Thank you to Devney Perry and her team for the advance reader copy of Crimson River, the fifth story in The Edens series.
I have been greatly anticipating this book for a while, as once Devney began to tease this story the suspense sub-plot reminded me of my favourite instalment in the series, Indigo Ridge. Fans of that book and many of the mystery-based Clifton Forge novels will adore Lyla Eden’s instalment.
I am a Deveny Perry review team member, but I remain honest and genuine in my reviews.
Lyla Eden has spent the last few years watching her siblings fall in love. Meanwhile, she’s married to her job. It’s on her hundredth consecutive workday that her sister stages an intervention, kicking Lyla out of her own coffee shop. With nothing else to do, Lyla sets out on her favorite hiking trail.
It’s there that she spots a man washing blood from his hands in a stream. One moment she’s staring at the jagged scar on his face. The next, his hand is around her throat. But by some miracle, he lets her go.
Shaken to her core, Lyla reports the incident to the local police. Two days later, Vance Sutter arrives in town, armed with endless questions and a tarnished badge.
Vance may be ruggedly handsome but he’s as mysterious as the man he’s hunting. And he’ll be gone from Quincy in a blink. Yet Lyla’s crush is impossible to stop.
No matter how hard Vance tries to ignore it, there’s no denying the chemistry between them. And avoiding Lyla is not an option. After years of chasing dead ends, she’s his only lead to closing the case that haunts his career. So together, they’ll retrace her steps.
Check out my more detailed thoughts below…
- Characters: The next Eden protagonist is Lyla Eden! She is one of the few single Edens left, she is too busy being married to her job. She is not even looking for anyone, spending day in and day out in the cafe. Her family pushes her to take the day off and once she is attacked after hiking in the woods a chain of events is set off. Most importantly for Lyla, Vance Sutter arrives in Quincy. Vance’s appearance is a bit of a rugged mountain man. Once we get to know him readers will begin to understand this charming man is incredibly secretive. It takes some time for him to warm up, thanks to the efforts of not just Lyla but each Eden works to chip away the icy shields around his heart. You will understand why he is guarded and feel so relieved once he begins to trust his heart in Lyla’s hands.
- Setting: The story is set in the charming Quincy, Montana. The Edens basically run every business in this town it feels like, we got to really enjoy the wider cast of characters in this story. In the last installment, Jasper Vale saw Eloise being much more insular. Now we get to see how all the other Edens are doing, especially lots of page time for my fave Winslow Eden.
- Pacing: Pacing is so important in a romance with a significant suspense subplot. The story beats were well executed. I made some guesses, some panned out while others did not. Overall I found the mystery Devney weaved very compelling, I had to devour the story in a day because I needed to know more as secrets were revealed.
- Romance: Lyla and Vance were both so in need of a person to trust and love. They had some hot chemistry. So, just like many previous Eden stories, you will enjoy them sneaking around for a while hiding the depth of their feelings even from themselves. There is a moment where the relationship shifts and I adored that scene. We are beginning to get some huge payoffs for all the Edens I love and adore. Lyla and Vance brought me to tears and got my heart racing, not just with their intensity but with the heart-pounding suspense that will make readers want to read more and more.
Crimson River receives five out of five stars.
You can pick up the story below…
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Thank you again to Devney and her team for the review opportunity. Thank you for reading and supporting my blog!
