The Surviving Girls kept me guessing until almost the end. The story sucks you in, and keeps you there the entire time. The reader comes to sympathize with Lei and Emma. It is interesting to see how two people who lived through an extremely brutal situation react in different ways, but remain committed to keeping each other safe and as sane as possible. If you are a fan of mystery/thrillers this book is for you. The twists and turns kept coming throughout the entire story. As soon as you think you've got it figured out something else happens to cause you to question your reasoning.

The only negative remark I have about the story is that the climax happens so quickly. It's roughly 200 pages of build up and then the resolution takes place in roughly 30 pages. I would have loved that part to have taken a bit longer, but in the end I'm still satisfied with the outcome and ultimate conclusion to the story.

Lei and her friend Emma were the only two survivors of the Sorority Row Massacre. Twelve years later, they live together in a house that is more like a fortress that is surrounded by woods. Lei and Emma have a business together. They search for the missing because no one should stay lost. Lei trains cadaver dogs and Emma works behind the scenes on her computer. Emma and Lei may have survived but they aren't living. Their only consolation is the killer, Travis Berkley, is sitting behind bars in prison. Or is he??? More sorority girls were killed and it looked very similar towhat happen to Lei and Emma all those years ago. Not to mention Lei and Emma received a box of "souvenirs" in the mail after the killing. Is it a copycat?

I loved this book. It had so many twists and turns. I couldn't put it down. I kept suspecting everyone as the new sorority killer, even some of the police officers. The book is definitely a mystery with some added romance. Clarke and Young make for perfect partners. The book is CREEPY!!! The killer is able to get into their house without anyone noticing, even with all the cameras and safety precautions. What Lei found in their safe room upstairs would of had me leaving and staying in a hotel surround by police until the killer was caught. Eventually I was able to figure out what was happening with Travis and how he was able to do it. He was one crazy guy. I liked the characters, story line and writing style.

I definitely recommend the book and look forward to reading more by the author (especially the Hidden Sins series)!!

Thanks to NetGalley, Montlake Romance and the author, Katee Robert, for a free electronic ARC of this novel.

A complete page turner. Brilliantly written with wonderful characters and a superb story line. Highly recommend this book to anyone who loves a great read.

The Surviving Girls was an exciting, fast-paced read with an interesting plot and a fantastic set of characters.

Twelve years ago Lei Zhang and Emma Nilsson were the only survivors of the Sorority Row Murders that left twenty-one girls dead. While Lei and Emma made it out with their lives, the trauma of that night has never left them. Now Lei and Emma run a search and rescue group that aims to find other victims and give their families closure. When a new set of murders occur with startling similarities to the Sorority Row Murders, Lei and Emma are pulled back into a killer’s twisted game. With the FBI on the case, it’s just a matter of time until the killer is caught or Lei and Emma wind up dead.

Lei and Emma both coped with the trauma of that night twelve years ago in different ways, but one thing they both agree on is that it made their friendship stronger. Lei is the more direct of the two and spends a lot of time caring for Emma despite Lei being just as messed up. Lei is the on the ground part of their search and rescue business with her dog Saul. Emma is agoraphobic and is obsessed with the security of their home and ensuring nothing bad ever happens to them again. She has also become a whiz on the computer and created a computer program that assists Lei with her searches in the field.

There are two FBI agents assigned to the copycat case, Dante and Clarke, and I felt the two worked well together with their differing styles. Clarke is much more direct and in your face while Dante comes across as more laid back and by the book. The romance that develops between Dante and Lei felt like it came out of nowhere, but I wasn’t bothered by it. It added some nice moments to a few scenes while not detracting from the suspense storyline.

The copycat killings and the hunt for the killer were a fantastic suspense storyline that I enjoyed quite a bit. The author does a great job showing how sadistic the killer can be while pulling you in and making you want to know more. There was a surprising amount of detail of the murders but it never felt overly graphic or gratuitous. The FBI involvement in the case felt well done but for me I found the investigating Lei and Emma were doing to be more interesting. The ending was quite unexpected and I never would have guessed the path the author chose to take.

The Surviving Girls was the first book I’ve read from this author and I will absolutely pick up more books from her in the future. I definitely want to read the first two books in the Hidden Sins series.

OMG this book was so good! I've read the other books in the series, but this was by far my favorite! Lei and Emma are survivors of a horrible spree killer, and twelve years later, a copycat series of murders brings them back to the night they've tried to forget. The two have an unshakable bond, but the way they've coped is really night and day. it was very interesting to see how differently they handle things, but are in a way so alike. The plot was fast paced and intricate, and it took me a while to figure it out.
I would very much recommend this to anyone who likes mysteries or thrillers.

