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jonetta's review against another edition
4.0
Major Grant Barrett is the consummate soldier, the military being the only life he’s known. He’s deployed in Afghanistan when he’s notified that his brother and sister-in-law, Lee and Kate, were murdered in an apparent robbery while returning home from dinner out. They have a six-year old son, Carson, and a four-month old daughter, Faith, who are now orphans. Grant returns home to Scarlet Falls and enlists the help of next door neighbor Ellie Ross who not only worked with Lee but whose daughter Julia was babysitting for Lee & Kate the night they were killed. They have an immediate attraction to each other but also soon learn they have another connection. Grant doesn’t believe his family’s murder was a simple robbery but a deliberate one. Ellie’s being blackmailed into secretly retrieving a case file from Lee’s home office, with threats to her daughter and grandmother.
The beginning of the story is from Lee’s point of view, right up through his and his wife’s death. It was chilling and expertly done, setting the foundation for what was to come next. It also set my expectations for how dangerous the threat was to not only Ellie and her family but Grant’s niece and nephew. Throughout the story, the motive for the murders was unclear even though there were allusions as to what it might be. I liked that it was foggy with lots of clues, red herrings and real ones, for me to sift through and contemplate. As much as I thought I was prepared for the big reveal, i was still stunned by the outcome.
I liked this story and the promise for the rest of the series. It was great storytelling and the romantic aspect was secondary to the mystery but good, which is my preference. I listened to the book and was pleased overall but didn’t like the voice and manner used for Grant as it was too stereotypical in approach. Otherwise, I liked her pacing and depictions of the other major characters. It’s a strong start to the series and I will continue with the audio versions.
The beginning of the story is from Lee’s point of view, right up through his and his wife’s death. It was chilling and expertly done, setting the foundation for what was to come next. It also set my expectations for how dangerous the threat was to not only Ellie and her family but Grant’s niece and nephew. Throughout the story, the motive for the murders was unclear even though there were allusions as to what it might be. I liked that it was foggy with lots of clues, red herrings and real ones, for me to sift through and contemplate. As much as I thought I was prepared for the big reveal, i was still stunned by the outcome.
I liked this story and the promise for the rest of the series. It was great storytelling and the romantic aspect was secondary to the mystery but good, which is my preference. I listened to the book and was pleased overall but didn’t like the voice and manner used for Grant as it was too stereotypical in approach. Otherwise, I liked her pacing and depictions of the other major characters. It’s a strong start to the series and I will continue with the audio versions.
tamaralh7's review against another edition
2.0
Points because I didn't figure out the mystery behind the murders in advance. But, that doesn't make up for the fact that there were serious grammar issues. I'm not a grammar nazi by any stretch buy when you mess up character names and something as simple a pronouns even I have issues. Closer to 2.5 stars than 2.
cranberrytarts's review against another edition
3.0
I really struggle with Romantic Suspense. The characters often do things that make no sense to me, or the mystery is so easy to figure out I end up being really bored. I haven't read Melinda Leigh before, but she had good reviews so I figured I'd give her a try. I spent most of the book irritated at the way the characters acted. The heroine made silly choices that put herself and her family in danger. The hero supported her in those choices when it made no sense, and often rushed into danger without thought.
As a romance, this was cute. He had to come home on emergency leave to care for his niece and nephew when his brother and sister-in-law were murdered. Seeing this confirmed bachelor soldier deal with a colicky infant and heartbroken kindergartner was sweet and endearing. His budding relationship with the next door neighbor was sweet, too. I liked the two of them together and the way their families blended. As a suspense novel it didn't work for me.
As a romance, this was cute. He had to come home on emergency leave to care for his niece and nephew when his brother and sister-in-law were murdered. Seeing this confirmed bachelor soldier deal with a colicky infant and heartbroken kindergartner was sweet and endearing. His budding relationship with the next door neighbor was sweet, too. I liked the two of them together and the way their families blended. As a suspense novel it didn't work for me.
btedford224's review against another edition
5.0
Wonderful
I love how there’s always some wild twist. Such a great book. I cant wait to read more! My heart is still racing
I love how there’s always some wild twist. Such a great book. I cant wait to read more! My heart is still racing
owlsreads's review against another edition
3.0
3.5 stars!
*
Hour of Need is a fast-paced and engrossing mystery novel. It has well-developed characters and and an intriguing first chapter, which sets up the plot rather nicely and leaves you guessing. The romance aspect balances out the mystery ver well, and the added tension of both works to make this a really entertaining read.
Melinda Leigh’s writing is so easy to get into. The narrative flows rather nicely, although some of the shifts in POV, mostly with the flashbacks, disrupt the flow of the story. This is a very down-to-earth kind of story, with some intense scenes, and a sweet slow-build romance between the two main characters.
