Blind Date
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4.6 • 11 Ratings
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- $6.99
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- $6.99
Publisher Description
From Bella Jewel, the USA Today bestselling author of the wildly popular Alphas Heart e-series, comes a pulse-pounding thriller about a serial killer who’s hiding in plain sight, targeting his prey one BLIND DATE at a time. . .
After the death of her husband four years ago, Hartley Watson is finally ready to meet someone—and maybe even have a second chance at love. But then, just as her dating life seems to be getting started, Hartley is struck with a horrifying realization: Someone is watching her. Entering her own home. Even knows the intimate details of her life. How else to explain the strange deliveries, or the sudden appearance of mementos from her dead spouse—ones that she had kept for so long in storage?
If only Hartley could know for sure whether what is happening to her is real or if her grief is making her lose touch with reality. Those around her aren’t convinced that she’s being stalked, nor is the wonderful, supportive man Hartley’s started dating. The exciting new life she has created for herself is slowly becoming a nightmare. . .How can Hartley seek protection when nobody believes that she’s at risk—and the only one in the world she can trust is herself?
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Jewel (the MC Sinners series) opens her standalone contemporary romantic thriller with fun characters and an interesting setup, but suspense is not the book's strong suit. Thirty-three-year-old widow Hartley Watson insists she's not ready to return to the dating scene. Even though it's been four years since her husband, Raymond, died in an automobile accident, the whole notion of dating scares her. Nevertheless, when her friend Taylor presents her with three prearranged encounters via an online dating service, Hartley grudgingly agrees. The first two are disasters. Number three, however, looks like a match: Jacob is good-looking, considerate, charming, and employed. He's totally unlike Hartley's detective neighbor, Ace Henderson, who mostly refuses to acknowledge her existence but is sometimes directly rude. These relatable characters are set up in a way that could lead to any number of interesting and innovative stories, but instead, Jewel relies on a familiar plot. Shortly after Hartley starts dating Jacob, certain items suddenly, mysteriously appear in Hartley's apartment things only Raymond would have known about. From there, whatever tension Jewel may have built is diluted by the story's utter predictability.
Customer Reviews
Bella has another hit!!!
Bella Jewel has definitely proven she knows how to write dark, twisted romantic suspense stories!!! The first couple in this genre were good but this one, FANTASTIC!!!!
Hartley Watson lost everything when she lost her husband. Four years later she is finally getting her life in order. She even let's her best friend convince her to go on a couple of blind dates. About the same time she starts dating her third blind date (Jacob)she also starts having more interaction with her neighbor, the broody cop.
Soon, she starts finding little things that make her think that maybe she wasn't really ready to start dating after all. Notes from her husband, a coffee cup her got her that she packed away. At first she thinks, maybe she got these things out, but when she figures out she's not the one digging these things out she realizes someone is out to terrorize her. Who better to help her than her neighbor, the cop.
Ace has endured his own loss and really isn't ready to get past that. But when he realizes Hartley has become the target of a serial killer he finally starts to come out of the fog his loss has left him in. But will he realize soon enough who the killer is? Can anyone keep Hartley out of the hands of a killer?
I received this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
4.5 Stars!
I really enjoyed this. I've not read this author before but I saw a few reviews on one of her other romantic suspense books, and the response was enough to have me watching out for her next release. I'm so glad I did because it was almost perfect. The only reason I wouldn't give it a full 5 stars is because you know right off who the killer is. Even knowing it, I was still very much enthralled with this story.
This was well written and I loved the maturity of the characters. Hartley surpassed my expectations in a heroine. I like that she really only had one TSTL moment which she owned up to immediately. Ace as a Hero is actually one of my favorite types. Big, intense and broody. Both had lost their spouses and usually I don't like that dead exes play a big role, but I never minded in this book. Maybe because these two don't start out romantically involved.
The romance wasn't big in the story but I still felt the attraction with Ace and Hartley. I didn't really feel like I was missing out in the romance aspect of the story. Really the only thing I would have liked different is if the killer wasn't predicted early on. I'm excited to read more from this author. ARC provided by NetGalley.