The Killing Tide

Title: The Killing Tide (Coastal Guardians #1)

Author: Dani Pettrey

Genre: Romantic Suspense

Publishing Date: Aug 6, 2019

Length: 352 Pages

About the Book:

A Corpse That Only Leads to Secrets.
An Old Flame with Danger Written all over Her.
Things Are about to Get Very Complicated.

When one Coast Guard officer is found dead and another goes missing, Coast Guard Investigative Service special agent Finn Walker faces his most dangerous crime yet. His only clues are what little evidence remains aboard the dead officer’s boat, and the direction the clues point to will test Finn and the Guard to their limits.

The already volatile situation is complicated even further by the arrival of Gabby Rowley–Finn’s boss’s sister and an investigative reporter with unrelenting questions about the crime. Now that she’s returned, the tug on Finn’s heart is strong, but with the risks she’s taking for her next big story, he fears she might not live through it.

Thrown together by the heinous crime, Finn and Gabby can’t ignore the sparks or judgments flying between them. But will they be able to see past their preconceptions long enough to track down an elusive killer, or will they become his next mark?

My Review:

Talk about an intense dive! Dani Pettrey knows how to suck a reader in, and with short chapters it’s incredibly easy to “just one more chapter” your way through the entire book.

One thing I really appreciated was that Gabby and Finn had a history before the start of this book. It made the fast-paced romance a lot more believable since there was already past chemistry to work with. It drives me bonkers when people meet and are somehow in love before they even know each other’s last names. I felt the romance thread was well developed. I also liked that this book already set the playing field for what I’m sure will be future duos in the series. It makes waiting for the next release that much more difficult!

Although the story was intense and held my attention, it took a while for Gabby’s character to grow on me. In the beginning came off as very selfish and reckless in her actions which put not only herself, but others at risk.  I did however adore Finn’s character right from the beginning. In many ways he felt like the exact opposite of Gabby. Opposites attract right?

Another character I found intriguing was Rissi. She doesn’t play a huge role but there’s enough shared about her to make you wonder what her story is. I could very well be wrong, but I have a feeling she may be the next leading character for book 2. I’ll be very excited if she is.

Overall I really enjoyed the read and I’m looking forward to continuing with the series. I recommend it to romantic suspense fans.

*I won a copy of this book from a drawing at Baker Books. Thoughts and opinions expressed are mine alone.

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