Desperate Measures by Melissa Pearl & Anna Cruise

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Title: Desperate Measures
Author: Melissa Pearl, Anna Cruise
Series: Aspen Falls #5
Published by: Indie
Release Date: August 18th 2018
Format: eARC, Kindle Book
Pages: 303
Genres: Romantic Suspense, Mystery
Source: the author
Reading Challenges: Lenoreo's 2018 #LetsReadIndie Challenge, Lenoreo's 2018 New Release Challenge, Lenoreo's COYER Big Summer Birthday Bash 2018
Find it: Goodreads ✩ Amazon
My rating:

Blurb:

Camila has spent the last ten years trying to leave her dark past behind…but when Alex turns up on her doorstep, she’s forced to face the one person she couldn’t forget.

Growing up on the tough streets of the city taught Cam a few things, especially about love. Don’t listen to your heart, because it will always let you down. Listen to your head instead.

She’s lived by that motto as a detective with the Aspen Falls police department. Cool-headed and calm, she’s solved plenty of cases through sheer grit and determination. But when Alex, a ghost from her past, shows up in her home, her resolve falters. He’s clearly on the run and up to no good, but there’s just one problem. She loved him once…and her head can’t convince her heart that anything has changed. Especially when she realizes just how much trouble he’s in.

The last thing Alex wants to do is put Cam in danger. The woman he loved years ago, the woman he purposely left behind, deserves better. But fate has other plans. Injured and alone, he shows up on her doorstep, knowing exactly what he needs: a safe place to stay and a plan to get out from under the myriad of people who want him dead.

But he knows something else, too.

His feelings for Cam never changed. And showing up at her door could be the worst thing he’s ever done. Because, this time, he might lose her forever.

If you like gritty, heart-wrenching romantic suspense then you’ll love this new Aspen Falls Novel.

My Review:

I received a free copy through the author in exchange for an honest and unbiased review/opinion.

3 stars — I don’t know, there was nothing inherently wrong with this book, I just had a hard time staying focused, and I didn’t really connect that strongly with Cam or Alex.  And characters are a huge part of why I fall in love with books, so that’s a bummer for me.

It felt a bit drawn out and slow…for a book that spans such a short time frame, you’d almost expect the book to feel fast paced.  But there was a lot of time spent in each of the characters heads, ruminating over the mystery, over their feelings, over the past, over what to do next…and occasionally it felt a bit repetitive.  I don’t know if it actually was, or it just felt that way to me.  Once we got into the more action-y parts, it was a bit more exciting, but that didn’t last as long in the end.

As far as the mystery/suspense goes, I had a hard time getting into it because the initial mystery of what happened to Alex to bring him to Cam’s was drawn out.  I had some guesses, and then I convinced myself I was wrong, and then it turned out I was right…but I think I would have appreciated not having that mystery be so long.  But then I guess there wasn’t much of a mystery after that, more of just how was the situation going to be resolved.  In the end it was just okay for me…didn’t suck me in enough to get me excited for the finish.

As for Cam and Alex, I appreciated reading about their past and how they grew up, and I loved all the allusions to how our circumstances can influence our choices, and how not everyone is bad, they might just be in a tough position.  I wish we’d been able to see (maybe through a flashback) more of why Alex broke up with Cam in the past…I mean, I sort of get it, but it sounded very abrupt and sudden, so I kept expecting to learn about a specific event/catalyst.

Other than that, I never really connected with present Cam and Alex.  That might have been just me.  I guess I just never felt all their present day emotions as much as I wanted.  I wanted to feel their fear, anxiety, confusion, desire…and I just…didn’t.  I never even really got excited about their romance.  🙁

It was fun to see some cameos of characters from previous books.  I enjoyed Nate’s role, and even Jessica’s.

Maybe I’m just too picky with my romantic suspense?

NOTE: qualifies for COYER Scavenger Hunt item #7: Read a book with a man on the cover (and no other people).