I was looking forward to this one, but it missed the mark for me. I preferred the mystery angle, which was solid, to the romance. The pace was much too slow for the genre. Scenes between Hez and Savannah didn't seem well thought out or fleshed out. Some dialogue felt immature, or even lacking, and scenes were redundant. The ending sets the stage for a sequel, but I'm not sure I'll check it out.

Possible trigger warnings: child death, grief

What We Hide was a story filled with second chances, love, murder & suspense. Savannah & Hez cross paths again due to her being accused of a murder & needing representation. What follows are surprises, more murder & fraud and a sweet love story that will have you wanting more, even after the book ends. While it wraps up, the story is left with your wanting a sequel. Great story.

A great start to the series:
This was a fabulous book and although it started off a little slowly, things soon heated up and the second half of the book was especially full of action and suspense. I particularly enjoyed the mystery aspects of this book and was curious to see how it would all play out. There were also enough twists and turns to keep things interesting and me guessing throughout. Whilst it doesn't end with a cliffhanger, the epilogue does reveal further mystery and I look forward to reading the rest of the series to find out what is going to happen. I am also anxious to find out whether Savannah and Hez are able to get their second chance at love and marriage.
I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review. All opinions expressed are solely my own.

What We Hide is the first book in the Tupelo Grove series by Colleen Coble and Rick Acker. University professor Savannah Webster has to reach out to her estranged husband and lawyer, Hez, when she is accused of murder and needs a defense attorney. The secret sale of the university's pre-Columbian artifacts might be connected to the murder, and it will be up to the two of them to prove Savannah's innocence and find out who is behind these crimes. Fans will also get to revisit characters from Coble's Pelican Harbor series. and is a masterful start to a new legal thriller series. When is book #2 coming out?

This is a book you absolutely must read to the very end. A real zinger awaits the reader!

The characters and plot are interesting and intriguing enough to keep the readers' attention. This is an enjoyable book that ends with a real WHAT?!?!?

This was my first Colleen Coble book and I loved it. Definitely a page turner that kept me guessing - and the cliffhanger at the end has me waiting anxiously for the next book. I would recommend this book for anyone looking for a mystery with twists and turns throughout the book.

I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This was a great beginning to another suspense series. The setting was interesting. I kind of shivered every time the resident croc showed up. I don't think I could live somewhere like that, but it might be interesting to visit.

As with a lot of Ms. Coble's suspense stories, we start out hearing from the bad guy. It's always interesting trying to figure out who he/she is from the clues.

Savannah and Hez have a difficult past. I enjoyed seeing how they worked on that through the book and some of the healing they went through. There were some really good moments together.

The twists and turns kept me guessing. I sorted some, but was surprised by others. I can't wait for the rest of the series.

I received a complimentary copy from the publisher through Netgalley, and this is my honest review.

This book wasn't as suspenseful as I thought it would be. And of course, I wanted to pull my hair out at the lack of communication or assuming what the other was thinking between Hez and Savannah. I know it happens quite often in real life but it was frustrating to read. However, I did want Hez and Savannah to work through their issues and figure out who was behind the deaths. I found the ending very interesting and unfortunately, I don't think I can say much about it without spoiling things but I found it a different way of doing it than I've read before. So overall, the book does make me want to read the second book in the series.

What We Hide is a well written romantic suspense. I throughly enjoyed the plot and the well developed characters. I recommend this book. I received an advance ebook from the publisher and Netgalley. This is my unbiased review.

I came to this story with high hopes. Two suspense authors I admire teaming up to write a story together. Coble brings Pelican Harbor and Acker his legal nous got me excited. Maybe it was my expectations but this story fell flat for me.

The pace is good as it usually is with a Coble novel. I was pleased about that because it made it easy to keep turning pages, hoping the story line would develop and I'd grow more interested in Savannah and Hez, the two leads.

The story revolves around two mystery murders which Savannah happens to stumble upon first and an embezzlement conspiracy at the university she is teaching at. Her family has a rich history at this university - Savannah's father built it and Jess, her sister, is now the CFO of the institution.

Savannah and Hez are separated having both struggled to come to terms with the death of their three year old daughter, Ella. Hez, in particular, blamed himself for her death, and threw himself into his legal practice and booze as a result, growing more distant to his wife.

