Fatal Vision

Whenever I pick up a Misty Evans book I know I’m in for a good time. She knows how to bring both the suspense and romance and make you feel like you’re right there with the characters – on the edge of your seat waiting for the next plot twist or sighing as her characters bring the romance and heat.

I do love a good second chance romance and Colton and Shelby didn’t disappoint. When Colton gets a message from his ex-wife that she needs him he doesn’t think twice – he hops in his truck and drives all night to find out how he can help. Shelby is still recovering from being shot and still has some memory issues, but she knows that Colton is the key to helping her remember the details of the serial killer investigation she was working. And luckily for Shelby, Colton isn’t only the key to her memories, he’s also the key to keeping her safe when she finds herself in the cross-hairs once again.

Watching Colton and Shelby find their way back to each other was so satisfying. There was a bit of a mystery around why these two separated in the first place and I love how that was woven into the story. Not only were these two dealing with issues surrounding their divorce, they also had to face Shelby’s father who never approved of Colton, a serial killer out for revenge, and all the issues surrounding Shelby’s injury.

One of my favorite things about Evans’ writing is her dialogue. She always brings a realness to every conversation and allows you feel the emotion of the characters. I really loved how she handled Shebly’s character, adding a bit of humor to things without minimizing the seriousness of her injuries.

The suspense and action were plentiful, and even though I had an idea who the bad guy was early on, there were so many little twists and interrelated plot points that the story kept moving and didn’t slow down at all.

And I can’t forget Salisbury, the dog that Colton was taking care of when he gets the call to go to Shelby. I’m always a sucker for stories with pets, and Salisbury was a great addition to this book.

As usual, Evans weaves in other characters from the previous books which gives a sense of continuity to the series. The bonds that the characters have with one another create additional depth and emotion in the story. And even though my favorite character, B, doesn’t have a huge role in this one, it’s always fun to see what role she does play and watch her mind work!

This can easily be read as a standalone, but I guarantee that you’ll want to learn more about the other characters once you meet them. Whether you are romance fan or love books with great plot twists, action, and suspense, this series is one I would highly recommend.

I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book.

This took so long to get going, that when I got to chapter 9, I finally just jumped to the end, to see if it ever reveals everything.

Too much time spent on “minute by minute” details (“she walked over there then sat over there, then watched him walk over there…”)

Rather than being able to get into it, it felt more like I was being punished for something I didn’t do, and reading this book was my punishment.

Too much back story between phrases.

Seriously, one person spoke then 4 pages of backstory, the other person answered? I couldn’t even remember what he said, so when the other person finally answered, I had to go back and find them next set of “ “ and read the last one I saw, then jump back ahead to the 4th page that answered.

The entire book does this.

“Her sitting there reminded him of that time when….” then 4 pages later…

Just very very hard to stay focused. I tried to hang in there, I did, but even jumping to the end, it was STILL doing that, “she sat down, then he walked in, then she stood up, etc”.

I’m sorry. I’ll try another book from this author, but after finishing a ton of books the last 4 or 5 years that “pulled me along”, this one I kept waiting for the commercials to break up the endless back stories, that salt never came.

In guessing if I removed everything except the dialogue with quotation marks, the book would be 40 pages long on an iPhone screen. I’m not kidding.

Sorry.

A prickly hero who also happens to be a former SEAL and a beauty queen heroine FBI agent team up to take down a serial killer. Fatal Vision by Misty Evans is the next book in her Shadow Force International series. I have loved each and every book in this series! The best thing about the SFI series is that there are a few characters that overlap from one book to the next, each book can be read as a stand alone, and each has a distinct plot with engaging main characters.

Colton and Shelby were once married and still very much in love. I love reading about couples reuniting, especially married couples. We find Colton rushing to Shelby’s side in Fatal Vision when she needs him. How can he say to the only woman he has ever loved? Shelby is recovering from a gunshot wound and that near fatal night has to do with a case she was investigating. She needs Colton to help her out.

I really enjoyed the storyline of Fatal Vision. Even though we have an idea of who the killer is, the story is filled with heart racing action and suspenseful situations. While most of the time I didn’t want to put the book down, a few times my heart couldn’t take it and had to put it down to take a few breaths and remind my self it was a fiction story.

Evans does a fabulous job with the romance between Colton and Shelby. The reuniting of these characters was pretty simple by romance standards but that made it all the more believable, but not easy. I enjoyed the mystery around why they were divorced in the first place. Evans knows how to pull the reader in and keep them there until the end, offering up bits and pieces of the story to the readers. The love scenes were passionate and smokin’ hot, too.

In Fatal Vision, the dialogue is witty, the pacing is right on point, the characters are fascinating and the story is enticing. If you are looking for a romantic suspense that will entertain you from beginning to end, give this one a read!