Book blurb...

By the time this is all over, she’ll know what it’s like to kill, or what it’s like to die.

Mia Morgan doesn’t let anything get to her. After freeing herself from an obsessive boss and saving loved ones from a serial killer, she feels like she can handle anything life throws at her. But now that killer – a deranged hunter who preys on women for sport – is coming for her. And if she runs, others will pay the price. As if that’s not enough, Ben Bowden, the brilliant detective who has made her life hell for the past four years, has some insane plan to protect her. If she collaborates with him, Mia might just have to acknowledge her true feelings. But if she keeps him out, will she let the hunter win?

Ben Bowden is sick of finding dead bodies. If being the lead detective on the biggest case in the country didn’t come with enough pressure, now the psychopath Ben is chasing has Mia Morgan in his sights. And Mia doesn’t want his help. She hasn’t forgiven him for the past, and is being less than cooperative with his investigation. Protecting her is a challenge, and the sparks that fly whenever they’re together aren’t helping. But he has to make her trust him – somehow – because she has a plan that terrifies him to the bone.
Can he convince her to work with him? Or will she risk everything to single-handedly turn the hunter into the hunted?

My thoughts…

I always want to congratulate an author when I find myself reading a book midway through in a series and their careful and considerate writing has let me catch up on storylines (without having read any previous titles).

Promise of Hunters Ridge is as much a standalone read as it is book 3 in a series. Based on my enjoyment, I have no hesitation in recommending the earlier books in the series. The characters are fabulous and I am confident the stories will be equally as good as Promise of Hunters Ridge, which hooked me from the beginning. It had me awake and reading through the night. Even though I was tired, I had to get to the end.

Sarah Barrie, you have done an excellent job and I love all the characters (except, of course, the bad guy!)

Oh my God. I have waited what feels like soooo long for this book! It hasn’t really been that long, maybe 2 years since I read the first one. After reading (and loving!) that one, it was Mia and Ben that I always wanted to read about. There was always so much more to their interactions – Mia’s resentment and grudge holding, Ben’s protective streak. They always had an interesting chemistry and I wanted to know more about them.

Finally, this is their story. I made myself wait to read this until closer to the release date and I also picked a time when I could read the entire thing from start to finish with no interruptions and I’m so glad I did. We pick up quite a few months after the end of book 2 and things have kind of stalled. The psychopath that has terrified Ally, Ebony and Mia remains at large. Detective Ben Bowden is still working the case, still trying to find the break he needs in order to finish things for good, make sure that no one need ever suffer again. It’s not going to be that easy though and when bodies start turning up, this time there’s something a little different about them….

Mia has been keeping a few secrets since her rescue and to be honest, quite a bit of this book is structured around Mia doing well, kind of stupid things. I understand why she does them and I think that the author takes care to give Mia some rationale, a reason why she takes these risks, keeps these secrets but at the end of it, they are dangerous, really dangerous things to do that could not only endanger her life even more (and others) but could also affect an ongoing investigation. Ben is understandably frustrated when he finds out about what Mia has been doing but at the same time he also needs some more information and so he runs with it, hoping the fact that he knows about it and can keep an eye on it will help.

But what Ben really wants is for Mia to trust him – trust him completely, with everything. He knows that he’s messed up in the past, put Mia offside when he made a mistake. But everything he’s done since then has been in an attempt to right his wrong, to make it up to them. Ally has long forgiven him and now trusts him and even counts him as a friend…but Mia is still holding back and the scene where he practically begs her…… it’s what good romantic tension is made of. Ben and Mia are exactly what I expected – hoped, they would be. Chemistry and angst and a clashing of wills and stubbornness and flaws and misconceptions but underneath all of that, such possibility. If only the threat could be neutralised once and for all.

I’ve enjoyed the way that this story has continued to build and evolve over the three installments. The author managed to keep it fresh despite it being the same real culprit that continued to elude capture for what did seem like quite a long time. The creep factor is pretty high and there was a lot added to the story in the last book to really give Mia those reasons to take the risks and attempt to put herself in the line of fire. I spent a lot of the book getting a bit frustrated with Mia as she continued to seemingly make things more difficult than they needed to be, but as her motivations and secrets slowly unfolded, it all made sense and painted her in an entirely new light.

The road to true love never did run smooth and for Ben and Mia it was probably rougher than most. Particularly when Ben is forced to do something that he really doesn’t want to that causes Mia to turn on him yet again, to think that he’s betrayed her. It just added another twist in the story, although I have to admit I did expect a few people to be a bit smarter about the whole process considering it made little sense. But throw in emotions and protectiveness and the situation and it’s probably easy for people to judge Ben. And Mia is so stubborn, so damaged from a previous relationship that she was all too ready to believe it too.