I received an advanced copy from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I have read the other two books in the series, so I am familiar with the author. This is a stand-alone book that has a couple of overlapping supporting characters from previous books, but can be read completely on its own. The story revolves around two survivors of a massacre who are being hunted again. I appreciated the realistic viewpoints and motives of these survivors- trying to balance between being strong and wanting to breakdown. As the story progresses, you start to get a feeling for the twist but it was still shocking how it plays out. For me, this was a good suspense story but the romance side of things felt a little forced. It would have been a good read without it. There wasn't much in the way of building up on the romantic storyline, so it seemed rushed and unnecessary. I probably liked the first story in the series the best. However, I still enjoyed the story and look forward to the next one!

It’s been over a decade since the Sorority Row murders left 21 young women dead. Lei Zhang and her friend Emma were the only two survivors of that terrible night when Lei’s boyfriend went on a murderous rampage. Now, they spend their time helping other victims of violent crime cope with their pain and fear. Then a deranged copycat begins tormenting Lei and Emma, seemingly determined to make sure the two women meet the same fate their sorority sisters did all those years before. FBI agent Dante Young is assigned the task of anticipating the copycat’s next move, while keeping Lei and Emma safe. Feelings grow between Lei and Dante as they struggle to unmask a killer before it’s too late

Really good fast paced mystery! After surviving a massacre twelve years earlier, Lei and Emma have made a good life for themselves. Then sorority girls are murdered near them and a cat and mouse game with the killer begins.

Twists and turns fill this book and while there is a romantic element to it, the primary focus is on the mystery. Number three in a series, it reads as a standalone and I never felt like I was missing anything.

I do wish some questions had been answered in more detail near the end, but I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a good thriller.

Many thanks to the publisher for a review copy via NetGalley.

I loved this book. The start of the book was very intense. The characters were people you would actually like to meet and I loved the rescue dogs. Very well written mystery and a great ending

This is my first book by this author, Katee Robert. Even though this is the 3rd book in this series, I don't think I missed anything by not reading the first 2 books. I liked this storyline and it kept me guessing until the end. It grabbed me from page 1 but then it started to drag and I found myself skimming through pages. Overall, I give it 3 stars. Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for letting me review this book early. All opinions expressed are my own.

First thoughts after reading.
Goes off to find info on serial killers.
There are 25-50 active serial killers in the US at any given moment. Right now.
Phew, good I don’t live in the US.
But…
Currently in Germany there are 8 active serial killers. Alright so I know I’m not exactly doomed and I am more likely to get run over by a bus. Yet with that I am repelled and fascinated all at the same time. My paranoia is currently on high speed.
The Surviving Girls is exactly what I needed to give me some excitement.
The Characters & Chemistry
Lei is coping with her life after surviving a serial killer, she takes the blame and is now trying to even the balance as having one of the very few cadaver dogs she is of the opinion that no one should stay missing forever.  I agree.
Lei runs head first into trouble to deal with her fear but it will be controlling that fear that she will need to have tight control on her fear. Lei is a strong heroine with a spine of steel, her past could have been her ruin but she got up and fought and is still fighting. She is no damsel in distress but knows when to ask for help, has a certain vulnerability to her and isn’t TSTL. I repeat she isn’t TSTL.
Dante & his partner Clarke are called to a murder in Seattle where certain similarities arise with an older case. Dante is cool and reserved and comes across as being too cold. He comes from money and has always stuck out within the FBI. I liked Dante more than I liked Lei but I always seem to like the Hero more. Dante is strong, silent type and goes above and beyond for Lei & Emma.
There is good underlying chemistry between Lei & Dante. They make out a couple of times but in the face of danger they don’t get to smexy times which you know actually makes sense. How many suspense books have you read where they have time to have sex although they are on the run from a serial killer etc?
The Writing & Plot.
Lei & Emma are the two surviving girls of the Sorority Row Killer that happened about twelve years ago. They are co-dependent on one another, they bonded on a truly awful experience. And have been inseparable ever since. Especially when no one believed them when they knew exactly who the killer was. They used to be happy and normal. But to their family and friends they don’t fit into that box anymore. So they take a different route and find missing people.
But their fort and bubble are about to be burst. A new set of serial murders similar to the others but not quite has everyone reeling. The Seattle police, the BAU, Lei & Emma are always three steps behind the serial killer.
For a couple of pages I had an inkling of what and where the twist was going but I chucked my theory out the window but damn I was so close. But there is one thing I didn’t take into account. My lips are sealed, it is for you to read the book and find out.
The author gives a suspenseful, nail biting read full of emotions. It has highs and lows where the characters feel guilt, terror and fear. I can’t give it the full 5 stars as although it is action packed, pace wise it is a tad drawn out. IMO at least.
The Verdict.
I love the Hidden Sins series and can only recommend all three books.

