Thank you so much to Netgalley, the publisher, and author for allowing me to listen to this audiobook for review.

I enjoyed this audiobook. The narrator did a great job changing voices for each character and I like the accent she gave to one in particular. I went into this expecting more of a murder mystery but it quickly turned into a romance. I enjoyed it though, except for the ending which seemed to end too abruptly. The characters were likable and the story line was easy to follow. I believe it would be a quick read it you choose to read instead of listen to.

This is the fourth in the The Texas Murder File’s series and I read easily as a stand alone. Leyla Breda owns a coffee and bakery shop in the seaside town of Lost Beach. Her brothers are both local police officers and seemed to get their romance/mystery stories in books #2 and #3. After catering and attending her brother’s wedding Leyla opens up her shop to find one of her employees murdered by the dumpster behind the shop. Sean Moran is staying in town and was a guest at her brothers wedding. He flirted with Leyla but after the murder he wants to know more and is very protective. Turns out he is undercover FBI.

This is very much an investigative procedure romantic suspense. The police detective Nicole is lead working the crime and Sean knows more about bigger characters who may be involved. Of course Leyla through her catering work may be able to get some inside information which may put her life in danger.

I enjoyed the characters and the romance. It is a little predictable and with eye on one villain but trying to figure out the details. Knowing the leads change in the stories I don’t feel I loved the book enough to make reading the previous ones a priority. But I would read the author again. Thank you to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for the audiobook ARC narrated by Teri Clark Linden. I am leaving a voluntary review. (3.5 Stars)

This was a pretty good romantic suspense. It was well written with well developed characters. The romance was fairly steamy with a good connection between the H/h. Lea is a hard working owner of a coffee shop/catering business. One of her employees is murderer the alley. Sean is a federal agent in town on a case. Layla doesn’t date tourists but Sean wears her down. The narrator did a good job narrating this book. Huge thanks to Netgalley and the audiobook publisher for allowing me to listen and review this book.

I really enjoyed this story and the audiobook. The story kept me on the edge of my seat. I also liked the romance thrown in as well.

As usual, I give a Laura Griffin story a 5-Star rating. She is fantastic at crafting a plot that draws you in and keeps you on edge throughout. Since I'm also reviewing the audio version of the book, I give that a 3-star rating. The narrator, Teri Clark Linden, just didn't have much variation in her character voices and lacked dramatic range. Leyla is very cautious about getting involved with Sean. But the deeper she digs into the murder, the deeper they become involved. Sean is protective and I love how he is smitten from the beginning.

Leyla Breda is super busy with the season fast approaching and getting a new catering business off the ground. She has no time for the instant attraction she feels for a guest at her brother's wedding. She is just too busy. Sean feels the same instant attraction and wants to get closer to Leyla too, even though he is undercover with the FBI on a task force that has been working for years to infiltrate a syndicate of criminals who they suspect have moved into the small beachside community of Lost Beach, Texas.

When Leyla discovers an employee murdered in the alley behind her coffee shop, she is determined to get to the bottom of why and who murdered her. As her first time acting as lead detective on a case Nichole has few facts to start with, but by chasing leads she uncovers something that the FBI has an interest in. Leyla is not about to stand by and takes a chance that proves helpful to Sean's case, but his focus is not on the murdered barista. The deeper Leyla gets into this mess, the more Sean fears for her safety. His attraction is growing, and he will do everything he can to protect her. He knows that the murder is just the tip of some very dangerous crimes committed by very nasty people.

My thanks to the Publisher and Author for providing a complimentary digital Advanced Reader (Audio) Copy (ARC) of this novel via NetGalley. This is my fair, honest and personal review. All opinions are mine alone and were not biased in any way.

4.0 Stars (a.k.a.: I *really* liked it!)
Huge thanks to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for providing me with an ARC of this audiobook.

First, let me just say that even though this book is the fourth installment of Griffin's Texas Murder Files series, you can read (or listen to) it as a standalone. In fact, that's what I did (but now I am 100% going to be reading the first three in the series).

If you're a fan of page-turning murder mysteries with a bit of romance, I think you'll be a fan of Deep Tide. The story is mainly told from the perspective of Leyla Breda, an ambitious owner of a cafe and catering service. After taking one night off of work for her brother Joel's wedding, Leyla returns to find one of her employees dead in an alley by her cafe. The murder catches not only the attention of the local police but also Sean Moran, an FBI agent from D.C. who happened to be in town for Joel's wedding.

It's pretty obvious from the beginning that Sean has it BAD for Leyla, but Leyla resists his advances because she knows he'll be returning to D.C. after the case closes. Nevertheless, as she and Sean work to solve the case, her guard begins to slip... (I will leave the rest for the book!)

