22 November 2023

Tell Me Another Lie (A Huckleberry Ridge Romance, Book Four)

 

K.T. RAINE

How acquired: BookSirens

First line: The striking contrast of the white rose against the red countertop captured Belle’s attention as soon as she stepped out of the massage room.

(Goodreads synopsis below.)

My thoughts: K.T. Raine was one of my new author discoveries almost two years ago, and I have devoured each of her books since then. Each one has been just delightful, and TELL ME ANOTHER LIE is no exception. Would that I could live in Huckleberry Ridge!

Belle is a young widow who recently moved back to Huckleberry Ridge for a fresh start. A massage therapist, her new business is doing well, and the local animal shelter has found the perfect dog for her. She still mourns her husband, but life is looking up. Until she becomes the target of an unknown admirer’s unwanted attention.

Enter Woody. Belle’s cousin, a police officer, asks Woody to keep an eye out for Belle since her business is on his beat. Gentle sparks fly, but neither is looking for a relationship, and they both make some assumptions about the other. Shallow assumptions, but hey, they’re only human. And of course they get over those assumptions as they get to know one another.

The mystery of who the secret admirer is was well plotted, and I didn’t come close to figuring it out. There’s plenty of bantering conversations that made me smile, and I laughed a few times. I adored Woody, he’s a bit swoon worthy! The writing is engaging and characterization of both Belle and Woody is done well, especially considering the book is only 176 pages (the pdf version I read).

My only complaint is one throwaway sentence that came off as a little racist to me, when Woody is on an airplane, in a seat that is apparently on the smaller side. That sentence gave me pause and left a bad taste in my mouth and my brain.

While each book in the series can be read as a standalone, I recommend starting with the first book, and then also reading the author’s actual standalone, HOLDING OUT FOR SPECIAL, which is the first of the author’s books that I read. They are all sweet, kisses only, romances with some suspense thrown in, that will leave you sighing at the end. In a good way!

*Received from BookSirens and voluntarily reviewed*

Synopsis from Goodreads:

Four years after the death of her husband, Belle Cosgrove returns to her childhood home of Huckleberry Ridge, Idaho seeking a fresh start. With the successful launch of her new massage business, things are finally looking up ... until a secret admirer starts leaving eerie gifts and messages. Can she convince her damaged heart to accept the help of Woody Bannock, a reserved, ridiculously handsome police officer? Book 4 in the clean, contemporary Huckleberry Ridge Romance series.


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