Still a captivating story, but the shifts in POV really threw me. It’s usual for Leigh novels to give readers glimpses from both the killer and the victim’s POVs, but this time the latter didn’t really work for me. The different tone of journal passages just feels off and bogs down the narrative.
The main characters, Ellie and Grant, are wonderful. They have very different voices, and it’s a delight to read about their perspectives. The side characters are also amazing and layered, and they all help with the development of the plot. Carson, especially, is the sweetest.
The mystery is also kind of meh, but the resolution is very well executed. There is a lot of tension in the last few chapters, and it boils over in a way that makes the reveal more impactful. Tying that with the adorable ending, it’s a really good read.
In the end, Hour of Need tries to do a bit too much with its different POVs, but it’s helped by great characters and great ending. The romance is good and ties well with the mystery and it contributes to the best scenes in the novel.
*
Series: #1 in the Scarlet Falls series.
POV: Told mostly from Ellie and Grant’s POVs.
Content Warnings:
Steam: Slightly steamy.
Cliffhanger: No.
HEA:
Up Next: Minutes to Kill.
*
“I want to help you.”
Hour of Need is a fast-paced and engrossing mystery novel. It has well-developed characters and and an intriguing first chapter, which sets up the plot rather nicely and leaves you guessing. The romance aspect balances out the mystery ver well, and the added tension of both works to make this a really entertaining read.
Melinda Leigh’s writing is so easy to get into. The narrative flows rather nicely, although some of the shifts in POV, mostly with the flashbacks, disrupt the flow of the story. This is a very down-to-earth kind of story, with some intense scenes, and a sweet slow-build romance between the two main characters.
Still a captivating story, but the shifts in POV really threw me. It’s usual for Leigh novels to give readers glimpses from both the killer and the victim’s POVs, but this time the latter didn’t really work for me. The different tone of journal passages just feels off and bogs down the narrative.
The main characters, Ellie and Grant, are wonderful. They have very different voices, and it’s a delight to read about their perspectives. The side characters are also amazing and layered, and they all help with the development of the plot. Carson, especially, is the sweetest.
The mystery is also kind of meh, but the resolution is very well executed. There is a lot of tension in the last few chapters, and it boils over in a way that makes the reveal more impactful. Tying that with the adorable ending, it’s a really good read.
In the end, Hour of Need tries to do a bit too much with its different POVs, but it’s helped by great characters and great ending. The romance is good and ties well with the mystery and it contributes to the best scenes in the novel.
*
Series: #1 in the Scarlet Falls series.
POV: Told mostly from Ellie and Grant’s POVs.
Content Warnings:
Spoiler
Bullying. Mentions of suicide.Steam: Slightly steamy.
Cliffhanger: No.
HEA:
Spoiler
Yes.Up Next: Minutes to Kill.
amanduh_reads's review against another edition
3.0
I love Melinda Leigh's Morgan Dane series, as well as the first book in her Bree Taggert series, but this one just fell short for me. I really enjoyed the characters, but the story just moved too slow for me. Overall, it was just just sort of boring and predictable. Not the worst I've ever read, but certainly not the best.
haleighlovesbooks's review against another edition
3.0
My least favorite Melinda Leigh book I’ve read so far... I started with Morgan Drake and Bree Taggart and loved them.
This is an earlier work so you can tell Leigh hasn’t quite found the right balance between mystery and romance. I also didn’t like we knew the killers name so early on. I would have preferred some more suspense.
Also big trigger warning for bullying and suicide. Not really topics I was expecting to feature in a romantic mystery.
All in all — very quick, decent read but not one I will be reading again.
This is an earlier work so you can tell Leigh hasn’t quite found the right balance between mystery and romance. I also didn’t like we knew the killers name so early on. I would have preferred some more suspense.
Also big trigger warning for bullying and suicide. Not really topics I was expecting to feature in a romantic mystery.
All in all — very quick, decent read but not one I will be reading again.
booksuperpower's review against another edition
5.0
Hour of Need by Melinda Leigh is a 2014 Montlake publication.
This book is a solid romantic suspense novel that isn't afraid to address hot button issues in a thought provoking manner that challenges the reader to think about many things along the way. The plot has several twist along the way and surprises I never saw coming.
Grant is burning out from too many tours of duty in Afghanistan, but nothing he has ever endured in war could prepare him for the news his brother, Lee, and sister-in-law, Kate, have been murdered. On leave, he returns to the states to claim his niece and nephew, reunite with his siblings and try to figure out who murdered his brother and why. Along the way he is also reunited with Ellie Ross, his brother's neighbor, a woman he is attracted to but has avoided pursuing because he knows he will have to leave home again.
Ellie Ross is an employee who worked in the law firm where Lee was an attorney. Her teenage daughter, Julia, was babysitting the night the couple was murdered. But, now Ellie has been dragged into the case by her boss because apparently Lee took an important file home and he wants Ellie to try and retrieve it. But, Ellie isn't the only one looking for the file and soon she finds her family's lives are at stake if she doesn't find it ASAP.
