I loved this second book of the series. It can be read as a standalone. Wynter is trying to discover what really happened to her mother. Her best friend Noah is along for the ride. What you get is an action packed romantic suspense you can't put down. There were several twists. The romance is steamy and sweet. Great characters. I was gripped from the beginning until the shocking conclusion! This author never disappoints.

This is book 2 in the Pike, Wisconsin series but it can absolutely be read as standalone! Wynter Moore witnessed her mother's murder when she was a small child. She has tried to ignore that fact by working hard. But she always go home to Wisconsin every year to grieve her mother. But this year her visit is marked by her finding out secrets about her mother and a new danger to her. And soon she finds that she has opened Pandora's box by asking questions that should have been asked long ago. Which makes her become a target herself. Noah Hunter has tried to keep Wynter as a friend since they met. But when he finds out she is in danger, he knows it's time to face his feelings for her while keeping her safe at the same time.

I always know I will get a good read when it's a book by Alexandra Ivy-and this book was no exception to that! Not only do you get a great suspense story but you get 2 characters that suck you into their lives as well. There were a lot of elements to this book that I wasn't expecting when I read this story. There is a lot of backstory but honestly, there needed to be in order to understand exactly what happened to her mother. And just so you are aware, while this is romantic suspense-it is more about the suspense with the romance being more secondary. But she pulled it off and sucked this romance lover right into the story!

FACELESS (Pike, Wisconsin Book 2)By Alexandra Ivy
I have always enjoyed Alexandra Ivy’s work, and I am really into these suspense dramas. This is the story of Wynter and Noah. They meet in grief counseling and become close friends. This story has plenty of suspense, drama, intrigue, angst, twists and turns. The 25th anniversary of the death of Wynter’s mother starts the drama when she is at the cemetery and finds out there is some information that was never investigated about her murder. This is a 4 star read.

Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) provided by the Author and Publisher via NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

I really liked Faceless, though I did feel that the first half of the book was stronger than the second. The suspense is well done, but I think the romance was left behind a little bit. As the characters are best friends ever since they were teenagers, they don't really fall in love during the book, they kind of just realize they're in love during the novel. It's kind of like the romance suffered from investigating Wynter's mom's life and the potential murderers.
4 stars.

On the 25th anniversary of her mother’s murder Wynter learns that there may be more behind it than a simple mugging. One clue opens a whole investigation with the help of her best friend Noah. While Wynter is trying to uncover the reason her mother died, more than one person is doing everything they can to keep the secrets they’ve hidden all these years.

There were a lot of secondary characters in this book. It made guessing the murderer tricky, but also complicated the story. I did enjoy the friends to lovers romance between Wynter and Noah, but it was definitely a second thought to the mystery. Overall this was an entertaining who done it and kept me guessing.

The more I read the more intrigued I became. A cold case becomes the basis for several new murders. Who is behind this? Some surprising answers. Some tense moments. Thanks to the publisher for providing a copy via NetGalley.

Review featured at www.books-n-kisses.com

3.75 Hearts This is the second in the Pike, Wisconsin series but can easily be a stand alone. In this story we meet Noah and Wynter.

Decades ago Wynter’s mom was killed during an armed robbery, or at least that is what Wynter was told, but new evidence is coming to light that makes Wynter want to investigate what really happened. Noah is “just friends” with Wynter even though it is becoming harder and harder to convince himself of that but when Wynter needs help Noah is right there to give her the support she needs.

I found this story really interesting. Yes, it is a romance and Noah and Wynter find love during the chaos of the investigation but the twists and turns that Alexandra Ivy puts us through is what this story is really all about.

Alexandra Ivy became one of my faves with her paranormal romance and I have read every book she has written since. And this book is just another to put on your TBR shelf by Ivy that does not disappoint.

Disclaimer:
I received a complimentary copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

Wynter, after 25 years, feels the need to investigate her mother’s murder. With the help of Noah, a friend from her teen years, the two stumble upon Pandora’s box. Although this is the second book in the Pike series the only connection is the mention of the deceased sheriff. They can be read independently of the other. Wynter owns a unique restaurant and Noah is in law enforcement, more of a fish and game variety. I would have loved to hear more about their jobs but they conveniently took time off together to solve her case. I enjoyed the vibe between the two and the way the crimes were unraveled. Definitely a thrilling mystery that kept me turning pages. My copy came from Netgalley and I’ve written this review voluntarily.

FACELESS is an excellent mystery - the kind that you follow along, know the answer, and find out you are so wrong.

Author Alexandra Ivy offers her readers a fascinating mystery, a couple (that only one of them knows they are a couple), danger, intrigue, crazy people, lovely people, and a read that will take readers away from their world and throw them into a world they won't want to leave. FACELESS is the perfect escape read!

