Thank you to the publisher for the eARC.

I often forget how much I enjoy romantic suspense. They’re the book versions of my favorite type of tv show (crime procedurals).

This one follows Bailey, an investigative reporter on the crime beat, and Jacob, the detective assigned to a brutal murder. They both look into the case and realize that things aren’t as they seem.

I really enjoyed the investigation and how everything pieced together. The case was intense and wild.

The romance was just ok for me. I didn’t quite see the spark between Bailey and Jacob and this didn’t feel invested in their relationship.

Overall, this is an enjoyable and quick read.

Hidden was a riveting mystery centered around the brutal murder of a young woman with the added flair of Griffin’s skilled crime writing to tell it. With two sides of the same coin working the case—a journalist and a cop—the story was explored from two different angles, making the stakes and the results that much more interesting to unravel.

Bailey and Jacob were polar opposites, and yet they both worked the case with a tunnel-eyed drive. Griffin’s way of unraveling a crime are unmatched; every twist and turn creating another layer of danger, another question to dig into. I loved that both characters approached things differently and how they detested utilizing one another, but as tensions rose it forced them to work together. And though I’m incredibly sad the romance did nothing for me—one that could’ve been so great if it was used to create more of a conflict of resistance—it was still the great murder mystery it set out to be.

I love falling back into a book by this author and how she can create a crime so evocative and intricate while crafting the perfect players to assist in it being solved in the most unique ways. And I cannot wait for the next one.

This review was originally posted on <a href="https://booksofmyheart.net/2020/08/18/hidden-by-laura-griffin/" target="_blank"> Books of My Heart</a>
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<i>Review copy was received from NetGalley. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.</i>

3.5 hearts

I had not read this author before.  I would call this genre a mystery / thriller with some strong romantic elements.  The main characters are an investigative reporter on the crime beat and a homicide detective.  They are attracted but neither one trusts the other. Bailey, the reporter, is more willing to share information to get information.  Of course, the consequences of sharing information is much more drastic for Jacob as a cop.

Each of them has good instincts and skills in gathering the evidence. They have different perspectives which gives them unique contacts and avenues to pursue.  Jacob is worried at how dangerous the killer is and that Bailey is taking too many risks. I liked them both and they made a nice couple.

<strong>Hidden</strong> is the first in a series and I think I will enjoy the <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/series/277233-the-texas-murder-files" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><em><strong>Texas Murder Files</strong></em></a> series.  I didn't feel like the characters were fully developed but I did appreciate the focus on the case, more than the romance.   The next book <strong>Flight</strong> looks like it is about Bailey's sister.

Hidden kicks off The Texas Murder Files series by Laura Griffin. I've read and enjoyed Laura Griffin's books in the past and while I liked Hidden, it was also a little mediocre in the romance department.

The story begins with a female jogger who gets stabbed to death in a public park. At first, it seems like it was a mugging gone wrong. But when investigative reporter Bailey Rhoads and Detective Jacob Merritt start investigating the murder, they soon uncover that there was more to the woman's death.

The first half of the book is slow-paced. Things only start picking up toward the second half. The mystery is well-written and engaging for the most part. I really like that the author took the story in a direction that I never saw coming. And I ended up learning a lot of interesting facts about that particular aspect of the story. As for the romance, I didn't really feel the chemistry to be honest. The build up was weak and I didn't feel connected to either the hero or heroine. The chemistry felt clinical for the most part.

Moreover, I don't feel like I really know the hero that well. I think it's because we don't know much about his personal life and his background, aside from the fact that he used to date an FBI agent and is currently renovating his house. I know Bailey a little more than Jacob, but again, I was not super invested in the characters or the romance. I mostly liked the plot and the mystery. What I did like about Jacob and Bailey is that they weren't tortured characters, which is really nice for a change. I also liked that they were mature and actually acted like adults.

I am VERY invested in the possibility of John Colt and Tabitha. I hope the author writes their story eventually!!

Bailey Rhoads, who is an ace investigative reporter at an Austin newspaper, comes on scene to a murder at one of the Texas city’s popular jogging trails near Lady Bird Lake. Her efforts to prize information from lead detective, Jacob Merritt, are met with a stonewall refusal. This case gets its hooks into Jacob and Bailey both where each is determined not to let it go despite stand down orders.

