Series: Sterling's Montana (Book 3)He thought the past was finally behind him
Shade Sterling has carried a torch for Lizzy Conners
since senior year of high school. But the timing never felt right for them,
especially since his ex-girlfriend, Ariel, disappeared without a trace years
ago. Now, with their ten-year class reunion approaching, Shade is tired of
waiting. Determined to move on with his life and take a chance with Lizzy, he’s
all in…until a car is dredged up from a local pond and Ariel’s remains are
found inside.
As the newly appointed sheriff, Lizzy must investigate
every single lead—including the ones that point right to Shade. She knows she
can’t let her heart get in the way of an investigation, but she can’t accept
that Shade is guilty. Now if she can only prove it—both to the town out for
justice and to herself.
Fantastic conclusion to the series, and one that sucked
me in from the very first pages. Shade is the youngest of the three Sterling
brothers and was not much of a presence in the first two books. He works the
ranch side. The first sight of him in this book is as he is riding the ranch
property and thinking about how much he loves it. His attention is caught by the
flashing lights of police cars near the edge of his property. His curiosity
brings him to the site just as a familiar vehicle is dragged from the pond.
Lizzy is the newly elected sheriff, and the discovery of
this murder happens on her first day on the job. Complicating matters is that
Lizzy knew the victim quite well and had been among the last people to see Ariel
alive, along with the other members of their graduating class. Ariel
disappeared the night of their graduation, and no one had seen or heard from
her since then. Now it will be up to Lizzy to investigate all the possibilities,
including those pointing at Ariel's ex-boyfriend, Shade Sterling.
Shade and Lizzy have a complicated history. They knew
each other in high school, where each had crushed on the other. Lizzy tried to
keep her feelings buried because Shade belonged to her friend Ariel. Shade had
had feelings for Lizzy for months before graduation and broke up with Ariel,
though Ariel refused to admit it. Though Lizzy and Shade shared one hot kiss on
graduation night, Ariel's disappearance made Shade reluctant to pursue anything
with Lizzy. They soon went their separate ways, and fate kept them from doing
anything in the intervening years. Ten years later, Shade is ready to take a
chance, until Ariel's body is discovered and their worlds are thrown into
turmoil. Now they have to tamp down any feelings they have for each other until
the investigation into Ariel's murder is complete.
I liked how the relationship between Shade and Lizzy
developed. Lizzy's instincts tell her that Shade is innocent, but she has to
remain impartial. This is difficult for both of them as the investigation
overlaps the planning for their 10-year class reunion. As it becomes horrifyingly
clear that one of their classmates is a killer, Shade becomes very protective
of Lizzy, while Lizzy quickly comes to depend on Shade's level head. Just as
Shade pictures a future with Lizzy, he receives some startling news that may
throw a crimp in his plans. Will Lizzy be willing to accept his changed circumstances,
or will it end things before they start? I really liked how this part was
handled, with heart and maturity. It also gave them a chance to get to know
each other more deeply. The ending was romantic in an amusing way and perfect
for the two of them.
The suspense of the story had me glued to the pages from
start to finish. The more that came out about Ariel, the more suspects in her
murder were added to the investigation. It was a frightening look into the
long-ranging effects that a bully can have on someone's life. This was emphasized
by the inclusion of Ariel's thoughts as she followed along with the
investigation. It added an extra layer to the complexity of everything that
Lizzy had to consider in her investigation. The intensity increased as the
classmates gathered for their reunion at Sterling's Guest Ranch. There were so
many twists and turns that I was kept guessing throughout, with the final twist
being completely unexpected.
No comments:
Post a Comment