Welcome to Louisiana!

Erica Spindler's newest release (February 2015) is set in my neck of the woods. I confess, that's why I read it. Romantic suspense isn't really my genre. Having said that, this is the second 'sweep me off my feet and kill me' book I've read this past month. At least I have something to compare it to now.

Bailey Browne is in the Caribbean recovering from her mother's death when she meets Logan Abbott, the man of her dreams. In just a few days, they're married and she's traveling to his southeast Louisiana horse farm to meet friends and family. What little of them are left. 

Tragedy has made itself at home on the Abbott farm. The most recent loss is the mysterious disappearance of Logan's first wife True. And True isn't the only woman in the small village of Wholesome to vanish. (Spindler changed the name of a local village named Folsom to Wholesome. This bugged me throughout the entire novel).

Once I got past the whirlwind romance and got into the mystery, I liked it. A little predictable, but enjoyable nonetheless. The characters were well developed, the pacing was great, I found Bailey's reactions consistent throughout, and none of the plot was implausible. Except the insta-love, but I expected that. I do wish she had set the novel in warmer weather. I'd love to see Bailey at her first crawfish boil.

I give it 3.5 stars, which is an exceptional rating for a romantic suspense from me. I imagine fans of the genre would rate it much higher. I'm definitely recommending it to my sister, who used to live down here too. She'll get a big kick out of reading the name of our hometown in the book.

I appreciate Spindler's writing style. I'm putting two of her novels on my immediate TBR pile: Bone Cold and See Jane Die. Is it possible I'm becoming a Romantic Suspense fan? Maybe I just needed to read the right author!