★★★★ @AlexandraIvy #Unstable #NetGalley
This series is connected through a small rural area, Pike. It can be read as a standalone. For those who enjoy suspense, pick up unstable. I thoroughly enjoyed this second chance romance with an emphasis on the suspense/mystery plot. Zac is now the interim sheriff. In this sleepy town, they have already been rocked by murder. For another one to show up is not what he expected. Even more surprising, his ex-wife Rachel shows up. From there it becomes a race to find the killer before they kill again.
I enjoyed the pace of this book. Ms. Ivy kept it moving with a countdown before the next kidnapped woman is brutally tortured and then killed. The twists and turns of this serial killing spree are dark and filled with sadistic glee. For those who are sensitive to brutality against women, this book may have a few too many murder scenes in explicit detail. For those who enjoy a good crime novel, this will be a page-turner.
Balancing the horrors of the murders, is the relationship rekindling between Zac and his ex-wife Rachel. I found it endearing that even though they were divorced, Zac still thinks of Rachel as his wife. There is love there, but it was lost in the struggle to find their own identities. I found this romance reassuring because it shows that people who married young and then divorce don't have to end up hating each other. Both of them grew more confident in their careers and learned from their relationship mistakes.
This isn't a slip into old habits and just a getting-it-on reunion. Rachel and Zac finally discuss what broke them the first time. They also have matured and still make a few missteps. This time around, they learned to communicate. It was lovely to see the two making an effort to heal their relationship and become partners this time around.
As partners, they worked well together to solve both current murders and past killings. In solving the case, old hurts that never healed are lanced and allowed to start mending. This story may contain a lot of cruel torture and killing but it is also a story of hope and closure. This dark romantic suspense is recommended to readers who enjoy second-chance romance.
*provided by NetGalley
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