Thank you to Laura Griffin, Teri Clark Linden, Dreamscape Media, and NetGalley for allowing me to listen to a free eaudiobook in exchange for an honest review.

This was your pretty standard romantic suspense. No new ground tread.

Leyla, who recently started her own bakery-slash-restaurant? (could have used some clarification) on an island off the coast of Texas, finds herself inadvertently involved in contraband smuggling when one of her employees (coworkers? also could have used clarification) is found murdered in the alley behind her shop.

Sean is an undercover federal agent investigating said contraband smuggling. He doesn't expect to be attracted to Leyla but finds himself falling deeper by the day.

Leyla wants to help investigate but that puts her in danger, which Sean and her macho bros, who are naturally all some kind of law enforcement agents, can't stand. Lots of posturing and blame gaming over Leyla while she rolls her eyes and does what she wants because it's 2023. She and Sean don't want to get involved but can't resist, then they pout when they can't figure out how to make it work, then do finally make it work. HEA, applause.

Yep, pretty standard.

Not necessarily a bad book; if you like romantic suspense or Laura Griffin's other work, you'll probably like this one. Personally I found it rather tedious, though, a bit cookie-cutter, and the characters weren't charismatic or relatable enough to alleviate that tedium.

Teri Clark Linden did a great job narrating, except one thing--the voice she gave Leyla. It was annoying. Nothing against the accent; I think it was how she pitched Leyla's voice that grated on me.

The fourth book in the Texas murder files series, it follows the stories of Leyla, a business owner who finds one of her employees murdered, and Sean, an FBI agent there only "on vacation."

I listened to the audiobook read by Teri Clark Linden; in certain parts the voice comes out to be too mechanical and robotic, but overall it is enjoyable to listen to.

The story is a perfect mix of romance and suspense, keeping you attached to the book with bated breath.

Deep Tide by Laura Griffin was a good book to pass the time. I enjoyed the narrator's voice. It helped move the story along. I don't think I would reread it but I would recommend it to others. It was just a good book. It did move slowly at some points though.

3.5 *

My first novel by this author and I did enjoy the writing style. This is part of a series but I found I could follow along with no problem at all. I believe it can be read as a stand alone. I listened to the audio and I very much enjoyed the narration.

This is Lelya and Sean's story. Layla owns a bakery and her brothers are all cops in the local town that she lives in. Sean is in town for her brother's wedding. He hangs around after the wedding and becomes involved in solving a crime. One of Layla's employees is found murdered in the alleyway of her bakery.

This is a Romantic Suspense/Mystery story that at times had a Cozy Mystery vibe to it. I really enjoyed the beginning of the story and the buildup to the mystery. It fizzled a bit midway but it was still entertaining. I would have liked a little more suspense. The audio was very well done. The narrator did a great job with her tone and expressions.

I'd like to kindly thank NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for granting me access to this Advance Listening Copy.

Thank you Netgalley & Laura Griffin for this audio ARC.

The narration on Deep Tide was really well done. Not over done but I could still feel the emotions of the story through the narration.

I enjoy Laura's books and I especially have loved the entire Texas Murder Files series. The story moved at a steady pace and I appreciated the multiple points of view. It really gave a view at all aspects of the case and kept the story flowing. Likable characters and a little side romance.

*Read as a standalone, I did not read the others in the series.*

A cozy murder mystery with a decent amount of romance, honestly more than I expected. Not any huge plot twists I didn't see coming but I still enjoyed this read. It was fast paced and well written. I really enjoyed Leyla and many of the other characters.

The audio was enjoyable although at times it would have been nice to have other narrators, especially with their being two female main characters.

My biggest complaint was that I found the main female character rather over-shadowed by the female detective, I honestly thought the book was going to change to be about her as the FMC at times. Leyla really felt like the side character at times.

Thanks to NetGalley and DreamScape Audio for this ARC.

I enjoy Laura Griffin’s writing. She keeps you invested in the story.

Deep Tides audio was good. It took me 2 days to listen to the book. I thought the narrator did a great job and the story was good as well. There was a little lull in the middle, but it picked up more towards the end and ended in a good spot.

I would recommend if you like murder mysteries with a touch of a love story sprinkled in.

***Thank you Netgalley and Dreamscape Media for an ARC copy for an honest review***

“With two brothers on the police force, Leyla Breda is well aware of the rising crime in her small beach town, but she never expected it to show up on her doorstep. When Leyla finds one of her employees murdered in the alley behind her coffee shop, she’s deeply shaken, and as a new law enforcement officer in town begins to circle her place of business, her instincts only sharpen.”

