This was a decent read. It was a quick read. The characters were likable and the overall plot was good. I recommend.
**I voluntarily read and reviewed this book

I have chosen not to give feedback on this title, which is probably pretty obvious as it was released almost 4 months ago.

My apologies for the delay. I don't want to rate/review titles that don't work for me when they are close to release or available on NetGalley, but it seems I forgot to go back and update the DNF status.

As always, I appreciate the opportunity to read and review.

Laura

Amanda Stevens is a new author for me but I can tell yo know she is certainly on my radar. This book grabbed my attention from the get go and din't let go. The romance in this one is a slow burn sort of romance. It isn't the sudden heat that other books have but I find it refreshing here. They don't jump right into bed or anything of the sort. They take it slow so that it seems much more plausible in the story line.

Nikki is the coroner Echo Lake and she has seen all sorts of death. Even the death of people she knows but the body that comes out of the lake is more personal than ever. It's the body of her friend and she will have to team up with someone from her past to figure out what happened.

Adam is the police detective who finds the body while at his grandmother's house. When he sees Nikki is surprised as she is not the girl he once knew. Together they have to figure out what happened to Charles. He had been trying to tell them something before his death and know they can figure out the clues.

My first book by Amanda Stevens and I will admit I give HQ Intrigue as a beach book read or a throw away when you need something to read Amanda Stevens is a shining star to this company.

She story flows well the story is complete and compelling with just the right blend of what readers are looking for an more.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a advance copy of Amanda Stevens A Desperate Search

It had been a while since I had opened one of this author's books and then realized my favorite series of hers was the graveyard one. Did not put the two together at first duh me any ways loving Harlequin I jumped right into this one because their intrigue have all the ingredients you look for. The coroner is Nikki whom when she is called to a scene is soon astonished on whom it is. She also notices the stranger whom is familiar in a way. Adam is watching and realizing there is something going on when whom has called him is no longer able to talk. They soon get together and compare notes with also working together to find out what happened and what is going on. This author will lead you down a path you follow with the chemistry building also. Watch out though through it all you will be blown away when Nikki will see first hand a twist that blows us all away.

Full review to be published online in late June.

Amanda Stevens writes great category suspense, and this book is no exception. The creepy, gothic, mysterious small town is a premise the author excels in. My only real complaint that the ending of the book wrapped up in lightening speed after the leisurely pace of the rest of the book. Overall, it was a worthy read, though.

I am still convinced that Amanda Stevens is one of the best scary author around and her series "The graveyard queen" was impressive. Unluckily here she has to write too fast and there is no place for romance, but the story is still worthy.

Resto convinta che Amanda Stevens sia una delle scrittrici "di paura" migliori in circolazione attualmente, a riprova di questo porterei la sua serie "La regina dei cimiteri". Purtroppo peró per la Harlequin deve riassumere la storia in poche pagine lasciando quindi poco spazio, o quasi niente, alla storia d'amore, ma come giallo non é niente male.

THANKS NETGALLEY FOR THE PREVIEW!

This is the first book I've read by Amanda Stevens, but it won't be my last. The book grabs you from page one as Nikki is trying to fish a dead body out of the lake. It isn't until they flip the body over that her whole world changes. As the coroner for the town of Echo Lake, she's often faced with the deaths of people she knows, but this one was personal. Extremely personal.

Adam Thayer is a police detective from Dallas hiding out in Echo Lake at his grandmother's house. When he stumbles across the dead body in the water, he calls it in immediately, even though he knows he will be scrutinized if the body in the water turns out to be a murder victim. When he lays eyes on Nikki again for the first time in years, he's stunned to see she's no longer the 'goth girl' of summers past, but a bright, strong, brilliant doctor who will stop at nothing to avenge the death of her friend.

Adam and Nikki must band together if they're going to figure out what Charles was trying to tell them before his death. Finding clues was the easy part, figuring out what they meant before someone else died was nearly impossible. The swift and stunning conclusion of this book was wonderful and completely unexpected.

I will say that there isn't much romance in this book, but it works. Nikki and Adam work together well and you know they're starting to fall for each other, but they don't jump into an instalove relationship at the last second of the book just for grins. They decide to take it slow and easy, since they've both been hurt in relationships before and see where it leads. I hope to see more of these two in the third book, Someone is Watching, so we can find out if they do get their forever HEA. Their chemistry was off the charts, so I sure hope so!

I enjoyed A Desperate Search so much I went out and bought the paperback of Without A Trace (Book 1) yesterday. You don't need to read this series in order to understand them, which was nice since I started with book 2. If you are looking for a well written, twisting mystery with a little bit of romance to soften the blows, you'll love A Desperate Search!

This is the second book in this Hq Intrigue series. I have enjoyed this series and a waiting for the last book.