancé (and employer) Lyle with her little dog Spencer and heads to Alaska, where her cousins run an inn. They offer her a job running the gift shop and she'll also be able to sell her beauty products. Then she meets Quinn- the Q Man- the tracker who runs a school and has a tv series. Oh my. Unfortunately, Alex discovers a body and then the press shows up-and she's at risk of being discovered by the evil Lyle. This has a little info about tracking, a bit of Alaskan lore and atmosphere, some fairly tame romance, and some intriguing characters. There are also some holes in the plot and who cares about the Allie/Alex thing? Lyle is written quite broadly and Mary, to be honest, seems strange. The writing is awkward in the beginning but smoothes as you read further. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. A good diversion for those who like romantic suspense and an HEA.

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Thank you NetGalley for the ARC of Deep in the Alaskan Woods by Karen Harper that I read and reviewed.
This book was good romantic suspense book. It moved a bit slow for my usual taste but overall it was an enjoyable story and a good start to a new trilogy by Harper. I did enjoy Quinn and Alex as couple and how well they fit together in the story.
I am giving this book four out of five stars.

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I just loved this book. It had mystery and murder. The chemistry between Alex and Quinn was instantaneous. Quinn is a giant teddy bear. He’s a great tracker and he feels things deeply. Alex is sweet and kind. I loved Alex’s cousins too. I can’t wait for book 2 in th trilogy. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. I received a copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

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I’ve read a few books by Karen Harper and all of them has been pretty good, but I just couldn’t get into this one. I love that it is set in Alaska but it was slow to start and it was hard for me to finish. Romantic suspense is my favorite genre but Deep in the Alaskan Woods didn’t have much of either. Alex and Quinn just didn’t click the way I would have liked and some of it was repetitive when talking about a twin. I just didn’t enjoy this book as much as I was hoping to.

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Thanks to NetGalley for an advanced reader's copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I really wanted to love this one! This was a new author for me and I loved the synopsis and the cover so I just had to read it. I didn't love it. It was just ok. I found it boring at times and hard to muddle through. I found the characters to be one dimensional and I didn't connect with any of them. I found the romance part of this book to be unbelievable from the start. I don't know of anyone in an abusive relationship to immediately be head over heels for some guy they just met to the point of even moving in with them for her "safety" to keep her identity a secret so the abusive ex can't find her. Meh just meh. I hope to try another one by this author at some point in the future, this one just did not click for me at all.

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Ooh ,,, this one was hard to get in to and I honestly gave up about halfway through. I though it would be one of those quick, enjoyable reads and instead I found myself frustrated with the writing and bored.

I’ve read Karen Harper before and was excited to receive this eARC. It sounded interesting and just the type of story I like to read. This one felt rushed and the writing felt forced. It was hard to connect to any of the characters. They were just so unlikeable and one dimensional. The author attempted to give them a backstory but it felt trite and unbelievable.

Unfortunately, this one just didn’t work for me. You can’t like them all. It won’t stop me from reading this author again in the future, but not this particular series.

Thank you #netgalley and #harlequintrade for the eARC.

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Great start to a series I will be following.A true page turner ful of suspense characters that come alive. I love books set in Alaska this one kept me up late reading.#harlequinbooks#netgalley

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I've read oodles of Karen Harpers books and loved them. Deep In Alaska not so much. The story had great potential and I loved the setting but I never connected with the characters. The romance felt flat as did the suspense. Normally, when reading this type of book, I'm obvious of everything going on around me. At no time in this book did I feel like I anything other than I had a book in my hand. I'm not a fan of instant attraction. I like a relationship to grow and develop so that may have been part of my problem with Alex and Quinn. The only thing that kept me reading was I don't like not know who did the deed.

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It's been quite a while since I've read one of Karen Harper's romantic suspense novels, although I have been keeping up with her Amish novels, which I thoroughly enjoy. This is the first book in her new Alaska Wild series, and while loved the setting, the escape from a controlling, abusive fiance plot, and the murder mystery subplot, I found the pacing a bit slow, and the romance a bit sparse, which is why I'm giving it 3.5 stars rather than 5.

As always, I could find no fault with Ms. Harper's writing skills, but I found her heroine, Alexandra (Alex), somewhat clueless when it came to her romantic relationship with her boss, a veterinarian, who, although charming at first, gave her more than a few clues about his controlling and abusive nature. When he finally shows her his true colors, Alex, rather than quitting and getting a restraining order, flees her Chicago suburb and re-establishes her relationship with her two estranged twin cousins who own and operate a B&B lodge in Alaska. We also learn that in the womb, Alex also once had a twin, but a later sonogram showed only one embryo, so Alex had to assume she'd absorbed the twin that disappeared in the womb, and way too much time in this novel was spent with her talking to her missing twin, who she'd even named, and the fact that she was so obsessed with this knowledge made her seem more than a tad mentally unstable to this reader.

Once arriving in Alaska, Alex is almost immediately attracted to Quinn Mantell, who owns and operates a nearby wilderness training, tracking and survival camp, and he even has his own television series, which brings in more than a few secondary characters involved in filming his series as well as his students, and also results in mysterious bear claw markings on the outside wall of the room Alex occupies at the B&B, the back wall of the cabin shared by two married, secondary characters, Sam and Mary, who live and work within the camp compound, and eventually those same marks are also found on the dead body of Val, the filmographer's annoying, disliked, and disgruntled girlfriend. There are more than a few red herrings in the mix as well, but trying to discern who was behind the odd goings on kept me guessing, so kudos to Ms. Harper for not giving away the identity of the true villain too soon.