Katee Robert - you have outdone yourself with this book in this series. This is my favorite book so far in this series. I couldn't stop reading (while I was awake). Hell, my brain even had me dreaming of this book.

The Surviving Girls gave me chills at so many points in this book - it was written that damn good. I got this sense that I was right there with these characters as this unwound this twisted path they were thrown onto.

I won't give any details because you need to read this one blind (aside from the blurb). Lei and Emma survived that same brutal killings their friends unfortunately didn't. But they both have moved on in different ways, but together.

But when a copycat killer starts things back up, they are thrown back into the thick of things. And even though it's been over 10 years since they went through that whole ordeal, everything comes rushing back to them.

Katee wrote a very strong and intriguing plot. This book moves at the perfect pace; while everything may only happen in a few days time, it all makes sense and never feels rushed in any way.

The twists and turns are brought about very cleverly and she leaves just enough bread crumbs to string you along. I have so many different ideas as to who, what, why, how things happened. While I was right on one thing, it was how it played out that I was totally baffled on.

Bravo Katee for writing another amazing suspenseful read. You have this knack for writing books that keep your readers engaged and immensely emerged in the story.

If you haven't read any of Katee's books yet, I highly recommend giving this series a go!


Side Note - let me clarify something on all these books and it's something that I have come to realize after now reading the third book. These books are classified as romantic suspense but there is very little romance in them; however due to the fact that there is some romance in them and due to standards, it can't be listed as just a suspense/thriller. So please do not go into these books hoping for a lot of romance - it is definitely a subplot that is not really developed too much in the book, which I find to a be a great thing. The suspense and thrill are what really drives these books home.

Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Sarah – ☆☆☆☆
This is not a book to read while home alone! Twelve years after surviving a serial killer’s rampage that took the lives of twenty-one sorority sisters, Lei and Emma live in a self-made fortress in the Washington woods. The women’s world is shaken for a second time when the original murders are recreated and the killer starts playing twisted games with their minds.

The investigation is led by FBI BAU agents Dante and Clarke. I liked that I initially suspected everyone except for Emma and Lei and I liked that this is a story where I was able to piece together clues alongside the characters – though it did annoy me that I guessed the murderer’s identity too early. I also liked the three strong women at the heart of this book. Lei and Emma use their skills to stay ahead of the murderer and Dante’s partner, Clarke, is wonderfully fierce and unpredictable.

A romance runs alongside the investigation as Dante and Lei fight their attraction to each other. For me, the romance is the only part of this book that doesn’t work. Lei is too much of a professional and too much of a badass for me to believe that she’d ever allow a romance to compromise her safety.

This is a scary story. It moves fast, and I enjoyed the twists and turns that kept me guessing. There are elements of horror here – Emma and Lei are stalked, teased, and taunted in a way that had me jumpy and properly terrified at times. I really enjoyed this book, but it would be best read in bright sunshine in a heavily populated space.

5 How Safe Are They Really Stars!!!

I’ve been consumed by this series from the minute I started this series. In this final book of the series, Ms. Robert has completely and totally upped her game as a romantic suspense author. I literally had heart palpitations and a fluttering stomach with each horrifying detail we experienced both in Lei and Emma’s memories of the Sorority Row Murders in which they were the only survivors, but with the new murders taking place that are seemingly almost identical to that horrifying night….or are they.

Soon the BAU sends agents Dante and Clark to their tiny town to investigate what’s really going on. There are some twist and turns that our story takes that had me gasping with the intensity of the situation these girls live in. To make things just that much more interesting, Lei and her cadaver dog Saul help the police find victims that have gone missing while Emma searches the dark-net to ensure that each missing person isn’t left behind.

There’s a draw between Dante and Lei but given the case and the fear that Lei has lived with for the last twelve years, there’s obstacles in their way that could prevent them from exploring their attraction. The least of which is the reliance both Emma and Lei have on each other. While to some this might be considered suffocating, given what’s happened to them, it’s completely understandable.