This sordid murder mystery revolves around the bullying case of teenager who ultimately committed suicide. Those responsible for bullying the girl would most likely never suffer any sort of repercussions for their cruelty, until Lee takes on a civil case the girl's parents filed. Grant believes the missing file and the bullying are in someway connected to his brother's death. He also suspects Ellie knows more than she is telling.
Family's are complicated and Grant realizes too late that his family has not been all that close. The death of his brother and certain revelations he uncovers opens his eyes to the fact that while he is a military hero keeping his country safe, he has neglected to nurture his own family relationships. However, Grant is not the only one in his family that is so driven by ambition they hardly see one another. It was sad that a death and two vulnerable children would be the thing that brought them all together.
The other theme the book explores is the bullying epidemic and the sad consequences it brings. The thoughts many had on the subject were disturbing, yet very typical. I recently found myself having a conversation about this very thing not too long ago and was aghast at the flippant attitude some people have about bullying, believing the victim should be stronger or taught to cope with the situation. In this case that attitude may have caused a delay in getting the victim help.
These themes, although they play a key role in the story, do not overshadow the mystery or romance. Ellie is the single mom of a teenager and a caretaker for her grandmother, who is a delightful character. Ellie and Grant have met before and there was an attraction , but Ellie doesn't want a long distance relationship, nor does she want something temporary, which puts Grant out of the running. He is sure to be called back up for military service, but Ellie finds it harder and harder to resist him.
The mystery is puzzling because we know some of the details but not enough to draw up any pat answers. There are many suspects with good motives but I never could have guessed how it would play out in the end. The last quarter of the book was riveting as all the pieces of the puzzle begin to snap into place and huge revelations and paranoia take hold putting everyone at risk.
As I said in the beginning this story is very solid with a dark, twisty mystery, hot steamy romance, and a few themes that will give you pause. Obviously I really liked this one - 5 stars
This book is a solid romantic suspense novel that isn't afraid to address hot button issues in a thought provoking manner that challenges the reader to think about many things along the way. The plot has several twist along the way and surprises I never saw coming.
Grant is burning out from too many tours of duty in Afghanistan, but nothing he has ever endured in war could prepare him for the news his brother, Lee, and sister-in-law, Kate, have been murdered. On leave, he returns to the states to claim his niece and nephew, reunite with his siblings and try to figure out who murdered his brother and why. Along the way he is also reunited with Ellie Ross, his brother's neighbor, a woman he is attracted to but has avoided pursuing because he knows he will have to leave home again.
Ellie Ross is an employee who worked in the law firm where Lee was an attorney. Her teenage daughter, Julia, was babysitting the night the couple was murdered. But, now Ellie has been dragged into the case by her boss because apparently Lee took an important file home and he wants Ellie to try and retrieve it. But, Ellie isn't the only one looking for the file and soon she finds her family's lives are at stake if she doesn't find it ASAP.
This sordid murder mystery revolves around the bullying case of teenager who ultimately committed suicide. Those responsible for bullying the girl would most likely never suffer any sort of repercussions for their cruelty, until Lee takes on a civil case the girl's parents filed. Grant believes the missing file and the bullying are in someway connected to his brother's death. He also suspects Ellie knows more than she is telling.
Family's are complicated and Grant realizes too late that his family has not been all that close. The death of his brother and certain revelations he uncovers opens his eyes to the fact that while he is a military hero keeping his country safe, he has neglected to nurture his own family relationships. However, Grant is not the only one in his family that is so driven by ambition they hardly see one another. It was sad that a death and two vulnerable children would be the thing that brought them all together.
The other theme the book explores is the bullying epidemic and the sad consequences it brings. The thoughts many had on the subject were disturbing, yet very typical. I recently found myself having a conversation about this very thing not too long ago and was aghast at the flippant attitude some people have about bullying, believing the victim should be stronger or taught to cope with the situation. In this case that attitude may have caused a delay in getting the victim help.
These themes, although they play a key role in the story, do not overshadow the mystery or romance. Ellie is the single mom of a teenager and a caretaker for her grandmother, who is a delightful character. Ellie and Grant have met before and there was an attraction , but Ellie doesn't want a long distance relationship, nor does she want something temporary, which puts Grant out of the running. He is sure to be called back up for military service, but Ellie finds it harder and harder to resist him.
The mystery is puzzling because we know some of the details but not enough to draw up any pat answers. There are many suspects with good motives but I never could have guessed how it would play out in the end. The last quarter of the book was riveting as all the pieces of the puzzle begin to snap into place and huge revelations and paranoia take hold putting everyone at risk.
As I said in the beginning this story is very solid with a dark, twisty mystery, hot steamy romance, and a few themes that will give you pause. Obviously I really liked this one - 5 stars