Bailey needs a big story to keep her often precarious job as newspapers across the country continue to shrink and downsize. Her investigative trail leads to the hallowed halls of the Silicon Hills in Austin, and the seamy side of killers for hire as well as witsec programs that are losing their protective capabilities. She has lots of sources on the inside including the police department much to Jacob’s dismay. The feisty reporter seems to show up at every turn in the investigation even when other government agencies get involved.

Jacob Merritt feels two intense forces at work in his life: to solve this case and his deepening attraction to Bailey which, due to her reporter status, puts them at odds in several ways. Although they do join together to investigate the horrific crime, Bailey’s risky behavior to get her story puts stress on their budding relationship. Jacob is quite conflicted about mixing business and pleasure in the first place.

Sometimes Bailey’s determination to get her story and solve the crime causes her to make questionable choices putting herself and others in danger. Jacob has relationship issues making it tough for him to let someone like Bailey inside his hardened exterior especially when complicated with this case. This police procedural with a sidecar of romance will appeal to readers who like stories with bold and brassy heroines connected to broody, conflicted heroes who join forces to take down evil adversaries.

Hidden is the first installment in Laura Griffin’s new crime thriller series, The Texas Murder Files. Hidden draws the reader in from the very first page as we follow a jogger on a popular hike-and-bike trail. As she is jogging, the woman seems nervous and fearful, to the point of paranoia. When a man with a large knife accosts her, it becomes all too painfully clear that she had a reason to be so nervous. Investigative journalist Bailey Rhoads is sent to investigate the murder, as is police detective Jacob Merritt. Bailey approaches Jacob to see if he can give her some details on the case, but instead of being helpful, Jacob is gruff and close-lipped about the case. When she doesn’t get any assistance from Jacob, Bailey decides to do some digging on her own.

Two things become clear as both Jacob and Bailey begin to investigate: 1) There is frustratingly little evidence to go on with respect to the murder. Even getting an ID on the victim is proving to be nearly impossible, and 2) Whether they want to admit it or not or even act on it, Bailey and Jacob are attracted to one another.

Hidden was a winner for me for several reasons, the main one being that the murder case itself is very compelling. From that opening scene, I was hooked on finding out who this woman was and why she was killed in such an awful way. I became all the more invested in the case when both Jacob and Bailey couldn’t find out anything about the victim. It was like she had gone completely off the grid. As Jacob and Bailey slowly began to unravel the details of the case and the suspense began to build, I flew through the pages eager to get to the truth about what had happened, especially as it became clear the woman’s murder was a hit job and that the killer wasn’t finished.

I also really loved both of the main characters. Bailey is a talented and tenacious journalist. She’s determined to get her story and won’t let anyone, not even a sexy police detective, stand in her way. Jacob is equally likeable, even though he initially comes off as somewhat gruff and standoffish. He’s actually just very protective when it comes to his cases. He truly cares about finding justice for his victims and in the case of this victim, is downright ticked off when the FBI comes to take jurisdiction over the case. I loved his passion and I also thought it was cute how hard he tried to fight his growing attraction to Bailey even though her stubbornness made him crazy. His head keeps telling him it’s a bad idea for a cop to get involved with the media, but his heart has other ideas. The chemistry between Jacob and Bailey was great too. The way their relationship progressed felt very organic, not to mention both cute and sexy.

Hidden is a very satisfying and entertaining read. If you enjoy romantic suspense and a riveting murder mystery, be sure to add this gem to your reading list.

This one started out as a gripping suspense thriller. A young woman is attacked, stabbed, and her dead body dumped in the lake near the trail. Haven't we all had fears about being accosted while out on a walk or run? Then there was the friction between Bailey, the intrepid reporter, and Jacob, the impenetrable detective. The plot reminded me of books I have loved by Lisa Gardner. But the last bit of the book was a disappointment. In the end, it was too "Harlequiny" for me. I don't think I'll be watching for the rest of the series.

Thank you to Berkley and NetGalley for a DRC in exchange for an honest review.

A detective thriller with a romantic undercurrent. This is the first novel from this author for me and while I did not love this novel, I did like her writing style. I think the biggest issue I had with this book was 1) it was predictable and 2) the case was not all that interesting. I am not eagerly awaiting the next book in the series which is a bummer since this is one book I had high hopes for because I am a true crime book lovin’ Texas.

HIDDEN (The Texas Murder Files # 1) by Laura Griffin is a blend of mystery, thriller and romance. I liked the Texas setting as the heat played up the tension in the book. Of the two main characters I preferred Bailey over Jacob as Bailey is a strong female lead and Jacob felt one dimensional. I could appreciate trying to add in the romance into the thriller genre but I felt it detracted in this case. I don’t think I would continue reading this series.