As the story progresses, things become incredibly intense and there’s new evidence that is shocking and had me wide-eyed and gasping because it puts an entirely new light on what’s happened in the past.

Here’s what I know, this book is on the same level as some of the best suspense writers out there and with Ms. Robert’s ability to draw the reader in with her attention to the minutest details of each scene we NEVER see the “who did it” coming….at least I didn’t! This is a book that makes you want to double and triple check your doors and windows because you just never know who’s watching you!!!

#TheSurvivingGirls #KateeRobert #LeiLei #TapTapTap #SororityRowMurders #TheirLivesAreForeverChanged #SaulAndPrince #INEVERSawThatComing #NailBitingRead
#RomanticSuspense #MustRead

This book was all about rebuilding a life. The way Lei and Emma got on after that incident. But it doesn't stop there. Twelve years later and there are a few girls murdered in the same manner and they belonged to the same sorority. Lei and Emma are alerted and they have been asked to help the investigating officers. Is it a copycat who is doing this or was there an accomplice who has come out of the woods twelve years later? A lot of questions come up, and they get answered as the investigation progresses.

What did I like about the book - the plot, of course? The characters, especially Emma and Lei, their determination to survive and help others. I did feel the pace of the book could have been better.

This isn’t a romance. I wasn’t sure what to expect from Katee Robert and have only read her romances, so I came into this one a little blinkered. I didn’t even realise this was third in a series about FBI agents and serial killers until I started writing this review.

This isn’t a romance, but there is a romance in it. In the context of the book, it’s a highly inconvenient case of insta-lust that distracts the leads and jeopardises their very survival in a tense game of cat and mouse with a shadow from the past.

This isn’t a romance. It’s the story of two girls (one in particular) who survived a mass murder, whose safely-constructed lives threaten to fall apart when a copycat killer strikes close to home. It’s also the story of the FBI agents (one in particular) who must catch the killer before his dealy endgame.

This is a tightly plotted, tense, and thrilling novel about guilt, blame, and what it means to survive. I couldn’t put it down and loved every twist and turn. My only gripes are a) most of the characters felt like they had only rough outlines of a backstory and b) that there wasn’t enough of the dogs, because dogs are awesome.

Five surviving stars

I received an advanced reading copy from the publisher.

If you’re coming into this book looking for a conventional romantic suspense read, you might want to have a rethink. I’d describe this more as a crime thriller with a side of romance, and it contains some much heavier themes than a typical romantic suspense.

The surviving girls of the title are Lei and Emma, the only survivors of a sorority house massacre twelve years before the story is set. Best friends, they live a pretty co-dependent life, sharing a fortresslike house where agoraphobic Emma has become a tech expert helping solve crimes and Lei, along with her trained cadaver dog Saul, search for victims of crime. Though they believe the killer to be safely behind bars, a copycat killing in Seattle brings the FBI to their door and old fears resurface again.

Lei is the primary protagonist of the novel, and this is very much her story, from her survivor’s guilt and PTSD to her determination never to let anyone suffer as she did again. Dante, her love interest, is an FBI agent assigned to the case, and while the two of the do their level best to be professional it’s quite simply a case of powerful chemistry between them which they find hard to ignore.

The reason why this book may feel a bit ‘too much’ for some romantic suspense readers is that the crimes are described in fairly graphic detail and there is a fair bit of delving into the mind of the killer and the troubled psyches of both Lei and Emma. I love crime fiction and suspense thrillers, and I don’t have any trauma triggers, so I thoroughly enjoyed it, but I would advise to read with care if some of the things described in this review might trouble you.

This is a wonderful, thoroughly absorbing read and I’d definitely give it five stars.

3.75 stars--THE SURVIVING GIRLS is the third instalment in Katee Robert’s contemporary, adult HIDDEN SINs romantic, suspense series. This is FBI agent Dante Young, and Lei Zhang’s story line. THE SURVIVING GIRLS can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty. There are no apparent connections to the previous instalments.

NOTE: Due to the story line content, there may be some triggers for more sensitive readers.

Told from several third person perspectives including Dante and Lei THE SURVIVING GIRLS follows the hunt for a serial killer. Twelve years earlier Lei Zhang, and Emma Nilsson were the lone survivors of the Sorority Row Murders but survivors who continue to struggle with PTSD and panic attacks. Living together, off the grid, Lei and Emma hoped to remain out of the public eye but a copycat killer pulls our heroine back into the game as he pointedly targets Lei and Emma with every kill, and threatening call. Enter FBI agent Dante Young, a man whose job it is to take down a killer but a killer who is supposedly serving a life-sentence in prison. What ensues is the search for the killer, and the emotional fall-out as a psychopathic mind continues to taunt Emma and Lei.

