As each book of the Widow's Island series is a separate story, the underlying subplot of solving the mystery of the disappearance of their friend Samantha, twenty years ago is always a priority for Cate Wilde and Tessa Black. Bred In The Bone will give the readers answers to those questions.

Good mystery novella,

This is book 4 in the Widow’s Island series by Melinda Leigh and Kendra Elliot. Each book in the series is a novella that is around 100 pages. I do recommend reading the series due to some parts of the story lines continue in the other books. The series goes from the POV of Deputy Tessa Black, written by Melinda Leigh, and the POV of FBI Agent Cate Wilde, written by Kendra Elliot.

The investigation starts off being about the hit-and-run of the island’s drunk but ended up being connected another case. It is the missing person case of Samantha Bishop, a friend of Cate and Tessa, that went missing one night 20 years ago. It is also a case that they decided that they would look into again, with fresh eyes. Cate was trying to ask Jon Gill, Brad’s father, about an orchard that he use to own after finding a pendant there that all 3 of them had. Will they find out what happened to their friend, or did all the answers die on that road with Brad?

Once I started, I did not want to put this down. There were so many shocking moments packed into this novella, I had to know what happened. I also started the next in the series as soon as I finished this one.

Thanks to Montlake for providing a copy of this book via NetGalley.

This book went from suspenseful to dark within the first few moments. A mystery long cold is finally solved, reuniting Tessa, Samantha and Cate. The dual story writing between Elliot and Leigh is top notch and flows so well it’s hard to tell one’s style from the other. Fantastic read! Thank you to Kendra for the ARC ⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This was a pretty good story. I hadn’t read any of the others, but this one peaked my interest so much that I’m going to have to find the others. I recommend.
**I voluntarily read and reviewed this book

The fourth novella in the Widow’s Island mystery book centres around Cate, former FBI agent on sick leave following a shooting that killed her partner. The characters were brilliant, the fast pace gave me an adrenaline rush. One of the better ones with a surprising turn of events.

Bred to the Bone was another fantastic installment in the Widow’s Island series with some great resolution to the background plot that has run throughout the first three books.

When FBI special agent Cate Wilde ends up at the scene of a deadly hit-and-run, she expects the Widow’s Island sheriff’s department will have no trouble closing what appears to be a simple case. But when it becomes known that the victim was involved with another crime, from twenty years ago, Cate’s life is thrown into chaos. With the first solid lead into her best friend Samantha’s disappearance in twenty years, Cate is ready to finally get the closure she’s been missing for most of her life. But as the events of Samatha’s disappearance come to light, Cate discovers that nothing is as simple as it seems.

Upon finding out this book would finally fully delve into Sam’s disappearance, I was excited that we would finally learn what happened to her. The authors of this series have done a great job weaving little bits of Sam’s case into the books to the point that I was instantly hooked and needed to know what happened to her. At the end of the previous book, Whisper of Bones, a key piece of evidence is found related to Sam’s case and it’s the finding of that piece of evidence that is the catalyst that sets in motion the events of this book. Once Cate and Tessa begin to work towards closing Sam’s case, a few twists are thrown their way leading to a very surprising outcome. The reason for Sam’s disappearance lined up with one of the theories I came up with, but not the one I expected to be the actual outcome. Overall I was happy with the conclusion and I thought the ending of the book wrapped everything up nicely.

Cate continues to be an excellent character and I was happy to be following her perspective again as she’s my favorite character in the series. After being on medical leave from the FBI for several months, Cate is definitely still struggling with what happened to her. I liked that she had to deal with anxiety about returning to work and that she wasn’t magically cured. Cate’s relationship with Henry, the town doctor, continues to be incredibly sweet and I really like their pairing. The romance isn’t a large element of the story, but it is a nice addition (this book was definitely more of a suspense read than fully romantic suspense). Tessa features more heavily in this book than previous books dealt with character crossovers, which is in large part due to the focus on their best friend Sam’s case. It was nice to see more of Tessa though as I really enjoy her and Cate’s friendship.

Overall Bred to the Bone was an excellent read and I’m looking forward to reading the next book in the series, Below the Bones, when it releases later this year.

Another suspenseful and well-written Kendra Elliot title. Readers unfamiliar with Elliot’s writing style will quickly be engaged in the plot and those us who read everything she writes feel at home even with new or unfamiliar characters. The plot and twists pull readers in and the characters are flawed and relateable.

I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. Thank you NetGalley.
Kendra Elliot is definitely a talented author. This book just future proves that.
Bred in the Bone is a novella, but it contains all the punch of her full-legnth books too.

