Secret Sisters by Jayne Ann Krentz Published by Berkley Publication Date: December 8th 2015
Pages: 352
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No one does romantic suspense better than Jayne Ann Krentz. Now, the New York Times bestselling author of Trust No One and River Road delivers a novel that twists and turns into a read that will leave you breathless.
Madeline and Daphne were once as close as sisters—until a secret tore them apart. Now it might take them to their graves.
They knew his name, the man who tried to brutally attack twelve-year-old Madeline in her grandmother's hotel. They thought they knew his fate. He wouldn't be bothering them anymore...ever. Still their lives would never be the same.
Madeline has returned to Washington after her grandmother's mysterious death. And at the old, abandoned hotel—a place she never wanted to see again—a dying man’s last words convey a warning: the secrets she and Daphne believed buried forever have been discovered.
Now, after almost two decades, Madeline and Daphne will be reunited in friendship and in fear. Unable to trust the local police, Madeline summons Jack Rayner, the hotel chain’s new security expert. Despite the secrets and mysteries that surround him, Jack is the only one she trusts...and wants.
Jack is no good at relationships but he does possess a specific skill set that includes a profoundly intimate understanding of warped and dangerous minds. With the assistance of Jack's brother, Abe, a high-tech magician, the four of them will form an uneasy alliance against a killer who will stop at nothing to hide the truth....
Cocktails and Books received this book for free from Provided by Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect our opinion of the book or the content of our review.
Eighteen years ago, Madeline Chase’s childhood was changed forever after enduring a traumatic night that quickly lead to her and her grandmother fleeing their residence at the Aurora Point Hotel. Now, she’s a grown woman who has just inherited her grandmother’s successful chain of hotels after her tragic and suspicious death. Going back home to settle the affairs of her past isn’t something she ever wanted to do, especially when it looks like her past has caught up with her.
Enter Jack Rayner, owner of Risk Management of Sanctuary Creek. He and his brother, Abe, provide security services to Madeline and when she goes back home, Jack is right by her side. Abe has been put on protective duty of Daphne Knight, who was there the night Madeline’s life was changed and is also her long lost best friend. Together, all four of these characters find the missing pieces from so long ago, along with a little romance.
Secret Sisters is a quick, somewhat predictable read that didn’t fail to entertain. I enjoyed it for what it was. A plot heavy story with decent characters and a bit of romance. It was a nice read to sit back and relax to.
But I did have some issues with it. It starts out well enough, but it’s soon burdened with heavy dialogue and bland romance. The conflict was a little slow in coming and the who-done-it was predictable. I did enjoy the ending more so than the middle as the twists kept coming. Though I had things sussed out long before the conclusion, I enjoyed the writing, the adventure and the proposed danger.
Each character had their own broken pasts that still surround them in their present. Jack and Madeline pair off as do Abe and Daphne, but with Madeline and Daphne having spent so long apart and with their renewed sisterhood, which was supposed to not have lost any of it’s luster with time, I wanted more of a “show” on that front. I wanted to see them interact and reconnect more, so that I in turn, could connect with them. But I never got that out of this read. I would also liked to have had more of a forward romance between the couples. I guess it was dulled because I didn’t really connect with the characters or their story like I wanted and I never got the “feels” or the “butterflies” from their interactions.
With all that said, I still liked this one and was interested enough to keep going until the exciting end.
