The first book in a new series is always exciting and this book lived up to the hype about it. With a complex plot and compelling, believable characters, this novel engaged me from the beginning and held me captivated until the end. Savannah Webster is a professor seeking tenure at Tupelo Grove University, but she is also a young woman with a past that injured her deeply and she is still having difficulty facing divorce from Hezekiah. The two of them had a meltdown after a tragedy in their family, and Hez turned to alcohol while Savannah turned away from him and the memories he evoked. Now that she is going to be charged with murder, she seeks out the help of Hez, one of the best lawyers she knows. The two of them get into some really tough and twisted situations as they try to find out who is selling artifacts and who actually committed the murder. Their investigation leads to danger as well as the possibility of restoring a relationship between the two of them. This is a well-written novel with a tight plot that crackles with tension and that moves along at a good pace. I enjoyed getting to know the characters who were portrayed realistically with believable flaws and fascinating, rich personalities. Reading this novel was a pleasure and I am looking forward to the next book in the series and getting to know more about the intriguing town of Tupelo Grove.
Disclaimer
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley. I was not required to write a positive review and all opinions expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16th CFR, Part 255, “Guidelines Concerning the Use of Testimonials and Endorsements in Advertising.”

What We Hide by Colleen Coble; Rick Acker did not disappoint!
I enjoyed this well written, suspenseful story!
There is lots of action and you are drawn into the story from the beginning.
The pace is quick and the characters are believable.
I cannot wait for the next book.

Thank You NetGalley and Thomas Nelson for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!

I received an arc from NetGalley and this is my honest opinion.

Whew this one was a little hard to get into at first and I am not a big fan of the divorce trope but the suspense and mystery were good.

That ending though left me wanting more!3.5 stars

This mystery was as taut and intricate as a spiderweb. It is intense and absorbing as secrets come to light that I never saw coming.

Savannah Webster and her husband, Hez, have suffered a tragic loss in their lives which has torn their marriage apart. The loss was enough to cause stress to their marriage. Then Hez drowned his sorrows in a bottle, which caused even further stress. Savannah decided to start fresh as a professor at Tupelo Grove University. She is living day to day. Hez arrives to ask for her forgiveness and let her know that he is clean and is a new man. She doubts his sincerity. Now he has thrown her off kilter again. However, when she is under suspicion for the murder of the university president, she knows she will need a good attorney. She knows Hez is the best. She finds herself in need of his legal services. They will have to put aside their personal needs in order to work through this process.

This was a superb mystery that just continued to build the further I got into the book. I felt such empathy for both Savannah and Hez. You could feel the love they had for one another, but the tragedy in their past seemed insurmountable. Forgiveness was a key component in this plot.

This book was jam packed with suspense and intrigue at every turn. Secrets abound in this book right up to the cliff hanger which will leave you speechless and wanting more! This was a wonderful start to a new series, and the pairing of these two authors was perfect.

Thank you to Thomas Nelson and NetGalley for this ARC. I am leaving this review voluntarily.

This team of authors have put together an exciting book of secrets. The characters are relatable and the action ebbs and flows. There will be times when you can't read fast enough, but you don't want to skip ahead for fear you'll miss something. Most everything is resolved by the end of the book, but it does leave enough loose ends to make you want the next book in the series. I thought I had it all figured out, but I was wrong and delighted that I was. Until the Epilogue. I was right after all. When is the next book coming out?

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC for an honest revue.

What a way to kick off this new series! While I believe this is the first of Rick Acker's books I've had the pleasure to experience, I always know when I see Colleen Coble's name on a cover, I am in for a thrilling read. This was absolutely no exception! Right from the start, this one drew me in and kept me guessing right through to the very last pages. When I thought I'd have something figured out, something else would happen to make me think I had been wrong to start and so on the circle of guessing continued! There are a lot of twists that I don't want to give away, but believe me, this one will certainly keep you on the edge of your seat! Of course, I always adore a second chance romance, so I loved that aspect of the story too. Savannah and Hez have been through a lot, so seeing them brought back together--- even despite the circumstances really drew me in too. I will say that this book DOES end on a pretty major cliffhanger, so if that is something that will bother you, you might wait until the next book is out as well. It certainly has me very much looking forward to seeing what's to come!

