This first book in the series is one that will grab your attention from the first page to the last and one that will keep you on the edge of your seats.
Riley Temple is a Hollywood photographer whose life is closely connected to Hollywood icons. One being her aunt Moxie. A character you will love. But Riley’s past experiences also has her distrustful of law enforcement.
When she comes across a disturbing film and shortly after a loved one gets hurt, the police get involved. One of them is Detective Quinn Burton. Quinn comes from a legendary law enforcement family and believes in finding the truth and protecting those in need. What he didn’t expect was to be taken off kilter by the distrustful and enigmatic Riley.
In the midst of the attraction, danger surrounds them. All this while trying to figure the whodunnit. How many are involved in the mystery? Who can be trusted?
The story delivered an engaging plot and the characters, both main and secondary , were perfectly depicted.
In this first book of this very promising series, the author excels and gives the reader one of her best works. Can’t wait to see what comes next.
I was entrusted a copy of this book by Netgalley.. The opinions expressed are solely my own.

OMG...I've been reading Ms. Stewart for a long time. This goes beyond what I've read in the past and is a fabulous romantic suspense story...with the emphasis on suspense. The characters are well thought out and deep. Things happen, and it makes you think...well I didn't see that coming!

Riley Temple is a child of Hollywood, Old Hollywood and current Hollywood. She and her Aunt own a building that was once a rooming house to the ingénues of the studio system and her Aunt was one of those young ladies long ago. That's her tie to Old Hollywood. Now, she is making her living as a paparazzo, but that's just to pay the bills. Her love is photography. She loves finding old film and developing it. She has feelers out to many pawn shops and when they come across some old 35mm film, she will purchase it and develop it. This time, she gets a canister of film, and what is on it leads to the murder of a homeless friend and the beating of the pawn shop owner who was a friend of her grandfathers.. The police are called and....wow....we're off on a great read!!

Riley's parents were killed years earlier and she was raised by her Aunt and her Grandfather. Once she meets the homicide detective who has this case, her animosity for the police is very apparent. Detective Quinn Burton or DSP...and you'll have to read the book to find out what that means...is intrigued with Riley's attitude toward the police.

This story just gets deeper and deeper. I loved it all. Since this is book one of the Circle of the Red Lily, the mystery for Riley and Quinn is resolved, but, there are so many more things that can happen with the characters we've been introduced to in this book. It seems they all are tied together and the epilogue leads us right into the next in the series. I can't wait!!

My Thoughts


Another new-to-me-author that I found from Netgalley.

An author, who now that I have read this first in a series, would love to read more from in future so hope the next books also become available for review in future.

That being said there is nothing I like better than trying to solve plots like these, even when way off base cannot help from trying so this particular reading experience fit me to a T.

Riley Temple and Detective Quinn Burton are both strong characters, the books pace is well measured, overlapping plots lines keep one interested and all together this is a fast read.

Unfortunately, as all good things do, the end comes too fast as well as left me wanting more!

EArc from Netgalley
On every book read as soon as it is done and written up for review it is posted on Goodreads and Netgalley, once released then posted on Amazon, Barnes and Nobles as well.

What a ride! I was quickly hooked and enjoyed every single minute of Anna J. Stewart's dive into a brand new diabolical series that endeared me to it's characters just as much as it hooked me on the proclivities that were occurring around every corner and teasing me into following along page after page to discover. There are many unanswered questions here and much to build on, so I'm hoping this is going to turn into a long-lived series to intrigue me book after book. Well done!

Riley Temple is a kind, caring individual who happens to have a little bit of an ugly side hustle. Her goodness far outweighs her snark though and I enjoyed getting to know her and getting to see her stumble across the story of a lifetime. She has quite a cast of friends and family that leave a lot of potential here for several more stories as this mystery continues to unravel.

I highly recommend this book to anyone that enjoys a whodunnit with some weight to the crime and lots of twists and turns as we meander through the characters. There's a close knit family vibe here between her friends, fam and those she's taken under her wing. Also some romance with her new favorite cop.

