(4.5)You know when you anticipate a great dinner, a soak in the tub, or a great book and then they meet your anticipation or exceed? Sigh, you just can not go wrong when Kendra Elliot and Melinda Leigh team up and write a series. Thank you ! I am thrilled that I was able to receive an arc to Close To The Bone and begin this journey on Widow's Island. Romantic Suspense, a little mystery, I was surprised by who the culprit turned out to be. I would have liked a little more Cate and Henry but I imagine as the series progresses, so will they. A quick, enjoyable read. I voluntarily leave this review.

Ugh!!! It wasn’t enough! I need more! As always I loved Close to the Bone By Kendra Elliot, it had great suspense that I know is going to carry on in the crossover book, A Bone to Pick.

I felt all the characters added to the story. I especially loved Jane, Cate’s grandmother. Does she see something in Henry and Cate’s future? Eek, I need to know more now!!!!

All I can say is stop what you are doing and pick up this book and start reading! You won’t be disappointed!

I much anticipated this first book in the Widow's Island novella series by Kendra Elliot and Melinda Leigh. As a team of writers alternating books in a series, they fit together flawlessly, I am happy to report that I was not at all disappointed! This first book whetted my appetite, and I am eagerly looking forward to more. I say in all of my reviews that dialogue and character development are critical to my enjoyment of a story, and Kendra Elliot is masterful at creating a believable story with well developed characters and clear plot lines.

The premise of the book is that people who belong to Widow's Island may leave, but they are drawn back to the island eventually, and if you don't belong there, the island knows. . FBI Special Agent Cate Wilde was raised on Widow's Island, but left to follow her career on the mainland. Shot on a routine investigation, she has come home to heal, but gets drawn into a murder investigation when bones are discovered on neighboring Ruby's Island and she is the only FBI agent close enough to attend. She meets up with childhood friend Tessa Black, who has also gone into law enforcement, and together they look into the identity of the remains. She meets the new island doctor, who also doubles as the coroner, and she is intrigued by him. The remains also bring up memories of a friend of Cate and Tessa who disappeared almost twenty years ago. Could it be her? Ah ah! You have to read the book to find out!

A fast, but complete read, this novella is definitely worth the price!!

Outstanding!

I tried to make it last, but I was so invested in the murder and the characters. I have yet to read a book by this author I didn’t devour.

Great plot, characters that suck you right into their orbit, and this especially had great scenery. I wanted to see the lighthouse and the island. Giving into the next!

Having read every single book this author has written I am a fan girl! Alright I admit it I am a fan girl! Now can we move on please.

Close to the Bone is a fast place novella that is able to pull readers in bring romance, mystery and murder all with in a few pages and have readers so ingrossed that they will need to next in the series the second they put this story down.

Kendra Elliot is able to bring life to characters and they will dance in you mind long after you to the book down.

This book has everything you come to expect from Kendra Elliot Mystery, romance ad murder all wrapped up in the perfect packaged called Widow's Island Series.


Thank you Netgalley and Publisher Montlake Romance for the advance copy of Kendra Elliot's Close to the Bone

Tessa, Cate, and Samantha. Three best friends who were like sisters. 15 years ago Samantha disappears without a trace. Fast forward. Cate is FBI and has since left the island, Tessa stayed and is with the sheriffs department. A gunshot to the shoulder brings a reunion to Tessa and Cate. Whole n medical leave, Cate is told by her boss she needs to investigate bones that were found. She learns that another young girl has gone missing two years earlier. Whose bones are these, their best friend or someone else? Cate is on medical leave and has come back to the island to heal. A new doctor Henry, who has bought the practice has come to the island and needs the island healing powers a well. Widows Island. It holds many scandals and secrets. This story is a novella and it quickly sucked me in wanting more. I can’t wait to read more the this series. The characters are interesting and unique!

After being shot, FBI Agent Cate Wilde has gone home to Widow's Island to heal. One call three weeks later rocks her world... bones have been dug up on Ruby Island. Cate and her old childhood friend Tessa Black, who is local law enforcement, investigate. Could the bones be of the missing teen tow years ago, or could the case of Cate and Tessa's missing friend finally be solved? They investigate to find out the truth.

I loved this book because of the characters, interesting locale, and the intriguing island lore. Kendra has once again swept me into a world I don't want to leave. In fact, as soon as I finish this review, I am headed over to the next thrilling installment so I don't have to leave just yet!

Kendra and Melinda Leigh's novellas are always a treat, and this new series brings its A Game!

Another fantastic novella! Cate is back home on medical leave and of course murder does not let her rest. A bunch of bones are found on Widow's Island and is it Bella or Samantha the only two missing girl's from the island. Very fast page turning novella with a bit of budding romance and the right amount of mystery! Loved!!