This story does have mentions of addiction and death of a child, which could be triggering for some readers.


**I received a complimentary copy via Netgalley for consideration. All opinions are my own.

** “God doesn’t always call us to understand, though, does he? But he always calls us to trust him.” **

Colleen Coble joins forces with Rick Acker to deliver an incredible thriller with “What We Hide,” a story of finding the truth and overcoming grief.

Savannah Webster teaches about antiquities at Tupelo Grove University, a school where her family has deep ties. Her sister Jess is even the CFO there. But when her soon-to-be-ex-husband Hez Webster shows up looking to start a Justice Center at the university, she’s not too happy.

But when deadly occurrences begin to happen at the school, she must join forces with Hez to figure out what’s happening, who is behind it, and what it has to do with the school’s Willard Treasure antiquities collection.

Coble and Acker do an incredible job of creating a fast-paced, intense plot filled with twists and turns, leaving the reader guessing until the end, including a shocking ending. They also create delectable characters, including some old friends from Coble’s Pelican Harbor series.

“What We Hide” also includes several great themes. In addition to themes of overcoming grief, finding forgiveness and seeking the truth, it also reminds us that nothing is impossible with God; power of second chances; trusting God; bringing evil to light; and masking one’s true nature (“handsome on the outside and rotten under the facade”).

Five stars out of five.

Thomas Nelson provided this complimentary copy through NetGalley for my honest, unbiased review.

Savannah's marriage fell apart after her daughter's death and her husband Hez's descent into alcoholism. She's finally ready to move on, including having sent him divorce papers, when Hez turns up claiming to be clean and eager for a second chance. But her plans to refuse are derailed when she finds a murdered man at the university where she works, and ends up a suspect - in urgent need of Hez's skills as a lawyer. In throwing them together. could this be the second chance he's been hoping for - or the death of any dream of redemption? Worse, it soon becomes clear that there's a lot more going on under the surface than either of them realised, and more than just Savannah is in danger. Can they uncover the secrets of the university and discover the culprit - or culprits - before it's too late?

An enjoyable read that was a definite page-turner. There's a lot going on and it all dovetails in beautifully, fortunately also leaving room for relationship development and baggage resolution between Savannah and Hez. At the same time, I have to admit, I kind of wish I hadn't read the Epilogue. Because part of me definitely likes things - or characters - to be more black and white than it presents. I'm partly looking forward to the next book and partly uncertain whether I want to continue, because of that particular character - but realistically, the first part will probably win! :-) Maybe we can look forward to more of a redemption arc? All in all, a heart-warming second-chance romance alongside a mystery/suspense storyline which together kept me reading far too long. I'm sure I should regret it... 4.5 stars.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

An edge of the seat read. Artifacts are being sold off and people are being murdered. Is anyone safe? Is anyone innocent? Who can be trusted? Definitely had me guessing on who was all involved. Worth the read. Another enjoyable Colleen Coble read.
I received an ARC copy from NetGalley and the publisher. All opinions are my own.

This is the first in a new series and Colleen has done it again. Finding a dead body on campus that leads you down a very interesting path was something I totally got lost in. This book had things I didn’t see coming and I was here for it.

What We Hide is the newest novel by Colleen Coble and Rick Acker. It is the first in a new series called Tupelo Grove. In the story, Savannah is a college professor at a university her family has run for decades. In her quest for tenure and writing of a book, she unwittingly discovers a dead body at the university that leads her down a path of stolen artifacts and embezzlement.

I have read several of Colleen Coble’s books and enjoyed all of them. This one was no different. It is fast paced and kept me reading through twist after twist. I hope there are more Tupelo Grove books coming to continue the story!

What a great start to a new suspense series! Savannah Webster is moving on with her life, a tragedy has caused her to separate from her husband, Hez. Suddenly things begin to happen, Hez, a former DA, asks for her help on a project, she finds evidence that artifacts are being stolen from the university where she works and she finds the president of the university dead. Savannah becomes a suspect in his death and she turns to Hez for help.

The authors have created well drawn out characters, a suspenseful plot and a cliff hanger ending. There are plenty of twists and turns to keep the reader engaged. I can't wait for the next book!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher, Thomas Nelson, for an ARC. The review is my own.