I loved how fast-paced this book was from the very beginning. It's a quick, fun read that I would recommend to anyone who enjoys this genre. However, there are two reasons why I took off a star. First, I loathed the voice the narrator (Teri Clark Linden) used for Leyla. (Overall, though, I think Linden is a great narrator. I am just so confused why she decided to use a whiny/nasally voice for the book's protagonist.). Second, you will know who the killer is early on. Then, the rest of the book focuses on obtaining evidence to show the murderer committed the crime. So, if you're hoping for some crazy twist, this isn't your book. However, there is enough suspense and romance to keep things spicy!

I received this book for free from netgalley for an honest review.

This kept me on the edge of my seat all weekend. 5 stars all the way.

The day after her brother's wedding, an employee from Leyla Breda's fledgling catering company is found murdered in the alley behind her store and all of her brother's law-enforcement colleagues are forced to go jump straight from partying to investigating. Things become complicated when the murder intersects with an open FBI case....and even more complicated when Leyla falls hard for the FBI Agent sent to handle it.

I really loved everything about this one. Right off the bat, I loved the cover and when I saw the narrator was Teri Clark Linden, I knew it would be hard to pause; everything narrated by TCL is awesome and this one was no exception. I also think this series is extremely unique because it's neither a straightforward police procedural nor a traditional romance. This book (and the whole series) gives you a solid, well-written and detailed police case that would stand on its own with anything in the mystery/thriller category but also runs a romance plot throughout. The romantic scenes are also unique in that they're steamy and go much further into detail than the romantic scenes in most crime novels without making you wonder if you accidentally downloaded erotica.

The only thing that I could see people not liking is that the main character, Leyla, borders on annoying. She gets herself mixed up in some things despite explicit warnings and it did make me feel a little bit like she would be the character in a slasher film who runs into the killers' house and down the basement stairs instead of to the police station right down the block. In any case, she wasn't annoying enough to bother me and the rest of the story was awesome.

If you’re looking for a straight-up police procedural, this may not be the book for you. Griffin brings in a heavy romance element to her story. In this 4th installment of the Texas Murder Fikes, we meet Leyla, sister to Owen and Joel. One of Leyla’s employees has been murdered and even though she has been warned to steer clear of the investigation by her brothers and her FBI boyfriend, Sean, Leyla can’t resist investigating on her own. This was my least favorite book in the series because I just couldn’t warm up to Leyla, she was willful and immature

I enjoyed this book. I had previously read the first three in the series so I was looking forward to reading the last. It was interesting and kept me guessing. I felt that the first two in the series were pretty clean but books 3 and 4 were more PG-13.

This was my first book by Laura Friffin, but not my last. What a fun book. I loved the characters. This is the 4th book in the series, but I didn't feel lost with the plot. The story was acceptable as a stand alone. I reccommend this book for anyone who likes romantic mysteries.

Romance: 2/5
Chemistry: 3/5
Spice: 1/5
1st kiss: +-33% in
Humor: 1/5
Cry factor: 0/5
Drama: 1/5
Suspense: 3/5
Foul language: 2/5

How I felt:
- I listened to the audio of this book and it was a great experience. The narrator did a good job with every one's tones, so it was easy to identify who was speaking most of the times. I also enjoyed the accents of certain characters, those were great!
- I also enjoyed the story. This romantic suspense was just up my alley. Not too much spice (1 scene) and not overly detailed, so I appreciated that the author concentrated her plot on the story not the spice.
- The chemistry between out main characters was awesome, a perfect blend with the suspense in the plot.
- I did have some issues with certain details, for example her family made a big deal about her getting mugged at one time and thought she was hiding the real truth about what really happened. We never got to hear what happened to Leila. This detail didn't do anything to the plot, so that's why I'm questioning why it was such a big deal in the first place.
I absolutely loved our main characters, they were a great couple to invest in. Their relationship felt real, both were scared to pursue it, but both couldn't handle keeping away. The end did feel very quick, I felt like I didn't get enough of closure. I wish we had a bit more of their lives together, but I suppose the case was solved and nothing more needed to be said (I'm just a romance fan).

Overall:
- This is a romance suspense, with plenty of chemistry (it is not clean).
- It's an easy, fast paced read. It does touch on subjects like murder, kidnapping, but very lightly and it didn't bother me.
- The narrator in the audiobook is pleasant to listen to, on normal speed and up to 1,5 speed (I don't usually listen faster than that).