I haven't read any Kendra Elliot books before, and I found CLOSE TO THE BONE to be an enjoyable, suspenseful read. Certainly, I never guessed who the murderer is, or perhaps that's because I haven't read enough suspense stories. In any case, as a first book that introduced the series and the characters, it did its job very well, making me want to pick up the next book in the series asap. Especially as there's an ongoing series arc in the unsolved disappearance case of their friend, Samantha Bishop.

The worldbuilding is quite unique; I like the colorful setting--the different islands and their history as well as a certain mystical element. I won't give stuff away here, but it's certainly intriguing and refreshing. I also like the romantic undertone to the novella and the way we get to know the main characters well in their respective professions, especially the hero, who is a medical doctor and not the usual profession for a hero in a romantic suspense (Usually, it's something related to law enforcement or security.) Secondary characters like Cate's grandmother Jane Sutton add color and depth to the story.

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this first book in the series and can't wait to pick up the next one.

***Review will be posted week of Sept 17 at the link provided

Absolutely brilliant. I actually felt as if I was on, and part of the island. I could hear and see all the trees and cliffs. Brilliantly written. I also felt like I knew everyone involved. So fast paced and realistic I was completely gripped. The only problem is.....how long until the next one. Thanks a million Netgalley and Bookouture for allowing me to read this book.

Set on Widow’s Island off the Pacific Northwest. Close to the Bone by Kendra Elliot is the first of four scheduled novellas. Each book contains a murder-mystery and there is an overall arc about a missing person from twenty years ago. From the characters to the island history I am all in. A great start to a promising new series, Close to the Bone is the perfect romantic suspense, mystery-thriller to dive into this fall. A full review will post at Caffeinated Reviewer on October 22nd.

I’m a huge fan of Kendra Elliot and Melinda Leigh and when they get together to produce these novellas boy are you in for a treat !!!! I absolutely Loved Close To The Bone it had me hooked from the start I loved the whole Island setting and the Lighthouse and digging in the dark with torches at night and the ghost of Ruby it gave it all such a spooky atmosphere and really added to the book and for some reason from the very beginning Cate reminded me of my very first favourite detective Nancy Drew! Great characters and storyline kept me hooked the whole way through and the cute shop names and the way everyone knows everyone’s business it had such a lovely small town homely feel to it! I thoroughly enjoyed it and I read this almost in 1 sitting. Can’t wait to see what happens next!

Thank you very much to NetGalley and Kendra Elliot for the ARC of Close To The Bone my review is honest and unbiased in any way.

This book introduces FBI Special Agent Cate Wilde. Cate has returned home to recover from being shot on the job. Bones are found on Ruby’s Island. The daughter of the only resident of the island disappeared 2 years ago. Cates childhood friend disappeared 20 years ago when she was 14. Do the bones belong to one of the missing women?

This is book 1 of a new series by Kendra and Melinda. Some of the characters from the Rogue River series appear in this book. It is a good suspense read. I loved Cates Grandmother. This book is a novella so it is a fast read. I enjoyed meeting the new characters and look forward to the next book in the series, A Bone To Pick, by Melinda Leigh. Melinda and Kendra make a great team. Thank you to net galley for an advanced readers copy.

Full review to be published online in late October.

CLOSE TO THE BONE is the first book in writing duo Kendra Elliot and Melinda Leigh's new "Widows Island" series. FBI agent Cate Wilde and deputy Tessa Black are childhood friends now working together to find a killer terrorizing their home town. Unfortunately, there are secrets that the town is reluctant to give up. There is also a secondary plotline about the long ago disappearance of another childhood friend.

Good plotline and suspense. This looks to be a great New RS series by Elliot and Leigh.

First novella in the new setting, and it's so exciting. Every town has secrets.. even a little tourist town on an island.
What a fantastic read this was. Characters you're going to fall in love with right from the first page.
I can already tell this set of novellas will be a favourite to read more than once.
I'm looking forward to reading the rest of this series.. Pairing up Kendra Elliot and Melinda Leigh was sheer genius. Two of my favourite authors writing together and producing amazing books to read.
I highly recommend reading this novella. You won't be disappointed. Well deserved 5 stars!

The dynamic writing duo is back with a new series that takes place on remote Pacific Northwest island. I just devoured both of these books loving the setting, getting to know the new characters along with the suspense in addition to an overarching plot  mystery I am sure will take the whole series to solve.

Close to the Bone introduces us to FBI Agent Cate Wilde who has just recently returned home to Widow's Island after an injury on the job put her on medical leave. She's not back long before she is asked to help on a case when a set of bones are found on a neighboring island. This puts her back in touch with her childhood friend Deputy Tessa Black.

We also introduced to Dr Henry Powers who is a newcomer to the island. He may not have grown up on the island but it immediate feels like home and he welcomes the slower pace. What he wasn't expecting with his new job responsibilities was also having to be the islands coroner.

Both books were fast paced with separate murders to solve. A great cast of secondary characters who all plays rolls in both books. Cate's grandma is hoot. Looking forward the next installments.