You won't regret reading this book.

This is book 4 in the Widow's Island series. You do not need to read the series in order and all are stand alone. Cate is recovering from a gun shot while on the job with the FBI. She comes home to Widow Island to visit with her best friend Tess and explore her feelings for island doctor Henry. Tess is on the local police force, both effected by the unsolved case of their friend Samantha disappearing when they were teens. I love this series. I never read Kendra Elliot before and I am now looking for her books, (there are many). I received a copy of this ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.

***Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review***

I was very disappointed in this series of novellas and had to force my way through them.

In the conclusion to the Widow's Island series of novellas, we finally find out what happened the Tessa and Cate's friend, Samantha, 20 years earlier. Cate is helping Tessa with what appears to be an open and shut case of manslaughter. The town drunk was hit and killed while riding his bicycle on the main road. The driver of the car did not stay at the scene. When they find her, she admits to killing the man to save her son's reputation. It turns out that her son and this man were involved in the accidental death of Samantha 20 years earlier. Tessa and Cate are on the hunt for her son as well as to follow up on a piece of evidence they recovered in the previous book. This was a great conclusion to this series. I liked how the investigations turned out as well as the decisions that Tessa and Cate make with their lives. Another well paced and developed story in this series. I have really enjoyed how these books meshed together and told this great story.

Wow I'm just stunned with how good this title was. I just had so much fun reading this title and getting to along for the ride with these amazing characters. I'm so excited to see what's next from this author.

I volunteered to read and review a readers copy through Netgalley of Bred In The Bone . This is the fourth story in the Widows Island series .
I really enjoyed reading this story .
Like the others in the Widows Island series it's fantastic . FBI agent Cate Wilde and County deputy Tessa Black grew up together on Widows Island . When they were teenagers their other best friend Samantha Bishop disappeared . Twenty years later Samantha's necklace has been discovered . The women find themselves questioning the past while new information comes to light . Will they find the answers behind Samantha's disappearance or will they receive the shock of their lives . This is a well written and absolutely suspenseful story . It has twists and turns that surprise .
A very captivating story . I highly recommend taking the time to read this story and enjoy .

Bred in the Bone is the 4th book in the Widow's Island romantic suspense series . The Author and Melinda Leigh write this series with alternating books incorporating the basic setting but with the main characters switched .
Reading the previous books whilst not essential would be of benefit to the reader in putting the characters and plots in proper context .
Whilst investigating what appears to be an open and shut hit and run death on the Island , FBI Special Agent Cate Wilde finds that suspects in this case are the same as those from the disappearance to Kate's best friend Samantha (Sam) 20 years previously .
This case has been simmering in the background in the previous books in the series and is now coming to the fore .
Kate is also dealing with demons , her mental health , her recovery from her injuries which will bring her time on the Island to a close and her blossoming romance with Henry . Will their romance survive ?

This is a fast paced romantic , suspense filled thriller that reaches a surprising conclusion that will hold the readers attention throughout .

I was given an ARC of this book by Netgalley and the Publisher in exchange for an honest review.

I have enjoyed all the "paired"/alternating novellas by Kendra Elliot and Melinda Leigh. This latest series, Widow's Island is no different! Wanted to add that I love the covers - the covers of the two books in the pair making one complete picture is brilliant!

The story is enjoyable and it catches your interest right away. This pair had me wondering and surprised me with the twist! The books are quick reads but like some novellas, these don't leave you wanting more. You get backstories and details that add to the story.

These two writers work well together and while I can tell the differences in their styles, I think it enhances the reading and gives you that little extra that you wouldn't get if only one of the pair were writing these series.

I look forward to the continuation of this series and hopefully lots more!

**Received from NetGalley for my honest review.**

Kendra Elliot and Melinda Leigh have built a community on Widow's Island that is populated with secrets. The two authors alternate writing a novella length story, each using recurring, but different, character. If you have not read the first three books, you have missed some very good stories. Bred in the Bone can be read as a stand alone story but would be enriched by reading the first books.
A community member is found dead. The investigation leads the police to another case, a cold case that has not been investigated for 20 years. In a town where secrets are not to be shared, the police must dig deep and work fast to solve this case.
Remember this is a novella, 60 - 90 minutes long for me. But such a great story doesn't need anymore than that.

Bred in the Bone by Kendra Elliot is the fourth book of the romantic suspense Widow’s Island series. This series is all at novella length and penned by Kendra Elliot and Melinda Leigh by alternating the books and switching the main characters.

