As is the case with a lot of romantic suspense, this is far more suspense than romance. The relationship is non existent for half the book then fully committed without really ever doing or discussing anything. One gentle kiss, full night of banging, HEA. Nothing really between that. I liked them together and the potential their history together could have brought to the table intrigued me, but never delivered.

On the suspense side, the killer wasn’t easy for me to guess, but thats because every chapter we got even more people to consider. I want to say by the climax we had a dozen solid suspects. And the body count was high in my opinion. One scene I found to be ironic was the leads spinning a theory for one suspected killer that just had theories out of assumptions and left field. In actuality, that’s kind of how to played out for the real killer and I was not impressed.

This is listed as a Pike series book. I would disagree with that. The murder happened 25 years ago there, but very little story happens there and only 2 cast members were locals there.

2.5* Sadly, after a good start, this tale lost its way. Reads like it's decades old...

This is neither really a romance nor a mystery - it tries to be both but is unconvincing at either. There's not a single spark between the leads who've known each other 15 years, and the male lead is arrogant enough to state his intentions - to marry the female lead and spend the rest of his life making her happy (when her grandfather asks about his intentions) and then admits that he has no idea if she wants the same. The sex scenes in this came utterly, utterly out of the blue and felt planted because the tale is couched as a romance, but there was not a spark of anything between the leads. I think there was maybe a kiss to the female's head in comfort, a quick actual kiss and the next thing she's offering to help him undress so he can get in the bath, then she strips and joins him. Hmm. Not hot, not sexy, not anything but perfunctory. And, uh, the number of times his pine scent was mentioned!! Do men wear pine-smelling toiletries these days? I don't think so. I associate pine with disinfectant, air freshener and toilet cleaner.

The bad guy was pretty well hidden but there were just too many characters to keep abreast of and some of the tale felt stereotyped from any 80s TV series. It was just too predictable. And, there were discrepancies. We get told that the leads grandfather hated her mother, his daughter-in-law, as she was high maintenance and running through the family fortunes and yet on her death, the DIL manages to leave her daughter a trust fund, funds for a scholarship and bequeaths funds to a friend for a business start-up. Yup, no one picked up on this, and the error was further corroborated by the fact that a separate life policy of $100k was mentioned, which went to the late husband, who didn't need it all, and yet was supposedly the one asking his father for money to pay off his extravagant wife's debts.

Another discrepancy was that the grandfather supposedly died 2 days after being struck on the head, and yet several days later, he was still in hospital and expected to wake up. Hmm.

I also didn't like how the lead's mother was made out to be a sex-hungry beeotch, and bisexual to boot, as if the latter was something to be ashamed of. Yes, she was unhappy and had many affairs, seemingly, but she was painted as bad because of her sexual appetites, though she was a good mother and yes, had loved her husband when she married him, though they were never a match and had a troubled marriage from the start.

AI can write and her PNR tales are some of the best going - I love her Guardians of Eternity series, but this and her other similar tales don't compare to the many mistresses of rom-susp out there.

This was a miss for me.

ARC courtesy of Kensington Books and NetGalley, for my reading pleasure.

This is the first book by this author that i haven't liked. The suspense was good but not as gripping as other books or even like the 1st book in the series. The romance and the 2 main characters weren't very likeable , i wasn't vested in their fate or love

Interesting read. This is the first that I've read from this author and I liked it. I will be checking out more stuff from this author.

Wynter gets a cryptic note on a picture from the former Sherriff of Pike who is know deceased. Did her mother really die from a robbery gone wrong or was it murder? I really liked this book it was a very good mystery. Wynter and Noah are a great team and loved their romance. I would consider this book a great beach read. Loved !

On the anniversary of her mother’s death, Wynter makes the yearly visit to her mother’s grave, but something different happens this time. Something that leads to her trying to remember what actually happened the night her mother was so tragically killed. Noah the boy that is now a man, and what a man. Can they solve the mystery of her mother’s death together, or will it cost them their lives. This author holds your interest no matter what she’s writing. She’s such a pleasure to read

I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own

Whew. I love a good slow burn. And suspense. I had NO idea who the bad guy was until the end. Lots of intrigue and red herrings to keep me busy.

This is the second book in Alexandra Ivy's Pike series. It can definitely be read as a standalone since there is little overlap with the first. This story follows Wynter on the search for the truth about her mother's murder twenty-five years ago. What was thought of as a robbery gone awry turns out to be far from the truth. Wynter's longtime friend, Noah, joins her on the hunt, and the two discover there is a lot more to Wynter's family dynamics than they thought. Along the way, the two realize their friendship was just the beginning of their story. Lots of twists and turns and weird family dynamics in this story. I definitely did not see the ending coming.

I know Alexandra Ivy writes a lot of PNR, but I really enjoy her romantic suspense books.

I wanted to like this so much more than I did.

I didn’t *dislike* it. It was just sort of tepid.

The romance is kinda sweet, kinda boring – mostly because we have two mostly uninteresting people involved.

