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If you had told me three years ago that I would be anxiously awaiting the next book in a series, ANY series, I would have told you that you were crazy and yet here we are. Christina Dodd has written the Cape Charade series with such heart and thrill that I find myself in awe every time I read about Kellen, Max and their many misadventures.
The genre of romantic thrillers is not something that I have seen done well. The balancing act for most is difficult. There is a lack of trust amongst the players that make it seem like it is every person for themselves. However, in this series and this book, in particular, there is a tight bond that we get to explore. The bonding of a mother to her child, in a very unique situation, the revitalization of a marriage marred with tragedy and pain. These situations though rare or maybe more common than I know, are exactly the kind of thing that I find we need to read about.
One thing I loved about this book was the cycling of perspectives, as Rae has grown, her voice matures but still oscillates between the child that she is and the woman she is becoming. Kellen has taken on a more motherly role and as such starts to dismiss some of the things that Rae says. Even though that annoyed me, it made sense in the context of a mother trying to ease the worry of her 12-year-old child.
One thing that I didn’t love was the wrap-up. Her other two books did the same thing. It was almost as though there was a page limit that Dodd had to adhere to because the ending wrapped up so quickly that it was like whiplash.
The book is set on an island, the locale was both tropical and haunting. Like all of the books in this series, Dodd does a great job of describing the house ( I mean mansion) and the arceage that surrounds it. The backstory created for the island and the family who lived there before the DeLuca’s bought it was so extensive that I wanted to Google it to see if it was real.
Because this is the third book in the series, I would definitely suggest reading the first two, but Dodd does an amazing job of reminding the reader of what happened in the previous books without over explaining.
If you are looking for a book that does romantic thrillers well, or a new series to tuck into, this is a great choice.
4 Stars.
Reading Reckless : Rants and Raves 