Exposed (Circle of the Red Lily, 1) by Anna Stewart is an intriguing thriller set in new and old Hollywood. Stewart weaves her story by paralleling young girls missing for decades with recent discoveries that lead to the identification of a cult-like group that has been in existence for many years. Using the Christmas holiday season as the backdrop for her story, Stewart includes murder, friendship, romance, family, and lifelong alliances in the characters she creates. Strong emotions surface throughout the story. between the many unexpected characters. Exposed is a creative, suspenseful thriller that will leave you on the edge of your seat while eagerly anticipating Part 2.
#thankyouNetGalleyfortheARC!

I had not read anything by this author, but I liked the summary and it was the beginning of a new series. I wondered, at first, if I had made a mistake in choosing this book, but I was soon drawn into the complex story with a host of intriguing characters. Riley Temple, a Hollywood photographer, speaks her mind and doesn’t give up. The decades old film she purchased from a friend revealed the death of a woman, or was it a staged scene? Riley meets Detective Quinn Burton while he is investigating the attack on her friend and a murder. The occasional appearance of a Red Lily seems to strike terror among Riley’s acquaintances. What does it mean and who is behind the vicious attempts to recover the film? Will the film reopen a murder case from years ago? Someone doesn’t want that to happen and wants Riley to meet the same fate as the woman in the film. Although there was no final “wrap up” (I prefer an actual ending), I look forward to the next book in this series. I received an advance review copy at no cost and without obligation for an honest review. (paytonpuppy)

Wow! An exciting romantic thriller. I enjoyed all the movie and old star references. The story kept me turning the pages. I skipped the amorous activities. I wished I could have skipped the prologue. It did set the stage for the mystery. There are some loose ends that will most likely be addressed in the following books in this series. Great group of characters. Thanks to the publisher for providing a copy via NetGalley. My review is voluntary.

It all started with a box of things pawned off. Mostly junk, but there was something in that box, something someone or ones doesn't want anyone else to know about. But when the pawn shop owner is brutally beaten and a homeless man outside the shop is murdered that changed everything. Detective Quinn burton and Reily Temple are polar opposites, but the same in so many ways. Reily has what was in that box and she is in danger. She isn't the only one. There is a war brewing, and it doesn't take prisoners. It is good against evil -- with little wiggle room for the grey area. But no one was prepared for what was in that box will take them. I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book.

Some secrets are better kept that way as our protagonist finds out in this excellent story. When she uncovers what seems to be a coverup, enemies come out of the shadows. With help she manages to escape many dangerous snares, and we are entertained by a very good story.

Hello! Here is the review I shared on GoodReads. side note: I loved the book and Riley! She’s a badass!

Review: 5-stars

Hollywood has secrets, deep secrets. Riley Temple, Hollywood paparazzo, brings a mystery roll of film to her darkroom and exposes a horrifying death ritual. The discovery opens up a closed case that haunted Hollywood socialites for decades. Exposed is the first in the Circle of the Red Lily series. I’m looking forward to the next release! Highly recommend!

Thank you to Anna J. Stewart and #NetGalley for the ARC of #Exposed in return for my honest review.

this is a good story, it does have adult language , girls have gone missing for years but now a roll of film has been found and the place she got it has been broken into and now they are after her but she is not sure why. then a detective come to her rescue when she is attacked well they discover what is going on before it is to late or not i was given a copy of the book by netgalley but this is an honest review

