Book review :

This book has an element of dark mystery and disturbing suspense weaved into this story that was, quite frankly, mind-boggling. Many elements of the storyline are quite heart-touching.

The story revolves around Olivia who's fiance was killed in the line of duty as a cop, she vows never to get romantically involved with a policeman again. So when she's stopped by a good-looking cop for speeding, she tries her best not to flirt with him. But good intentions don't always keep, and she eventually finds herself falling in love with the cop named Flynn. So why does she avoid Flynn's marriage proposal?

Trying to figure out her true feelings, Olivia receives a reprieve when she travels to California to intern at a famous artist's art gallery and try to help rescue her family's business from bankruptcy.

Arriving at the mansion owned by Xavier Kipling, an artist and owner of the gallery, she learns that his wife died a year ago. Although she feels empathy for him, her resemblance to his deceased wife and his pursuit is alarming. Rumors swirl that his wife killed herself…or did he kill her? When she learns that Flynn has been shot, she realizes that she truly loves him and needs to return to him, but Xavier has no plans for her to leave, to leave him. Will she get away or share the same fate as his wife?

I loved reading this book and quite intrigued by the storyline that i finished the book in two sittings. I would recommend this book to all mystery book lovers.

Happy Reading!

This author is fairly new to me, and I am loving her books! This kept me hooked with each turning page! I was on the edge of my seat wanting more! This is definitely a must read!
Highly recommend!

A clean suspense with great potential.
3.5⭐ Read

"False Illusions" was an intriguing story following Olivia Burkhart and her challenging life. Having not read any of the previous books in this series, I was still able to follow the story and its cast of characters without difficulty.

The Prologue drew me in and helped fan my doubt and suspicion about what was real or false from the get-go - something I appreciated as a reader. However, I struggled to get through the middle of the story and put the book down for a day to see if my interest would be piqued again. I'm not a fussy reader by any stretch of the imagination, but I wished the story had moved a little faster and the characters didn't "overact".

This being said, I appreciated all the story threads being pulled together in a pretty bow by the end of the book. Some of the characters weren't believable but by the time the Epilogue rolled along, I enjoyed the symmetry to the story.

NB I received an ARC of this novel from NetGalley.

Quick Summary: Dark, disturbing, and...oddly sweet.

My Review: False Illusions by Jennifer Youngblood was strangely peculiar but not in a bad way. There was an element of dark mystery and disturbing suspense weaved into this story that was, quite frankly, mind-boggling. Youngblood did an incredible job painting the villain. He was frightening. When he was revealed, it shook me. I couldn't see him until he was fully present with all of his crazy. On the flipside, O and F's romance was sweet. Although the circumstances that led O to feel the way she felt were understandable, it was nice to see them progress forward and to see that love overcame the fear.

There were some things that I did not care for in this story. With that said, these things were so well written that they achieved what they should, I suppose.

- I did not like the way O's father was pushy. He seemed to be more concerned with what he wanted to accomplish with the gallery than making sure his daughter was happy. He expressed his love, then he would use faith talk to finish his point regarding the business. It came across like manipulative pressure. Also, he did not include O in the decision making process about the future of the business.

- I thought O's mother came across a bit fluffy. Particularly, I felt that she could have done more when it came to the business decision and what was in the best interest of her daughter, not to mention R. She, too, went along with the faith talk and seemed to care about the arrangement more so than what was for the good of her daughter and her grandchild.

- Lastly, there were parts of O's character that seemed baffling. To be so aware and intelligent, there were times when she was clueless to what was happening. She made excuses far too often when evidences showed harsh truths. It made her seem one dimensional, in a way.

There were many things that I really liked about this book.

- The prologue was genius. It was a curious thing to see into the past-present like that. I was immediately hooked.

- Initially, I did not understand this book to be part of a series. Had I known, mayhaps, I would have better understood B's death. Was it tied into the other stories somehow? Because of that death/murder, I was puzzled. The story drew me in all the more.

- The two meet-cutes were priceless.

- R and his cute toddler language were gold.

- A, L, and I proved to be defiant warriors. I liked that O had allies around her.

- The antagonist was an evil charmer. He was so well written. He brought the heebie-jeebies. His creepiness almost convinced me that he would find a way to ruin the HEA of O and F.

My Final Say: Overall, this book was a page-turner. It captured my attention and kept it. It started at a place of intrigue and ended in a sweet spot.

Rating: 4.25/5
Recommend: Yes
Audience: A

Sincere appreciation is extended to the author, to the publisher, and to NetGalley, who provided access to this title in exchange for an honest review. The words I have shared are my own and have not been influenced by the aforementioned in any way.

* A Goodreads review has been posted.

I have not read the preceding books in the series and therefore felt I was missing some backstory, even if it didn’t affect my understanding of the story. I like art, I like islands, and this book has the potential for a great read but to me it felt blah. The excitement doesn’t start until ¾ into the book although there are enough clues for the reader to know there’s trouble on the horizon. The author does address the struggles one faces when losing his/her life partner. Flynn pressing Olivia for an answer regarding marriage and claiming that he has been very patient (after only one year of dating) is a bit much in my opinion. Good for you Olivia, wanting to think about it some more. I find the entire episode in California very far-fetched. In addition to the over the top wealth, all kinds of weird things happen, she’s disturbed but continues to go on her merry way. Really? Where is her common sense? Since it’s a Christian book, this would have been a good opportunity to bring in God’s protection, worship, and asking for prayer from friends and family. All of that is barely touched on. Instead it gets darker and darker. Several events do not have much closure such as the relationship with Ingrid. I finished the book a few days ago and waited with writing a review hoping something good about the book would come to mind. Unfortunately, I didn’t take anything away. It is entertainment without the depth I’m looking for.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Xpresso Book Tours for providing me with an ARC. All opinions expressed are my own.

I so enjoyed this romantic mystery with a very slight gothic vibe. Olivia Burkhart is raising her young son, Ryan, alone after the death of his police officer father. She has help from her parents and her job at their gallery. Finances are always a concern and she hopes her six-week tenure at a prestigious gallery in California will help her family. Her “cute meet” (as her friend Arden says) with Officer Flynn Yates is not what she was looking for. Although he is attractive and attracted to her, how can she take a chance on another officer who faces danger every day? Arriving at the mansion owned by Xavier Kipling, an artist and owner of the gallery, she learns that his wife died a year ago. Although she feels empathy for him, her resemblance to his deceased wife and his pursuit is alarming. Rumors swirl that his wife killed herself…or did he kill her? When she learns that Flynn has been shot, she realizes that she truly loves him and needs to return to him, but Xavier has no plans for her to leave, to leave him. Will she get away or share the same fate as his wife? I received an advance review copy at no cost and without obligation from the author for an honest review. (paytonpuppy)