#netgalley #keepyouclose
This book felt a little rushed but saying that it was an okay romantic suspense. I love Mary Burton books but this one is my least favourite so far. 2/5 stars

The beginning of the story had me thinking this is going to be a great read. And……then it just felt like a mad rush to get the story ended.
All in all, though I did like this book, it was just ok. I do enjoy Mary Burton’s books but this was not a favorite to me.
Many thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and author for the opportunity to read this book for my honest review. All opinions and thoughts expressed are my own.

**Received an ARC from Netgalley**
I love Mary Burton's books, and I am a sucker for a second chance romance, especially when it's romantic suspense. This was a nice quick read exactly what I was in the mood for!

A great afternoon read that will keep you guessing until the end. Another great page turner from the talented Mary Burton.
Thank you to NetGalley and HQ Books for providing a copy of this book for review.

Kelsey returns to her hometown for a relative's funeral, not expecting to stay. When she offers to help a friend with a dive, she finds the body of her mother, who she thought had abandoned her years before. Determined to find the culprit, she needs the help of Mitch, the Sheriff, but they have history, and proximity brings it to the fore. A suspenseful, short romantic suspense with a second chance romance and a dangerous antagonist. I like the small town setting, the menacing ethos created, and the conflicted but ultimately happy romance.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher.

Kelsey is a diver. She returns to her home town for her Aunt's funeral. Whilst there, she is part of a dive that discovers her mother's body, from many years ago. How did it happen?
Excellent plot as Kelsey discovers her past, with fellow diver Mitch at her side. Loved this book! The relationships between characters was excellent.

I was disappointed with this book, feeling that the characters were not developed enough, the plot too obvious and over-done, and finally, that it was over far too quickly.

To start with, I thought the story was really slow to get started. The writer takes a lot of time to establish that there is a dead body in the quarry that needs investigating, and this just sets the pace for the rest of the story. Realising that I soon only had a fifth of the book left, I could not see how Burton would conclude the plot without it feeling rushed. Alas, it did come around too soon and I finished the book feeling I had experienced a massive whirlwind with not much to show for it afterwards.

The premise of someone returning to their home town does feel rather over-done recently. I have somehow come across several books all with the same backbone to the plot and this did not feel very original as a result. Furthermore, Kelsey has had a troubled childhood: abandoned by her mother and then only barely looked after by her aunt. This sense of isolation and a need to find out more behind her mother’s actions made me feel a bit bored by this sub-plot of the narrative. I knew that Kelsey would be dissatisfied by the answers she finds and that the big reveal about her father would eventually come as part of this murder mystery.

Finally, Kelsey’s return to her hometown inevitably leads to her working closely with her first love. Unsurprisingly, the flame is rekindled, creating some very cheesy love scenes! I’m not sure whether I really liked Mitch, particularly his comment about unprotected sex which, quite frankly, made me squirm. In my opinion, he comes across as a very dated character with out-of-touch opinions. Not my sort of hero at all!

The reason why I continued reading this book was because I was hoping for some big ‘spark’ to energise the story. I was also keen to massage my ego and see if my predictions were correct! Whilst there were some surprises towards the end, it was not enough to change my opinion that this is quite a tedious, predictable novel that felt rushed throughout.

With thanks to HQ Digital and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Mary Burton is a class act. Her writing is consistently brilliant and Keep You Close is no exception. When highflying journalist Kelsey's discovers it is her feckless mother's body at the bottom of a quarry and trapped in her car it sets off a chain of events and no one can predict the ending. Kelsey works with former sweetheart and town sherif Mitch to find out what happened. As the body count tots up will Kelsey be the next target? Raced through this thoroughly enjoyable read. So many pluses to it: gorgeous location, two strong characters and tightly plotted - recommend.

Thank you to Mary Burton and HQ Digital for an advanced e-copy of Keep you Close.
It was an ok book but it wasn't my favourite by Mary Burton. Parts of the book felt a bit rushed, and I wished there was more buildup to the killer's reveal. Also, some of the decisions made by the characters did not make sense. If you're vegan you don't eat meat to be polite. That being said, if you are looking for a light, quick and entertaining read consider Keep You Close.

Thank you to #NetGalley for my advance copy of #KeepYouClose by #MaryBurton
Mary Burtons books are always a must read, if you like some romance with your thrills.
Kelsey is back in her old town for the first time in years and when she goes to help out her old friend and mentor Stu she is blindsided by the arrival of Mitch, the reason she left town all those years ago and he’s better looking than ever and the sheriff.
Things really get going when they find Kelsey’s mother who disappeared 10 years ago in a submerged car.
A fast paced fast moving story.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Loved it! Keep you close is a wild and terrifying ride. Highly enjoyable and I had a hard time putting it down!

What did I like? This book was so easy to get into. It literally just sucks you in the first chapter and doesn’t let go. Kelsey and Mitch try their hand at a second chance romance but an evil doer is looking to keep these two from a HEA!

Would I recommend or buy? Yes, what a thriller! I really enjoy books by this author and this one was no different! Five stars!