I’m a sucker for a romantic suspense and this one sounded so good. Bonus points for a new to me author.

I really liked Bailey. She’s inquisitive and tenacious and all of the other traits that make her a great reporter. Jacob is gruff and a bit marshmallow-esque. Together they have excellent chemistry, loads of respect for each other, and a wariness of the other’s job that was mildly amusing.

Plot wise, it was good. There are a few moving pieces and it definitely kept me interested. I really liked the layers and how they unfolded and even though I guessed a portion, I wasn’t disappointed.

Overall, it was a great story with characters I really enjoyed reading. I’m hoping Bailey and Jacob will be the reoccurring characters across the series. Regardless, I’ll definitely be reading the next book.

**Huge thanks to Berkley for providing the arc free of charge**

Bailey Rhoads is an investigative reporter on the crime beat in Austin, Texas. There have been layoffs at the newspaper office and rumors of more layoffs to come. Bailey loves her job and works hard to stay employed. When she got the heads up from her editor about a possible story at the lakeside hike 'n bike trail Bailey rushed right to the scene. When she arrived there she found tight-lipped police officers. She approached the man she believed to be the detective in charge at the scene, Detective Jacob Merritt. He wasn't saying much either. Too bad. Bailey is determined to get information so she keeps in contact with Jacob. There's definitely something strange about this situation. Eventually Bailey finds out that the young woman was murdered. As Bailey tries to get background information on the victim, Dana Smith she is stymied at every point. Who doesn't have easily accessed background info? Nothing on social media. Nothing! Nothing anywhere! All she gets from Jacob are hints and hot looks. She gives Jacob hot looks in return...

Detective Jacob Merritt knows his current case is a strange one. Facts, what few he and his partner Kendra Porter can find, aren't adding up. Then the FBI muscled in and took over the case. That wasn't stopping Jacob or Kendra from investigating. This murder occurred on their turf and they don't believe the feds are serious enough about the investigation. Then there's the investigative reporter, Bailey Rhoads who persists on looking into the murder. He sure is attracted to her but knows better than to get involved with a reporter. She's not giving up on her investigation though so Jacob decides to stick close to try to keep her safe. Just in case...

Hidden by Laura Griffin is the first book in her Texas Murder Files series. This book details a serious story about crime and facial recognition software in the wrong hands. The author seems to have done very thorough research for this book. She sets a fast pace with lots of action. The characters are quite realistic. The romance is hot and the suspense is gripping. This is a great beginning to the series.

Lotsa lust, not much trust. That pretty much sums up the relationship between investigative reporter Bailey Rhoads and Austin Police Detective Jacob Merritt. Both are working on the same murder case and are infatuated with each other, but each refuses to share new information with the other.

The two meet after a woman is found murdered on a hiking trail; the initial assumption is that it was a mugging gone very wrong. But Bailey, who's being pressured to come up with a lead story for her newspaper, suspects the woman may not be who she appears to be, while Jacob learns a few details on his own. Chapters switch between their points of view and follow their budding romance that's filled with tension because neither is free to reveal much of anything case-related to the other (for the most part, rightly so; cops shouldn't talk about ongoing cases and good journalists don't reveal sources). But as a journalist myself, I'm not altogether sure why she refused to share at least a few of her other findings - it's not as if Jacob would be writing a story or running to another reporter to give something away - but I guess it makes the story more interesting.

Somewhat oddly, Bailey seems to make more progress toward solving the crime than Jacob, a professional cop. Her dogged persistence leads her to a huge technology company which, she learns, is working on a project that's paying huge dividends but definitely skirting the boundaries of ethics, if not the law. Finally, their investigations begin to merge - and leads them to conclude that another woman's life is in immediate danger. But can they find her before the would-be killer does?

Read it and see. This is the first in the "Texas Murder Files" series, and I'm definitely looking forward to reading about the couple's next joint adventure. Meantime, thanks to the publisher, via NetGalley, for allowing me to read and review a pre-release copy.

I love romantic suspense, and this was my first by this author! I'll definitely be reading more!

Bailey Rhoads is an investigative reporter for the local paper in Austin, TX. After a woman is found murdered in a park, on a popular trail, Bailey is assigned the story. But, the facts aren't adding up, and the woman's identity is a mystery. Once Bailey starts really digging though, the things she begins to turn up are WILD. The story is far bigger than she ever could have imagined. Will her life be in danger if she tells this story? How can she not tell it anyway?