The mystery is more interesting than the main characters, mostly due to a couple of more charismatic characters playing large roles. I was curious enough to keep reading, but never ever excited.

Unfortunately forgettable.

*ARC via Net Galley

This was such a great book. There were twists and turns and lots of suspense. I was up until the wee hours turning the pages as fast as I could. I really liked Wynter and Noah. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced free copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. I received a copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Very enjoyable romantic suspense by Alexandra Ivy. This is the second in the series and I did not read the first and it did not effect the story at all. Wynter every year visits her Mother's grave. She was 4 years old when her mother was murdered. Wynter has always had her mother on a pedestal and really misses her as her and her father do not have a close relationship. On the 25th anniversary on her mother's death while visiting the grave she notices someone visiting the old sheriff grave who lets know the sheriff had an envelope with her name on it. She picks up the envelope and it's a picture from the night her mother the murder that raises questions surrounding her murder. Game Warden Noah Hunter has been friends with Wynter since they attended grief group when they were younger. He has a romantic interest in Wynter that she was unware of and he helps her look into the mystery surrounding her mother death. But as they are looking into it people connected to the murder start to end up dead and it is no longer safe. Great who done it. Highly recommend. I was guessing till the end.

Received this as an ARC for an honest review.

Wynter was four when her mother was murdered and she's never gotten over it. She'd like to solve the cold case so, when she gets a copy of the file from the son of the sheriff who worked it, she has a chance. Noah, her best friend since childhood, is helping her when they realize that someone is trying to kill Wynter now. Is it to keep her from finding out the truth? Noah and Wynter's relationship turns to romance and they have to fight to stay alive bringing them even closer. Lots of suspense, adventure, and romance make this a compelling read.

Faceless is the second in a series by this author, but can be read as a standalone. This was a interesting murder mystery and although I figured out fairly early who the suspect was there were still some twists I didn’t see coming. Thanks to Netgalley for this arc.

Twenty five years ago, Wynter was four years old and was in the car when her mother was shot and killed. Every year she closes her restaurant and goes and visits her grave. This year the sheriffs son tells her his father has a picture she might be interested in. The sheriff wrote on the picture why kill her when he had the purse. Noah is a conservation officer and has known Wynter for years. They met in therapy and have remained best friends. His parents were killed by a drunk driver when he was a teen. Wynter starts investigating, along with Noah, but pretty soon people start being killed. Someone want Wynter to leave the past in the past but she can’t. Can Wynter and Noah figure out what’s going on before they too are killed?

Excellent story with edge of your seat suspense and action. Friends to lovers. So many secrets.

* Voluntarily read and reviewed this for NetGalley *

After receiving the ARC for this book, I realized after the fact that it was the second book in a series. Did it make a difference that I hadn't read the first book? I don't think so. I really didn't have any problems reading this as a stand alone. It felt like the author did a fairly good job of introducing the reader to the main MC's and I felt like the requisite information was given out.

The main issue I had with this book was that everything that happens seems so very superficial. There does not seem to be a lot of depth to the story. That issue falls over everything - the characters and the storyline.

The story focuses on the female MC Wynter, who was in the car when her mother was shot and killed in a suspected car jacking when Wynter was 4 years old. The story starts out on the date - the 25th anniversary of her mother's death - when she takes her annual trip to visit her mother's grave in a city about 3 hours away from her hometown. Something happens, and that sets everything...a huge chain of events...in motion.

While I mentioned that things are superficial, they are also extremely over done. Certain characters are so OBVIOUS. They are done in a way that their actions do not seem natural. There is way too much telling and not the right way of showing. It's as if the author is going out of her way to make sure the reader "gets" it. For example, immediately it is very apparent that there is something going on with the secretary. She looks like she is OBVIOUSLY hiding something when she interacts with Wynter. It is things like that, throughout the entire book, that pull the reader out of the story.

The case itself pretty much goes off the deep end. For a small town with virtually no crime and definitely no murders, doesn't anyone think it's odd that suddenly you have people dropping like flies? In addition to that, it also seems as if the author is trying to give the reader a huge choice of suspects. But again, the obviousness of each of these characters seems too easy. There really isn't a character in this entire storyline (with the exception of Noah and Wynter) that has any redeeming value.

I did enjoy the relationship between Noah and Wynter. Noah seems like a nice guy and I found myself liking him. Wynter herself was also an okay female character. The two of them together seemed to work fairly well. Other than those two - there wasn't any other character that was even likeable. When there are not any redeemable characters in a book, that can be a problem.

The ending and the "big reveal" seemed forced. It wasn't too hard to figure out "who" the bad guy was, but the WAY the story comes out in the end and the details of the "why" were a bit difficult to believe. And the reasons the bad guy gave for having to kill all of the loose ends....hmmm, not so easy to swallow.

All in all it was a fairly easy read that does finish with a completed story arc. If this series is going to continue, I'm not sure where the next book is going to be located since so many characters are killed off in this book. Okay, so maybe not EVERYONE is killed.....it just felt like it.....

