4 out of 4 stars
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Imagine receiving a letter stating you were named as the executor and sole beneficiary of your aunt’s will. Now imagine you were clueless that aforementioned aunt even existed. EB Corbin’s Too Many Secrets: Book One of the Roxanne Boudreaux Trilogy is a suspenseful mystery with a hint of romance involving family secrets, betrayal, and murder.
Roxanne Boudreaux is on track to make partner at the law firm in Pittsburgh where she’s worked relentlessly for the past five years. She decides her aunt’s will can wait until after the partner meeting which is scheduled for the following week. However, when her boyfriend Richard suddenly breaks up with her Roxanne has a change of heart. She heads to the small town of Oilville where her aunt resided. She meets Callahan, the ruggedly handsome grandson of her aunt’s life-long friend, Chester. They discover the will is missing, and Roxanne isn’t the only one hunting for it. She was determined to swear off men after her recent break-up but Roxanne is finding it increasingly hard to resist Callahan’s charms. He seems to have a sixth sense for rescuing her when she’s in danger. Can she trust him? What happened to the will? Why didn’t her parents tell her she had an aunt?
My favorite aspect of this book was the chemistry and easy banter between Roxanne and Callahan. I found myself rooting for their budding romance, despite the cliched knight in shining armor references because Roxanne didn’t behave like a damsel in distress. To the contrary, her character is fiercely independent and headstrong. At the same time, I found Callahan’s sensitivity to provide exactly what Roxanne needed be it a hot meal, car towing or a place to sleep within hours of meeting her a tad unrealistic. Though truth be told, I for one don’t mind that kind of escapism from time to time. Overall I very much enjoyed the author’s writing style which was descriptive and reflected a sense of humor.
The mystery element of the story was engaging if not a little predictable. I anticipated portions of the plot fairly early on but the strong character development exemplified by the relationship between Roxanne and Callahan carried the story well enough that I didn’t mind. Having said that, there was a recurring situation that felt repetitive but I don’t want to reveal more regarding the plot.
Knowing that this was the first book in a trilogy, I was apprehensive about the possibility of an abrupt ending or a slew of unanswered questions. However, I was extremely satisfied with the book’s conclusion. Despite the predictability I mentioned in earlier chapters, I was caught completely unaware by a surprise included in the epilogue. Needless to say, I’ll be adding the second and third books in this trilogy to my reading list. I rate this entertaining book 4 out of 4 stars. The book appears to have been professionally edited as the only error I noted was a single typo.
This book will appeal to both cozy mystery fans and romance lovers. If you prefer intense thrillers without any element of predictability, this may not be the book for you. It should also be noted that while the book doesn’t include any sexual content, it does contain profanity comparable to a PG-13 movie.
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Too Many Secrets
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