Now Hez is in town, Savannah desperately needs a lawyer and she calls him for help. I got frustrated at their inability to talk to each other about their relationship and the last two years. Yes, this often happens in real life but it just felt a bit forced here especially when it comes to divorce papers and the like.

I actually enjoyed Hez as a character except for the above. He seemed like a reasonable guy who had turned a corner to change his life around. He demonstrated this love for Savannah repeatedly but still seemed to have trouble leaving doors unlocked.

There were some oddball other characters, most of whom weren't very nice. Jess, Savannah's sister is a tough cookie who was a struggle to like, but was a good reflection of some people we meet in life.

I enjoyed the financial angle and the legalese which gave the story some depth. Pelican Harbor, Alabama, is always a lovely setting for a story, swamps and gators and all.

There were a few repetitive episodes which kinda got a little frustrating as a reader but the story flies in the last fifty or so pages and ends with a great surprise which I loved which will ensure I read Book 2.

I was fortunate to receive an early ebook copy of the story from Thomas Nelson via NetGalley but this has had no bearing on my review.

Books about the loss of children are tough for me. Even though I know this is just fiction, it's still tough. The writers bring to life just how tragic that event can be and how many lives it impacts. Their trust in God and their faith is rare to see in a mystery. Couple that with an awesome mystery plot and you have a book that catches and holds the reader's attention.

Savannah Webster is living her life one day at a time after the terrible tragic death of her young daughter and the disintegration of her marriage three years ago. But the pain is constantly with her. She has a job as a history professor at the Tupelo Grove University where her family has had a long history. When her estranged husband shows up at TGU that is just the start of a really bad day. Next, she discovers evidence that someone is selling off the university's pre-Columbian artifacts. What could be worse? How about finding the body of the TCU president and being suspected in his murder.

Hez Webster has spent two years clawing his way to sobriety after the death of his daughter and his decent into a bottle. Now he wants to put his life back together, if his wife will have him. He has changed and now he has to make Savannah see he truly wants another chance. But first he is going to have to save her from a murder charge and find out who the murderer really is.

Samantha has to trust Hez and work with him in order to find out who killed the TCU president and how the missing artifacts fit in. But that is not the only things that are wrong at the university. Samantha and Hez have disrupted to plans of some very dangerous people and they have only each other to depend on.

My thanks to the Publisher and Author for providing a complimentary digital Advanced Reader 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.

Wow, what a book! Coble and Aker make a great writing team. They should do this again and I feel like they will because of the ending. This book is filled with much emotion and action. Murder, suspense danger and searching of hearts as they reconnect. A separated couple, Savannah Webster and her husband, Hez, separated out of tragedy, are thrown together to help solve a puzzle concerning the university where she works. This quickly turns dangerous and life-threatening. Savannah is accused of murder and she desperately needs her lawyer husband's help. This was a fast paced mystery thriller with so many twists and secrets! You will be surprised all the way to the end!  "I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own."

Thank you so much to the publishers for an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest thoughts!

In all honesty, I had a lot of ARCs to get to and not a lot of time to get to them (my fault). This book had a really interesting premise, but I got bored pretty quickly after the twist near the beginning. The characters were decent, but I wasn't super interested in them or their stories. I loved the cleanliness of the content, though, since this is a Christian book! I think I could have enjoyed this if I had more time and the plot was a little faster.

"I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own."
I was engaged for the get go. There are many layers to this story. I was particularly invested with pre-trial scenes. I loved that the main characters were married and was rooting for them to become reunited.

There were many plot endings to be wrapped up with this book. And all were done nicely, except for one. Which leaves me to expect a sequel. The ending came as a shock.

This was a book that I looked forward to reading and was sad to see it end. It was like a break-up for me. I had a hard time letting go and was not ready to invest in another story or another set of characters.

I was surprised and a bit skeptical when I saw that Colleen Coble was writing with a partner. Her books have entertained me for years, and I wasn’t sure what to expect.

I'm happy to say the chemistry between them created an amazing story. It was filled with surprises, action, and, of course, a wonderfully sweet romance.

The authors tackle a tough subject as Hez and Savannah navigate their tragic pasts. Despite their struggles to forgive and understand, they search for the truth and face numerous dangers.

An unexpected twist at the end caught me off guard and has me excited for book 2.

