Tightrope
3.5 Stars

Series note: Each book in the series focuses on a new couple but characters from previous installments play important roles. As such, it is recommended that the books be read in order.

Former trapeze artist Amalie Vaughn has come to Burning Cove to reinvent herself as the proprietor of bed-and-breakfast. Unfortunately, when her first paying guest is murdered, Amalie and her inn soon become the epicenter for an investigation into murder and espionage, and she must quickly decide if she can trust the primary investigator, Matthias Jones (yes, one of the Arcane Joneses), with her life and her heart.

The romance and suspense have potential; unfortunately, both are rather lackluster and predictable.

To begin with, it is entertaining to get a short but delightful glimpse into another branch of the infamous Jones family. Matthias is a typical Jones hero with an interesting talent he is a human lie detector and he and Amalie are very appealing. Their banter and interactions are witty and amusing. That said, their chemistry is lacking in intensity and their emotional connection feels forced.

The investigation revolving around the death of a traitorous inventor and the search for a cryptographic machine (akin to Enigma) is compelling with some excellent twists and turns. There are several suspects to choose from, and this is where the problems start. There are simply too many intertwined and confusing motivations for the crimes, and the eventual revelation of the villain falls flat as their identity becomes glaringly obvious at one point.

Despite these issues, this series is entertaining overall and I am enjoying the portrayal of the 1930s time period, which is not a staple of historical romance. ( )

Return of the Joneses! Love this couple, loved the story. ( )

I received an ARC from First to Read at Penguin Random House in exchange for an honest review.

I felt like there was a little too much going on with the plot but it did seem well thought out. Some things were repetitive, and it was predictable in places, but overall it was a solid read from Amanda Quick and I look forward to reading more of the Burning Cove series. I really liked Amalie as a person. She was strong and knew how to stand up for herself and take care of herself. She didn't need Matthias to save her as so often happens in romance novels.

Three stars ( )

Circus folks and psychics, what more do you want? I enjoyed it. I hope to hear more about the Hidden Beach hotel in future. I don't think it was quite as strong as Close Up, but I did read out of order, which may have made a difference. ( )

Amalie Vaughn was nearly the victim of a serial killer, but her survival put an end to her career as a Trapeze artist. She's moved to burning cove, spending the last of her money on a mansion with the intention of turning it into a bed-and-breakfast. Lotal stories say that this house is cursed, after all the previous owner committed suicide. Now her first guest is Dr Norman Pickwell and during a show (featuring his home-made robot) he's killed by his invention. Matthias Jones is investigating because there's a link to a cipher machine and messy spy stuff. When Amalie aand Matthias meet sparks fly and the relationship will take them into intersting places. Matthias' links to gangster activities may lead them places they don't want to go, but the serial killer's legacy is lurking in the background.
It was a fun read, a little bit of the paranormal lurked in Matthias' ability to lie-detect but it wasn't a lot in the story, this was more romantic thriller than paranormal. ( )