Jacob Merritt is the lead detective on the murder case, and though he's wildly drawn to Bailey, he knows he shouldn't get involved with a reporter, especially not the one covering his high profile case. But when he struggles to produce any leads on the case, he hopes that he and Bailey can help each other. But, they're both keeping secrets too, even as their attraction grows hot enough to combust.

Bailey and Jacob had great chemistry, and I loved watching them fight their attraction, in favor of their careers. Eventually they both realized it was impossible to fight it, but they still had no idea what could really come of it. They each had obligations to their work, and they were afraid to trust each other too much. I wish we had been able to focus just a bit more on them as a couple, though obviously the suspense plot was the ultimate star of this show.

The suspense plot here unraveled itself beautifully as the story went on. I loved figuring out each piece as it happened, and guessing what would happen next. Their hunt to find the next potential victim of the killer was so exciting, and kept me guessing. Without getting too spoilery, my only real complaint about this story is I would've liked to know more about Tabitha, and how her story continued into the future. That part definitely made me want more, and it felt a little unfinished. Though, I'm not sure how it really could've been any other way. And Colt was a mysterious and fascinating character too. I'm curious if he'll show up in later books. He wasn't in the story much but seemed so fully formed, so I hope he'll pop up again! In fact, all the side characters here were great, so if we stick with the same city in book 2, hopefully we'll be seeing many of them again!

I had great fun reading this book, and I'm looking forward to more in this series. I'll be digging through the author's backlist for some more to add to my TBR pile as well! Highly recommend this one for any fellow romantic suspense lover!

Thank you NetGalley and Laura Griffin for the ARC of Hidden by Laura Griffin that I read and reviewed.
This is the first book in Laura Griffin’s new series and it was a great book to introduce her new series with. Jacob and Bailey were both great lead characters and they fit well together. Bailey had the spunk you love to see in a reporter and the fact that she would not give up on her story or let down her sources showed the true grit she had. As for Jacob he is the kind of cop that just makes readers cheer for because he will do anything to get his man and at the same time always try to do the right thing. He drives female readers crazy because he is the kind of man we all want.
The storyline was also great. It started off with a murder and even had bullets flying towards the end. Even though it kept you in the loop with what was going on it was still a great book and I can’t wait to read the next one in the series.
Hidden gets five out of five stars from me.

Bailey Rhoads is a journalist who when she gets her teeth into a story she doesn't let go. Jacob Merritt a detective prefers procedures but doesn't like when questions arise and there is a lack of answers.. Bailey determines that the death of a young woman is more involved than just a random take down on the jogging trail when no past can be found. She seeks answers as to who the individual was and soon feels others could be in danger. She seeks to find whoever they are to prevent more deaths. Jacob too wants more answers and soon finds himself involved with the journalist seeking answers. Technology rears its ugly head and how it ties to murder is fascinating and scary when we know how pervasive technology has become in our daily lives and what we don't know could sure hurt us. Of course you have to add a bit of romance so the story becomes a romantic mystery. . I loved the characters and look forward to future Laura Griffin novels.

Hidden by Laura Griffin is the first book in her new Texas Murder Files series. I am a big fan of Griffin, as I have read most of her books, especially her fantastic Tracers series. The story starts off with a bang, as a young woman is running in the park, her usual morning exercise, when she begins to suspect that someone is following her and runs for her life.

Jacob Merrit, our hero, is an Austin Texas detective, who is on the scene trying find some information on a dead woman that was stabbed to death. She has no identification on her, until he finds a phone belonging to the woman, and comes across the name, Dana Smith. Unfortunately, Dana Smith does not exist and in a short time, the FBI steps in to handle the case. Jacob is determined to work on this alone, as he suspects there is something more than the FBI is telling them.

Bailey Rhoads is an investigative reporter, and quickly jumps in on the murder scene. But no one will tell her anything, it is all secretive. When Bailey tries to get information from Detective Merrit, he too refuses to tell a reporter anything. Bailey refuses to stop, and uses her own contacts to get whatever information she can, and at some point, she offers Jacob some info she finds, if he will share his with her. The two of them at first don’t trust each other, especially Jacob, who never trusts reporters. But in a short time, they will both begin to feel the attraction to each other, as a slow build romance begins, though mostly in the background.
Both Bailey and Jacob find their own evidence that this victim was in the witness protection system, and somehow someone who wants her out of the way discovered her and killed her. There is a second person from the same case who is also in the witness protection and Bailey is willing to do all she can to find and save that woman. Jacob starts worrying, as he knows Bailey’s investigations could put her in danger, but she refuses to back down.

