POINT LAST SEEN – Christina Dodd
HQN
ISBN: 978-1-335-62397-3
July 26. 2022
Romantic Suspense

Gothic, California – Present Day

Adam Ramsdell is walking on the beach near his home when he comes across the half-frozen body of a woman that has washed ashore. Thinking she’s dead, he lifts her up over his shoulder—when suddenly she comes back to life. Adam takes her back to his home overlooking the beach, where he learns that she has amnesia, except that she knows someone just tried to kill her and she’s afraid they will complete the job if they find out she’s alive. As the hours progress, the woman remembers that her name is Elle and that she was on a ship. She is now having nightmares of the attack and can’t remember why she was targeted. Adam will do whatever it takes to protect Elle. But will danger follow Elle to Gothic?

Gothic is a remote and unique little town that is home to several eccentric people, including an actress who chooses to hide away here. There is also a physic, Madame Rune, who Adam wants Elle to see in hopes of learning more about her past. Flashbacks soon fill in many of the blanks, except for why she was attacked on the ship—and by whom. After someone mysteriously fires a gunshot into Madame Rune’s shop while the three of them are there, Adam isn’t sure if the shot was meant for Elle or him. Adam has a nemesis who has a grudge against him. Is it enough to try and kill him? Meanwhile, will Elle’s attackers show up in Gothic to finish the job?

POINT LAST SEEN is a tense and suspenseful tale that will keep readers on the edge of their seats. The question as to who Elle is and how she ended up on the beach half-dead will need to be answered. While Adam is more of an open book, he will need to explain his past to Elle after the shots were fired. Adam and Elle are two lost souls trying to find themselves and they make the perfect couple. Readers will soon be rooting for them to get a happily-ever-after. The people of Gothic think nothing of welcoming Elle—a stranger—into their town. Adam is, after all, well respected by them. While most of this tale is from either Elle or Adam’s point of view, we also learn a little about the others, such as Angelica, the actress, and Clarice. There is a surprise near the end that even I didn’t expect.

There are several spine-tingling scenes in POINT LAST SEEN that make this a compelling read. Adam and Elle will need to fight for their lives—and for their future together. Their chemistry in this tale shines as their initial attraction soon grows to love. The ride to the end won’t be easy but readers know that these two are fighters. If you love a good suspense, then POINT LAST SEEN should be on your book buying list. It provides the suspense, the action, and the romance, with the good guys winning.

Patti Fischer

I like how this book provides lots of twists and turns and slowly reveals the story. I was curious to know what happened to Elle and why she just randomly showed up at the beach.

Gothic, CA is a small town that keeps alive based on a legend regarding lost souls returning from the dead. The town is gearing up for The Gothic Spring Psychic Festival, which draws in tourists and helps keep the town alive.

Adam Ramsdell settled in Gothic to find some peace from a scandal, and to work on pieces of metal that the ocean churns up onto the shore. Adam keeps to himself and is haunted by his past, a past that keeps him vigilant even in an out-of-the-way town such as Gothic.

Madame Rune, Gothic's psychic, pays an unexpected visit to Adam and convinces him to participate in a jousting reenactment. Before Adam can leave, Rune imparts to Adam that a lost soul is coming to challenge him.

Adam doesn't believe in superstitious nonsense, but is surprised to find himself heading towards the ocean rather than home. As he contemplates wading out into the ocean, he catches sight of something washed ashore and he approaches the black plastic to find a body. Feeling no pulse, he prepares to carry the body up a cliff where he can get cell service. Soon as he tosses the body over his shoulder, Rune's prediction comes true.

The lost soul of Elle comes back to life. Elle has no memory of what happened or who she is beyond the name, Elle, but it's obvious from the bruises that someone meant to do her bodily harm. Elle is absolutely terrified and refuses medical aid because she fears it will lead a killer right to her.

The elusive Adam sets all the town's tongues wagging when word gets out about a woman being seen with Adam, more so when her screams are heard!

Rune is recommended to Adam to help Elle try to recover some of her memories. Who knew Rune had a professional side? One session finds the three of them taking cover for their lives. The question is, who was the intended target?

I was thoroughly entertained by this story! I was kept wondering about Adam's past and loved how easily Elle made friends with all the town's citizens and won over Adam. There are many interesting side characters, but my favorite is Rune, who is a little eccentric but whose flair takes center stage. I missed a few red herrings, where at a reveal towards the end, became an a-ha moment thinking back. I look forward to reading more about the people of Gothic!