This is the first in a new romantic murder mystery series by an author I haven’t read before. It has a catchy intriguing plot featuring Riley Temple, a photographer who resorts to being a paparazzi style celebrity chaser to pay bills. The content of this story is steamy adult and ritualistic brutal death. The setting is Christmas time in LA with a touch of old Hollywood glamour. Riley co- owns Temple House, a notable old Hollywood building, with her celebrated film star aunt Moxie. Now it’s divided into apartments housing tenants instead of starlets. Aunt Moxie is a delightful character.
Riley inherited her love of cameras and photography from her beloved grandfather and collects old undeveloped film canisters. She has a favorite pawn shop where she’s made friends with owner, Merle. Her latest find and subsequent developing of an old roll opens a Pandora’s box of death and evil. Threats, the murder of a homeless man, the pawn shop owner attacked and hospitalized follow her purchase of that box. The calling card of blood-red lilies keeps repeating as the body count mounts.
LAPD Detective Quinn Burton arrives on the scene at the pawn shop. He and Riley clash straightaway. Despite the immediate tension, there’s also undeniable attraction between Riley and the detective. They argue, she’s very stubborn and strong willed, he’s investigating a homicide and doesn’t need her interference. Thus begins an inevitable outcome. Regardless of predictability, it’s woven nicely into the murderous plot. They are believable characters with interesting backstories that I wanted to know more about. I enjoyed reading as they navigated a new relationship while trying not to be killed.
Riley is lucky to have not only her attorney living at Temple House, there’s a small quirky group of women tenants who are also friends and support. There’s a dietitian/chef, a reclusive computer whiz, a scientist, kids and dogs. All interesting, relatable and likable people who add depth to the story.
The escalating attempts by an unknown suspect to retrieve the negatives or kill Riley take many dark turns. Quinn’s father happens to be the LAPD Captain which further complicates a puzzling case. There is scandal and controversy, additional murders, a possible innocent man imprisoned, cover-ups going back decades - including high ranking police. A good concept throughout, didn’t disappoint, would read more. Not sure what direction the series is going, there were some unanswered clues and layers left open.
This digital advance reader copy of “Exposed: Circle of the Red Lily book 1”, by Anna J. Stewart published by CAEZIK Romance was provided to me by NetGalley. These are all my own honest personal thoughts and opinions given voluntarily without compensation.

An intense and well written story. It is a bit scary in the beginning but then turns to mystery, romance and still some edge of your seat moments.

Good story. I enjoyed the characters and the storyline. But I had a difficult time after about halfway through when I was finding grammatical
& tense issues. Even once when Riley's name changed to Darcy for a moment. This book very much needs to be looked over by a proofreader. Would have gotten another star from me if I hadn't been frequently distracted by errors.

Everyone knows I'm partial to Anna's books, I can't get enough of her writing... but I'm pretty sure this is my new favorite book!

Riley Temple is a spunky, photographer who acts as a paparazzo to pay the bills. But really photography in general is a passion for her. She buys an old roll of film from a pawn shop (owned by a family friend) and finds herself embroiled in a mystery. She has trust issues when it comes to the police. Enter detective Burton... there are sparks that she just can't deny.

Quinn Burton is a police detective, following his family legacy. He gets called to a scene (murder, assault, and a robbery), upon investigating he calls one miss Riley Temple as she was the last one to get a call from the shop owner. Is Riley a suspect? Why is he suddenly drawn to her?

I absolutley loved this book... there were twists and turns... suspense mystery and romance. I can't say enough fantastic things about this book! Now I need book 2... I need to know what happens next... and I need more DSP...

#exposed #NetGalley

Couldn’t put this one down! It touched on my love for romance and thriller novels all in one!
I loved the lead characters and the way their relationship develops amongst all of the suspense. Riley with her independent woman vibes and Quinn with his determination and loyalty. The supporting characters are also great!
The hold this storyline had on me to see how it would end was unlike anything I’ve read lately. Already anticipating the next one!

A little different from what Ms. Stewart usually writes.... It grabs you, and I couldn’t put it down. I’ll say in the darkest hour Riley Temple made me laugh. She has issues with cops, and rightfully with regards to what happened to her so long ago. When she first meets Detective Quinn Burton there’s hesitation, but she wants answer. He does too. It leads to sparks, and it also leads to something that happened a long time ago. It will have a big impact which will Expose many people if the pictures are leaked out. They will need to work together to get to the bottom of things.

I highly recommend this book.

This had a feel of James Patterson’s books which I liked loved a lot.

This ARC was provided to me via Kindle, from CAEZIK Romance and #NetGalley. Thank you for the opportunity to preview and review. Opinions expressed are completely my own.

Gripping, suspenseful and entertaining.