Fragile Designs by Colleen Coble is nothing less than brilliant writing. Ms Coble never ceases to amaze me in her unique plots, rich characters, and detailed back stories. This book started out strong and had so many twists I did not expect. The action kept coming, both physical and emotional action that kept me up late reading. Readers of romantic suspense will adore this book. Fans of Ms Coble will not be surprised at the brilliance and beauty of this novel as a whole. I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher with no obligations. These opinions are entirely my own.

Fragile Designs is filled with action, suspense, and family dynamics. The cleverly plotted, fast moving storyline drew me in from the beginning and held me fast to the end. The characters are well-developed and believable. A bit of history adds interest and depth to the narrative. I love the aptly described South Carolina setting since I am very familiar with that area. I enjoyed the way the romantic relationship between Caryl and Lucas develops as they work together to unravel the mystery. I greatly appreciate the light faith thread woven naturally into the story. A favorite quote: “Our lives are so fragile. Maybe it’s by design so we look to God.” I thoroughly enjoyed this book and highly recommend it especially for romantic suspense fans.
I receive a copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley with no obligation to write a positive review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

A wonderful story of loss, family contention, and new beginnings. I enjoyed the interactions of the characters and how they grew toward each other. Tragedy and unexpected discoveries brought the family closer together as they began to understand one another. Choosing to work through the trials instead of becoming more bitter was a refreshing aspect of the story.

This book deserves more than 5 stars! I always greatly enjoy books by Coleen Coble! What makes this one so outstanding is the main character, Carly, who possess an unusual character trait to willingly give service to others with a caring heart! She sees the best in others. Carly is recovering from her police officer husband's mysterious murder, and later recognizes a missing Faberge egg. Her next-door neighbor, Lucus, helps her discover clues while helping keep her and her family alive. I will not spoil any surprises here, and there are quite a few!
I appreciate being able to read an advance reader copy. The thoughts expressed are my own.

Another great book from a favorite author. Edge-of-the- seat action, finding the lost, family connections, and a sweet romance. Readers who enjoy romantic suspense will not want to miss Fragile Designs.

I felt this was Harlequin Romance meets beach reads sprinkled with Christian literary fiction and suspense. It went way beyond a reasonable suspension of disbelief. No one just happens to find a $40 million Faberge egg. Also what happened to Isabelle and their father. There’s a happy ending for everyone but themShe goes for a baby bottle, and we never anything about her again. She was Mary’s granddaughter just like the other three. She and the father wasn’t even in the epilogue. although he’s in jail and maybe going to prison.

Even the fact that their cousin Lainey and her husband would end up adopting Caroline’s baby. As soon as Cara meets Lainey and she tells her Cara was lucky to have her son, the reader knows how that is going to end. Also that the other sis’er’s husband is a scoundral is obvious to everyone except her. This is definitely a novel that is for anyone who wants an easy feel good read.

I received an arc from NetGalley and this is my honest opinion.

This was such an intense read with lots of twists and turns. Well written and it will keep you glued to reading as I finished it in one day.

Carly was dealt a bad hand and when she finds her husband dead it leads her on quite the journey. Enter Lucas who is not fond of Carly but while trouble finds Carly his protective side kicks in. He realizes that maybe he wrong about Carly. He falls more in love with just Carly too…. Little Noah is hard to resist.

Lots of mystery and suspense in this read and definitely one I would recommend.

I enjoyed how this book made me feel like I was a part of the action. So many twists and turns that keeps you guessing along the way. I love a good intense clean mystery that grips you from page 1.

I was given a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley and the publisher. All words are my own.

We are taken into the world of the Fabergé Eggs, It's interesting to learn more about them. I know this book is fiction, but the one thing that disturbed me most was how Carly treated her baby. She was nursing him so she took him everywhere. She had the baby with her even when she knew she was going into a very dangerous situation. That just seemed very unreal to me. The story flowed nicely and the ending had a twist I didn't see coming.

Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced copy.

This book had a great premise and I loved how the characters really felt like real people, especially Carly with her baby. The tension built up throughout the novel, and it was gripping. By the time I reached the end of the book, I was racing through the pages. I would give the plot 5/5, honestly!

I did have a few things that stood out to me though. First off, this is marked as Christian fiction but it hardly mentions God or a really deep theme beyond "faith". I was disappointed mainly because I know the novel could've been so much deeper and impactful considering its awesome plot. I did notice the two MCs gawked at each other a few times, but they did have good reasons (personality) to fall in love, so I could forgive the characters noticing the rippling muscles and delicate curves.

In any case, I would rate this 4/5, as I did enjoy it and I would like to see more of Coble's novels. :) Thanks Netgalley and the publisher for an opportunity to review the book for free in exchange for an honest review.

This novel is set in Pawleys Island, North Carolina, a small town (I googled it) with a population of about 103. Pawleys Island itself is "4 miles long and mostly 1 house wide" (Pawleysisland.com), so having the info helped me to understand some of the plot and to visualize it better.