While this novel was an interesting read that kept me guessing, I really had a problem with how fast the relationship between Quinn and Alex developed. I've known more than a few domestic abuse victims, and they tend to be rather reluctant to fall into new romantic relationships, not trusting men, or their own judgment, but Alex and Quinn fall in love with each within her first 2 days in Alaska, and it simply wasn't believable. All in all, Deep in the Alaskan Woods was not a bad read, but it's not one of Ms. Harper's best novels. There will be two more novels in this series, featuring the two cousins who run the B&B, and I'm hoping they are an improvement over this one.

I voluntarily read an advance reader copy of this novel. The opinions expressed are my own.

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I am a complete sucker for books set in Alaska. I would love to visit there, but can't see myself actually going, so *Deep in the Alaskan Woods* is perfect escape fiction for me! This book has all the things that keep the pages turning: romance, suspense, danger, wilderness! I really enjoyed it and stayed up entirely too late reading it. Excellent beginning to a series that I will definitely read more of!

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I am a sucker for romantic suspense, especially ones set in remote locations. There is also just something about Alaska that really works as the setting for this book. It really is the last frontier and brings so much to the table for this book as almost a third main character.

Alex starts the book out ending a relationship with a man she thought she was going to marry. When he returns from a vacation with his buddies to a place she has always wanted to travel to - he reveals his true nature to her. He's controlling and abusive. After he tries to physically harm her for the first time, Alex makes the decision to get out of her old life and reconnect with her cousins at their lodge in Alaska.

Quinn is a true outdoorsman. He is the real deal when it comes to tracking and knowledge about wilderness survival. He made me think of Bear Grylls. He has a fairly tragic backstory - that isn't common knowledge to his reality tv series fans. He and Alex are immediately drawn to one another - even though Alex had decided she needs a break. She actually turns Quinn down when he asks for a first date.

Overall - I think this book had a great mix of romance and suspense. The last third of the book, in particular, does a great job of building the suspense. I also didn't guess who the murderer was until it was revealed - looking back I should have guessed - but I missed it somehow!

The only thing that kept this from being a five star read for me was the degree of angst both Quinn and Alex had about their pasts. I know they were something each had to work through for character growth - but I think maybe the guilt felt a little too forced for both of them? Their losses were a long time in the past and something neither was really to blame for (and both had varying degrees of therapy to deal with). I think they were an important part of the story - but maybe not worth the attention they were paid.

Overall - tho - I really liked the book and am looking forward to the next one!

I received this as an ARC from NetGalley, but these opinions are all my own.

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I have been reading Karen Harper's books for over twenty five years. Alex flees Illinois after discovering her fiancé and employer is a psycho. She ends up at her cousins' lodge in Alaska. She immediately meets Quinn who is a tracker and local celebrity. The romance between them flares quickly as trouble finds Alex once again and someone is dead. The chemistry between Quinn and Alex is heady to read about, but the timing is really too quick. The character of Mary is never fully explained and fades. Was she the one who made all the strange garbled sounds down by the lake? That's never fully answered. How Lyle was dealt with was very satisfactory. I look forward to reading the next two novels in this series.

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This is the first book in the Alaska Wild series. I did enjoy the storyline and the characters. I love the descriptions of Alaska and the wildlife. I also enjoyed the info on tracking a lost person. I do think the vanishing twin line was over used. Oh was mentioned repeatedly. And I think she went from abusive relationship to new relationship way too fast

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This is book one in the Alaska Wild series and I am looking forward to reading more! I love romantic suspense and Deep in the Alaskan Woods kept me engaged and wanting to read more. I really enjoyed it.

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An average entry in the romantic suspense genre with not enough romance or suspense. The Alaskan setting was a good call and I enjoyed the wilderness scenes. Unfortunately, there wasn't enough sizzle or written attraction between Alex and Quinn. There is a murder and a stalker which should generate plenty of suspense but the plot didn't thicken and the bad guy stalker was a caricature.

Copy provided by the Publisher and NetGalley

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This is the first book in the series, and it starts off great!
I was captured from the start. Alex finds herself in an abusive relationship, fearful of what her fiancé is going to do to her. She leaves everything behind and runs to hide with her cousins in Alaska. There she meets Quinn, an outdoor man who makes a living teaching people how to survive and rescue people in the wilderness. The attraction between the two is instant, but can Alex trust her instincts that Quinn is a great man? When the girlfriend of one of Quinn's crew is found dead, and claw marks are left outside Alex's window, she fears Lyle, her fiancé, has tracked her down and is warning her. He had vowed he would kill her if she left him, Has Lyle come to kill her or is there another killer in the woods?
Great characters, love the plot, flowed easily and kept me turning the pages. Looking forward to the next Alaska Wild book.
I received an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

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Alex has run to Alaska to escape and abusive relationship. She is staying at a lodge with her cousins. The story was a bit predictable but it still kept me entertained. I thought the vanishing twin aspect was not necessary to the story and mentioned way too often. On the whole the story kept me entertained. I would give this book 3 1/2 stars rounded up to 4. Thank you to net galley for an advanced readers copy.

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I enjoyed reading, Deep in the Alaskan Woods, for the most part. Alex brings up the fact that she was suppose to have been a twin repeatedly. We get it already. Other than that, I will be telling my friends that this is a great book to read.

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