Missing You - Harlan Coben

Title: Missing You
Author: Harlan Coben
Genre: Suspense
Rating: 4/5
# pages: 390
Date read: December, 2019

It's a profile, like all the others on the online dating site. But as NYPD Detective Kat Donovan focuses on the accompanying picture, she feels her whole world explode, as emotions she’s ignored for decades come crashing down on her. Staring back at her is her ex-fiancé Jeff, the man who shattered her heart—and who she hasn’t seen in 18 years.

Kat feels a spark, wondering if this might be the moment when past tragedies recede and a new world opens up to her. But when she reaches out to the man in the profile, her reawakened hope quickly darkens into suspicion and then terror as an unspeakable conspiracy comes to light, in which monsters prey upon the most vulnerable.

As the body count mounts and Kat's hope for a second chance with Jeff grows more and more elusive, she is consumed by an investigation that challenges her feelings about everyone she ever loved—her former fiancé, her mother, and even her father, whose cruel murder so long ago has never been fully explained. With lives on the line, including her own, Kat must venture deeper into the darkness than she ever has before, and discover if she has the strength to survive what she finds there.


I've had my eye out for Harlan Coben's books for several years by now, but this was my first chance to actually read one of them. And I'm happy to say it did NOT disappoint! It was an awesome page-turner that didn't pull any punches, and I finished it in less than 24 hours. The perfect reading material for a lazy Boxing Day :-D I liked that even though Kat went off on her own against her supervisor's recommendation, she still kept the police in the loop, and didn't just go off on a half-cocked, vigilante expedition by herself. Helped the story be slightly more realistic and immensely more satisfying.

It had a slightly easily-won ending, but as it was adequately explained I'll forgive it for it.

Unlike many other crime novels these days, it looks like Harlan Coben's books are all stand-alone novels, and I'm looking forward to reading more of them.

The Dreamer - Jen A. Durand

Title: The Dreamer
Author: Jen A. Durand
Genre: Chick-lit, arc
Rating: 2.5/5
# pages: 130
Date read: December, 2019

Caleb needed a change of scenery. His life in the city had become the same series of bad dates and Sunday dinners with the family. Moving to Blue Grove gave him the chance to expand his business and try a bit of that small town living.

Sage Grey has watched her sister and her best friend find love while she sat on the sidelines. Now it's her turn. Caleb was easy on the eye and he could be gruff and a little tough, but he was trying hard to be understanding. Navigating their relationship took work, but was worth it. She just had to remember not to let her dreams outweigh reality.


The final book in the series. A short and sweet romance. It ended less abruptly than "The Fixer" (and I was happy to see a slight follow up to that one here), but seemed somewhat underdeveloped and reads a bit like a short story found in a 90s women's magazine. Enjoyable fluff, but unfortunately easily forgotten.