I received a complimentary copy and I have voluntarily reviewed this book.

I would classify this book as a fun, quirky cozy mystery/romantic suspense novel, set in a town that is a self-proclaimed haven for "lost souls." Gothic is a small, isolated town along the Pacific Coast Highway, known for its eccentric residents and supposed mystic powers. One day, town outcast Adam Ramsdall finds a woman washed up on the beach, whom he swears is dead, until he finds a faint heartbeat, and she is Abe to tell him that all she can remember is the she was attacked and her name is "Elle." Adam vows to keep her safe and help her recover her memory, but with outsiders descending on Gothic for the annual Spring Psychic Festival, the may be a tall order.

This was such a great book! The characters and the town were so fun to get to know and I was immediately drawn into their world. It's almost impossible not to be - from the town psychic, to the older grumpy couple who live apart but visit each other for, well, you know, it's just so charming!

Plus the mystery itself was good. It's built up in a really good way, with just enough clues put out there to intrigue you, but not enough to give everything way all at once. There were some good twists in there that were left to the end and that kept me guessing to the end. It was a really good story overall.

Also, Adam and Elle were very cute together and had chemistry, which obviously makes the romance storyline well worth rooting for.

According to the title, this is the first book in a series, and I'm looking forward to seeing where the author goes with these characters and the town! There's plenty of material there!

Point Last Seen is my first book by prolific author Christina Dodd. This is a thriller with a romantic interest rather than the straightforward romance novels that make up the body of her work and is the first in a new series set in the town of Gothic, California. "On stormy nights, Gothic is said to disappear and on its return, it brings lost souls back from the dead."

Adam Ramsdell is on the beach after a storm, searching for debris that has washed up in the tumultuous waves and that will form the basis of his new artworks. When he pulls a body from the water it is the last thing that he was expecting. There is no sign of life and the poor woman is freezing cold. As he hoists her up to drag her up the beach so that he can report it to the authorities the corpse suddenly starts coughing. She is alive!

Covered in bruises and unable to remember what has happened to her, all the stranger can remember is that her name is Elle and that a large, strong man was trying to kill her. She is very frightened and reluctant to go to the authorities in case her current location is discovered so Adam and Elle start working together to try and piece together her past and to work out why someone wants to kill her. And of course as they start to get to know each other, things begin to heat up.

For me, Gothic is the star of this story. The town itself and the wider cast of supporting characters are the real strength of the book and you could definitely see this as a Netflix type mini series going forward. The story is engaging and really well thought out but it did feel a little overlong in places as it takes a while for the complicated back story to feed its way through. I had guessed the big twist in the story about halfway but it doesn't deter from the reading experience at all. Overall its an exciting and engaging read and I'm really looking forward to some more Gothic adventures.

Supplied by Net Galley and HQN Books in exchange for an honest review.

This was an intense book. Adam finds Elle pretty much dead on the beach until he throws her over his shoulder. She sputters back to life only to have no memory of what happened or who she is. She’s covered in bruises so she knows someone tried to kill her. Together they try to piece together what happened.
There’s a bunch of unusual characters and someone wants to finish what was started. There’s some twists and a small mystery solved.
I enjoyed the story, it kept my attention to the end
Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the early copy

I was drawn in to this story. It's suspense, action, and romance, though not my usual romance. A body washes up on shore, found by Adam, who was just told by a psychic that he was going to find a lost soul. The person who he rescued is a girl named Elle, who has amnesia and is way beaten up. As she starts to get better, her sassy and strong personality comes through, but she also takes time to know everyone she comes across. I liked both her and Adam.

This was one of those books where you are a little suspicious of everyone, and even near the end when I thought I had things figured out, I did not. Also, the premise of this town of lost souls is interesting. I enjoyed the read and stayed up late to finish it.

Overall, this book just didn’t do it for me. I enjoyed the mystery/thriller thread that ran throughout the book. Wondering what happened to Elle. Who tried to kill her and is still after her? Will she regain her memory? And what was the mystery behind Adam’s isolation in the town of Gothic, “The City of Lost Souls”. This is a very dark mystery, and that is what kept me reading.

But I did not care at all for the romance thread. It was just too cheesy for me. It begins with Adam finding her in the water and slinging her over his shoulder to get her lifeless body to shore. But when he does that, she expels the water in her lungs and comes back to life. The sexual tension between them reads like a couple of high schoolers. If I had been through what Elle had just been through, sex would be the absolute last thing on my mind.

