Dark Memento (Verona Bay #1)
by Katie Reus
Blurb:
Welcome to Verona
Bay, a small coastal town where the secrets just won’t stay buried—and people
aren’t always who they seem.
Eight years ago Serenity Washington watched as her twin sister was
murdered. She was lucky to escape the same grisly fate. With her sister’s
killer in jail, she relocated and tried to move on with her life. She married a
man in the Air Force and started a family, but when her husband dies
unexpectedly she moves back to the last place she remembers being happy—Verona
Bay, FL.
Now that she’s
come home, it’s all starting again…
Within months of Serenity’s homecoming, she receives a ‘gift’—a
bracelet from her sister that was never recovered after her death—and a
taunting note. Terrified for herself and her young daughter, she turns to the
local sheriff for help. But there’s only so much they can do without proof that
the gifts aren’t more than sick pranks. There’s been no DNA, no fingerprints
left behind—nothing to indicate who’s leaving them. As the horrifying gifts
arrive with increasing frequency, Serenity has no doubt that she’s the ultimate
target. But with her sister’s murderer—a confessed serial killer—still behind
bars, she has no idea who’s stalking her.
She turns to the
one man she’s been trying to keep her distance from…
Former Marine Lucas Jordan has been hung up on single mom Serenity
since she moved back to Verona Bay, but she’s made it clear she’s not looking
for a relationship. When she’s targeted, however, all bets are off. He won’t
sit by while she’s terrorized, and with her and her daughter’s lives in danger
he’s prepared to stand his ground and protect them both. Together they face the
impossible task of trying to figure out who to trust before they all wind up
six feet under.
Themes:
Contemporary
Rating: 4.25 stars
Heat Rating: 
Review:
Wow
this woman has had a lot of crazy bad shit happen in her life and I can’t
imagine how she has stayed sane, much less because such a good person and a
mom, but I can’t understand why Luca is so determined to make her see how
important she is to him. I love pretty much anything that Katie Reus writes,
but her new Verona Bay series is shaping up to be an intriguing and terrifying
look into the darker side of the human psyche and the sickness of humanity that
most of us prefer to hide from. Serenity’s youth was stolen when he lost her
twin sister to a serial killer, but she managed to escape and bring him to
justice. Bow she has returned to her
hometown despite all those traumatic memories, hoping to begin a fresh life and
Luca is a temptation that is almost irresistible even though she’s not sure she
can handle another relationship after her divorce. When she begins receiving terrifying
and anonymous gifts she knows she is
in danger again and Luca is just the man to offer her protection. That protection begins to push them closer
and closer and soon she can’t deny the attraction, but the danger escalates
quickly and only together can they find a way to stop a killer and have a
chance to explore their attraction and have a chance for a future
together. Serenity was an interesting
woman to get to know. She’s lived through a lot and she is trying to find a
balance in her life, moving on and finding a way to rebuild her life, and her strength
and determination prove she is a role model for her daughter through and
through. Lucas is a true alpha male, determined to protect the woman that has
stolen his heart and the girl that he is slowly beginning to see as his own. He
puts his life on the line for them and at the same time refuses to let Serenity
hide from the connection and chemistry that stirs between them. As this story
is a true romantic suspense, the sensuality is a more subtle component of the
story but it is most certainly not lacking in any way and I enjoyed each and
every moment that Lucas and Serenity were together. I am looking forward to the next story in the
series, though I definitely fear the darkness that Katie seems to be pulling
out of her villains for this series and the crazy that she is showing. The beginning of another great series to be
sure and a definite masterpiece.
*ebook provided by publisher (via
NetGalley) for the purpose of an honest and unbiased review. No compensation was provided.
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