I received a complimentary copy to read and voluntarily left a review!

A quick romantic suspense read that will keep you engaged. I figured out the villain as soon as they appeared on the page and the why. But it really didn't take away from my enjoyment of the story. I loved Kelsey and Mitch even though a couple of times I wished I could reach into the pages and smack him silly. This would make a great beach read for fans.

A quick read with a good mystery and characters I really liked. The mystery and the relationship between Garrett and Kelsey kept me turning the pages and I read the whole book in one morning.

Garrett and Kelsey have unresolved feelings for each other and I was interested in seeing how they were going to work through their awkward past mistakes. There were a few twists with exciting and dramatic scenes although it was obvious from the outset who was most likely to be the murderer.
I thought it strange that Stu hadn't worked out who the killer was when two random people managed to do it off-page and get murdered for it. This didn't bother me though but I did wonder how they figured it out.

Keep You Close is a good blend of mystery and romance and it certainly entertained me for a few hours and two pots of tea on a rainy Sunday morning.

this is a fast paced mystery. Kelsey left town years ago and has not been back. She is notified that her aunt has passed away, so she returns. after arriving home, she discovers her mothers body and the body of another. Now it's time to figure out who killed her mom while trying to stay alive herself. Very quick read, read it in a day!

Whoa! What a ride. It was very fast-paced. The writing style kept me hooked and I didn't find myself losing any interest. I enjoyed getting to know each of the characters and how real the story felt. The author did a great job painting the setting, so it was easy for me to visualize the scene played out before me. I recommend giving this one a chance!

Keep You Close is a fast-paced mystery set in a small-town and features two former lovers Mitch Garrett who is now Sheriff and Kelsey Warren a high-flying underwater photographer who has only returned to town to attend her Aunts funeral.

But before she can skip town again she agrees to do a favour for a friend by doing a dive at a flooded quarry only Kelsey opens a can of worms when she discovers a body. A body she believes is her mum Donna who supposedly left town ten years ago.

And as Kelsey becomes determined to stick around and find out what really happened to Donna someone else is equally determined to stop her and anyone else who gets in their way, and with a few twists and a touch of romance this was an enjoyable and engaging read. Although I did easily figure out who the killer was.

Kelsey comes back to town for her aunt’s funeral and an old friend asks her to dive in the local quarry to check something out. It turns out her dive partner is also the local sheriff and the boy who broke her heart. What they discover at the bottom of the quarry sets off a series of events that pull them back together. Mitch was too young to appreciate what was happening with Kelsey before, but he can’t resist the pull he feels towards her now. Her world has been turned upside down by the discovery of her mothers body. The same mother she thought abandoned her 10 years ago. Kelsey and Mitch set out to find out what happened to her mother and the culprit tries to stop them any way they can. I guessed who the killer was pretty early on but I still enjoyed the story and liked the connection between Mitch and Kelsey. I would have liked an epilogue to give a little glimpse in to what happened with them. This was a quick, enjoyable read.

Very easy read. Good characters and story line, and it moves at a steady pace. The one thing I would say is that some of the conversations need to be written separately or more clearly. Other than that a good book.

Thank you netgalley for the opportunity to read it

Mary Burton does it again! Absolutely no disappointment! Quick paced, full of detail, mystery/ Thriller with a bit of romance/spice. Her books are the best of both worlds.

In this book we follow Kelsey who is returning to Virginia to try and attend her Aunts funeral, and unfortunately doesn't make it on time. While being around the last place she called home before her worldly travels, she soon helps discover a body in the quarry, with the help of her ex love interest. They soon discover that this body is her mother, who vanished more than 10 years ago. With another body turning up in the quarry, someone else missing, and a near death experience for Kelsey, you start to realize everything has to be linked, but why? You'll just have to read this one to find our! You will enjoy it I promise.


Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this advanced reading of Keep You Close!

Photo journalist Kelsey Warren returns home for her aunt's funeral and winds up caught up in a criminal investigation. During what should be a routine dive in a quarry to check out a submerged car, Kelsey realizes that the car belonged to her mom and that her mom's body is in the front seat. Donna wasn't the best of mothers, and for years Kelsey has believed that Donna abandoned her. Now she's come to find out that Donna was murdered. Kelsey's old flame, Sheriff Mitch Garrett, is in charge of the investigation. Kelsey is doing everything she can to keep him at arm's length. As more bodies start piling up, Kelsey finds herself in danger. The same person who killed her mother is now trying to kill her.

I have read a lot of Mary Burton's novels, and this is probably my least favorite. The mystery plot was interesting, but the romance was too quick and came off as very cheesy. I also didn't care for either main character. Kelsey is very immature. And, for someone who can't wait to leave town and never stays in one place long enough to put down roots, Kelsey somehow thinks it's a good idea to adopt a puppy. As for Mitch, he bungled their relationship the first time around. It's understandable. But now she's back, and he falls in love with her. He just doesn't go about it in the right way. Shoving your tongue down someone's throat is not the proper way to comfort them after just breaking the news that their mother was murdered.