Harlequin Investigator Autumn blog tour | AD
If you follow the blog then you know that not only do I love to read, but I am a sucker for a good quick fix romance read. Some days I love nothing more than shutting the door on the real world and getting lost in a world where boy meets girl, there’s a little drama and passion but it all works out well in the end.
In a world gone crazy, there is a lot to be said for warm and fuzzy predictability. Which is why the Harlequin team got a whole hearted “hell yes” from me when they asked me to take part in the blog tour for their investigator series this Autumn. With 6 new titles to get a little sneak peek at, I couldn’t resist!
Here’s what’s new to the series this season.
Cold Case Double Cross by Jessica R. Patch
Read the full synopsis here.
Mae is back in her home town to visit her family, but what she doesn’t count on is Chase Ryland tracking her down and asking for her help to open his brother’s case. Now in jail for murdering his ex-wife, Chase believes he is innocent but he needs Mae’s help to prove it.
The first one of the tour that I read, I am a little mixed about Cold Case Double Cross. Both Chase and Mae are great characters and I love how 3 dimensionally flawed they are. The story was solid with plenty of action and twists. However I really disliked how preachy it became in places.
I have no issue with characters who have faith and go to church but I do find that books that cross the line from having character with faith to preaching to the reader off putting. So much so that Chase’s greatest fear of his brother taking his own life was the fact that he hasn’t given himself over to Jesus yet. Seriously? Just loving your brother and your guilt over the role you played wasn’t enough?
It may not bother other readers, but it really put me off. If you can overlook these moments though – of which there are only a few – then otherwise Cold Case Double Cross is a great addition to the Investigator series.
Missing at Christmas by KD Richards
Read the full synopsis here.
I really enjoyed this one. Shawn is a Private Investigator who witnesses an attack and steps in to help. He soon gets more than he bargained for when the victim turns out to be Addy Williams, the woman who ghosted him after a weekend of fun at his brother’s wedding. She’s in town trying to track down her missing sister and when the details overlap his own case, Shawn steps in to help.
Why on earth this is called missing at Christmas I have no idea, I think tinsel is mentioned once in passing! Overall this is a good solid read and has everything you’d expect from a Harlequin intrigue romance.
Colton K-9 Target by Justine Davis
Read the full synopsis here.
I think this was my favourite of this series. Brett is new to a town that is filled to the brim with Colton’s. Local government, the police force, even his K9 trainer Annalise is a Colton. Something that makes Brett – a man with a tainted family experience – uncomfortable. But then Annalise is targeted and attacked and Brett vows to find out who is behind it. Something that brings him closer to Annalise and the realisation that maybe being a Colton isn’t so bad afterall.
I like that this book deals with a darker subject matter and doesn’t shy away from it. Annalise is targeted through a dating app and catfished in a way that has her questioning herself and fearful of trusting again. The way this topic was dealt with was sympathetic with an aim to build up women who are victims of this kind of abuse. I was impressed and enjoyed reading a traditional Harlequin romance in a more serious setting.
Mountain Fugitive by Lynette Eason
Sometimes a single moment can change your life forever. That is certainly true for Dr. Katherine Gilroy who hears gunshots while out riding and comes to the aid of US marshal Dominic O’Ryan’s aid. There is no doubt that there is chemistry between the two of them but the equivalent of a cold shower is thrown on them both when Katherine finds out that Dominic is hunting down her baby brother who is now on the run.
I actually really enjoyed Mountain Fugitive. A good solid story with great characters and a few twists and turns to keep you interested, I read this book in a single day.
Texas Baby Conspiracy by Barb Han
Read the full synopsis here.
Alyssa wakes up in a trailer, heavily pregnant, injured and missing parts of her memory. All she can think about is getting out of there and back to her husband Blake. Unfortunately though, it seems that Alyssa divorced Blake out of the blue 6 months previously and he had no idea she was even pregnant. Neither has any idea as to what made Alyssa leave and who could be after her now.
This is the second book of this tour that I read and I won’t lie, it wasn’t my favourite. The story had all the ingredients of being a good read, but in practice it got a little too repetitive for me as many of the conversations and internal dialogue kept going around in circles. “Why oh why did I leave” / “I can’t trust her” etc.
That being said, the story starts with a bang and the action keeps going from there. Overall for me, I found it to be an ok read but nothing to shout from the rooftops about.
Rogue Christmas Operation by Juno Rushdan
Read the full synopsis here.
Last but not least, we have Rogue Christmas Operation. This is another one where I have no idea why Christmas is in the title. Bar a fleeting mention, it has absolutely nothing to do with the book and doesn’t feature in the narrative at all.
Hope Fischer is determined to break into a town kept under lock and key and find out what happened to her sister who died within its walls. It just so happens that it is the same town that Gage Graham is hiding in, trying to escape his own demons. However, when he witnesses Hope being rammed off the road one night, Gage cannot ignore his instincts and stops to help. Before he knows it he is pulled into a conspiracy which is bigger than both of them.
This one was a little “meh” if I’m honest. It was ok but theres is far fetched and then there is Rogue Christmas Operation. Perhaps I’m just annoyed that I was looking for a little festive action and intrigue and instead got a title that just fell a little short for me.
And that’s it!
There’s a really good mix throughout all of these titles but you will always get what you pay for with Harlequin which is plenty of action, drama, romance and characters you can’t help but love.
DISCLOSURE: these books have been gifted to me by the publishers via NetGalley in return for my honest opinion. I am not paid to do this, I do it because I love to read. The decision to include them on this blog is my own and I am under no obligation to do so.
* I am a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.co.uk.
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