The Rebound Effect

After the breakup of her last boyfriend, Teresa is more cautious when it comes to dating. She’s not only protecting her heart but her deaf young son too. So when she first meets Frank, she plays it cool. He comes on strong, though, and she’s attracted to him. Before she can figure out her own feelings, he pushes for a serious relationship. The sex is great but there’s something about Frank she can’t quite put her finger on. Her ex-boyfriend is also back in her life and is trying to win her back. Lines between hero and villain are blurred and poor Teresa is caught in the middle. Feeling like a scared rabbit caught in a snare, she realizes too late she’s about to become the murderer’s next victim.



This is one of the most original romantic suspense I’ve ever read. It reads more like a psychological thriller than a romantic suspense, which is fine but may mislead some readers. If they’re looking for a HEA, they may be disappointed.



What I loved most about The Rebound Effect was the accurate portrayal of an abuser. The manipulation, control, tracking tricks abusers use was clearly defined in this book. Teresa’s reactions and emotional angst rang true and added authenticity to the story. There were parts of the story where I gasped aloud, proving the suspense is well drawn out. The ending shocked me to my core. I wasn’t prepared for it.



If you’re looking for a suspenseful romantic thriller with a clear message for women everywhere, pick up The Rebound Effect today.



My Rating: 4 stars

Theresa has recently broken up with her long time boyfriend.  She is working hard to balance all the demands of being a single mother to a deaf little boy.  Wary of relationships, she resists Frank's interest in her.  But, Frank is persuasive, and very persistent, and soon Theresa is moving fast in a relationship she is not sure she wants.  Within weeks of meeting, Frank is ready to be married and adopt her little boy.  Her best friend reminds Theresa that Frank has all the markings of an abuser, even if he has never hit her.  He is controlling, trying to isolate her from her friends, and extremely possessive.  
The story intensifies when the murdered and abused bodies of two young women are found.  Is Theresa's overactive imagination making Frank into a bigger monster than he is?
This was really a psychological thriller, with some romance mixed in.  Great read!
I received an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I was expecting this to be a romantic suspense novel, as I think that's what it was listed as on NetGalley. It isn't. I think it's actually a shame that it's been listed as romantic suspense as there are plenty of people who would enjoy this thriller who might be put off the idea of it being a romance.
Our main character Teresa has terrible taste in men. She has a broken marriage behind her (where she was married to someone who couldn't cope with the fact that their son was deaf) then she has an ex-boyfriend who cheated on her when he got the sack from his job. Now a new man comes dancing on the scene with more red flags than if he was called Mr A. Busive. He goes from the first date to telling her that he loves her and that they should get married in about thirty seconds. He is controlling and she finds herself swept along with him. She could, of course, told him where to go but she does like him. She also, although I don't think that this is explicitly stated, doesn't want to upset him. (I'm not going to go into a rant about how women are conditioned to do that, but she very much falls into that category.)
As I mentioned before, this is a thriller, not a romance, there is little romantic about Teresa's interactions with any of the men in her life. I don't know if it was intended that Frank would appear nice to begin with, but I didn't like him from the start. It didn't start well when he told her how much her earnt and then was trying to control her from there on in as he could afford things that she couldn't. (That said, I am aware that the talking about how much you earn could be just a cultural difference. I can't imagine anything crasser, but I believe that it's not rude in the US.)
This was a good read. It did finish a little abruptly. There were hints that suggested a link between the main storyline and events that were happening in the community, but it was never clear if that really was the case. It was still a good read and once I got into it and saw where this story was going and that it was a thriller rather than a romance, I really enjoyed it.
I received a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

3.5 stars

First let me say that I love the premise of this book.  I think this is an extremely accurate portrayal of an abuser and how they isolate their victims and mess with their minds.  This definitely is not a romance and I would have put this under general fiction.  I also wouldn't call this a psychological thriller, although that is closer to the mark.

I feel like this book needed to be longer because the character development and storyline needed it.  There were a lot of unanswered questions that left me unsatisfied with how the story ended.  The writer is very talented and the book was good, it just really needed to be longer to really develop into an amazing story instead of just a very good one.

The Rebound Effect is an entertaining and well written romance with a bit of suspense.  I enjoyed the plot and the characters.  This is a new author to me and I anticipate reading more of her books.  I received an arc from the publisher and this is my unbiased review.

The Rebound Effect
by Linda Griffin
Pub Date Jul 15 2019
Publisher: The Wild Rose Press, Inc
5⭐⭐⭐⭐

In the small town of Cougar, struggling single mother and veterinary assistant Teresa Lansing is still bruised from a failed relationship when Frank McAllister sweeps her off her feet. Frank is a big-city SWAT officer who moved to Cougar only four months ago. He's handsome, charming, forceful, very sexy, and a bit mysterious. He had his eye on Teresa even before they met and is pushing for a serious relationship right away. Teresa finds his intense courtship flattering, and the sex is fabulous, but she doesn't want her deaf six-year-old son to be hurt again. Her former fiancé cheated on her when he got drunk after being unjustly fired, but he loves her and her son, and the whirlwind romance is complicated by his efforts to win Teresa back. And then there's the matter of the bodies buried at Big Devil Creek…
🤡 My REVIEW 🤡
First off this book reads more like a psychological thriller than a suspense/mystery romance but Wow what a  complex, and suspenseful thriller it was. It will keep you turning pages far into the night. . I started and finished This book all in one day.I was shocked to learn that this is only the authors second book. It Caught my attention from the very first page and i could not turn the pages fast enough.  I read mystery,crime & psychological thrillers all the time and this one kept me guessing right to the end. The characters are well developed, the plot well done and fast paced. The ending was totally mind blowing. Left me in total shock. I can not wait to read more books by this author. This is a book that every every single woman should read before they go on a date. As always if you like the book you read please take the time to leave a review for the author in places like goodreads & Amazon. It does not have to be long. Just a few sentences saying you liked the book will do. Authors really appreciate every review they get !Thank you to NetGalley ,the Author , and The Wild Rose Press, for the chance to read and review this amazing 5 star read for an honest review  !
The Rebound Effect

I’m going to start by what??? I’m all about protecting my children especially since I have a special needs son. This book has a mother who divorced her husband and left a cheating boyfriend to protect her deaf son. But then attracts an attractive, swat officer. And let me tell you things go great who wouldn’t want to be pampered and spoiled and cared about. Then it gets bad. Women are disappearing, and things are heating up in the small town. 

I’m just not even sure how to review this book. I liked it, enjoyed the change of pace, and spins. I just don’t know how to describe it. I’m not sure if I’m mad at how the SWAT guy is or the cheater or what. It was good though.

I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.   Thank you NetGalley.

I agree with one of the other reviews here..   The book is listed as a romantic suspense, but I'd label it more of a thriller.    There wasn't as much to the romance side as I thought there'd be, which I was okay with.    

This book may be a bit of a trigger for those who have experienced abuse.   The author does a great job at realistically portraying abuse and how the abuser isolates their victim. 

Overall, solid read, but mislabeled.