Full Disclosure: While I have read this author before, I haven’t read the other three in this series. I have to say, though, I found it also worked well as a stand-alone.

I found this book super enjoyable. It was well-paced, the characters well-rounded, and the main characters well-bedded.

The story fell somewhere past your basic Cozy Mystery, but didn’t get descriptively gross.

The settings, both on land and sea, were vivid. I’ve been, neither to Texas, nor on an oil rig, but I could probably lie my way out of the proverbial paper bag after this book.

My only complaint was, I found the main female character rather over-shadowed by the female detective. I certainly hope the latter gets her own story.

7/10

Thanks to NetGalley and DreamScape Audio for this ARC.

I really enjoyed Deep Tide by Laura Griffin. It was a great murder mystery novel with a romance on the side. Deep Tide is the fourth book in The Texas Murder Files series which can be read as a standalone.
Although Sean really wasn’t my favorite, however I loved Leyla! Great start to the book but the ending seemed a bit rushed and a lot of loose ends weren’t addressed. Wish there was an epilogue.
Thank you to NetGalley, Laura Griffin, and Dreamscape Media for graciously sending me the audiobook to review.

This book is part of a series, but I was able to read it as a stand alone without reading the other books.

The beginning of the story was fast paced and really set up the crime and the investigations well. Even the budding romance between Sean and Leyla was well paced as well.

Then, it started to go downhill around 30%+ - it just felt very slow moving and not a lot of things of substance were happening that would indicate progression on the case, and Sean and Leyla were still sparring back and forth. I understand this anticipates a third act twist or argument between the lovers that would need to be solved, but it felt like quite a slog to get there, and I was losing interest in the mystery itself.

While this book is the fourth in a series, it can be read as a standalone.

After Layla discovers her employee murdered in the alley behind her coffee shop, she decides to begin investigating her death. Sean, is her brother’s best friend and an undercover FBI agent on an undercover assignment. When Sean and Leyla’s investigations overlap, they begin stepping on each other’s toes, and find themselves in danger.

I found the beginning of the story to be quite intriguing, but around the middle I started losing interest. I had a difficult time getting invested in any of the characters, (I may have been more attached if I had read the others in this series). To follow the characters, I started a list and took notes to remember details.

The chemistry between Layla and Sean felt insta-lovey, and forced. I don’t know that it was a necessary component, and I may have enjoyed the book more without it.

The narrator did mispronounce the county examiners office. In Texas, Bexar county is pronounced Bear. Unfortunately this pulled me out of the world quite a bit.

I can see the appeal of this book to others, but it wasn’t for me.

Deep Tide by Laura Griffin was an exciting book. The story is mainly told from the perspective of Leyla Breda, a driven owner of a café and catering service in Lost Beach, a small beach town. Leyla's brothers are on the police force, and she's aware of the increasing crime rate in her town. However, she never thought that a murder would happen in the alley behind her coffee shop.

The murder not only catches the attention of the local police but also that of Sean Moran, an FBI agent who's in town on an undercover mission. He suspects that the picturesque town is a point of intersection for several crime syndicates that the FBI has been investigating for years. As Sean begins to circle Leyla's business, she becomes suspicious of him. However, as they work together to solve the case, her guard begins to slip, and sparks fly between them.

I loved the fast-paced nature of this book, which had me on the edge of my seat from the very beginning. As Leyla and Sean work together, their combined skills and connections allow them to delve deeper into the case than they would be able to alone. However, when the crime spirals into something much more sinister, Sean's mission takes a dangerous turn.

Overall, I would highly recommend this book to anyone who loves a gripping murder mystery with a touch of romance. While there are some predictable moments in the book, the suspense and intrigue kept me turning the pages. It's definitely a must-read for anyone who enjoys this genre.

3.5-3.75 Stars

*Read as a standalone.*

This is a romantic suspense/mystery novel. The main focus is on the romance between Leyla, a baker, and Sean, an undercover cop. I feel the story is missing some sense of urgency and suspense, especially around the beginning and middle of the novel. I wanted more from the crime/mystery aspect of the storyline. But other than that, it was an enjoyable read. Would recommend it to those who prefer more romance in their mystery novels.

***Thank you to NetGalley, Laura Griffin, and Dreamscape Media for graciously sending me the audiobook to review. As always, all thoughts are my own.***

This was a cute little murder mystery romance. I thought there’d be a little more thriller vibes, a little more suspense then there was. I liked it, the main characters were fun. I would give it a half pepper for spice, because there was one short scene. I liked the FMC, and her cute bakery/catering business. I liked how protective her brothers were. I wish that it was in 1st person, and that the mystery was more mysterious. But all in all it was enjoyable.