I did love Rune, a transgender psychotherapist turned psychic. But the author was inconsistent with her pronouns. And the” surprise ending” was too forced for me. But I can say that several of the romantic scenes and the villains were comical, so I did get some laughs from it. And there were some suspenseful twists and turns.

Thank you to HQN for the advance copy. All opinions are my own.

I would say that this book is more of romantic suspense vs straight mystery thriller.

Adam is a man who has been betrayed by life, he now spends his days in a secluded house in a small town where the residents are continually trying to make friends with him. Which causes him to spend even more time at home lol.

Elle is washed up on the beach when Adam finds her, he is 100% sure she's dead. Suddenly, she vomits up the ocean and comes to, with no memory of how she ended up on the beach or of much else other than her name.

Elle knows that someone is after her, and Adam is determined to keep her safe, he had no idea he is also in danger from something that happened in his past as well... There are some great twists and turns, and as soon as you think everyone is safe... boom... something else happens and danger comes circling around again.

I loved the small town of Gothic and loved all of the residents that live there, especially Rune and Mr. Kulshan.
Adam is quite the grumpy Marshmellow (which is my favorite) and Elle is quite the smart lady who even though she wakes up screaming on numerous occasions doesn't let what happened, get her too down. I loved how easily she was able to fit right in to Gothic and helped Adam realize that even though he has mostly kept to himself, the people of Gothic are his friends and family.

I'm not sure if this is supposed to be a standalone or if we will get more books in the town of Gothic but I'll be reading whatever Christina Dodd writes next!

I was unable to finish this book and thus will not be posting a full review. I found the sentences and storyline nearly incomprehensible from the beginning. I had whiplash trying to keep track of the POV and the characters and I read nearly 250 books a year so I hope it not my inability to comprehend. Thank you for your consideration and the opportunity.

Thank you to the publisher, HQN, and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of Point Last Seen in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

The Gist
I loved Dodd’s Wrong Alibi and was super excited to read Point Last Seen. I should note here that I have not read any of her other works, so I’m not as familiar with the scope of her writing and breadth of genres she covers.

The Details
Let’s start with the good. I loved the setting: small town on the Pacific coast; kind of isolated from everything else. I could totally get into the mood.

Now to the bad: Point Last Seen has some less than believable moments. Unfortunately, these unbelievable moments are the basis for the story.

I have said before that perhaps I’m a little short on patience lately. So when a story starts out by eluding repeatedly to something that happened to the protagonist before the beginning of said story without elaborating on it, I get annoyed.

This is the case with the protagonist. He is tortured, isolated himself and a bit suicidal.

Moving on to the damsel in distress: I got nothing but confusion about her.

I mean. If I had just vomited up half the ocean and didn’t have a heartbeat for god knows how long, I wouldn’t be thinking about jumping anyone’s bones. But, hey, personal preferences.

I think she is supposed to come across as a hardworking scientist, educated, confident and perhaps sexy.

Instead, it kind of screamed “sex craved”, “horn dog”, “in heat”. You get the picture.

I had no idea Point Last Seen would be so heavy on the romance, which adds a whole other flavour to this mystery/crime story.

The Verdict
Overall, Point Last Seen just doesn’t do it for me.

Being familiar with a Dodd’s previous mystery/thriller novels, this book may be inappropriately marketed. The novel is a great paperback romance but is definitely not a thriller. The PG storyline had a bit of sleuthing, light action, romance cliches, familiar dynamics, and quirky oddities. Aside from the far fetched plot, the writing was a bit underwhelming, and the characterization was ostentatious.

Point Last Seen by Christina Dodd is a recommended mystery with romance overtones.

Gothic, the city of lost souls, is a town on the Pacific coast where everyone has a past. When Adam Ramsdell, recovering from his own personal issues, finds a body in the surf he is shocked to discover she is still alive. Elle is covered with bruises, weak, and frightened. Certainly the obvious hand prints around her throat indicate someone meant to harm her. She doesn't remember what happened and doesn't remember her full name. She does know she wants to avoid authorities and calling attention to herself. Adam does his best to care for her, but he keeps getting the feeling that he is being watched. The obvious fact is that in the small town of Gothic, a newcomer with bruises can't hide and rumors are bound to spread quickly about the woman who washed ashore half dead.

