She’s trapped by fear.
Veronica Martens once soared boldly through life as an Air Force pilot until a brutal assault shattered her spirit. Now, she’s a prisoner in her own home, paralyzed by agoraphobia and haunted by the ghosts of her past. She’s lost her wings, independence, and will to live.
He thrives on terror.
Horror writer Connelly Davis needs to recharge his creative batteries. So when Veronica’s father asks him to bring her back from her self-imposed exile, he packs up his laptop and leaves the city for Steam Valley, California—the home of his most famous monster, The Shadow Stalker. Surely, he’ll find inspiration in the mist-shrouded redwoods as he helps his childhood best friend.
A dog who has known nothing but fear.
Despite Veronica’s reluctance to see him, Connelly is determined to rescue the unbreakable girl he once knew—the girl he secretly loved. He bands together with Redwood Coast Rescue and their newest troubled K9, Rebel, to help Veronica find her strength again. But there’s just one problem—Veronica never wants to leave her house, and Rebel refuses to stay put.
Will they emerge from the shadows, or will darkness consume them all?
As Connelly fights writer’s block, he delves deeper into the mysteries surrounding the town and discovers a chilling connection between a string of recent murders and his newest book. And if real life continues to follow fiction, Veronica will be the killer’s next target…
Searching for Shadows is the fifth book in the Redwood Coast Rescue romantic suspense series by Tonya Burrows, but can be enjoyed as a standalone. If you’re a fan of slow-burn friends-to-lovers romance mixed with heart-racing suspense and the unwavering loyalty of a K9 protector, you won’t want to miss this gripping addition to the series.
Review:
OMG, this series!
Searching for Shadows is Veronica and Connelly’s book–we saw both of them earlier in the series–and theirs is a former best friends who had a falling out, learned to trust each other again (which was mostly Vee letting Connelly back in) and then (finally!) became *more* story.
And I was here for it!
Seeing things from Veronica’s POV at the beginning is rough–she had already been through so much, and then not only was her therapist, one of the few people she truly trusted, brutally killed but she also believed her longtime best friend had betrayed her to make a buck–honestly, it hurt me to read it. Connelly, Rebel, and Alfie had a long road ahead of them to gain her trust, but they all persevered and OMG it was worth it in the end. Seeing her able to take control of her life back and help save the day in the end? So. Good.
I absolutely love all the characters in this series–the men, the women, and their dogs are just all *chef’s kiss* amazing. Once again, you don’t have to have read the earlier series books to appreciate Veronica and Connelly’s story, but in order to really follow the “Shadow Stalker” drama you really should. Plus, every single MC and secondary character in this series rocks–so just do yourself a favor and start with book 1!
I cannot wait for Ellie and Cal’s story–up next!
Rating: 4 1/2 stars / A
I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book.