I liked Jacob, as he was a strong hero, and a great detective, though in the romance department, it took him awhile to allow himself to have feelings for Bailey. I loved Bailey, as she was determined to finish her story, even to the point of putting her own life in danger. Jacob’s partner, Kendra was also a good detective who worked well with him.

What follows is an exciting, intriguing, suspenseful thriller that kept us on the edge throughout, especially as we raced to the climax. Griffin gave us a great couple, and secondary characters. The last half of the book was extremely tense, I could not put the book down. I do not want to give spoilers, so you need to read this book to discover what happens.

Hidden was an excellent mystery that was very well written by Laura Griffin. If you enjoy murder mysteries, police procedurals, lots of intense action, suspense, with a touch of romance, you should read this book. If you have never read Laura Griffin, it’s time to start now, as she is an amazing writer for romance suspense.

This was a fast paced book that left me constantly guessing. The case was perplexing and I enjoyed the twists. The characters were likable and I found myself rooting for them. There were a few holes and I thought there were some events that weren’t necessary for the story. Overall, a solid first book in this series and I look forward to reading more! 3.5⭐️ My thanks to the publisher for the advance reader in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you Berkley for sending me an arc!
So I actually accidentally addded this book. I’m not a thriller person. I like romance but mix the two it’s not my cup of tea. I read about 25% and was getting nervous so I DNF’d. I’m a wimp but I did think that the writing was really good. I just want to sleep for the next week.

Hidden was a pretty good thriller, although I found myself wishing for a little more oomph in the mystery. Romantic suspense has to do extra work balancing both sides of the genre and I felt Griffin did that well. Personally, I just needed something a little bit more to push this one from good to great, but I'll definitely be recommending this one to my mystery and romance patrons.

When a woman is found brutally murdered on Austin’s lakeside hike-and-bike trail, investigative reporter Bailey Rhoads turns up on the scene demanding access and answers. She tries to pry information out of the lead detective, Jacob Merritt. But this case is unlike any he’s ever seen, and nothing adds up. With the pressure building, Jacob knows the last thing he needs is a romantic entanglement, but he can’t convince himself to stay away from Bailey.

Bailey has a hunch that the victim wasn’t who she claimed to be and believes this mugging-turned-murder could have been a targeted hit. When she digs deeper, the trail leads her to a high-tech fortress on the outskirts of Austin, where researchers are pushing the boundaries of a cutting-edge technology that could be deadly in the wrong hands.

As a ruthless hit man’s mission becomes clear, Bailey and Jacob join together in a desperate search to locate the next target before the clock ticks down in this lethal game of hide-and-seek.

Romantic suspense fans Caz and Lynn read Laura Griffin’s latest novel and got together to discuss their thoughts.

Caz: Hidden is the first book Laura Griffin’s new Texas Murder Files series  I’ve enjoyed, a number of her books  in the past, particularly some of those in her long-running Tracers series, which centered around the staff of a high-tech, high-end forensics facility and the various LEOs they worked with.  Fast-paced and action-packed, they delivered exactly what I look for in romantic suspense; a complex, well-executed plot, characters you can root for and a romance that has as prominent a role to play in the story as the plot.  Have you read any of Laura Griffin’s books before, Lynn?

Lynn: I’ve actually read quite a few of them. I tend to give authors a second chance or two because I know sometimes a particular book just might not click. Griffin is a key example for me of that mindset paying off. I read one of her early books and it really did not work for me. However, I picked up the Tracers series and really started to get into her writing. I haven’t read that entire series yet, but I’ve liked the ones I read, and I think her writing keeps getting stronger and stronger. I’ve enjoyed seeing her voice develop as an author. So, what was your favorite part of Hidden?

Caz: The best part IMO was when the plot opened out in the second half when Bailey’s investigation leads her to a cutting-edge tech company. I don’t want to be too spoilery, but the idea of a private company pioneering biometric security techniques that could be used to compromise even the highest levels of security (such as those afforded to people in WITSEC) was mind-boggling and frighteningly plausible. When I think about it, some of my favourite romantic suspense novels have done that; dreamed up a scenario that, while it hasn’t happened, COULD happen, and have certainly given me something to think about.

