Friday, June 23, 2017

Very Brief Thoughts: To the Rescue

To the Rescue

by Jean Barrett

~ Goodreads ~

Rating:  3.0 Stars

With a Mystery Mounting, A Medieval Fantasy was Fast Becoming All Too Real for an Unlikely Pair

Leo McKenzie was an American investigator tracking a hard-to-find woman through the English countryside.  But trailing antiques agent Jennifer Rowan through an impassable blizzard only amounted to a concussion and a developing cold crush.

After finding haven for the detective in a centuries-old monastery, Jenny sought a silent monk who had the answer to recovering the priceless Warley Madonna.  But when someone else got him to spill his guts first - literally - everyone stranded in the castle became a suspect.  The two reckless Americans made an imperfect match - and with eyes the color of whiskey, the headstrong P.I. was dangerously close to intoxicating Jennifer.  But with only each other to trust, the two strangers in an even stranger land would have to stop a killer who stalked the frozen hallways if they hoped to weather the storm.


As I had stated in my BLopoly update post for Roll #20, To the Rescue was enjoyable as a mystery, but the romance left much to be desired.  The writing was extremely heavy on the romance, which, no surprise there as this is a Harlequin romance and so, what did I expect, right?  But in another sense, the writing was also smooth and progressive, easy to read.  The mystery was a typical outline of a locked room murder mystery, though the killer wasn't a surprise upon reveal at the end.

Nevertheless, if I could change anything about this book, it would be the development of the romance.  Honestly, our main couple is trapped in a big, creepy monastery with strangers who are also trapped, and an entire order of monks.  There has been two murders, two attempts on our MCs lives, a stolen historical relic is part of the equation... and all Leo or Jennifer can think of is how attractive each other is, and continue to lust after each other non-stop.

There is a time and place for groping and sexy times.  While an unknown killer is running amok of a trapped, isolated castle is probably not the time to be constantly thinking about being touchy feely.

And then the insta-love kind of sprung up out of nowhere as well.

Everything else about this murder mystery was enjoyable, maybe with a few flaws here and there.  Really, it was just the romance that didn't do it for me.  And truthfully, neither of the main characters were that interesting either.  Nor were the side characters.


***

Booklikes-opoly

Roll #19:
Book is set in England.

Page Count:  292
Cash Award:  +$6.00

Updated Bank Balance:  $91.00


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