It's an okay read. I actually didn't like the book as much as I expected to, mainly because of the main characters whom I found irritating. The mystery aspect of the story was also not very intriguing. Sorry, but the book was just not for me.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the arc.

"I can't concentrate when you do that!"
"I know!"

"If we spend more time together I'm worried we'll get too attached."
"Too late. I'm already attached."

FBI undercover agent Sean Moran knows all the right answers to caterer Leyla Breda's concerns about them together in the explicitly swoony mysterious Deep Tide by the queen of romantic suspense Laura Griffin.

I should preface this review that I am a huge fan of this author and have read/listened to almost all of her 36 books. Deep Tide is the fourth book in her latest series, The Texas Murder Files. Each book can be a stand alone but reading in order gives insight into what's happening with the fantastic side characters like newly promoted detective Nicole; who I hope gets her own romance suspense story...maybe with fellow detective Emmett?!

Deep Tide has Sean attending his friend Joel's wedding, while working undercover, in the seaside community Lost Beach. He falls for Joel's sister Leyla; dangerous since her overprotective brothers are cops too. When Leyla finds one of her employees murdered behind her coffee shop it sets off an investigation involving all branches of the law. Sean makes some major life decisions to keep Leyla safe after she infiltrates the home of the major bad guy.

This book series needs to be a Netflix TV show or Lifetime TV movie series. Listening to actress Teri Clark Linden perform these roles was like watching it rather than just listening to it. I alternated reading and listening and both were extremely enjoyable for my story loving heart. I deeply recommend this police procedural romance.

I received a free copy of this book/audiobook from the publishers via #NetGalley for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.

*Books in The Texas Murder Files series in order: 1. Hidden 2.Flight 3. Midnight Dunes 4. Deep Tide

*This Review Is For Both The Book And Audiobook

This is one of those cozy thrillers that will keep you interested and make for a great road trip story. This is the fourth in the series, but it didn’t seem like I was missing some major part of the story from having not read previous books in the series. I am interested in checking out this authors other work!

This is book #4 in The Texas Murder Files and it's a mix of suspense with a little romance sprinkled in. This is my first time reading a book by Laura Griffin and I didn't know how it would be since this is a series that I knew nothing about. However, this read as a stand-alone book that and made it nice since I didn't fell like I was missing out on anything.
This is about a murder that happened in a small beach town in Texas. Leyla never would have thought that it would have been one of her employees. The moment that Leyla finds out that the guy she is interested in, is undercover in this investigation, she wants to help dig into it with him since this was personal for her. Would you be brave enough to get close to the killer to find out what happened? Leyla did.
I feel like this could have been a longer read since it needed to have more suspense added into it to help get you more involved in thinking what could have happened.
Audio book was narrated by Teri Clark Linden.
Release Date: April 25, 2023
Thank you for NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for this advance reader in exchange for an honest review.

I listened to a hour of this book and I could tell it's just not for me. This is no reflection on the quality of the book or the author. Mysteries like this are not my thing.

I really enjoyed this romantic suspense. It’s hard to find a good romance with suspense. They usually seem to be more romance or more suspense but this book has a great balance of both. This is book 4 of The Texas Murder Files series. But this is the only book I’ve read in the series and I still enjoyed it very much don’t feel I’ve missed anything. BUT I liked it enough that I do want to go back and read the others. This is a fun mystery and great romance and kept me listening.
Narrator did a good job with the tone of the story and drawing me in.
Thanks to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for this edition. All my reviews are 100% honest and of my own thoughts and opinions.

Blurb:
An undercover FBI agent and a coffee shop owner who values her independence must team up when a local barista is found dead in their coastal Texas town in this new romantic thriller from New York Times bestselling author Laura Griffin.

With two brothers on the police force, Leyla Breda is well aware of the rising crime in her small beach town, but she never expected it to show up on her doorstep. When Leyla finds one of her employees murdered in the alley behind her coffee shop, she’s deeply shaken, and as a new law enforcement officer in town begins to circle her place of business, her instincts only sharpen.

Sean Moran is on an undercover mission: The seaside community of Lost Beach may look like a picturesque postcard, but his team suspects it’s a point of intersection for several crime syndicates that the FBI has been investigating for years. Even so, when the brash and beautiful Leyla Breda starts bossing him around, he's immediately intrigued. He knows her brothers want him to back off, but every time he sees her, he feels more of a spark.

Leyla’s connections in the local community and Sean’s skills allow them to go deeper into the case together than they would be able to go alone. But when a single crime spirals into something much darker, Sean’s carefully planned mission takes a deadly turn.