This book peaked my interest from the start, the MC was wrongfully convicted of murder and locked up for 11 months, until his sister commited suicide and confessed the murder. Not only that, the one he loved played a role in getting him in prison, where he was nothing more than an uniform and number.

Like the author said in the notes, it's a story about love and forgiveness, to what extent can you forgive someone? And have a possibility of being together again?

The mystery in itself was interesting but as you can expect from a short book there isn't much room for plot twists or big conspiracies about who the culprit is.

I liked this book and would recommend it

I enjoyed this. It's a pretty typical Lanyon novel, and it had many of the aspects that I've come to want and expect from her. I liked Caz, and I thought his progression from bitter/resentful to more accepting was pretty realistic. As always, Lanyon did a great job with the emotions, and I especially liked how she handled Raleigh's feelings, as well (it's not from his POV, but Caz slowly realizes how Raleigh is feeling).

Yes, I figured out what was really going one very early one (before Raleigh even brought up the questions he had). It was pretty obvious to me who was behind it all -- but that didn't stop my enjoyment as I read through the revelations. My only real complaint was the abrupt ending. I would've liked to see another couple of chapters showing how things went from here.

Casper is the heir to his families company and he is dating Raleigh Jackson, a small town cop. When Casper is framed for murder even Raleigh doesn’t believe he is innocent. After 11 months in prison waiting for a trial, Casper is exonerated and released.

How can he forgive Raleigh? We follow Casper as he fights feeling betrayed and loving Raleigh. It’s a great, short thriller.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC**

Casper Bredhal is the heir to the family company, and when he finally begins dating his childhood crush, Raleigh Jackson, Casper thinks his world is finally perfect. But it all comes crashing down when he’s accused of a murder he didn’t commit, and Raleigh believes Casper is guilty. Raleigh is a cop in the small town, and he not only believes the circumstantial evidence, but helps the investigation.

Now, Casper is free, exonerated in the worst of ways because of his sister’s death by suicide. Casper is angry and hurt and doesn’t know how to live in the world anymore after eleven months incarcerated waiting for trial. And he wants Raleigh to suffer as well, hurt beyond belief that the man he loved thought him guilty.

But there is a much darker secret at work, and Raleigh is determined to find out the truth. While putting together the pieces of the puzzle, Raleigh is also trying to make amends. Casper is still in love with Raleigh, but what he did is unforgiveable. Or is it? When the truth comes out, forgiveness might be their only way forward.

I was intrigued by the premise of this story right from the start, because how could two men come back together when one of them was utterly convinced the other was guilty of murder? In the end, however, this book was a bit of a mixed bag for me.

The story is told solely from Casper’s POV and, as a reader, my heart broke for him from the start. We know he didn’t commit the crime he’s accused of, and being as famous as he is in the small town, he faces quite a lot of judgement, even when he’s exonerated. It was also clear what Raleigh’s been through, and I think the author did a good job of making him a sympathetic character who has a very strong moral compass. Raleigh is a cop, and his job is to uphold the law. But even still, it was hard to forgive Raleigh for not at least somewhat having Casper’s back. And while the romance wasn’t as big a plot point as I would have liked to see, I was rooting for Casper and Raleigh to work out, to work through what had happened and to forgive. But I would have liked to see this explored a bit more, especially Raleigh’s apologies.

As for the mystery side of things, it became clear to me early on exactly who had committed the crimes, and the why wasn’t much of a surprise either. For me, this was a bit of a letdown. On the one hand, I was glad Lanyon didn’t try for anything crazy, and that the clues added up and made sense. After all, as with most crimes, the most logical conclusion is the right one. On the other hand, it was obvious who and how, even if the why had another layer. I would have liked to see another twist, just to give it something extra.

Overall, this was a good, quick read, with good characters. There were aspects I wished had been explored and fleshed out more, but the bones of the story are good and made for an engaging read. If you’re a fan of this author, and/or like crime romances, then think about picking this one up.

JL is a class act - this had beautiful turns of phrase, decent whodunit/s and the right ending.


I'm not a fan of abbreviated endings, but sometimes you need them for a touch of realism, like here. I mean, about 2 pages before the ending, I'd already gotten what for me as a lover of all things furred and four-legged, was the icing on my (reading) cake, so no complaints.

This wasn't a complicated tale nor one that needs to be read in series like most JL tales and it was quick and easy to get into, without a huge infodump about the leads' pasts. There were enough characters, enough bits that weren't as cut and dried as they seemed, to make this a decent, enjoyable but not taxing tale. Is it one of JL's best? If you like deep and complicated, huge misunderstandings and angst, maybe not, but as a standalone, and a lighter-feeling one, despite the death and prison and break-up/s, this was an entertaining read. Let's hope this is JL back on track for more releases in her Secrets and Scrabble and her Bedknobs and Broomsticks series this year - cos I'm greedy and those are some of her most entertaining tales.

Arc courtesy of NetGalley and JustJoshin Publishing Inc for my reading pleasure.

3.75 stars, rounded up.

When Josh Lanyon is at her best, she's very, very good. For me, this book wasn't in that category.

The short(er) form was part of the problem, I think. There simply wasn't enough room for the reader to become invested in the MCs and their relationship. Starting the story after Casper's release from jail meant we never saw the two of them falling in love to begin with—which is a huge part of the pleasure of reading romance.

The mystery, too, felt rushed to me. Whodunnit seemed pretty obvious from the start, and the various scenes felt too much like tasks/boxes to be checked off a list. I wanted to like this book more than I did, but I'll have to look forward to something else instead.

