Ratings7
Average rating3.6
Bellamy Lyston Price was only 12 years old when her older sister Susan was killed on a stormy Memorial Day. Bellamy's fear of storms is a legacy of the tornado that destroyed the crime scene as well as her memory of one vital fact that still eludes her...
Now, 18 years later, Bellamy has written a novel based on Susan's murder. It's her first book, and it's an instant sensation. But because the novel is based on the most traumatic event of her life, she's published it under a pseudonym to protect herself and her family.
But when a sleazy reporter for a tabloid newspaper discovers that the book is based on a real crime, Bellamy's identity - and dark family secrets -- are exposed. Suddenly, she finds herself embroiled in a personal conflict and at the mercy of her sister's killer, who for almost two decades has gotten away with murder...and will stop at nothing to keep it that way.
Reviews with the most likes.
1.5 stars. I don't even usually write reviews for books but this one made me so mad I just had to come back 2 days after finishing and dish.
Sandra Brown writes as if her readers are idiots and won't remember something she told us just pages earlier. It's like we'll find out on page 20 that someone has tattoos and on page 23 she'll say, “___, with the big tattooed arm that has tattoos on it”. Her dialogue is unnatural and clunky and it makes for a super strange read. I get it's a fiction book but so many things that are said sound nothing like how actual people speak.
The biggest issue I have with this book is Bellamy and Dent's relationship. I see several reviews saying that Dent is their dream bad boy and what 👏🏻 the 👏🏻 fuck 👏🏻. He's a big broody baby who thinks being emotionally disconnected makes him sexy and throws a tantrum every time Bellamy turns him down. Not to mention, he also uses her vague signs of arousal as a reason as to why he shouldn't stop trying to have sex with her even though she repeatedly says no. The fact that they end up together is weird and forced. That may seem like a spoiler but it's not because you can pick up that Brown is going to put them in a relationship on like page 4.
I gave a half star for the twist/finding out the murderer, but even that wasn't done that well. I felt that much more background and story revolving around that would have been more interesting. Overall, it had an interesting premise but it was poorly written, had a shitty romance, and a poorly executed twist. Thanks, I hate it.