Fragile Designs is a romantic suspense story, one that Colleen Coble is known for and that I really enjoyed. When Carly Tucker’s police officer husband is killed during a home break-in, she knows that her small antiques business isn’t enough to support her and their infant son, Noah. Her grandmother asks her to come home to Beaufort. When she gets there, her grandmother tells her of her plan to restore the waterfront home and make it into a B&B. Carly is estranged from her two sisters, but when her grandmother asks them to come they do. While all this is going on, someone is after Carly, or at least something that she has. While packing up and sorting through things she has been left by her great-grandmother, she finds what she believes is a Fabergé egg. Only 50 were made were the Russian Imperial family and several are still missing. This appears to be one, but the surprise inside is missing. It seems that her grandmother, who was adopted, had a twin and she might have the inside. Can Carly and her grandmother's neighbour, Lucas also a police officer, find her grandmother's sister and the secret of the enamel egg she found before someone else ends up dead?

Wow, this book starts off with a murder and doesn't slow down until the end. There are Russian businessmen, thugs, family, murders and romance all put together in a great story. I have to say that I did end up down that google rabbit hole checking out information on Fabergé eggs. The one in the story is one of the actual missing eggs. Carly is a great character, caring, smart, loyal and soft when it comes to her sisters. They are terrible to her, but she takes it and doesn't tell them the truth about things that happened in her marriage. Her grandmother is my favourite character. She is willing to give up everything to make sure her family is taken care of. She motivates Carly and loves her and Noah to bits. She deserves to find her family. I was cheering for Carly and Lucas to find what they needed and stay alive while doing it. This story was tense and full of suspense. I can't say much more without giving away the story, but if you enjoy a good romantic suspense story, then I recommend Fragile Designs. I listened to the audiobook narrated by Karen Peakes. I enjoyed her performance, the voices she gives the characters and the energy she adds to the story. I recommend this one in whichever format you enjoy.

Mystery thriller involving a Faberge egg. It starts with Carliy's husband's murder which leads her to move in with her grandmother. When she discovers an egg in a wooden chest left to her in the attic, she tries to solve the mysteries associated with it. She turns to her neighbor, Simon, a local detective, for help. This is the romance part of the book. There are many murders, robberies & mysteries to keep the reader/listener entertained. Enjoyed the plot, but not a huge fan of the Christian aspect.

I couldn’t stop listening! I loved this story! So much action, and never a dull moment. Rich character development and enough backstory given to understand the plot. Protagonist was likable and common so I could relate to her. Just enough of a love story to keep the interest but not too much where it was unrealistic or sappy. I truly felt like this could have been my family. I thoroughly enjoyed this book!

The blurb of this book gives away so much information about the plot that I had figured out half of the things. So it doesn't come as surprise at all when some twists are thrown in the mix.

I also found characters of Carly, Mary, Lucas mushy for my tastes. They feel so unreal and naive. All time good, how can anyone be? Even after knowing that your husband has been hiding more than you could have guessed? There's no anger or rage anywhere in the book.

The mystery part also did not work for me. Ending left me bereft and feeling even worse about the book.

The narration is good.
Audiobook rating : 3 stars
Book rating : 2.5 stars
Thanks Netgalley and HarperCollins publishing for the audiobook ARC in exchange of an honest review.

My first book I've read by Coble and whoa did she put me through a lot! I really liked how this book started out with a good unsolved murder, some family strife and a taste of historical fiction! But then, as the story progressed I had a hard time pining what the genre was. I felt completely inundated with all the genres in this book. Historical fiction (with a fascianting background about faberge eggs of the Tsars), Russian Mafia, multiple murder mysteries, family secrets, backstabbing, heists, infidelity, romance, babies, oh and don't forget the home remodel, oh and that touch of Christian literature in here too. There are a few other big plot points that I won't share for fear of spoilers that were the cherry on the sprinkles on the icing on the cake. Basically, it was too much. Way too much. It felt way too unrealistic. I also don't like mixing murder mysteries with a love interest unless it's a comedy, it doesn't sit right for me. I don't want to be disturbed by a stabbing murder upstairs but then now I get to see two characters be romantically interested in one another...

The audiobook was well done and easy to follow, I enjoyed the narrator.

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins Christian Publishing for the ALC that I paired with the eARC from Thomas Nelson Publishing.

What a well-written story. So many layers!

This book has opened up the world of Fabergé to me, which I have never really known much about before. What a rich history this topic has! I am ready to learn more about the history of Fabergé now, and the missing eggs.

Carly has a renewed chance at love with a guy she knew a long, long time ago. Now he's her next-door neighbor. And confidant as they bust this case open. And her protector.

I really enjoyed seeing Carly's relationship with her grandmother and how much she cherishes that connection. The story dives in to that and allows Carly to search for relatives that they didn't even know were lost.

Not a cozy mystery; definitely a suspense novel. It had me at the edge of my seat a few times!

Trigger warnings: Some violence. Infidelity in marriage.

Overall, a clean read. No crude language or content.

I listened to the audio version. Well narrated! Great listening experience.

Suspense lurks around every corner in the newest Colleen Coble novel. From page one, readers will find themselves drawn into the life of Carly Harris. The newly widowed young mother begins to uncover a long hidden-family secret while sorting through collectibles inherited from her great grandmother. Harris’ natural maternal desire endears her to readers, and her connection to her grandmother’s neighbor tugs at the heart.

The continual plot twists keep readers on the edge of their seats throughout the entire novel. Just when it seems they are making progress discovering the truth, a new development reveals a new part of the mystery.

This clean read will be enjoyed by suspenseful murder mystery lovers and is Coble’s best novel yet.

I read because books like this and I'd give it a 10 stars rating if I could.

