Charlie Adhara

Review: Cry Wolf by Charlie Adhara

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Title: Cry Wolf (Big Bad Wolf #5)
Author: Charlie Adhara
Genre / Themes: Shifters /Murder mystery
Release date: 18 Jan 2021 

Author's links: Website / Twitter/ Goodreads

My rating: 5 Stars

Blurb

Agent Cooper Dayton never thought anything could be harder than solving murders. Until he had to plan a wedding.

After taking down an old adversary, Agent Cooper Dayton of the Bureau of Special Investigations has earned a break. Not that planning a wedding to his sexy shifter partner, Oliver Park, is necessarily stress free, but it’s better than worrying about the ominous warning, delivered months ago, that Cooper’s life is in danger.

When he’s dragged to an event by his family, Cooper braces for an awkward evening, but instead finds himself in the middle of an ugly feud between Park’s ex and a rebel pack leader. What was supposed to be a quick outing turns into a full-blown murder investigation after the pack leader ends up dead, Park’s ex goes missing, and Cooper and Park are sent a series of disturbing wedding gifts that are somehow connected to it all.

The list of potential suspects is long, and with the bodies piling up, Cooper must turn to the one person he trusts the least: the villain he’s already put behind bars once and who has nothing to lose by lying and everything to gain if Cooper is out of the picture—for good. 

Review 

This is another great installment in the series and I loved everything about it - the romantic relationship, the suspense, the new insights we got into the wolf world. 

The book covers Cooper and Park getting for their wedding which any married person will tell is stressful in itself but add a murder investigation and things really hectic. I loved how much they cared for each other and wanted to be their best and to do their best to make their partner happy. It's really relationship goals for me. At the same time both of them continue to work through the traumas of their past and this is not easy for either of them. 

The mystery plot was intricate and engaging. I liked how it brought the past, present and future together. The mystery felt overwhelming at times, like a puzzle with too many pieces but in the the end I found its resolution fitting and satisfying.

We see more of Cooper's family and it was great, both his father and his brother are shown in a new light and it all reflects on Cooper, making him re-evaluate a lot of things about himself. We also meet more werewolves and the world around Park and Cooper just grows richer and fuller. 

Overall this is well written story, great romance and suspense plot, great side characters, great HEA. That said, I am curious how the series will continue. This doesn't read like the final book but more like a set for more stories in this world inhabited by humans and werewolves, at the same time the romantic relationship feels complete to me. I am wondering if another couple might take center stage in next installments (if there will be any).

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Contemporary Romance

Review: Second Chance on Cypress Lane by Reese Ryan

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Title: Second Chance on Cypress Lane 
(Holy Grove Island #1)
Author: Reese Ryan
Genre/Themes: Contemporary small town romance
Release Date: 1 Dec 2020

Author's links: Website / Twitter / Goodreads

My rating: 3 Stars


Blurb

When a romance gone wrong lands reporter Dakota Jones in the pages of the tabloids, her rising star crashes and burns. Instead of getting the weekend anchor job she'd been promised, she's promptly shown the door. Which leaves her one option: return home to lick her wounds, eat lemon meringue pie, and plot her comeback while actively avoiding the man who once broke her heart.

Dexter Roberts made a huge mistake when he walked away from Dakota, and he's regretted it ever since. So when Dakota returns to Holly Grove Island to regroup and decide what's next, Dex can't pass up the opportunity to win back the love of his life. Now he just needs to convince Dakota to give him a second chance. 

Review 

This is a second chance small town romance, book 1 in a series. It's my first read by this author and although it was nice, I didn't end up loving. There is nothing majorly wrong or problematic with this story. It's just slow, with a lot of going back and forth of the MCs in their decisions about the relationship.
I kept coming across minor stuff that annoyed me and it all added up and made frustrated.

The MCs were wildly in love as teenagers but split up when they went to college (it was dramatic and people and she never quite got over it). Now 15 years later she is back in her small hometown and they inevitable meet again and rekindle their relationship, first as friends, gradually back to lovers and long-term partners. 

I felt they acted too immature for people in their 30s, kept secrets and never talked openly and honestly until forced by outside circumstances to do it. Here is comes my issue with the main conflict and its reveal (she learned from someone else and confronted him). I hated how this played out, how quick she was to forgive him and the other party involved. It all could have been avoided if they had acted as adults from the start and talked things through. 

As a side note, the hero describes the heroine as "having curves at all the right places" is not quite the compliment he thinks he is. There was also the moment with sharing someone else's medical information which didn't feel right to me. I understand the good intentions behind it but it's still a matter of respecting people's privacy and it was violated in my opinion. 

As I said in the beginning it is all small things coming up here and there in the story but they added up making stealing some of the enjoyment I got from this story. 

On top of it all the ending was just too neat and too perfect for my liking. Yes, I want the HFN/HEA romance promises but the ending where everyone forgives everyone else and they all love and respect and care for each other and have no more issues to fix is not working that great for me. I guess it fits with the overall dreamy, escapist tone of the story which could be great for other readers but was not right for me. 

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