Book Review: Broken Promise by Tara Thomas

Broken Promise by Tara Thomas

Publisher & Release: St. Martin’s, June 26, 2018

Time and setting:  Present Day, Charleston

Genre: Contemporary Romance, Romantic Thriller

Book Length:  304 pages

Heat Level: 1 Flame

Rating: 5 Gold Crowns

Book Description: 

SHE SWORE TO KEEP HER PROMISES. 

BUT CAN SHE KEEP THEM SAFE…AND PROTECT HER HEART?

Charleston Police Officer Alyssa Adams made a promise years ago to protect innocent women from harm. Now, she won’t rest until she can reunite every lost daughter with her family. Bring closure to every grieving husband. And, most of all, find out what happened the night her own sister disappeared, more than ten years ago…

As the eldest of the Benedict brothers, Kipling will stop at nothing to protect his family from a threat that aims to destroy them once and for all. But when a long-lost sibling is kidnapped by a powerful adversary, Alyssa is the only one he can turn to to get her back.

As Alyssa and Kipling band together to find their lost siblings, a powerful attraction builds between them that they can’t ignore. As the truth comes to light, will one broken promise tear them apart?

Buy Link:

https://smile.amazon.com/Broken-Promise-Romantic-Thriller-Broad-ebook/dp/B077XJJCDK

Add to Goodreads:

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/36348437-broken-promise

Vikki’s Musings

This is the third book in the Sons of Broadseries, and I enjoyed Broken Promisea great deal. I had eagerly waited for this conclusion of this series. I received a digital ARC from the publisher, via Net Galley, with the promise to read and review in advance of publication. My opinions are my own and are not influenced by that fact.

 Broken Promiseis a fast-paced, exciting read. While it doesn’t meet the traditional criteria for a romance, it definitely does as a thriller. I totally enjoyed the plot and the building of tension. The story pulled me in from the start.

I met Alyssa if the previous books and enjoyed her character quite a lot. In this book, her character becomes fully developed, and I fell in love with her. She is so dedicated to finding “The Gentleman” to the extent she puts her life in jeopardy in a big way.

I also met Kipling in the other books in this series. I really loved his character. He is willing to do whatever it takes to save his half-sister, especially after his actions in the previous book. I could really feel is anguish over his actions and his desire to right his wrongs. Ms. Thomas does a great job of redeeming his character and giving me the reasons behind his previous decisions.

The romance between Alyssa and Kipling is blazing hot and I could really see why they are attracted to each other. The emotions are strong and when they come together it’s amazing. I truly wanted them to find their well-deserved happy ending.

If you enjoy a book with plenty of action and suspense that will keep you on the edge of your seat, then you will love Broken Promise as much as I did. You will want to read the other books in this series first to really appreciate the diabolical, evil villain! But never fear, they will definitely be worth your time. The first two books are awesome as well. Happy reading!

Book Review: Deadly Secret by Tara Thomas

Deadly Secret by Tara Thomas

Publisher & Release: St. Martin’s, March 27, 2018

Time and setting:  Present Day, Charleston

Genre: Contemporary Romance, Romantic Thriller

Book Length: 304 pages

Heat Level: 1.5 Flame

Rating: 3.5 Gold Crowns

Book Description: 

SHE KNOWS THE TRUTH IS IN REACH
As a lawyer and aspiring Congresswoman, Bea likes to keep things professional. But she’s hired to investigate past dark secrets embedded in the Benedict business empire—and as secret wife to Knox Benedict, the job is about to become even more personal…

BUT THE CLOSER SHE GETS
Knox is the moral backbone of the Benedict family, but even a modern-day saint can have a mysterious side. He’s out to win back his estranged secret wife—but getting close to her again could destroy them both…

THERE IS NOWHERE LEFT TO RUN…
As Bea and Knox dig up the truth, Bea falls deeper and deeper into danger. Someone close by is watching her—and waiting to kill. Can Knox save the woman he loves from the enemy out to destroy them? And can their marriage survive the deadliest secret of all?

