Police chief Nash Morgan is still recovering from his injuries after being shot in the line of duty by the son of a crime lord who remains at large. While his physical wounds have mostly healed and he's been allowed to return to work, he continues to struggle emotionally, convinced that he's no longer capable of protecting his beloved town. He manages to hide his fears until the day Angelina "Lina" Solavita moves into the vacant apartment next door. Ostensibly in town to visit her old friend, Nash's brother Knox, Lina is actually an undercover insurance investigator searching for information on the man who shot Nash. The attraction between them is immediate and intense, but Lina doesn't do relationships and Nash has always planned to settle down with a wife and kids. He'll do just about anything to convince her to give him a chance. But what happens when he finds out the real reason she's in town?
This is the first book I've ever read by Lucy Score, and I was really excited about it because so many reader friends have raved about her writing. Unfortunately, I was rather disappointed with it and wish I had started with basically any one of her other books instead. I think the biggest problem was that this book was so long (much too long IMO), and parts of it really dragged. There's a good story in there somewhere, but it really needed to be streamlined. Aside from that, the connection between Lina and Nash felt weak to me. It almost seemed as if he latched on to her just because she was there, not because they had any real chemistry. Frankly, what Nash needed was a therapist, not a girlfriend, and it bothered me that none of his friends or family pushed him to talk to someone after what he'd been through.
There were some aspects of the book I truly did enjoy, particularly Lina's snarky, funny, take-no-prisoners attitude. Her banter with Nash was consistently entertaining. Also, I LOVED the scenes featuring Nash's friend Lucian and Sloane the librarian. Those two have got some SPARKS! I will definitely be picking up their story when it's released this fall.
Overall, it's tough to rate this book because while I didn't love it, I didn't hate it, either. There are certainly plenty of readers who will love it, however, and I liked it enough to give Score's writing another chance in the future. Hopefully I'll have better luck the second time around!
*Review copy provided by the author/publisher via Enticing Journey Book Promotions. All opinions expressed are my own.
About "Things We Hide from the Light"
Bestselling author Lucy Score returns to Knockemout, Virginia, following fan-favorite Things We Never Got Over with Knox's brother Nash's story.
Nash Morgan was always known as the good Morgan brother, with a smile and a wink for everyone. But now, this chief of police is recovering from being shot and his Southern charm has been overshadowed by panic attacks and nightmares. He feels like a broody shell of the man he once was. Nash isn’t about to let anyone in his life know he’s struggling. But his new next-door neighbor, smart and sexy Lina, sees his shadows. As a rule, she’s not a fan of physical contact unless she initiates it, but for some reason Nash’s touch is different. He feels it too. The physical connection between them is incendiary, grounding him and making her wonder if exploring it is worth the risk.
Too bad Lina’s got secrets of her own, and if Nash finds out the real reason she’s in town, he’ll never forgive her. Besides, she doesn’t do relationships. Ever. A hot, short-term fling with a local cop? Absolutely. Sign her up. A relationship with a man who expects her to plant roots? No freaking way. Once she gets what she’s after, she has no intention of sticking around. But Knockemout has a way of getting under people’s skin. And once Nash decides to make Lina his, he’s not about to be dissuaded…even if it means facing the danger that nearly killed him.
No comments:
Post a Comment
Comments make my day! While I do not expect everyone to agree with my point of view, please note that I reserve the right to delete any nasty or uncharitable messages, as well as spam. Open discussion is welcome and appreciated, but personal attacks are not. Thanks for understanding and have a nice day. :-)