Once the story sets up the initial plot, introduces the characters, and reveals who Elle is and who is looking for her, things get a bit paradoxical. She can't remember her last name and is seriously injured, but she's able to admire Adam in a less than chaste manner. The plot lost all seriousness for me at that point because I knew what we were going to experience was some trope on a damsel in distress saved by a knight in shining armor. You can proclaim that the damsel is a strong, independent woman all you want, but the plot is still headed down this well-trodden path.

Stick this out for the mystery/action/thriller portion and suspend your disbelief on the rest. The writing is good and the mystery/thriller part of the novel will hold your interest while you flip through the rest. If romance novels are your preference, this will be an appealing novel for you and a good choice for a summer read.
Disclosure: My review copy was courtesy of Harlequin via NetGalley.
The review will be published on Barnes & Noble, Edelweiss, Google Books, and Amazon.

Wow! Perfect read! This book had pretty much everything. Romance, suspense, intrigue, and some thrilling scenes. The author just knows how to spin an incredible story!

What did I like? The book is so well laid out and happens in so much detail that it’s so much fun. Elle and Adam both terribly hurt yet work so well together. Elle needs survival and she happens to be rescued by a survivalist. A great HEA!

Would I recommend or buy? This author is a BIG named author with a slew of great stories under her belt. I’ve bought many books by this author and will continue to buy. Fantastic book! Five stars!

I received a complimentary copy to read and voluntarily left a review!

Just what you expect from a Christina Dodd romantic suspense! Her latest, Point Last Seen, begins with Adam Ramsdell walking along the beach outside the town of Gothic when he sees a large object floating towards shore. Discovering an unconscious woman he hurries to take her to town when she comes to and can only remember her first name and not how she ended up in the ocean. Slowly remembering her past and discovering more about Adam they begin to form a bond and try to piece together Elle’s past memories. Quirky town, interesting characters, couldn’t put it down. Looking forward to more in this series.

A very interesting story. It had twists, turns, funny characters and scenes and action. All the characters were fun to read about and there was a great and unexpected finale.

Point Last Seen
by Christina Dodd
Pub Date: June 21, 2022
HQN
Thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the ARC of this book. Perfect for fans of Lisa Jewell, Karin Slaughter, and Sandra Brown, New York Times bestselling author Christina Dodd’s all-new thriller, POINT LAST SEEN, will have readers keeping the lights on all night.
This wasn't a great fit for me. But its a fun read if you want a sort of romantic modern sexy "Murder She Wrote" kind of thing set in coastal California with movie stars, fortune tellers, and troubled pasts.
3 stars

Adam Ramsdell moved to Gothic to get away. It was small town in the mountains along the Pacific Ocean where he could escape his past. Until he pulls a woman from the ocean, she's covered in bruises and luck to be alive. The only thing she remembers is her name is Elle. Together they try to unravel the mystery of who attacked her while learning that everyone has secrets. Point Last Seen was a interesting plot but the villains were so cheesy it took away from the rest of the story. The setting of the book was probably one the best ones I've ever read. I would move to Gothic if it was real!

When Adam Ramsdell stumbles upon a lifeless woman on the beach, he never expected it to completely change the course of his self imposed solitary life. But that is exactly what happens. When she comes to and seems to have no recollection of who she is or where she came from he can't help but what to get involved, especially when he spots the bruises on her. It's evident she is in danger, he wants to be the one to keep her safe!

In Point Last Seen you will find an engaging romantic suspense story that will keep enthralled from beginning to end. As Adam and Elle try to unravel all of the secrets of her life and try to figure out who is after her and why, you won't be able to pry your eyes from the pages. These two lead exciting lives and are bound to dazzle you with all the details, as well as, those white hot sparks bouncing around between them. It's a can't miss thrilling tale! This one is sure to be a hit with romantic suspense readers, it's fast paced and engaging story line will keep them flying through the pages in search of answers, and of course that heartwarming happily ever after! Highly recommend!

I requested an advanced copy of this title from the publisher, and I am voluntarily leaving my honest and unbiased opinion.

Christina Dodd's latest romantic thriller has the necessary elements: Adam, is a muscular survivalist who creates swords and armor in the small village of Gothic near Big Sur--his house is complete with an outdoor shower. That's all; that is it. Adam walks along the beach for some soul searching and finds the body of Elle, a treasure-hunting archeologist, in the surf. The plot centers on how Elle regains her memory to piece together how she landed on a California beach.