Tropes:
- FBI MMC
- Baker FMC
- Murder investigation
- Romance suspense
- Kidnapping
- Armed MMC

I read the other books in this series but to be honest I barely remember them I had to look back to make sure I did in fact read them. All the books in the series are pretty similar and not just because they involve related people... the characters just aren’t that different... the workaholic cop/agent who is tight lipped about everything and a woman who can’t mind her own business or not involve herself and ends up in danger as a result. It’s not bad just predictable and the same thing different case and different people.

In this one Leyla is the younger sister of the two cops from the last two books. Sean is an FBI agent not exactly undercover but hanging around town on a case. They get involved of course and her hypocrite brothers think she shouldn’t be involved cause it’s dangerous. When Leyla finds one of her employees dead outsider her business and it ends up being somewhat connected to his case. Leyla involves herself which leads to danger for herself but of course Sean and her brothers all think it’s his fault when logically it’s hers. The third POV in the story is Nicole the lead detective in the murder case.

Everybody was kind of annoying to me and it was predictable and no different from any other book written by the author.

Deep Tide, the fourth installment in the Texas Murder Files book, was a decent police procedural/thriller. When Leyla Breda's employee is found murdered after her brother's extravagant wedding, FBI agent Sean Moran steps in, piecing together the murder into a much bigger and darker story. I have not read the other books in this series, but was able to still easily understand what was going on, so it can be read as a standalone. 3.5 stars.

I love that I got the chance to listen to the audiobook of Deep Tide. The narrator was fantastic. She brought this book to life and had me pulled in from the very beginning.

I loved the main couple, Leyla and Sean. They had an instant attraction but with a few bumps in the road for them to do anything about it. I was rooting for them from the start.

The mystery of the Leila's employees murder was intriguing and I loved how the author intertwined it with bigger things. I enjoy trying to figure out investigations like this so I don't want to say too much to spoil this part of it. It kept me interested all the way to the end.

Sorry. I clicked on the wrong book and have not read this yet. I will updated this once I do. It won’t let me delete.

Deep Tide combines a steamy romance with a gripping and suspenseful police procedural story that’s well written and has strong, well-developed characters. Leyla and Sean meet at wedding and soon find themselves embroiled in a murder mystery when one of Leyla’s employees winds up dead. Sean is an FBI agent that is in town for a case and it seems that the murder may tie into his own case. Add in the blossoming relationship between Sean and Leyla and you have one gripping and fast-paced listen that will keep you on your toes.

I loved all of the little details that painted a vivid picture of this story and really brought it to life. Deep Tide was a smart and engaging romantic suspense novel. I was invested in the mystery and the relationships of everyone involved. This thrilling story will keep you guessing right until the very end.

Thank you so much Dreamscape Media and Netgalley for this alc. I had no idea this was a series but anyway was done well and I am just curious what will happen next. It was a great mix of thriller and romance suspance. That is my fave mix. Who does not love the suspance and wanting to resolve a murder. It was something unexpected

I really like Deep Tide. Leyla Breda is a strong female lead. Sean Moran seems like a bit of a player at first but his devotion and honor run deep as an FBI agent.
The suspense portion feels less terrifying than some of the other Laura Griffin books I’ve read. Those had serial killers. This one has elements of drug cartels, murders, and technology used for nefarious purposes. That might be why I like this one better. Yes, there are suspenseful parts of the book but not the terrifying look into the evil mind of a serial killer.
The romance builds nicely.
I listened to the audiobook. I like the narrator, Teri Clark Linden.
Content: sexual encounter
Thanks to Netgalley and Dreamscape Media for the chance to listen to the audiobook prior to release.
#DreamscapeMedia

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for the digital review copy of Deep Tide.

I enjoyed this book overall. I have not read the first three books of this particular series so I don’t know if it keeps the continuity but I had zero issues with not knowing the past.

Leyla is our main character who meets Sean at her brother’s wedding. She lives in a lovely coastal tourist town which was spot on with descriptions of setting. It put me straight in some of the vacation homes I’ve been too and I was happy to vicariously slip off my sandals and walk on the cool sand with Leyla. Leyla has a strict “I don’t date tourists” policy so she initially tries to ignore the spark she feels with Sean. While the chemistry was decent, it seemed a bit over the top at times but I have a tendency to trust no one in a thriller novel. I honestly liked the combination romance/mystery aspect which felt like a 50/50 split.

Onto the mystery/crime. Leyla finds one of her employees murdered in an alley. The case details, the scene, the plot all move very smoothly and keep the pace of the novel. Personally, I could have gone without Nicole’s chapters as her investigation didn’t feel vital, but I think that’s the flaw with not reading the first three novels.

Overall, a good book and I think I will go look up the previous three. This was a well-narrated book as well.