Beneath Copper Falls by Colleen Coble ~ Book Review & Tour

Publisher's Description:  

Dana has already learned that love isn’t safe . . . but could it be different in Rock Harbor? As a 911 dispatcher, Dana Newell takes pride in being calm in tough circumstances. In addition to her emotionally-charged career, she’s faced enough emergencies in her own life. She recently escaped her abusive fiancé to move to tranquil Rock Harbor where she hopes life will be more peaceful. But the idyllic town hides more danger and secrets than it first appeared. Dana is continually drawn to her new friend Boone, who has scars inside and out. Then she answers a call at her job only to hear a friend’s desperate screams on the other end. Soon the pain in her past collides with the mysteries of her new home—and threatens to keep her from the future she’s always wanted.


My Thoughts:

This book is revisits the Rock Harbor series, a popular series by Colleen Coble,  which was written a few years back, something that I didn't realize when I requested it for review.  I hadn't read the prior series but I feel this book can be a stand alone and you don't have to read any of the others before you dive into this one.  There were only a couple instances when descriptions of minor characters to this story confused me a bit and I felt those descriptions of who was related to who didn't really need to be in there to make the story flow or come together.

That being said Beneath Copper Falls was a fast paced, edge of your seat murder mystery mixed with romance.  But it is not a fluffy read at all.  Along with the aspects of abuse, stalking and serial killers in the mystery, it also looks at deep heart issues like focusing on outward appearances and how they can be in direct contradiction to what the heart of a person really is.  How do we deal with things we don't like in ourselves especially when life seems to constantly be throwing us curve balls and how do we face what has shaped us and how to go on from there?

I really like the character of Dana as she tries to get her life back together while on the run from an abusive fiance.  To get away from him she heads back to where she feels she'll have some safety and support living with her adoptive brother and in the town where she grew up and has some friends.  But it seems trouble follows her no matter where she heads and just when she doesn't need it the past starts to rear it's ugly head.  I'll not lie, I found some of abusive parts very difficult to read as well as the actual deaths involved in the story and it may be a trigger for some who have been through situations like that.  I can usually handle that and just take it as part of the story but this one touched something in me and it was hard.  But Dana's story drew me in as she tried to deal with the feelings that came as everything was happening.    I liked the exploration into how we face things or bury them and how either way it shapes who we are and how we handle things.  I also liked the look into the work lives of 911 dispatchers and the training of search and rescue dogs.  Both careers that I didn't know much about.   The ending wrapped up a bit abruptly for me but still enjoyed this page turner.

Thanks to BookLook Bloggers for a free copy of this book for my honest review.  I wasn't required to write a positve review and all thoughts are my own.