Beguiled
When novelists Deeanne Gist and J. Mark Bertrand first met in a Houston critique group, they never expected where friendship would take them. She wrote romance; he wrote crime novels. But growing respect for each other's work culminated in the decision to try blending their talents into this wonderfully engaging story merging romance and mystery. Rylee Monroe walks dogs in old-money Charleston, a part of the city recently targeted by a daring thief. Logan Woods works the crime beat for the local paper but dreams of a life as a nonfiction writer. When the string of robberies takes a strange twist, Logan sees the making of a once-in-a-lifetime book that seems to circle around this charming, eye-catching dogwalker. But pursuing the truth means ignoring that he seems to be falling for her. And what is she hiding in her past that could crack the story wide open?
Reviews
I love Deeanne Gist. She is without a doubt, one of my favorite fiction writers. And, I have to admit, I was a little nervous when I heard that she was doing a crime/romance novel with another writer (J. Mark Bertrand). I shouldn't have been! Beguiled was a great book! It was a quick read, and so very entertaining!
From the very first page, I was wrapped up in this story! It was fast paced and full of adventure and intrigue. But also had Deeanne's touch of romance and faith. It was beautifully pieced together.
Rylee has a fun job that she loves. She's working in her favorite part of Charleston, her hometown, caring for pets that she loves as her own family. To her, they are her only family, except for her aging grandmother who lives in a Senior Care Facility. While she doesn't have much money or time, she enjoys her solo life. Or so she thinks.
Logan is an up and coming journalist working on a true-crime novel on the side. He loves his home in Charleston and is seeking to find his way in the world of publishing while not forgetting his roots in church and family.
When the two of them are unexpectedly thrown together one night, it sparks the beginning of an adventure neither one was looking for!
You will definitely get wrapped up on their journey to seek the truth of the burglaries, their relationship, and their pasts. I look forward to future collaborations from these authors!
*I received a copy of Beguiled from Bethany House Publishers in exchange for my review. All opinions are my own!*
Rylee Monroe could safely say she is content with her life. Sure, things haven't been easy, but she has a great job, with even better clients, and their owners aren't too bad either. Even though a string of mysterious burglaries have been occurring, she still feels relatively safe in historic Charleston. That is until she encounters two mysterious men lurking in the shadows of her favorite walking spot. Logan Woods is the local crime reporter, with his sights set to loftier goals, and the Robin Hood Burglar is just the edge his book needs to solidify his lucrative publishing deal. But when his path crosses with Rylee's, and her involvement in the Robin Hood burglaries becomes undeniable, Logan must decide where his loyalties lie, even if he must decide against himself. The more the mystery deepens, the more aggressive the police become, and when the robber becomes equally aggressive, Rylee begins to run out of options. Can she and Logan find the real culprit before Rylee's life is destroyed?
This story was completely engaging from beginning to end. I was halfway through before I knew it, and pages from the end desperate for more. Gist and Bertrand's collaboration was brilliant and seamless, with a nearly perfect blend feminine driven romance with masculine commentary, and the excitement of a great mystery that will keep you guessing until the final chapters. The characters and plot were consistent, the mystery and story constantly build, never becoming completely predictable, and interestingly draws small circles, often coming back to a significant idea or place. Rylee is nearly sickening sweet, but will often show a darker side that makes the reader think that perhaps she is the culprit, even if only for a second. More importantly than the added mystery, Rylee is a full character, no one is perfectly nice all the time. This roundness goes for all the characters, including the ones you love to hate. No one is who they seem, not in an over the top way, but simple human nature, making the characters more realistic with every page. The Christian discussion is also presented in a much more natural way than you will sometime see in such novels. Like most of characteristics of nuance in the novel, it is subtle and merely a suggestion in conversation or a source of comfort for the characters.
Overall, if you are a fan of mysteries, Beguiled is a good choice. As far a thriller or deep mystery, it may fall short, but the romance makes up for that, allowing for it to actually have a little bit of something for any reader. Beguiled is definitely worth picking up, and the authors' contribution is reason enough to look into further work by either.
I've devoured all of Deeanne Gist's books on my Kindle...except for Deep in the Heart. . . . which isn't available yet. As a 6o-plus-year-old woman of the world, I thought I'd outgrown romance novels decades ago, however I must say I found all of Ms. Gist's books well done, very interesting and great fun. I'm looking forward to Deep In the Heart.
Bethany House sent me a complimentary copy of this book to review for them.
"Rylee Monroe, a dogwalker in Charleston's wealthiest neighborhood, never feared the streets at night. But now a thief is terrorizing the area and worse, someone seems to be targeting her.
Reporter Logan Woods is covering the break-ins with the hope of publishing them as a true-crime book. The more he digs, the more he realizes this beguiling dogwalker seems to be at the center of everything."
Loved this book! Filled with mystery, whit, twists and turns, it was a great read right up until the end. Deeanne Gist is one of my favorite authors as well and J. Mark Bertrand's books will now be checked out at the library.
A fantastic storyline that follows Kylee during her dog walking jobs for high end clients. What I loved about this book was the mystery surrounding the plot and it not being easily identifiable as to "who dunnit". There were no lagging parts and the characters were well developed. Who would've thought a book about a rollerblading dog walker could be so good
Beguiled immediately struck my interest, as I have enjoyed previous books by Deeane Gist, and I'm a huge fan of suspense fiction. Beguiled had a little bit of everything in it: romance, plot twists to keep the reader guessing, and plenty of suspense.
As I finished the book, I was satisfied with the ending (everything seemed to be resolved), but I felt as if part of the development of the resolution was missing. I'm not sure if it was because I read in little snippets (15-20 minutes at a time) or if something was actually missing in the story. I guess you'll have to read it for yourself to decide...