FBI agent Dante Young takes an immediate liking to our story line heroine. Lei Zhang is a feisty woman who has suffered at the hands of her former boyfriend, a man who turned serial killer in the blink of an eye. As Dante battles his attraction to Lei, Lei knows it is only a matter of time before her past catches up, and destroys her life, once again. Lei and Emma’s co-dependency upon one another is a psychiatrist’s nightmare, and yet with all of their precautions against an inevitable attack, someone, someway, the evil gets through.

THE SURVIVING GIRLS is not a story of romantic suspense; in fact there is limited romance as our couple keep one another at arm’s length, considering the circumstances of which they are now involved. Katee Robert pulls the reader into a thrilling and suspenseful tale of abduction and murder; a copycat killer who has been stalking our heroine for close to twelve years.

The world building looks at Emma and Lei twelve years after Lei’s boyfriend mutilated and murdered twenty-one of their sorority sisters. As a copycat killer begins to reimagine the murders, the FBI opens a different line of thinking as they consider the possibility of the how and why.

I had a couple of issues with believability. There were some revelations that came out of left field, but such is the nature of a fictional story line.

Copy supplied by Netgalley

THE READING CAFÉ: http://www.thereadingcafe.com/the-surviving-girls-hidden-sins-3-by-katee-robert-a-review/


GOODREADS: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2401194293


AMAZON.COM: https://www.amazon.com/review/R2TR0BNSIK3DVR/ref=cm_cr_othr_d_rdp_perm?ie=UTF8&ASIN=B077XGTQPB


BOOKBUB: https://www.bookbub.com/reviews/2153941659


B&N (Sandy_thereadingcafe) posted

CHAPTERS/INDIGO (Sandy_At_The_Reading_Cafe) posted

This is the third book in the Hidden Sins series but all the books can stand alone. How do I know? Because when I received this book on NetGalley, I decided to check out the rest of the series and when I saw it on Kindle Unlimited, I read the first two and then this one. This is an incredibly fast-paced romantic thriller series centred about three agents in the BAU, this book focusing on Dante.

Before I go on to talk about the book, let me just say that there are two dogs in this book and neither of them die. This can sour a book for me and I was worried a few times in the book but it’s fine. They’re okay by the end.

Lei and Emma are the only two survivors of a massacre of their sorority sisters twelve years ago. After their parents' not-so-ideal reactions, they are left with only each other and haunted by their nightmares. Lei, the girl who had dated the killer before the massacre, is the focus of this book, and we see her deal with her own guilt over letting the killer into the house and the recurring nightmares she gets when her past gets dragged up again. The two of them are friends in a slightly unhealthy codependent way, something which is acknowledged in the text, and I liked how they supported each other and called each other when they did stupid things. I also liked how their friendship continued throughout the book.

Dante is such a sweetheart. He has a self-admitted white knight complex which means I really liked him, but I also liked how Lei would call him out if he wasn’t going too far with it. He and Lei were very complementary to each other, Dante being nice and calm and relaxing and Lei being get-up-and-go. The both of them were actually really cute together, though I feel like I could have done with just a little more development of their relationship. They spent enough time together but I would have liked to see more of them rather than of the case. The tension behind them was nicely done but I would have liked to see a little more romance.

However, the case was really creepy. It was a perfect BAU case and I loved how complex it was. The book was fast-paced, keeping us guessing right up until the end. I really liked the final climatic scene and how the killer was apprehended in the end, as well as the uncertainty about whether everyone would survive or not. The twists and turns kept me turning the page right up until the end which meant I finished this book in one sitting.

I think this book was better at the plot rather than the romance but I liked both elements. It was a fun book, definitely fits with the rest of the series and one I would recommend to anyone. Four stars!

I received this book from the publisher for a review through Netgalley. I have not read any of the other books in the series, and this is also my first time reading this author, but it will not be the last. I didn't think it was necessary to read the previous novels to enjoy this one. I thought that the romance was believable between the two characters. I read a lot of mystery and thrillers and thought that this was an original idea and I didn't have the ending figured out which I enjoyed being surprised. I would recommend this to others and didn't think that it was overly violent/scary so it would appeal to lots of different readers