Stats
for my copy:
Trade paperback, Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group, 2019.
How
acquired:
Revell Reads Blog Tour Program, for review.
First
line:
Just let go.
Lane
is not your typical romantic suspense book heroine either. Oh, she
has lots of the qualities. Widowed, single mom, young son, doesn't
date, runs a cafe in a small town. Not looking for a relationship,
though for very different reasons than your average heroine. Typical
qualities, but there is absolutely nothing cliché about her. Or
about Charlie, who is closer to being a typical hero, but fleshed out
very well. I was quite enamored of him almost immediately, and I was
glad the book went back and forth between their POVs so we got inside
his head and really got to know him.
Lane
has secrets. No spoiler, since it's right there on the back cover
copy, “dangerously depressed after the death of her husband”.
Another character, a veteran, suffers from pretty severe PTSD. And
Charlie is also a veteran, having recently returned to civilian life,
so he's got a few issues of his own. I felt the author handled all of
it beautifully, especially Charlie's reaction when he learns about
Lane's depression.
Lane's
little boy is adorable but not cloying, and I loved some of the
scenes with her sister and seeing them become closer. Her parents
were a bit misguided and career/society focused. I half expected
Charlie to pull a nobody-puts-baby-in-a-corner at some point. But
all's well that ends well.
It's hard to believe this is a debut novel, though from what I read about the author she did already have a lot of writing experience. She's definitely good at it, and I can't wait for Deputy Frost's book to come out!
Goodreads synopsis: In the little town of Walton, Georgia, everybody knows your name--but no one knows your secret. At least that's what Lane Kent is counting on when she returns to her hometown with her five-year-old son. Dangerously depressed after the death of her husband, Lane is looking for hope. What she finds instead is a dead body.
Lane must work with Walton's newest deputy, Charlie Lynch, to uncover the truth behind the murder. But when that truth hits too close to home, she'll have to decide if saving the life of another is worth the cost of revealing her darkest secret.
Debut novelist Natalie Walters pulls you to the edge of your seat on the first page and keeps you there until the last in this riveting story that will have you believing no one is defined by their past.