Reviewed by Annetta Sweetko for Fresh Fiction

Complete review: https://freshfiction.com/review.php?id=74842

Wynter Moore’s mother was murdered when Wynter was four years old and the killer was never found. Visiting her mother’s grave, she notices a young man visiting his father’s grave…his father who was the sheriff at the time of her mother’s murder. He tells her of an envelope with her name on it that was in his father’s file, an envelope that will lead her to investigate her mother’s murder. An envelope that will lead to the death of others in order to keep the killer’s secret. An envelope that may well lead to her own death. Her dear friend, Conservation Officer Noah Heller, has been attracted to Wynter for years. He hopes to help her, as well as protect her, as they try to uncover who killer her mother. She may very well wish that she had done what the killer suggested in a note “let the dead rest in peace”. A mystery where the unknown killer, during the story, plans the next murder for the thrill and to take care of loose ends. I received an advance review copy at no cost and without obligation for an honest review. (by paytonpuppy)

Faceless is the second volume in the Pike, Winsconsin romantic suspense series by Alexandra Ivy. The first volume is titled Don’t look.
I preferred this second volume to the first even if all in all the secondary characters are all disconcerting but I won’t say more and let the readers discover what I’m talking about.

The story features Wynter Moore and Noah Hunter, who’ve known each other for several years and are very close friends.

The novel begins when Wynter goes to Pike to see her mother’s grave. The latter was killed by an armed robber some 25 years earlier at a gas station. Wynter, then 5 years old, was in the car. Every year since 16 years, she comes to pay tribute to her mother.
Usually, she closes her restaurant for a few days, visits the grave then comes back home to Iowa. However, at the cemetery, she meets Kir, the son of the sheriff who investigated at the time and who’s died since then. Just for information, it’s the hero of the series’ first volume.
Kir gives an envelope to Wynter in which are his father’s notes made during his investigation. One annotation by the sheriff makes the heroine wondering, and, disturbed, Wynter decides to stay in Pike.

The hero and the heroine met during sessions at the psychologist; Wynter because of her mother’s murder and Noah because of his parents’ death in a car accident caused by a reckless driver.
The latter knows Wynter’s habits and when he doesn’t see her come back home, he goes to Pike to check if everything is all right. When he understands what’s worrying her, he offers to interrogate the gas station’s employee. But when they go and see her, they realize she doesn’t tell the truth and a few hours later, she dies.
That’s how the suspense begins.

The heroes are going from one discovery to another on all fronts, especially the personality of all the people involved in Wynter or her mother’s lives, and till the end big surprises are in store for the reader.
The suspense is very well done even if there’s not much action. What’s more, we have several other points of view in the book including the murderer and the future victims, and it helps to understand the motivations of everyone before the heroes do.

As for the romance, let’s say it’s a calm evolution. We feel an attraction that has existed for years between Wynter and Noah, to which they never yield because they were too young. The risk of dying will bring them to reconsider their priorities and their future. Of course, this kind of relationship will not appeal to everyone, especially those who like conflicts, but that suits me.

The romance and the suspense are well balanced in the book and I’m not disappointed by one or the other. The seedy atmosphere I noticed in the previous volume is less pronounced here, probably because part of the book takes place in Iowa. What’s more, we can read Faceless as a standalone and the little glimpse of Kir at the beginning of the book doesn’t spur the reader to wonder on potentially missing elements. It’s a big plus for me.

To conclude, Faceless is a very good romantic suspense, but I give you an advice when you begin to read it: only grow attached to the heroes lol.

Faceless, is the second book in Alexandra Ivy’s new Pike, Wisconsin series. It is an action packed, romantic suspense story with great, well developed characters and a fantastic storyline. Ivy is a phenomenal writer, who’s story telling ability draws the reader deep into the story and keeps them hanging on from page to page until the book is done.

Tragedy brought Wynter Moore and Noah Heller together as teenagers. Friendship bonded them together as they grew and developed their careers. Will their new found love guide and protect them when the past starts tearing everything in the present apart? Read it and find out!

Ivy has done an amazing job in developing her characters. They are full of depth and easily relatable to the readers. I love Wynter and Noah, both individually and together. You could see that the relationship and feelings they have for each other has grown over time and once they opened themselves up their connection only deepened and the resulting chemistry was explosive.

This book is part of a series but can be read as a standalone. While a few events and characters from the previous books are mention, Ivy does a fantastic job providing an explanation and summary. I can’t wait to read the next book in the series.

This is a voluntary review of an advanced readers copy received from Netgalley

2.5 stars?

I like the premise of this book. And the deeper look into the past.

I did feel that the romance between Noah and Wynter was a bit rushed. At one point, it took your attention away from the mystery.

Also, there seemed to be some minor characters that you meet and discard on the next chapter. And not my killing them off so much as taking them out of the equation.

And I have to say, I guessed the murdered right. There was a small twist there that I didn’t expect but heck, when it happened, yeah why not that twist.

Light mystery read this one, despite the number of bodies.

Thank you Kensington Books and NetGalley for the arc!

Wynter has been mourning her mother, killed in a car jacking, for 25 years. Each year she returns to the small town where it happened to visit the grave but this year something is different- she's given a photo which sets her off on a new investigation. Noah, her friend (and soon to be love interest) comes along to help. It's trope-y and you. like me, might figure the secret and the villain out early on. More problematic are the numbers of murders that suddenly occur in such a small town! Geez. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. A beach book.