Will I be continuing on with this series? No, I think I'll take a pass and maybe try with another series of hers when possible. I have liked Ms. Ivy in the past, so I am keeping that in mind for the future.

Thank you to NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to receive and review this ARC. All the opinions given are mine and mine alone.

This was an okay read for me. I enjoyed trying to figure out who the killer was and I like when authors give the reader a glimpse into the killer’s mind. However, I felt like the romance part was a little weak. Noah and Wynter had no chemistry and I felt like they were just friends who were trying to force a romance. I just did not feel any passion in their relationship and that was disappointing. The author writes well and the suspense/mystery part of the story was fun to try to figure out. But a key part of romantic suspense is finding the right blend of suspense and romance and for me, this read feel flat in the romance department.

This is a first for me when it comes to Ms. Ivy writing suspense. I like this new direction! This story is about a woman who never felt as if her mother's murder was resolved. She loved her mother dearly and every year, the anniversary of her mother's death became an annual ritual of taking time to see her mother's grave. This consistent pilgrimage to see her mother's grave never deviates until this year. A single point of doubt is raised and Winter is intrigued enough to find out. Be careful of what you wish for...

Wynter's questions and quest to figure out why her mother was murdered brings up painful history for many. It also makes her question if she really knew her mother. Each person's memories and experiences with Wynter's mother is different. In some ways it seems her mother was like a candle which burned too hot and quick. Her flame singed and burned all the moths crowding around her, trying to get close to her unique brightness.

What we learn of Winter's mother surprises Wynter and brings more skeletons out from the closets. This inquiry causes more and more deaths. One item puzzled me about this story - there was 1 device used to cause additional confusion. Specifically someone's phone goes missing and is used for nefarious purposes. It makes absolutely zero sense to me that the person doesn't cancel their account or at least freeze it so that it can't be used anymore.

Throughout this search for her mother's killer, Wynter is accompanied by her best friend Noah. Noah's shared parental loss experience gave them a starting bond. Now that they have "sowed" their oats so to speak, Wynter is seeing Noah with different eyes. It is about time. I like when great friendships morph into more. It is satisfying to see how Wynter and Noah grow closer together and how their eyes suddenly open and see each other better.

What I enjoyed most about this story is seeing Wynter's mother through the eyes of everyone around her. She made a huge impact and she was something special to everyone in a different way. I also enjoyed seeing how Wynter had to adjust her idolization of her mother change into an unconditional love and acceptance.

From a suspense/thriller perspective, the plot twist in revealing the killer is executed. I had an inkling of who did it and why. I was mostly right. Sometimes our bad decisions come to bite us, decades later. Whilst this is a happily ever after for Wynter and Noah coming together, it is a bittersweet ending. This romantic suspense is recommended to readers who enjoy complicated characters who haunt the living long after their death.

a good mystery. lots of anticipation and anxiety. Figured out who the stranger was early on but it was still fun. I didn't like Noah at first. He was very against Wynter wanting closure on who killed her mom but he finally came around.

Larkin is without a sheriff. In the meantime, Chelle is the only officer answering the recent calls. Larkin is a small town with a small police department. Like Pike they are not equipped with trained murder investigators capable of handling murder.
Every year on the anniversary of her mother’s murder she visits her gravesite at the cemetery in Pike. While there she visits the sheriffs grave where his son Kir is visiting. It’s been twenty-five years of Wynter being without her mother. For twenty-five she never had any reason to believe her mother’s murder was anything but a senseless crime until Kir handed her a photo from the surveillance cameras.
This photo stirred up buried secrets of which Wynter plans to dig up. Wynter is by no means a detective nor is Noah yet they find themselves on a whodunit journey to solve the case of who murdered her mother. Noah is a
conservation officer who protects the forests and the environment. They met in grief counseling years ago, but Wynter called upon his friendship when she got the photo from Kir.

There’s not many reviews yet, but I’m looking to be the first to say I was disappointed with the way this story was executed. This is my third attempt at reading Alexandra Ivy’s work. I’m finding her writing voice just doesn’t appeal to me. She’s missing that dialogue driven originality that propels a story forward. I’m just going thru the motions of reading not really caring one way or another what happens.

Faceless is book 2 in the Pike, Wisconsin series. Although, Wynter lives in Larkin the story takes place in both places. If you read book 1 you will remember meeting Kir’s character.

Faceless had more of a cozy romance vibe. Larkin and Pike were both small towns with the people in both towns including the protagonist being vital to the story. I felt the romance overshadowed the non investigation. The whodunit process allowed for the Stranger to eliminate more people.

Friends to lovers is one of my favorite troupes and this story did not disappoint! Alexandra takes up back to a small town where murder and mystery lurk in the background. Willow and Noah came together after a tragedy changed both of their lives. Their friendship was formed and when they finally realize they are meant to be you know it is forever. There is mystery and surprise throughout this story (no spoilers here!) and I've loved how Alexandra weaved it all together. Another 5plus star read!