Carly Harris is the MC who currently goes to flea markets and other such places to earn an income, which isn't enough. She's always had a dream of writing a novel but has yet to do so. Life becomes complicated when (view spoiler) and as she is going through things she finds something that she recognizes as one of a kind and extremely valuable, if it is in fact authentic. Carly also finds some documents that will change the entire family, a long kept secret that she has to decide who to tell and when. All of this takes her back to live with her grandmother, Mary, where Carly gets help from Detective Lucas Bennett, the brother of a long ago boyfriend of hers.

The item of value that she found is potentially the cause of murders, so she is concerned for her family and that they are in danger. There is possibly a Russian mob behind the murders happening and she has to find out in order to know if she and her family are safe.

I don't want to say more, but was engaging, fast paced, and held my interest throughout. I love how many connections were made and family involved. It definitely kept me on my toes!

The narrator of the audio version was excellent, had really good voice inflections, and was easy to follow. I would absolutely listen to this narrator again.

Fragile Designs by author Colleen Coble is a contemporary, Christian, romance, mystery, suspense novel that is fascinating. I was immediately invested in the characters and their lives. This was a definite page turner.

This is the story of Carly Harris. I loved her! After a life changing tragedy, she moves to South Carolina. There she lives with her grandmother and two sisters. They are going to turn the house into a Bed and Breakfast.

So much happens in this riveting story! I was immediately invested in this book and all of the beautifully crafted characters. The author has a warm style of writing that drew me in immediately. I felt like a fly on the wall as I read. It was like I was there. Everything played out like a vivid Hallmark movie!

I highly recommend this brilliant novel. A copy was received by the publisher and Net Galley, but these are all my honest words. It receives a 5 out of 5 star rating from me.

“Since her police-officer husband Eric’s mysterious murder, Carly Harris has been struggling to support herself and their infant son. Her career as an antique dealer isn’t sustainable, nor is her dream of becoming a novelist. So when her grandmother proposes she and her two sisters restore the family’s large Beaufort home and turn it into a bed-and-breakfast, she immediately gets to work clearing out the house. In the process, she uncovers a family secret that Eric kept hidden. And an heirloom that the wrong person wouldn’t hesitate to kill for”

One of the most intriguing romance suspense book I’ve ever read!

This novel, unlike Coble's earlier works, starts off slow. The characters are many and hard to identify. The plot takes a long time to develop. However, once it starts moving, the story is compelling.

This book has something for everyone! Mystery, family dynamics, history, and plenty of twists. Of course when you start out with two characters who dislike each other, you just know they'll end up madly in love. So there were a few predictable parts but plenty of surprises too. The book is well written with believable characters and a story that pops up on the page and keeps the reader on edge wondering what will happen next.

I don’t think there is a book by this author I haven’t enjoyed. Another great story and one I thing I never have to worry about is the sexual content. Reading stories from Christian writers leaves me with an encouraging and uplifting spirit.
I enjoyed the writing and the characters in this story. Thanks for an advanced copy.

Colleen Coble hit it out of the park with this book! I’ve been a huge fan of her books and this was fantastic.
Gave me the romantic suspense that I look for in a book 5 stars!

Fragile Design
Colleen Coble

Carly Harris had just discovered that she was expecting when her husband was murdered. Since Eric's death she's been living with her grandmother. Single parenthood was not something she expected to do, but someone took away her choices. And when her grandmother comes up with a solution for Carly to support herself, turn their home into a bed-and-breakfast, Carly is willing to try. Of course, this means major renovations to their home - que the former boyfriend who just happens to be in construction. No, old feelings aren't rekindled.

But when Carly comes across something that could have a bearing on her husband's murder she turns to Lucas, the brother who didn't think she was good enough for his younger brother. Lucas calls upon his police skills and agrees to help Carly, who surprises him because she's different than he was expecting her to be. What's more he really finds there's a lot about Carly to like.

When Carly and Lucas dig deeper, they discover a long-held secret and a possible reason for Eric's murder. Soon everyone's life is in danger and the deeper they go for answers the closer it gets.

Anyone who has read any of Colleen Coble's Contemporary Romantic Suspense books in the past will not be disappointed in this newest title. There are layers that must be peeled back to discover the truth - a truth that has been hidden for nearly a lifetime. And at the root of everything is family - the ties that bind us together and the secrets that can tear us apart. This is reads as a standalone book but it could easily become a series starter. I highly recommend this book to anyone who likes long nights filled with the broken promise of just one more chapter because this is just such a book.

I was provided with a complimentary copy of this book with no expectations but that I provide my honest opinion. All thoughts expressed are my own.

Colleen Coble is definitely my go-to author for a great book, and she nailed it with Fragile Designs! A romantic suspense with some major family drama certainly makes for a relatable connection with this book. Plus, I share her fascination with Faberge eggs! I wasn't expecting the "whodunit" twist near the end but absolutely loved it! I will be recommending this book to my reader friends and look forward to Colleen's next book.

Fragile Designs by Colleen Coble is book about mystery, intrigue and a love story.

The story itself is well thought out. It is interesting but quite long in my opinion.
There are also a lot of characters to keep track of and at times it got a bit confusing.
At times it was really far fetched and a bit unbelievable.
I liked the main character and her grandmother a lot. There were nice and funny and very supportive of each other.

Nice and easy read.