Lynn: I really enjoyed that aspect of the story as well. I thought the author did a fabulous job of explaining how her scenario could happen without bogging the story down in info dumps. The reveal is done in such a way that the reader can connect the dots a bit. I always like when authors do that rather than spoon feeding everything to the reader. I think it shows a respect for the audience’s intelligence.

Another thing I really appreciated was the pacing in this story. From a suspense perspective, it really worked for me and I definitely had that ‘on the edge of my seat feeling.’ The romance definitely took a back seat to the action in this book, though.

Caz:  I thought there were places the plot was a bit overly drawn out, but I definitely agree with what you’ve said about the way the author explains things; that’s one of my favourite things about her books, she explores some interesting concepts and always manages to communicate them to the reader in a way that keeps things moving. I agree about the romance, too - although it worked better here than in her last couple of books (which I reviewed HERE and HERE),  I thought the relationship between Bailey and Jacob progressed in a way that made sense - their respective professions get in the way a lot, and there’s a lot of secrecy and lying by omission - but then suddenly they go from tentative steps to full on ILYs by the end, and that jarred.  I love a good HEA, but there are times an HFN is a better fit.

Lynn: I agree with that last statement in general, but I could buy an HEA in this book rather than just HFN. It’s true that the romance definitely takes a backseat to the suspense portion of the plot and that this balance definitely fit the story. However, I felt like the intensity of the story lent itself to that intense jump in emotional connection. Things were understandably tentative at first, but given the way that Bailey and Jacob were thrown together at the end, I could see where an emotional bond would develop quickly. Were there any other aspects of the book that stood out for you?

Caz: I liked the way that Bailey and Jacob are shown to be working the case from different angles and were yet uncovering the same information in different ways and at different times, and I thought that their professional relationship - as a cop and a journalist - was well done; it was natural that they were both wary of giving away too much information.  The trouble was that their caginess impinged on their romantic relationship and their lack of open communication on that front was frustrating.  Did you like them as characters?

Lynn: I really did like them. Sometimes Bailey infuriated me a bit because of her tendency to rush headlong into things without looking at the big picture. However, I was talking about this book with a reporter friend and in that conversation, I came to the realization that some of her impulses made sense given who she is and what she does.

That conversation also made me see part of why these characters clicked with me so much. They have different professional training and as a result, somewhat different views of how to run an investigation. However, instead of constantly bickering and trying to dominate each other, they try to understand each other. That doesn’t mean that there aren’t arguments, but I kept getting the sense that they were trying to find solutions rather than destroy each other.

Caz: Bailey came perilously close to being TSTL on a number of occasions; she was a bit too much of the stereotypical feisty-journalist-out-of-central-casting for my taste.  Jacob, on the other hand, was far easier to like; he had to play by certain rules for reasons that were clearly explained and his viewpoint was easier to relate to as a result.

Lynn: I’ll give you Bailey veering into TSTL territory, but I think I gave her a pass because I see people outside of law/law enforcement do things like that in real life. I know we talked a bit in general terms about the revelations in the second half of the book, but what did you think about the underlying mystery?

Caz: I found it a bit slow to start but I thought it was really well-executed once it got going.  The different angles and the way it gradually opened up to reveal something far more complex than originally thought worked well.

Lynn: That gradual broadening of the story really worked for me as well. The opening, which put us into the victim’s head, drew me right into the book and I read almost all of it in one sitting.

When I put my analytical hat on, I can see that the suspense very much overpowers the romance in this book. However, as a reader, I felt so engaged with the story that the balance didn’t bother me. This book had an unputdownable quality for me that I haven’t had with a lot of romantic suspense, and for that reason, I give it an A-. Readers who want more romance are likely to disagree with me, but if the imbalance doesn’t bother you, I think you’ll love this one. It’s definitely a DIK for me.

Caz: The suspense plot was the big draw for me here, and was by far the best thing in the book - I read a lot of romantic suspense, both m/f and m/m, and right now, the majority of the m/f RS I read isn’t balancing the two plot elements all that well. Sadly, that’s true here. While the romance worked better for me than in some of the author’s recent books, there’s no real romantic development or sense of a strong emotional connection between the leads (hence my issues with the HEA, above).  That, together with Bailey’s almost-TSTL antics means I’m giving Hidden a B-; it’s a decent romantic suspense novel and I’ll probably pick up the next in the series, but it’s far from the best I’ve read from this author, or in the genre as a whole.

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