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Pages: 71
Goes Well With: Sweet tea and a big plate of barbequed meat
If you’re looking for a little bit of action and a little bit of romance to spice up an otherwise monotonous lunch break, you might want to grab your tablet, your phone, or your e-reader and download a short romantic thriller—like Jerrie Alexander’s Someone to Watch Over Me.
Stacey McKinney returns to her small hometown of Oak Hill, Texas, hoping to escape the threats of a stalker. She settles into a new routine, working two jobs to make ends meet, and things are finally beginning to look up. But when the people around her start turning up dead, Stacey fears that her stalker has followed her home.
To make matters even more complicated, Stacey’s first—and only—love, Cash Butler, has also moved back to Oak Hill. Ten years ago, Cash broke Stacey’s heart by leaving town to join the Army. When she sees him again, her old feelings start flooding back. But if she wants to protect both her heart and Cash, she’ll need to stay far away from him.
Someone to Watch Over Me promises both romance and suspense—and, in a way, it delivers on both of those promises. Though Stacey and Cash have some old hurts to overcome, the sparks fly as soon as they’re reunited, giving the story plenty of romantic tension. And when bad things start happening around Stacey, her stalker is just one of the possible suspects.
The problem, however, is one that many short books face: there’s just not enough time to develop everything. The characters are layered and complex. Stacey is a rich girl who’s separated herself from her wealthy father and his money, and she’s determined to take care of herself as she starts over again in her old hometown. Cash is a disabled veteran who grew up poor and was forced out of town by Stacey’s manipulative father. Both have interesting back stories—but there isn’t enough time to explore them in much detail.
The same is true of the suspenseful parts of the story. Stacey’s stalker, Ray, adds some interest to this short romance, but Stacey doesn’t really open up about him until well into the story—and it doesn’t get really suspenseful until the e-book’s last few pages.
Someone to Watch Over Me feels like an extended synopsis of a great romantic thriller. The characters are interesting, and the story is suspenseful—but, in the end, it’ll leave you wishing for just a little bit more.
Ed. Note: For more on Someone to Watch Over Me, visit TheWildRosePress.com.
Listen to the review on Shelf Discovery:
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