I liked the story and most of the characters. I’m used to a bit of suspense with this author’s books and this one didn’t disappoint. The romance was really more secondary and just a bit bland. The main characters go from best friends to lovers but I didn’t see a lot of spark between them and I wanted more. The plot was really the main focus behind the story. The ending wasn’t much of a surprise as I thought figured out who the killer was about half way in. Still, all in all it was a good book.

I reviewed a free copy of this book provided by Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

Faceless by Alexandra Ivy introduces us to Wynter Moore as our main character.Wynter Moore’s mother died when she was quite young. The murder happened in front of her, but she was asleep. Her mother was seemingly killed by someone looking to steal her purse. Wynter has felt deeply all her life about her mother and what life might have been like - if her mother lived. Her father seemed to always be emotionally distant. Wynter spent a lot of time with her irascible grandfather (dad’s dad) and her grandmother (mother’s mom). From one she inherited the love of cooking and from the other, the love of the land and its fresh bounty. Wynter has moved forward with her life by opening a restaurant that features garden to table food that is delicious.

However Wynter has never quite forgotten the impact of her mother’s death and often closes the restaurant down for a week on the anniversary of her mother’s death. This year however there is an added twist. The investigator of the case has a picture of her mother from a video cam and has left it to Wynter. This simple picture starts a chain of events as Wynter tries to understand the picture.

Noah Hunter is Wynter’s love interest. Noah and Wynter are best friends but before now have never passed the point of friendship into a boyfriend/girlfriend status. However, with the secret uncovered about Wynter’s mother’s death, someone is suddenly concerned with what they are going to find out. This is when coincidences (that aren’t) start to happen and Noah steps up to protect Wynter.

I thought the conclusion was unexpected. I was surprised, but in a good way. What was meh for me was Wynter. I appreciated her doggedness and questions, but I never really connected with her. I usually really like Alexandra Ivy’s books, but this one was meh. Not to say I won’t read the next novel - because I will, but this one was just okay.

Faceless by Alexandra Ivy is the newest book in the Pike, Wisconsin Series.

A 25 year old murder, secrets, lies and a crazy killer come to light in the mystery suspense.

“Secrets never stay buried,” Noah sharply interrupted, his tone equally fierce. “Eventually Pandora’s box would have been opened.”

Wynter was four years old when her mother was murdered. 25 years later she finds out her mother wasn’t the person she thought.

Noah is helping her look into what really happened. What a shocker.

“A man needs a soft place to land at the end of a day,” his dad had said. “Find that soft place. . . .”

The romance was more a after thought but still a good story.

Faceless, by Alexandra Ivy, is the 2nd in the Pike, Wisconsin series and while I haven't read the 1st, it read easily as a standalone. This was also a new author for me.
The story is a romantic crime mystery set in small town Larkin, Iowa. Since she was 4 years old, Wynter believed her Mother, Laurel, was shot during a crime. While her father, Edgar, provided her a stable home, they weren't close. The professor didn't like discussing the past or her mother. Wynter's grandpa, Sander, is cantankerous, but loves her. He taught her about gardening on the genetational family farm, and she now has a farm to table restaraunt, Wynter's Garden.
The death of sheriff Jansen, the investigator in the case years ago, leads to Wynter finding new evidence from her mother's file.
The senseless murder of her Mother, at such a young age, led Wynter to seek therapy. She met and formed a lasting bond with Noah Heller, a conservation officer, during these sessions.
The pace of Wynter's quest for the truth of her Mother's murder is relentless. Her friends and family all have secrets. There's a long list of suspects who know what really happened. I thought I had it all figured out. I wasn't even close to the twist revealed. An action-packed, murder mystery! There is a good balance of romance threaded throughout.
I would definitely read more of this series. Thanks so much to Netgalley and Kennsington Books, Zebra for the advance digital copy. This review is my personal opinion given voluntarily.

Alexandra Ivy is one of my go to authors. She always provides me with a 4 or 5 star read and this one is no exception. Suspense, psychological thriller with friends to lovers back drop. I know some people say they saw this coming. I kept waffling on the killer, and was totally wrong. That is always a win for me. The friendship between Wynter and Noah was forged in despair and their honesty with each other is stunningly beautiful. I will say this one piled up a lot of bodies, The family dynamics, or lack there of was heart wrenching and still this book brought the HEA, tattered, but strong. Thank you for the arc! I freely share my thoughts and opinions.

This one is everything you expect from an Alexandra Ivy book. I loved Wynter and Noah. The plot was intriguing and so well done. I felt so bad for Wynter with everything that happened. Normally with murder mysteries I can figure out whodunit really quickly this one had me guessing right up until the reveal. Absolutely did not see that ending coming. So good!
I finished it in about 2 hours so it's a nice fast paced read. 10/10 would recommend to any murder mystery fan.