amybethharrison 's review for:

Silent in the Grave by Deanna Raybourn

4.0

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I wasn't sure at first if this was not just a romance novel that I didn't want to be reading. There were some rather trite bits occasionally. But I started to really like Julia. The plot was also good--the murder is so personal and devastating that I was emotionally connected. Then it doesn't turn into a romance novel; Julia's and Brisbane's romance doesn't get off the ground. At the end I still wasn't sure if they whole romance wasn't just about lust--tumultuous lust at that-- with nothing more substantial behind it. Yet I liked it enough to know I wanted to read the second book. I also really, really liked Julia's family. They are real and wonderful and you want to be part of their craziness. I also really liked her dad--good to see a positive relationship with a parent in a book. It was a real relationship--Julia is very well aware of her father's faults and knows when to make up her own mind. However, she also really can rely on him for emotional support.