#BookReview ~ The End ~ Romantic Suspense

Title: The End

Author: Denise Moncrief

Genre: Romance/Suspense
Rating: 4.5 stars

Amazon purchase link: http://www.amazon.com/End-Denise-Moncrief-ebook/dp/B00EZB7U3K/ 

Okay, I know it's been quite some time since I did a book review. Life gets crazy and reading gets pushed to the back burner for me (unfortunate, since I love reading so much). I've been planning to read The End for several months now, and boy am I glad I made the time!

My Review:

First off, let me just say that this was the kind of book that kept me saying to myself, "just one more chapter and then I'll go to sleep." I ended up staying awake until 4 in the morning to finish it the day I started, thinking upon going to bed I'd just read for an hour and put the book down. It is a fast-paced read that keeps you turning the pages.

Ellie's life has plenty of bad luck in it, and she can't believe how it keeps piling up. The widow is suddenly facing unemployment because she refused her boss' advances, and it becomes clear someone is stalking her and searching for something connected to her husband's death...she just has no clue what. Hot and hunky detective, Paul, has been her friend for two years, but after her husband's death their relationship started transitioning into something Ellie's not sure she's ready to face. Paul seems more than willing to protect her from whoever is after her, but here comes more trouble for poor Ellie - suspicions arise surrounding Paul and she's not sure she can trust her one confident and the man she's falling for.

Sometimes I became a touch annoyed with Ellie and her easy anger at Paul, how she switched so quickly between love for him and anger with him, but this was a minor problem. Also, the plot was pretty intricate with a lot of characters ending up being more important than I thought they would be. At the end, I had a hard time remembering who certain people were. This could be a failing on my part, not the author's, because I was reading so late into the night and the conclusion of this one did surprise me. Just be prepared for a twisted plot. I actually thought I had it figured out for about half the book, and was a bit disappointed I had, and then I was blindsided (in a good, logical way) as to who the culprit actually was. 

Other than Ellie's occasional strange behavior toward Paul, I found the chemistry and sexual tension between them to be hot and enjoyable to read. I loved the scenes with Paul in them the most, whether they were tender moments or danger filled. When Ellie finally became honest with herself, I could understand and feel her hesitancy and agony over what to believe and how she should feel.

I would say this story is mixed pretty well between suspense/mystery plot and romance plot, and I was happy with the way each concluded. There is no swearing or outright sex in this book. I found it to be a sexy, tense, page turner that I just couldn't put down until I reached the end. Denise Moncrief continues to grow as an author and I look forward to more of her work!

Happy reading, my friends! 

~~ Chantel ~~