Author: C.R. Fulton
Genre: Romance/Mystery
Paperback; Digital Book
ISBN #: 9781949711783
BW Publications
328 Pages
$16.95; $4.99 Amazon
June 19, 2021
⭐⭐⭐
A deep-seated fear grips the town of Riverbend. When Beck Graham gets a call from her reclusive grandmother in Montana, she knows something's not right. Leaving her familiar city life behind, free-spirited Beck sets off for the family ranch, only to walk straight into a potential crime scene. What kind of mess has she gotten into now. Rumors of a villainous beast -- are the stories of savage murder true? Or is it just a small town superstition? As more clues come to light, Beck begins to wonder if the "beast" is bent on killing her too. Messages tucked into essential oil bottles only heighten the mystery. Where will the trail lead? Can she survive in the wilds of Montana? Maybe with the help of a handsome Navy SEAL...
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When Beck Graham, who lives in Raleigh, receives an ominous call from her grandmother in Montana, she knows she needs to go to her. But when she arrives, she's just a hair too late. Her grandmother is dead, and everyone claims the "Bear" killed her. But no bear made the marks above her head or hit her with a lamp, and Beck is determined to discover the truth. While the police consider the case closed, only one person believes her: an ex-Navy SEAL who has just returned home. And together they're going to find out the truth, even if the Bear turns on them...
I really wanted to read this book because I love mysteries and because it had high ratings. Unfortunately, it's not a mystery. It's a romance cloaked as one. Every time Beck wakes up or turns around, she's panting to herself about the 'hot' Seal, and how 'ripped' he is, and wondering if she can get him to love her. Seriously?
First, I don't care. I don't read romances unless they're Christmas ones. And I certainly don't care about the hot guy who's just out of reach. I don't mean to be harsh; but because of this, I couldn't get into the mystery. Maybe I'm just the wrong audience (obviously); but the mystery took second place to the romance, and it should have been the other way around.
There wasn't even much of a mystery. I knew who the murderer was the minute they stepped on the page (but then again, I read a lot of mysteries, so there's that). I just wish she would have stopped drooling over Eli enough to figure it out. Also, I felt as if I were in an episode of The Perils of Pauline. Every time Beck turned around, she got herself into a situation that Eli had to get her out of. No self-sufficiency for this girl, nope.
While this seems like a bad review, it's actually not. It's based on my personal opinion of the book, which is what reviews should be based on. How I feel about it. I did think the writing was very good, and the descriptions of the area around Riverbend were awesome. Lots of mountains and beautiful views. The uses for essential oils was interesting in itself. I liked most of the characters, and the story was interesting when you got to the end. It's just that I don't care for romances. Perhaps I will give this author another chance with another book, but I wouldn't steer anyone away from this one.
I received a copy from AuthorsXP but this in no way influenced my review.
More on C.R. Fulton's Books: https://www.amazon.com/C-R-Fulton/e/B01LGEO81K/ref=dp_byline_cont_pop_ebooks_1
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