I loved the story of redemption and second chances. Callie was a darling. I mean her selflessness and sense of devotion to those she loved was inspiring. She deserved all the good things thay came her way. Lucas was a hero. He and Callie were well suited for each other because of their shared values on love, faith and family.

The twist and turns of the book was very unpredictable.

Highly recommended. I listened to the audio version and the narrator did an excellent job. Excellent job.

I received a copy of this book and this is my honest opinion.

The first half of this book has a heavy domestic/family drama focus, with extreme lack of communication and several greedy, selfish, rude, snobby characters that I found frustrating to read about at times. In all honesty I haven’t been in the mood for this kind of content so it took me a while to get through this section of text. That said, I’m glad I kept reading because the second half of this book held my attention and made me appreciate its story as a whole so much more, especially as the suspense picks up and character arcs are made clear with significant positive changes seen in nearly every character.

This book follows a young woman named Carly during a very challenging time in her life with strained family relationships, the murder of a close family member and being a single mother of a baby boy. When Carly inherits an object worth millions of dollars from her great-grandmother, along with documents involving an intriguing family mystery, more murders and other crimes start to take place that are directly connected to Carly’s inheritance, and it’s a race against the clock to take down the bad guys before anyone else gets hurt.

Thank you NetGalley and Thomas Nelson for giving me a digital ebook and audiobook of Fragile Designs to honestly read and review.

I had the pleasure of hearing the audio version of Colleen Coble's Fragile Designs. The narrator's performance was perfect for this book. I loved hearing it. Five stars.

This storyline did not disappoint. There were a lot of twists and turns, and the author kept me guessing on who was the culprit. Voice actor did the story justice. Will be reading more from this author!

Fragile Designs by Colleen Coble: Colleen Coble has done it again. Trademark twists and turns complete with relationships dynamics are just some of the reasons I enjoyed this book. I've always been interested in Faberge Eggs and one being an intricate part of this story made it a must read. Trusting God through unimaginable circumstances is always a prevalent theme (but done in a non preachy way) that always encourages me in my own relationship with God. Colleen's characters always feel real and are people l'd like to meet in real life minis the 'villain.' I was privileged to read an ARC of this book. All opinions are mine.

I loved this listen! It was original, unique, well researched. The narration was excellent, characters likable and I found myself looking forward to listening time!

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 listened to the audio book and was impressed with the narrator. A very enjoyable book.

I've always loved India Jones'style adventure. But this book isn't just a historical treasure hunt, it's an adventure with lots of family drama. I loved the combination of the two. It's intense, sweet and sour at the same time. Exactly how I like it.

Carly is a young widow struggling to stay afloat after her husband's death. The marriage was not going well, but she never imagined finding herself a widow with a baby in her arms. While doing some cleaning she found a priceless object with a lot of historical value and this is where it all starts. There are a lot of people interested in this relict and in the middle of this whole adventure she realizes that life didn't end when she became a widow.

I loved the premise of the story and it was written with a sweetness that grabbed me until the last paragraph. I highly recommend it.

Well narrated by Karen Peakes (two-time Audie Award nominee), Fragile Designs tells the intriguing story of twin sisters, separated at birth. Now in their sixties, neither Elizabeth nor Mary have any idea they are even adopted, much less have a sister. Not until Carly, Mary's granddaughter discovers it and sets out to track down her great-aunt.

But, there is more to the story as the newly widowed Carly also discovers what she thinks may be a Russian Fabergé egg. Having worked as an antique dealer, Carly is eager to solve both mysteries--that of her family and of the egg. Her recently deceased husband had apparently set all in motion before he was killed. Word of the possibility of the missing egg has spread and multiple groups are intent on finding the valuable egg, at any cost.

Carly and her infant son have moved in with her grandmother. Grandmother Mary begins restorations on the large family home to turn it into a B & B. When an intruder is killed in the house and a then construction worker attacked, the neighbor, a police officer, insists they all move in next door with him. Committed to being single, it's a huge change for Lucas Bennett. Lucas stands by Carly through the labyrinth of finding the answers to many questions the family faces. And through the danger.

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 a tragedy occurs 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.

Loved the narrator and there was an interesting premise for this novel. I enjoyed the parts about the hunt for a family treasure and the provenance of the faberge egg.

I did find some of it a bit far-fetched though, especially towards the end. Maybe the tension between Carly and her family should have been explored more, with no instafix? Its not bad though, well worth the listen.

Thanks to Thomas Nelson for approving me for this title via Netgaley.

Fragile Designs is a story full of mystery, murder and intrigue. It's also a story full of hope, love and sacrifice. Listening to this story reminded me that I really do ejoy Colleen Cobles books. She has a way of capturing your attention right from the beginning so you don't want to stop reading/listening to it.

This story follows Carly Harris, a newly widowed mom. Carly is living with her grandmother and her infant son. Her grandmother has decided to rennovate their home in Buford into a B&B. While in the process Carly discovers a big family secret that turns her world upside down.

Lucas Bennett, Carly's neighbor and homicide detective, trys to help Carly investigate this family secret. Lucas is not a big fan of Carly especially since she broke his brother's heart. But since she was married to his friend and her grandmother was a friend of theirs he feels that he can't say no.

The action and adventure of this story plays out so well. With all the little things that come out it keeps you on your toes the whole time that you almost don't realize what is going on. It's a very intriguing story.

The narrator does an excellent job of keeping the story interesting. I really liked the way she did the voices that you immediately know who is speaking as she changes the voices. She really helped me to imagine each of the characters and I really would love to hear other stories that she narrates.

I did not realize this was Christian fiction when I picked it up. I would not have read this if I had known that however it was not a bad read and I’m glad gave it a try. The story was enjoyable.