I LOVED THIS BOOK! I am not sure what else I can say, Coble and Acker make a spectacular team as they weave together this story of ancietn artifacts and murder…add a romance that needs a second chance and the book is as well rounded as it can get. You will be hooked from the beginning as you get to know Savannah Webster and her husband Hez. What We Hide has it all, from courtrooms to the shadows of a decaying university, it does not take long before you see the secrets emerging and the unexpected twists that keep you guessing until the very end!

Have you started any new series (book, TV, or movie) that you are enjoying lately? What We Hide is a new series (Tupelo Grove) by two new to me authors, Colleen Coble and Rick Acker. I really enjoyed this book, and I can’t wait for the rest of the series.

Savannah Webster is a history professor at Tupelo Grove University. Her roots stretch far back at the university as her family helped to start it a century ago. She has moved forward with her life after a tragedy destroyed her family a couple of years before. Her estranged husband, Hex arrives, hoping for a second chance. After Savannah unwittingly becomes a prime suspect in a murder case, she turns to Hex to assist her as her lawyer. Why are people being murdered at Tupelo Grove University and what does it have to do with the “Willard Treasure,” pre-Columbian artifacts that are owned by the University?

My thoughts on this book:
• I enjoyed the characters, especially Savannah and Hez. The book explored their past relationship, the tragedy of losing their daughter, and mistakes that were made along the way. There is still love there, will they find their way back to each other?

• Hez’s rescue dog Cody was a hoot and a great character himself.

• The novel explored the grief of losing a child. I felt like my heart was ripped out when the novel described what happened to Savannah and Hez’s daughter, Ella.

• It also explored addiction. After Ella’s death, Hez turned to alcohol, pills, and work to mask his pain. He has since been in recovery and is working on staying clean.

• I love romantic suspense and this novel was a great example of it. I really enjoyed the mystery. It felt like Savannah and Hez were in peril and that the chemistry between them was palpable.

• I was intrigued that the murder victims have a slip of paper with a Ray Bradbury book title on it found near them. As Savannah has Ray Bradbury novels in her office, suspicion turns on her.

• The novel had a theme of forgiveness. “But it was all white noise to him, empty phrases he’d heard a thousand times growing up. How exactly was he supposed to ‘accept God’s forgiveness,’ ‘experience healing grace,’ and so on? None of those platitudes would let him go back and undo that terrible day.”

• This book was a page turner that kept me reading far too late into the night.

• The story was told through three different viewpoints: Savannah, Hex, and an unnamed third person involved in the crime which kept the plot moving quickly.

• The ending was a great cliffhanger, and I can’t wait for the next book in the series!

Overall, What We Hide by Colleen Coble and Rick Aker is a great new romantic suspense novel that kept me on the edge of my seat. Book two cannot come fast enough!

Full of non stop action and mystery. Can Savannah and her soon to be ex husband, Hez, put aside their differences to solve the mystery surrounding the university? Can they save her sister Jess from capital murder charges? Will the mystery and suspense around the Willard Treasure collection be resolved? You'll want to read this book to find out. There are biblical references throughout the story, but written in such a way that makes sense as the death of a child is revealed.

Although I received a free ARC ebook from Net Galley and the publisher, all thoughts expressed in this review are my honest opinion.

What We Hide was so so good! I usually enjoy Colleen Coble books but she really hit this one out of the ballpark when writing with Rick Acker! The mystery behind it was just great. I listened to it in one day and now I can't wait for the next in this series!

I read and listened along to the audio book. Karen Peakes is a wonderful narrator who did amazing voices for everyone.

Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review. All opinions are my own.

Publication date: 2 July 2024

Whoa! What an ending. It has definitely grabbed my attention. The entire book did actually.
The reader gets to take part in this story written by Colleen Coble and Rick Acker as more than one voice takes us down a twisting road. There are several things going on that kept me guessing.
I received an advanced reader's copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley. This is my personal opinion,
It's a good story that had me trying to figure out what was going on. It has startling surprises and a wild mystery. I liked the two main characters, Savannah and Hezekiah Webster. She is a college professor, and he is a lawyer. They are in pain, grieving and estranged from one another. A marriage in tatters. Secondary characters add tension, questionable friendship and possible danger. I really enjoyed the story and look forward to the second book in the series after the unreal ending.
I give it a 4.5 out of 5.
Trigger: tragic death of child, grief, alcoholism
I appreciate that there is no graphic violence or language