*sigh*. Listen, I LOVE crazy thrillers with unbelievable plots and premises, but this book was...I'll say it. It was just dumb. The writing was very poor, the characters were grinding, the romance was dull, the thriller aspect was boring as hell. I wish I could give a better review since I got this book for free as an ARC, but frankly, I want compensation for the time I wasted.
This was also not marketed as Christian Fiction on NetGalley and I didn't see that until looking on Goodreads after reading, but I feel like that might explain a lot of why I hated it so much. I grew up religious, I've read a lot of Christian Fiction, NONE of it is any good.
Anyway, sorry guys. I cannot in good faith recommend this to anybody.

Fragile Design is an intricately plotted story by consummate mystery/thriller author Colleen Coble. Carly Harris deals in antiques and flea market finds with a legacy load of merchandise from her great grandmother to sort through. The furnishings she has been tasked with organizing and selling to share with her two sisters, Amelia and Emily. However, the chest was left especially to her along with all of its contents.

While on a weekend flea market trip her police officer husband Eric is supposed to be helping her by organizing the items in her storeroom on their Pawleys Island property. When Carly returns she finds ominous clues that something is amiss. When she finds Eric, it is face down in a pool of blood in the back of the storeroom with boxes ransacked around him.

A year later, Carly and her infant son Noah are living in Beaufort with her grandmother, Mary Tucker. When strange things begin happening, Carly turns to the police detective next door, Lucas Bennett, with her concerns. Lucas is not a fan of Carly’s after the teenage breakup of her with his younger brother Ryan, as well as the complaints of Eric before his death. However, her concerns have merit and when a nighttime intruder disrupts a quiet evening, Lucas is all in.

The mystery surrounds paperwork, provenance, and a priceless antiquity left by her great grandmother that leads to unraveling murders, attempted murders, other break ins, and the Russian mafia. With well drawn characters, picturesque setting, and plot twists galore all I can say is just Wow! All of Ms. Coble’s novels have been well written but this one tops them all! I was so engaged I finished it in one day! I very much enjoyed this book and I do recommend it!

I really enjoy Colleen Coble’s books, so I was thrilled to get an audio ARC of Fragile Designs. As with her other reads, the plot pulls you in from the beginning and you don’t want to put the book down. The story is full of suspense, family drama, betrayal, love and reconciliation. The characters were so well developed and the plot is realistic and believable.
Thank you NetGalley and Harper Collins Christian Publishing for my ARC.

I received an advance copy of the audio book and finished the book over a course of two days. Despite the author being new to me, I found that I was easily hooked and I loved the story. It had a good mixture of mystery/suspense with family drama and a bit of romance built in. I’ll look forward to additional books by this author in the future.

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins Christian Publishing, Thomas Nelson Fiction for an audio arc in exchange for an honest review.

2.5 Stars

Carly Tucker's husband mysteriously died a few months ago so she and her new baby, Noah, have moved in with her grandmother with plans to renovate her home and turn it into a B&B. She calls in her sisters to help but they begrudgingly come since Carly is the one who was left an inheritance from their mother and they were not. As she is cleaning out an old trunk she discovers a priceless Fabergé egg hidden inside. That night when an intruder breaks Carly calls Lucas, the police officer living next door and long time family friend. The burglar lunges for him with a knife and he is forced to shoot them... kicking off a chaotic series of break ins, murders and abductions. The Faberge Egg reveals a long buried family secret but can Carly and Lucas discover its hidden meaning and reunite the family before tragedy strikes.

I appear to be in the minority on this book but I really struggled with it. I found the story to be incredibly far fetched, too many characters with too many subplots that don't connect. I did like the history of the Fabergé Egg and found it to be an interesting topic to base a story on and could imagine drama surrounding its origin. The style was all over the place and I wasn't sure if it wanted to be a mystery, historical fiction or love story because it had elements of all of them. I found Carly to be irritating and questioned many of her choices (like bringing a baby a burgled home where someone was shot, or to a hospital after a police officer is injured, or the Russian mob can't possibly find us if we stay next door at the neighbors house!). It was all too much for me to get into and by the end I didn't care who was behind the drama. I think the story was a good idea but needed editing and more focus.

I had the audio version read by Karen Peakes who I thought did a good job.

Fragile Designs is a Christian Suspense Romance from one of my favorite authors, Colleen Coble. I couldn't read this book fast enough and lost sleep trying to figure out who could be trusted in this unique and complex plot. The main characters, Carly and Lucas become more and more likable as they grew throughout the story. Their heart, determination and faith had me shedding a few tears. A not to be missed book by an amazing writer.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publishing house, the author and the narrator for the opportunity to listen to a complimentary copy of this audiobook in return for a review based upon my honest opinion.