This pair of authors have teamed up in the past for the romantic suspense Rogue River series of which a couple of the characters have moved over to this series but the books can be read and enjoyed separate from the Rogue River series. Each novella also contains it’s own mystery so they can be read as a standalone although some character development does carry over in the series from book to book for those reading them all from the beginning.

In Bred in the Bone FBI Special Agent Cate Wilde begins to investigate what looks to be a hit and run when a body is found on the side of a road. The investigation however seems to be leading Cate to the same suspects from the twenty year old case of Cate and Tessa’s best friend, Samantha.

This fourth novella in the series is my favorite so far bringing the story around to focusing on the case of the main character’s missing friend we’ve heard from since the beginning. Again, even at novella length this was a great edition to the series mixing both cases and being a detailed story leaving me to rate this book of the series at 4 1/2 stars.

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

3.5 stars.

The fourth novella in the Widow’s Island mystery book centres around Cate, former FBI agent on sick leave following a shooting that killed her partner. Returning to her home island to recover, she becomes embroiled in the new local doctor/coroner and the 20 year old mystery surrounding her old childhood friend.

I think this was my favourite of the series to date, aside from the first one. I really enjoyed the relationship between Cate and Tessa, which feels natural and realistic. There’s a lot of history between them, tangled up with a guilt and regret over what they think may have happened to their friend Samantha. Cate is also dealing with her own demons, struggling with anxiety and the fact that her time on the island is coming to an end. Does this spell the end of her blossoming relationship with Henry? And what about her investigations into what happened with Sam?

This took a different turn to the previous novels, starting with a hit and run that is quickly resolved before delving deeper into Samantha’s story. This advancement of the overall story arc that’s built up over three previous novellas reached a thrilling, atmospheric climax that I wasn’t expecting and really enjoyed. I will say, as with the previous stories, this is fast paced and reaches a conclusion quickly (with some developments occurring rather conveniently), but I can’t deny I was hooked.

I hope there are more to come in this series, as they’re strangely addictive and I’m interested to see what the future holds for Cate, Henry, Tessa and Logan.

Review for Bred in the Bone by Kendra Elliot
Read and reviewed via NetGalley #NetGalley #Bredinthebone

In the fourth Widow’s Island novella by Wall Street Journal bestselling author Kendra Elliot, the truth of a twenty-year disappearance will finally come to light.

When the town drunk ends up dead in a hit-and-run, FBI special agent Cate Wilde expects that solving the case will be cut and dried. But evidence quickly surfaces that the victim was involved with another crime. A crime that has gone cold for twenty years. A crime of personal importance to Cate.

Cate’s best friend, Samantha, went missing at fourteen, leaving behind nothing except a jacket and an island full of unanswered questions. Samantha’s disappearance has haunted Cate for more than half her life, and she might finally be able to find some closure.

But not everything is as it seems. As Cate unravels what happened on that fateful day, she’ll discover that the community of Widow’s Island is full of secrets. Betrayed by someone she thought she knew, Cate will need to piece together the truth…before someone else gets hurt.

This book is the fourth in a series and although I read it as a standalone and had no problem understanding what was going on I would recommend reading the books in order. The reason behind this is as I read the blurbs of the previous novels I understand they have previous investigations relating to Sam and also you would ger more details of her disappearance.

I read this book very quickly being a novella so it would be ideal for anyone looking for a short read. I liked the charactersz finding them realistic and strong although I would have liked to know more about them (another reason for advising you read the others first).

The storyline was very interesting and had some suspense and twists, this would be a bigger build up if the previous books are read.

Overall a great read which I would recommend to fans of shirt stories, crime, suspense, thrillers and just a general good book. Looking forward to reading more from this talented author

Available to purchase for £1.99 on Amazon or free if you have kindle unlimited

Rated 5/5 on Goodreads and Amazon

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Received from NetGalley
Completed 10/26/19 & 10/27/19
97 & 86 page novellas

First off, I always LOVE their covers. They are so awesome how they make one image between the two. I discovered Kendra Elliot years ago around the time her first book came out and I've read everything she's written since. I'm actually not a fan of Melinda Leigh. I read her books because they go hand in hand with Kendra's, but I never enjoy them as much. I especially don't like her MCs of the Rogue River series, but I like Kendra's.

With the Widow's Island series, I enjoy both MCs and while I still don't enjoy Melinda's stories quite as much they are good. Within the two, the Bred in the Bone was my favorite. The story was really gripping and surprising, and I'm not often surprised. These books can't be read on their own. I mean there is a standing story, but the rest would be missed and there's a lot of background. I recommend these for romantic suspense readers, they are quite enjoyable


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