Review: Dark Tide Rising

Happy Friday, everyone! Hope you guys have had a great week. Since it's Friday, we've got a wonderful review of Kristin Miller's debut novel, Dark Tide Rising. Enjoy!

Synopsis: "Depend on a man? Never! Emily McAllister wants nothing more than to control her own life, but when a vision of her best friend’s murder grips her, Emily’s forced to put her trust in the straight-laced sergeant responsible for closing the case. The police believe the drowning was accidental but Emily, haunted by dreams of the killer, knows better.

Police sergeant Mark Thurgood is interested in facts, not premonitions, and he’s tried to steer clear of the ocean since rescuing two lives from its icy clutches. But when danger threatens the free-spirited Emily, he’s determined to stay by her side.

It isn’t until Emily finally begins to trust Mark that she realizes her reaction to him may be more than physical attraction. But when a detail emerges from the murky veil of her dreams she questions if the man she’s fallen for is actually a killer. "

Genre: Romantic Suspense

First Sentence: "Facing certain death wasn't as terrifying as Stefanie Jefferies would've thought." That is truly a kick ass opening line! It's filled with tension. I don't know about you, but it definitely makes me want to keep reading.

Brownie Points: One of my favorite things about Kristin's writing is her attention to detail and her world-building. Her descriptions are so vivid that the world her characters live in jumps off the page. In our interview, she said she wanted to do justice to her love for Humboldt County and I think that definitely shows through in her writing. Setting can make or break a book, and hers definitely makes it. I also loved the romance between Mark and Emily. I loved their first meeting, because their attraction was present without being way overdone and too much like 'love at first sight', which happens a lot in romance. It walked that thin line between two much or two little perfectly. I continued to enjoy them throughout the story.

Beefs: I had no beefs with this book. I was happy as a clam while reading and was definitely satisfied at the end.

Ending: I'm not a big reader of romantic suspense, but at least for me, this novel had great twists and wasn't predictable in the least. It pulled me in right from the beginning and kept me eager to keep reading until the end. I was thoroughly impressed. Not only is the plot great, but the romance will make you melt--so sweet-- and I absolutely loved the last line of the book. Something about it just resonated right for me.

Recommendation and General Comments:  Overall, this is a really fantastic read. I'm not normally a romantic suspense reader, but I was still very entertained. There was no point where I even remotely considered putting this book down. It had sweet moments that had me sighing, hilarious moments that had me laughing out loud, and of course, chilling suspense that kept me on the edge of my seat. Kristin is a fabulous writer. For this reason, I give Dark Tide Rising a rating of full moon!

This is a great book and I highly recommend it. Whether or not you usually enjoy romantic suspense, it's a great read. If you're a fan of romance and good writing, this is a book you will love. Go buy it!

Would I aspire to write like this author? 
Absolutely! Kristin is a fabulous writer and as I said in the brownie points section, I love her attention to detail and her fabulous plotting skills.


For more info on Dark Tide Rising or to purchase the novel, please go to Amazon or Wild Rose Press--those links will take you straight there. You can also check out Kristin's blog, pararomance.blogspot.com, for more info on her, her writing projects, and some fabulous posts about writing/plotting/etc. If you haven't gotten a chance yet, check out the pre-review interview.

Also, don't forget to enter the Pleasures Untold Giveaway! I'm giving away two free ebook copies of Eve of Samhain and Pleasures Untold by Lisa Sanchez. Check it out HERE.  And of course, don't forget the usual blog hop!

Hope you all enjoyed the review. Have a great weekend!