I read that K.A. Tucker was something like Suzanne Brockmann, a romantic suspense writer, so I delved into this and, though not what I expected, I enjoyed following the story of Noah and Gracie uncover the past as amateur sleuths. Although it had the attributes of a romantic suspense novel, it wasn't typical, perhaps because the two leads were so young, early 20s. And because, they were not professionals in policing or the military or whatever. At the same time, the romance had a sweet charm, but it didn't have the sizzle of Suzanne Brockmann's romantic suspense - not in the romance or the action.

I only realised after finishing the novel that I listened to Say You Still Love Me by K.A. Tucker in January this year. I critiqued it as not memorable and I'm sure if I'd remembered that - no pun intended! (what is the right word instead of 'pun' here?!) - I wouldn't have spent time listening to another by the author. But this novel has earned a decent score from me. ( )

4.5 stars. ( )

My thoughts:

This was a satisfying novel. Still, one issue lingered in my mind.

Noah is awesome. Too awesome.
Polite, strong, self-sacrificing, courageous, swoon-worthy, good looking. (Have you ever met a romantic hero who is ugly?) In real life, he’s the type of guy I’d want my daughters bringing home, but I might wonder if he’s a little too good to be true. Scratch that. I’m so suspicious that I would definitely wonder about Mr. Perfect’s intentions. Thankfully, we see Noah’s point of view and see that he’s got a bit of a temper and has doubts about his decisions. But major character flaws? I didn’t see any.

I don’t read romance or even romantic suspense, so I don’t know whether this is typical of male lead characters or not. But it detracted from the suspense for me, as I knew that given Noah’s character, he would choose to do the right thing, no matter what. If this type of characterization is standard in this genre/subgenre, then the fault lies in me, rather than the author. Other readers might enjoy this more.

There’s plenty of terrific things in this novel, though.

Gracie & Noah
These are young adults who have had to grow up too fast. Both feel responsibility toward a troubled mother. Both are missing a father-figure. Technically Noah has one–he lived with his father for several years–but he really views Abe as his father.

Their first meeting is well-written. It’s a tense, dramatic, and all-too-real situation involving an overdose and the consequences, and both display their characters. The slight sexual tension between the two isn’t emphasized until later. Given the situation, that’s not surprising.

Their relationship develops quickly but that doesn’t seem unusual. Neither is certain if they can trust the other. Again, not surprising. (Would you trust some man who showed up with 98K in a duffel bag? Would you trust some woman who charged at you with a switchblade at first sight? Didn’t think so.)

At the same time, they both want their late parents to be admirable people and wonder if that’s true. This leads to the biggest conflict in the book:

If Abe’s name is cleared, that implicates Jackie in a cover-up.

If Jackie wasn’t involved in a cover-up, then Abe was rightly labelled a corrupt cop.

The two scenarios are mutually exclusive. And the more involved Gracie and Noah become, the harder it will be when one of those situations emerges as the truth–hard enough that it could destroy their relationship.

The realities of addiction, suicide, & trafficking
Tucker doesn’t sugarcoat the effects of addiction. Multiple overdoses, aborted rehab stints, and broken promises leave Grace skeptical that Dina will make stay clean this time. She’s certain that one day, she’ll come home to a dead mother. Noah wants to deal with Jackie’s alcoholism but is unsure where to turn for help.

As a suicide survivor, he’s wracked with guilt. The what if‘s and whys and should I have seen this coming? haunt him.

While the sexual trafficking subplot isn’t emphasized, there’s enough to be unsettling and show how horrible the realities are for too many people.

The dual timeline
For once, this works!

Overall, this is a strong novel. Recommended. 4 1/2 stars ( )

4.2 Out Of 5 Stars for this Romantic Suspense Novel

~MY THOUGHTS~

I love KA Tucker's Romance books, and lately she has been delving into the Suspense/Mystery type of stories, with her other book, He Will Be My Ruin, she was more suspense/mystery and less romance, and I didn't like it quite as much. However, with this, she still has the suspense and mystery but also has a romance. She is so good at the romance and real-life angst, that I feel she should keep this element in her stories. It's what makes her books so readable.

While I didn't understand the title or the cover or how they tied into the story, I still really enjoyed this. It kept me guessing and suspicious of everyone. A very intricate mystery, with mysteries inside of mysteries. Well played. The narration was good, not great. Really though, in my opinion, you can't go wrong with having multiple narrators.

~MY RATING~4.2/5 STARS - GRADE=B+

~BREAKDOWN OF RATINGS~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Plot~ 4/5
Main Characters~ 4.3/5
Secondary Characters~ 4.2/5
The Feels~ 4/5
Pacing~ 4.3/5
Addictiveness~ 4/5
Theme or Tone~ 4/5
Flow (Writing Style)~ 4.2/5
Backdrop (World Building)~ 5/5
Ending~ 4.7/5 Cliffhanger~ Nope.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Book Cover~ ???...see above
Narration~ Will Damron & Robin Eller with Wendy Tremont King & Roger Casey
Setting~ Austin, Texas and Tucson, Arizona
Source~ Audiobook (Library)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~∞~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ( )

Tucker did it again! Her ability to constantly break the mold with her plots, her characters, and her words. I never know what to expect when I pick up any of her books. Every last one is different from the rest and completely unique.

I was riveted from start to finish. This story is as much suspenseful as it is sweet and redeeming. As the plot gets deeper and deeper, the secrets left to be buried start to surface, I couldn't turn the pages fast enough.

Along with the mystery and suspense of this story, there is the side plot of a romance simmering. I loved it. I loved that as things start to get dangerous, Noah and Gracie start to find themselves fighting to not let fate take over.

All in all, Tucker hit it home with her unique story telling and complex characters. I could not have asked for a better story. ( )