Buy Link:

https://smile.amazon.com/Deadly-Secret-Romantic-Thriller-Broad-ebook/dp/B075DCQRMY

Add to Goodreads:

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34964931-deadly-secret

Vikki’s Musings

This is the third book I have read by Tara Thomas, and I enjoyed Deadly Secret a great deal. I received a digital ARC from the publisher via Net Galley with the promise to read and review in advance of publication. My opinions are my own and are not influenced by that fact.

 Deadly Secret is a fast-paced, exciting read. While it doesn’t meet the traditional criteria for a romance, it definitely does as a thriller. I totally enjoyed the plot and the building of tension. The story pulled me in from the start.

Bea’s character is a bit hard to like all the time. She vacillates a lot when it comes to Knox and what she thinks would be best for him. I did feel her fear and anxiety throughout the book, though. She does tend to leap before she looks!

Knox is known as the saintly brother, and he is a good guy. I liked his character a great deal. He handles Bea’s mercurial personality very well. Many man would probably want to wring her neck at times.

Since Bea and Knox are already married, although they did it in secret, I didn’t get to see them fall in love, but the chemistry is strong, and there is so much going on, I really didn’t miss it.

My biggest issue is Ms. Thomas’s constant head-hopping. I found it VERY annoying, and it happens from one paragraph to the next. She needs to do a better job on transitioning from one character/scene to the next.

The focus of this book is plot-driven, and it’s done very well. Ms. Thomas is clearly a master at suspense, and it comes through loud and clear in Deadly Secret. I’m glad I decided to read this book, and I can’t wait to read more in the next installment. I do want to mention this is a cliff hanger, so make sure you are prepared to be left intensely curious as to who the Gentleman actually is. Happy reading!

Book Review: Twisted End by Tara Thomas

Twisted End by Tara Thomas

Publisher & Release: St. Martin’s, February 20, 2018

Time and setting:  Present Day, Charleston

Genre: Contemporary Romance, Romantic Suspense

Book Length: 68 pages

Heat Level: 1.5 Flame

Rating: 4.25 Gold Crowns

Book Description: 

From romantic suspense author Tara Thomas comes the explosive first novella, Shattered Fear, in the brand-new romantic suspense Sons of Broad series.

Welcome to the sultry streets of Charleston, where simmering desire and dark danger rule...

First comes desire.
Then comes love.
But Janie and Brent need to stop the man out to ruin them,

Before they can live happily ever after…

Buy Link:

https://www.amazon.com/Twisted-End-Novella-Romantic-Suspense-ebook/dp/B071JMCJ5H

Add to Goodreads:

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/35399888-twisted-end

Vikki’s Musings

This is the second novella in the Sons of Broad series, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I received a digital ARC from the publisher via Net Galley with the promise to read and review in advance of publication. My opinions are my own and are not influenced by that fact.

Twisted End is another action-packed suspenseful novella with many characteristics of a thriller. This book is plot-driven as so many suspense novels are, and drew me in from the first page to the last.

We pick up exactly where Hidden Fate ended, so this is definitely not a stand-alone. If you didn’t read the first book, you will be totally lost because it ended with a cliff hanger. Normally I detest those, but this one works.

Janie is dropped into a life-threatening conflict that appears very grim with a great fear that Brent has lost his life, and she is about to lose hers. I’ll not give anything else away, but let me tell you, there is plenty of high suspense that will have you biting your nails!

This one does an excellent job of resolving their situation with a very satisfying and romantic ending, but it certainly leaves the door open for the first full-length novel, Deadly Secret. I feel sure it will be another “grab your seat and hold on” book!

If you enjoy books that run a tight rope and keep you turning pages as fast as you can, then you will love this series as much as I am. I can’t wait to read the next one. Happy reading!