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3.83 AVERAGE
3.83 AVERAGE
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Donovan had a seriously bad taste in women.
1.5/5*
Obviously this author likes everything to happen at the very end of the book which I think is supposed to be exciting and fast paced but just comes across rushed.
The third act break up made no sense after vehemently believing in his innocence to then suddenly be not so sure just because of a podcast and not sure she wanted this looming over her head for the rest of her life when the body was discovered and the case is finally progressing?
Didn’t love either of the characters and the dog wasn’t a big feature
Obviously this author likes everything to happen at the very end of the book which I think is supposed to be exciting and fast paced but just comes across rushed.
The third act break up made no sense after vehemently believing in his innocence to then suddenly be not so sure just because of a podcast and not sure she wanted this looming over her head for the rest of her life when the body was discovered and the case is finally progressing?
Didn’t love either of the characters and the dog wasn’t a big feature
challenging
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Donovan & Sasha are so hot together! I had so much fun writing this book. It's the first I've written with a plus-sized heroine and also where the hero falls first!
fast-paced
adventurous
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
After a traumatic brain injury ended his military career, Donovan Scott returned to his home town where many but his closest friends still believe he’s involved in the unsolved disappearance of Darcy, his highschool girlfriend. His only solace is Spirit, his K9 partner at Redwood Coast Rescue, but Donovan’s always been a risk-taker at heart; when the rescue’s charity ball gives him a chance to sweep RWCR vet Sasha off her feet, he takes it. Sasha attended the ball planning to seduce the county sheriff, the best fit for her perfectly planned life, yet Donovan surprises her with his passion and his heart of gold. However, Donovan’s murky past is catching up to him. A serial arsonist is targeting the few people he loves and trusts, and a true crime podcast stirring new suspicions about his role in Darcy’s disappearance. Even at the risk of losing Sasha, Donovan must reveal his darkest secret to save her.
The second novel in the Redwood Coast Rescue series focuses on MMC Donovan and FMC Sasha. I connected with both characters and their experiences on an individual level and was thrilled to learn more about their pasts and them as people. Their developing relationship is framed as central to the plot and progression of the story, however was realistically secondary to the mystery plot, which was the most engaging aspect. I enjoyed following the investigation and felt a great deal of satisfaction upon the resolution, but the “podcast” element was a miss for me. Admittedly, I don’t listen to any true crime podcasts so maybe I simply don’t understand the genre, but Alexis and her podcast were oft-contradictory. She/her podcast seemed to exist only to force a third-act break-up moment between Donovan and Sasha that felt unrealistic and lessened the sincerity of their HEA.
The second novel in the Redwood Coast Rescue series focuses on MMC Donovan and FMC Sasha. I connected with both characters and their experiences on an individual level and was thrilled to learn more about their pasts and them as people. Their developing relationship is framed as central to the plot and progression of the story, however was realistically secondary to the mystery plot, which was the most engaging aspect. I enjoyed following the investigation and felt a great deal of satisfaction upon the resolution, but the “podcast” element was a miss for me. Admittedly, I don’t listen to any true crime podcasts so maybe I simply don’t understand the genre, but Alexis and her podcast were oft-contradictory. She/her podcast seemed to exist only to force a third-act break-up moment between Donovan and Sasha that felt unrealistic and lessened the sincerity of their HEA.
Another thrilling story from Tonya Burrows! This story is compelling and intriguing and I had trouble putting it down! The book begins with a bang and gets better from there. Sasha and Donovan are wonderfully maligned characters who grow so nicely together. Donovan's demons have followed him for his entire life and only got worst after this time in the military. He's the poor kid from the wrong side of the tracks and everyone's always treated him like that. It only gets worse when there's a cold case podcast airing episodes about a missing girl from his high school days, where he was the main suspect. Sasha has a plan and she plans to stick to it. She does not count on an encounter with the local bad boy.
I enjoyed the character growth from everyone and how first impressions can be wrong and that people can grow and change. Donovan and Sasha were fantastic! I liked how each played of the other and their interactions. The dogs were wonderful and I liked the inclusion of the characters from the previous book. I thought the beginning of the park scene was a nice inclusion!
This book has (lots! of) steam (more than some of Burrow's stories), violence, fire, PTSD, TBI, and SA (off page).
The podcast episodes were well done and nicely narrated. I liked the inclusion because it helped set the suspense of the story, because it offered a real life look at how cases like that are handled, especially from a true crime podcast narration. Because, most of the time, someone's partner did it, so of course police and arm chair detectives would suspect the boyfriend with a criminal past!
This is the second book in the series. It can be read as a standalone as the story is self-contained, but I recommend enjoying the first book before this one for maximum enjoyment!
The narrators were wonderful! I quite like Stephen Borne's narration style and I'm glad the author keeps using him for her books! While the story is told in dual POV, Auri Alden only narrated the podcast episodes, not the chapters/sections from Sasha's perspective. I listened at 1.15x speed. That speed fit the male narrator's voice, but was a little too fast for the female's voice.
I enjoyed the character growth from everyone and how first impressions can be wrong and that people can grow and change. Donovan and Sasha were fantastic! I liked how each played of the other and their interactions. The dogs were wonderful and I liked the inclusion of the characters from the previous book. I thought the beginning of the park scene was a nice inclusion!
This book has (lots! of) steam (more than some of Burrow's stories), violence, fire, PTSD, TBI, and SA (off page).
The podcast episodes were well done and nicely narrated. I liked the inclusion because it helped set the suspense of the story, because it offered a real life look at how cases like that are handled, especially from a true crime podcast narration. Because, most of the time, someone's partner did it, so of course police and arm chair detectives would suspect the boyfriend with a criminal past!
This is the second book in the series. It can be read as a standalone as the story is self-contained, but I recommend enjoying the first book before this one for maximum enjoyment!
The narrators were wonderful! I quite like Stephen Borne's narration style and I'm glad the author keeps using him for her books! While the story is told in dual POV, Auri Alden only narrated the podcast episodes, not the chapters/sections from Sasha's perspective. I listened at 1.15x speed. That speed fit the male narrator's voice, but was a little too fast for the female's voice.
adventurous
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I figured out some parts, but not others.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Confinement, Death, Drug use, Panic attacks/disorders, Rape, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Kidnapping, Grief, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Murder, War
Minor: Animal cruelty