"The only hope they’ve got is each other, and they’re going to have to put their past behind them if they’re going to stay alive long enough to uncover all that’s hidden."
What We Hide is a suspense mystery book written by two authors about Savannah Webster who is trying to find her way foward again and she works at Tupelo Grove university as a history professor. Savannah and her husband Hez have been separted since tradgey tore them apart but when he shows up asking for a second chance she rejecets that idea but 24hrs later she is under suspicion for murder and since Hez is the best attormey she knows she asks him for help. Want to find out what happens then make sure to pick this book up on July 2nd. These two authors wrote this so well and this book had me turning pages till the very end. I loved the characters in this book and really enjoyed Savannah. The book also has twist and turns that will keep you guessing until the end. Overall I really enjoyed this book and I am looking foward to the second in the series. I would recommend this to any reader but epesically to readers who love a good mystery or romance. Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas Nelson for this book in exchange of my honest review of What We Hide.

This was quite the story! I’ve always enjoyed this author’s book. I wasn’t sure what I would find when she wrote with another author.
I did think it started out slow but really ended with a bang. There’s lots of twists and turns and some surprising secrets. I was not surprised by the ending.
Definitely looking forward to the next one in this series

This is the first book I’ve read by Colleen Coble and Rick Acker. It started out a bit slow, but then it got really good! I couldn’t put it down. There was a crazy twist at the end that I wasn’t expecting. I will anxiously be waiting to read the second book in this series! Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC!

Mystery with a dash of romance has been one of my favorite genre these days…
I really want to like this one but I have mixed feeling about it. I’ll tell you why…

First of all, the mystery is actually pretty interesting and I really enjoy seeing one of the main characters – Hez shows his skill at courts and following clues by clues to defend his client.
This story also has a couple unexpected twists that I didn’t see coming at all…

However, one thing that really take me out of the story from reading this book is that some parts feel repetitive like the romance between the main characters – Hez and Savannah. Their lack of communication can be very frustrating to see.

The ending tells that things are far from over and I’m still curious enough to see what happens next!
I’ll keep an eye out for the 2nd book in this series!

⚠️ 𝐓𝐖: child death, grief

Wonderful beginning of new series. This team of authors are well-matched, with prose that flows easily, melding into one voice. The multi-layered mystery quickly grabbed my attention from the first chapter. I love that the story is told from three POVs, that of Savannah, Hezekiah and the villain. The excellent plot pacing and the skillfully dropped clues, as well as a few plot twists kept me engaged in the story.

I enjoy a good second chance at love romance, and Savannah and Hezekiah's story tugged at my heart. But first, they need to unravel several mysteries, with an unsolved murder and the mysterious embezzlement of artifacts from Tupelo Grove University.

Coble is known for having individual mysteries solved in each book of a series, as well as having some that arc throughout. While the main mystery was solved, there are still some loose ends. There is some foreshadowing dropped in the final chapter, hinting at what is in store in the next addition to the series. Can't wait!

****I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author/publisher through Netgalley and was not required to write a review. All opinions expressed are my own.

When I started this book I was prepared to not like it because the first few chapters were very hard to follow as far as who is who and what they do for the story. But it soon absolutely redeemed itself! I hated when I had to put this book down to return to real life.

Many of the whodunnit books can be so slow moving that you can start to lose interest but this was pretty fast paced and extremely enjoyable.

I received a free copy of this digital book from NetGally.

Colleen Coble and Rick Acker’s new book, What We Hide, introduces a fresh setting that differs from Coble’s usual stories (and Acker is a new author to me). I imagined a thrilling story set at Tupelo University, filled with suspenseful scenes and hidden secrets. The introduction of the first person POV character was a clever move—I was completely caught off guard, despite my suspicions about their hidden secrets. I mistakenly believed the perspective belonged to another character (no spoilers, I promise).

The second chance romance in the story intrigued me the most, despite my usual preference for suspense. I really wanted Savannah and Hez to hash it out earlier.

Despite the lack of a “Hatfield and McCoy” angle with Savanah’s family and the previous owners of the college, which I anticipate will be addressed in book two, I enjoyed this story. To sum up, I’m filled with anticipation for the next installment in the series.

I received this book through Net Galley and was not required to give a positive review.

Love the Pelican Harbor series. Great mystery - had me completely fooled. Did not figure this one out and can't wait for the next one!