I enjoyed the tone and cadence of this narrator. She did a good job with the voices and inflection of the characters.

I wanted this story to be so much more than it was. The premise is so good and the storyline could have been great but there was too much swooning and romance for me. I wanted to dig into the story of that Faberge egg and get to the bottom of the story quicker. I loved the idea of the storyline, just wanted to get to the end quicker.

Interesting premise, I especially liked the idea of the Faberge egg found amongst random nicknacks in a trunk leading to dangerous intrigue.

Carly’s husband was recently murdered, what seems to have been a break-in may have been something far more nefarious and connected to her family. Carly teams up with the brother of her old beau to navigate through her husband’s murder and her family’s connection to a priceless antique. A slew of supporting characters are introduced throughout the journey, which added interesting side storylines to follow.

I enjoyed the audio production of this novel; the narration was fantastic. The plot was enough to keep my interest piqued throughout. However, I was completely unable to form an attachment to Carly or her burgeoning romance with Simon.

I was fully hooked on this mystery/thriller from the beginning. There were so many different well-developed suspects that I just couldn’t figure it out even to the end. The main character, Carly, was super relatable and the type of FMC that you root for. The main plot follows her as she is newly widowed and also a new mother, and has moved in with her grandmother while she figures life out. Then she discovers a piece of their family history that upends everything, but might have a connection to her husband’s death, so she asks her grumpy detective neighbor to help her. The side plots of family drama and romance are also done very well, it never felt like a side track and it all went together seamlessly. I even found myself interested in the history of faberge eggs! This is the first but definitely not the last book that I’ve read by Colleen Coble. The narrator for the audiobook was great, and switched between characters with ease. I literally have zero complaints. Thanks so much to NetGalley, Thomas Nelson, and Zondervan Audio for the audio ARC in exchange for my honest review!

Fragile Designs
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
A totally Fantastic Book! It was so good I couldn't put it down. It was a super cool story with lots of moving parts & tons of suspense. You will fall in LOVE with the characters. It will keep you cheering everyone on. Great finish & ending. I could read it again right now. Enjoy!!

The storyline grabbed me right from the beginning. The plot is original and the intrigue kept developing. The descriptive writing had me visualizing every detail. The story transports the reader to hot/humid South Carolina with the warmth/customs of the South. The history of Faberge Eggs and all the additional information was fascinating.
I absolutely loved listening to the audiobook!
The narration by Karen Peakes is ideal. The narration is well paced, clear and easily listen to. All of the characters’ distinguishable voices were consistent. I loved the SC southern drawl.

I look forward to enjoying Colleen Coble’s next endeavour.
Thank You to NetGalley, HarperCollins Christian Publishing and Colleen Coble for the opportunity to thoroughly enjoy listening to this ARC.

What a wonderful, heart-warming and yet heart-breaking book!
This one delves into multiple areas, and you will find yourself intrigued, happy, sad, mad, hopeful and desperate…depending on where you are in the book at the time.
Carly is a young woman, married to a police officer. She has just found out that they are expecting. When she comes home she is dealt with the unexpected blow of her husbands murder! (This is in the first couple of minutes of starting the book, so really NOT a spoiler…!)
From here, the book goes off into several directions…
We pick up with Carly and her grandma, several months later. Grandma suggests that Carly and baby Noah move in with her and that the family turns their big old house into a bed and breakfast. She feels this will help, as Carly depended on Eric’s salary. (She was an antique hunter and seller…) Grandma also wants Carly’s two sisters involved.
We come to find that Carly acted as the girls’ Mom as their Mom died prematurely…
This opens up a whole other can of worms, as their relationship has its own bumps (and bruises…)
Add to this that Carly seems to have found a very rare, precious item in Gram’s attic…and well, all kinds of crazy starts happening!
When her estranged Dad shows up in the middle of all of this with Carly’s half sister and expects the family to watch and take care of her while he’s away…with no warning whatsoever, well that just adds fuel to the fire!!
Add in some prayers, some mob figures, kidnappers, infidelity, twins separated at birth and a budding new romance…and you have the makings of a great book!
PS…Be sure to listen to the author’s note at the end which gives some insight to her ideas on writing the book!

4 1/2 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 for me, rounded up to five!

#FragileDesigns by #ColleenCoble and beautifully narrated by #KarenPeakes!

Thanks to #NetGalley and #HarperCollinsChristianPublishing and #ThomasNelsonFiction for an ARC of the audiobook which releases on January 2, 2024.

Keep up with all my reviews and previews on FB @BookReviewsWithElaine or on IG @ #BookReviews_with_emsr

Happy Reading!! 📚📖

Colleen Coble is my go-to author when I'm in the mood for a good clean Christian suspense. Fragile Designs was such a great and easy listen that I got through the whole book in one afternoon. The mystery was interesting and I was compelled to keep listening so that I could find out what happens with Lucas and Carly and her family.