My thanks to the publisher/NetGalley for an advance copy of this book.

I found a lot to like in this latest tale by Lanyon. It's a bit darker than many of her most recent stories and all for the better- there's an almost palpable sense of foreboding when Casper is released from jail after he's cleared of a crime he didn't commit. But he's not in the best of places mentally, particularly with dealing with the death of his sister and his anger at his former lover, Raleigh Jackson, who he blames for shoddy police work in putting him in jail. The tension between the two characters is quite well done, with the relationship dynamic in some ways harkening back to Lanyon's "Adrien English" series in themes of forgiveness and betrayal.

I enjoyed starting the tale in the middle of the action, so to speak, and found the mystery involving, at least till the end, where things began to unravel somewhat for me. While the solution was good and made sense, it was just resolved way too quickly and seemed a bit rushed, as did the emotional resolution between Casper and Raleigh.

Still, there was quite a lot to like here. Lanyon's writing was on point (till the ending I thought was rushed) and her usual great characterization was on display, particularly with Casper and the emotional aftermath of his time in jail. There's some intrigue in this town and might make a good setting for some more mysteries. I hope Lanyon continues with these characters.

Josh Lanyon never disappoints. I thoroughly enjoyed this intriguing novella.
What would be the most unforgivable thing you could do to one you love? Josh explores this question, and turns it into a riveting mystery that tugs at the heart strings.

Caz is sent to jail for a murder he did not commit. His boyfriend Raleigh is a cop that thought he was guilty. The hurt was unbearable for both men. Caz is finally exonerated, and between his feelings of betrayal and Raleigh's intense guilt they seem stuck.

The book was a classic whodunit with Layon's quick wit and great pacing. My only complaint was I wanted more. Trust assured she packs so much into her stories it felt complete. I am just greedy and didn't want it to end. I highly recommend this tale of the resiliency of the heart.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of this book for my reading pleasure.

This is one of the more heart-wrenching relationships by the author, requiring forgiveness that all the readers might not be willing to give. It's a tough one for me too, and I can't say this would be my favourite from Lanyon, but I do enjoy the angst.

Lanyon can write a mean emotional novella. Casper's feelings of injustice, abandonment and revenge makes one ache, and while I think I might have enjoyed to have just a little bit more length to this story for the complex subject, there was enough to make this a fine romantic mystery. It will probably linger a bit on the reader's mind. And that's even such a pretty cover.

My thanks to the author and NetGalley for the ARC.

This was a charming and quick little mystery read.

The characters were charming, I especially enjoyed Chaz and Dax’s friendship and would have loved to see more of them. And I loved the setting of the small town and the bakery. And the concept behind the story was really fadcinating. Most cozy mysteries start with the amateur detective getting involved because they or someone they’re close to is a suspect. In this novella, Caz I has just been released from county jail where he was held for eleven months on suspicion of killing his boss.

It wrapped up a little too quickly for me, with both the resolution of the murders and the forgiveness/getting back together happening to fast, but that’s probably a result of the novella format.

Thank you NetGalley and JustJoshin Publishing, Inc. for this advance reader’s copy.

Short and quick read that gripped me hard from the beginning.
I didn't care for the mystery line as much as for the drama between the main characters, but hey, I'm a romance reader and the cover is such an eye-catcher.
Back to drama: Caspar is released from prison after spending there almost a year for the crime he hasn't committed. The man who investigated the said crime was his boyfriend. The sense of betrayal, the anguish, the pining is sooo palpable here, and I just ate it up. The best part is the grovelling, loved it. I almost wish that it was a full novel instead of a novella.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the eARC.

If you love someone, you can forgive them for anything... right? Even if they accused you of murder? This book is only short, but it's full of emotion. The theme of forgiveness is explored wonderfully, weaving through every plot twist.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of this charming novella in exchange for an honest review.

Wow, there is a ton packed into this novella. And honestly, if it were longer I would just keep reading because I loved these characters. Poor Caz. My eyes were tearing up right from the beginning, when he was looking for his lost dog. He went through so much and for Rally to be intrinsically connected? They had a great many things to overcome.

The mystery part was very well done for such a quick story. I also felt like we had a good feel for all the characters involved in such a short time, even through several were dead before the story opened.

This story is set at Christmas time and as the author says in the Author’s Note, “if there is ever a time for love and forgiveness, it’s surely Christmas.” It’s not a traditional Christmas story, but it still hit me in the feels.

This was such a fun and quick read! I loved the plot and the tensions between the two main characters was amazing and so gripping! I only took one star out because I wish it was a bit longer and I wish we got more of the dynamic between Casper and Raleigh, we didn't get to see much of who they are as a couple or why they even like each other, but I loved it nonetheless!

this is a super fast paced mystery, set in a small town. its a very interesting and fun read. loved the romance.
really a good quick read!!

I have read a number of Josh Lanyon's mystery/romances and this one is a great example of his style. This was a fast readable story with a good balance of mystery and romance. Lanyon does a good job of creating relatable characters that the reader quickly cares about.
I would recommend this to readers of mystery and romance.

Thanks to NetGalley and the author for the ARC!

A quick and easy LGBTQ+ friendly cozy mystery with a dash of romance and redemption set around Christmas time. The story moved along quickly while introducing the reader to some interesting characters along the way. There were some parts that were a little cheesy and predictable but overall this was a fun feel good read.