Every element of this series has had me hooked from the first page of the first book. I’ve enjoyed the entire ride, the romantic ups and downs, the way in which the suspense element has kept me on the edge of my seat during each book, wondering how it was finally going to end…and then the kind of foreshadowing in this book, that tells you there’s really only two ways it can end. The ending was awesome and lived up to every expectation I had…..which were pretty high, given the past 2 books!

This series is why I love romantic suspense.

9/10

OMG this is a brilliant finish to this fabulous series MS Barrie had me on the edge of my seat through this one it is fast paced action filled as Mia gets her HEA after everything that Mia has been through this heroine is one tough girl I cried and smiled the powerful emotions that are bought to life on the pages will honestly have you biting your nails. Sit back make yourself comfortable you will not want to put this one down until you see what happens to an evil serial killer.

“By the time this is all over, she’ll know what it’s like to kill, or what it’s like to die”
Mia has lived with this thought for some time now since a serial killer went after her sister Ally then her friend Ebony and to have what happened to her at the last hunt she knows her time is running out and Mia is doing everything she can to be prepared. But falling for Detective Ben Bowden is not in her plans they have had a rough relationship from the start and Mia is one feisty strong but vulnerable heroine and Ben is getting to her in lots of ways.

Ben is a tough detective he has been on this case from the start and is getting closer to catching the killer but new clues and more information keep coming up and with it his need to protect Mia at all costs if she will let him that is. He knows their past doesn’t help but he must find a way to get her to trust him and the spark is getting stronger and this helps to start a stronger friendship as they start to work together to get Rob.

I feel at bit speechless with this one it truly is absolutely fabulous the strength and courage that Mia shows had me cheering her on and crying for her as well and Ben what a hero to die for he goes to such painful lengths to keep her safe that pull them apart but when they eventually get closer again with the help of friends and family there will be tears again. I loved the depth of these characters in this story getting to know them and feeling like they are close friends is amazing. The end of this book is amazing it will knock your socks off. I loved, loved this story and this series thank you MS Barrie for another keeper way to go. I would really love to see Indy get her own story 

The threat to Mia Morgan by the evil serial killer who had plagued Hunters Ridge was such that Mia knew she had to be strong – be ready for when he came for her. She was determined not to be another of his victims; Mia’s obsessive preparation with keeping herself fit worried her friends and family.

Detective Ben Bowden had been on the case since the very beginning and he and his team were sickened by what was happening. Ben needed to catch the psychopath whose greatest thrill in life was to make women suffer. And he was terrified now he knew Mia was in his sights, because much as he fought against it, he had deep feelings for Mia. Of course, she hadn’t forgiven Ben for the past so he knew it was a lost cause – but the terrifying reality of losing her was threatening his sanity.

As Mia worked between Hunters Ridge and Sydney, she was constantly on alert. But the killer was taunting them; the bodies Ben continued to find haunted him. Could Ben and his team of dedicated detectives bring a detached and sadistic killer down before he got to Mia? Before he killed any more innocent people?

Wow! Absolutely brilliant! The intensity and rocking pace of Promise of Hunters Ridge, which is the third and last in the Hunters Ridge trilogy had me holding my breath while I sped through the terror and courage of this novel! What an amazing ride! Romantic suspense; heavy on the suspense – just the way I love it! Highly recommended.

With thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my digital copy to read and review.

This book continues the 'wow' factor in the 'Hunters Ridge Series, although I'd say that 'Shadows of Hunters Ridge' (number 2) still remains my favourite. I was very excited when I realised that I wouldn't have too long to wait for the third book.

'Promise of Hunters Ridge' is Mia's story and at the end of the second book we knew that she would be the next target. It's not long into the book that Mia receives a phone call from a woman who says 'Your running out of time'. This mysterious woman is killed soon after and a number 5 is etched into her back. With what Mia thought was just a knife marking on her back when she was previously held captive, it now becomes obvious this mark was a '0'.......and so the count down begins.
There are twists and turns galore in this book. Detective Ben Bowden is back and trying his hardest to protect a prickly Mia and a new understanding is reached between them. This is were the book fell a little for me as I was totally frustrated with them both around the 80% mark. But as true followers of the series are aware, we all know where it's going.

I thorough enjoyed this series and I really would love to see everyone again. I think what I really missed in this book is not having much to do with Lee and Ebony. There were very few mentions of them both but they still had regular pizza nights, so they were always there but not.

I believe this series is best read in order to get a good understanding of all the interactions between the characters and continuing story line. I think it would loose some of it's impact if the dynamics are not understood but don't let that stop anyone from jumping in at number 2 or 3, I'm sure it would still be a fantastic read if your looking for a good romantic suspense story.

Thank you to Netgalley and the Publisher for a copy to read and review.