The narrator was just perfect for this story. I've found that I don't like men narrators...not sure why and even some women's voices I'm not fond of but Karen Peaks did a wonderful job!

Thank you Netgalley for the opportunity to read/listen and review. All opinions are my own.

Publication date: 2 January 2024

If you’re looking for an edge of your seat read with plenty of twists and turns, Fragile Designs is it! I love a good thriller with complicated characters, a touch of romance, and nail biting suspense. This book really delivered on all those accounts. From the first, I was drawn to Carly’s plight as a young widow trying to navigate raising an infant son, complicated family relationships, family secrets, a treasure that may have caused her husband’s death, and danger from those who are after the treasure. Add to that the handsome neighbor next door who happens to be her old highschool sweetheart’s older brother and a colleague of her dead husband’s, and you have quite the story!

Colleen Coble always manages to deliver an unforgettable mystery that’s hard to put down. Her characters are complicated yet relatable and often in need of redemption. I appreciate that she doesn’t sugarcoat the kinds of trials they endure. The mystery behind the Faberge egg was fascinating. I loved learning more about what makes these so valuable and how the egg tied into Carly’s family history.

The romance between Carly and Lucas had such a great arc going from casual acquaintances to more in a believable way. Lucas is a cop which really helps when Carly and her family’s lives are constantly in danger. Lucas was really nervous around kids and wasn’t interested in marriage and family. I loved the way Carly and little Noah wove their way into his heart. Carly has been through so much especially with her deceased husband. I loved her grandmother and how she provided a way for Carly to earn a living and reconnect with her sisters through turning her home into a bed and breakfast.

The suspense really kept me on edge especially with the Russian mafia involved. I could hardly put it down! Each new clue added to my suspicions of an ever growing suspect list and I enjoyed trying to narrow it down. As with each of Colleen Coble’s mysteries, there’s an element of faith woven in that’s believable and natural.

I listened to the audiobook version and thoroughly enjoyed it. I felt like the narrator did a great job distinguishing between all the characters and really bringing the story to life. She put in just the right amount of emotion and I enjoyed how she voiced both female and male characters.

Definitely recommend to romantic suspense fans especially those who enjoy inspirational romantic suspense. I received an advanced listener copy from the publisher. All opinions are my own and voluntarily provided.

A romantic suspense story with intriguing characters, a decades old secret and a found artifact of significant importance and money. A piece so priceless that others will kill to have it. As the mystery leads Carly and Lucas on the hunt they are met with deception and dead bodies. But the deception is much closer than they realize and the stakes are higher than they could ever imagine. Thank you Netgalley and Harper Collin’s Christian Publishing for an audio version of this excellent book. I am voluntarily leaving this review.

Fragile Designs is my first Colleen Coble book and I must say, it won't be my last. I truly enjoyed it. And, I had no idea until the end who was the bad guy. It was quite refreshing, actually. The story centers around Carly and her neighbor Lucas, a police detective. Carly finds what she believes to be a lost Faberge egg and enlists Lucas' assistance as she tries to navigate what happens next, especially as she believes her husband was killed for information about the egg. Very intriguing and I love how the past was incorporated with information about the eggs and how they came to be. Looking forward to my next Collen Coble book! Thanks NetGalley

I didn't see the plot twists coming! This story hooked me from the start. I liked seeing a single mother take center stage, amidst the (relatable) family drama. The romance was believable too.

Colleen Coble has Written a Book That Will Keep You Up All Night!

This story will keep you on your toes! There is so much going on and you won’t want to miss any of it.

The characters and storyline are developed well and will have you guessing throughout the book.

Audiobook: Narrated by Karen Peakes
Karen Peakes did a wonderful job narrating this book. She read it in a way that drew you in further not distracting at all. I was able to get so many things done but still drawn in to the book!

I received a complimentary copy of this book and audiobook through NetGalley on behalf of the Publisher. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Carly's neighbor, Lucas, isn't her biggest fan, not since she broke his brother's heart what seemed like a lifetime ago. But when Carly believes her family might be in danger she turns to him for help and he doesn't hesitate.

I must say this was such a great mix of thriller and romance. Loved the unexpected twists in the investigation while the relationships between the characters build and develop.

This was the first time I've picked up anything by Colleen Coble and I will definitely be looking to pick up more.

The narrator did a wonderful job when separating out character lines which made listening easy and fun. A definite recommend.

I really enjoyed this action-packed mystery/suspense/romance book. I was given an early opportunity to listen to this audiobook, and it was quite entertaining. Although at times it seemed far-fetched, it was really a fun book to listen to. I highly recommend Fragile Designs!