A fun legal suspense that kept me guessing until the end! These two authors combined talents to make an exciting and thrilling new series. I enjoyed the emotional depth and layering in addition to the legal aspects, which were so well done! It felt realistic in the kind of way.

Can recommend to fans of Christian romantic suspense, and legal suspense!

Can’t wait to see what’s next!

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Thanks to NetGalley and the author for this advanced listening copy. All opinions are my own.

Collen and Rick together? What a great team, truly. I loved how their interests came together in this story (and if you have read/listened definitely check out the authors note about that, worth your time!). and it just made an all around great book. I know it'll be a while before the next one but I already cannot wait for it.

This is the second Colleen Coble book I've read this year and while I enjoyed that one a lot, There are struggles they are going through on their own as they are dealing with divorcing, a death of a child which I need to note as a trigger for some (it does not happen on page but it is a big theme) and the guilt and grief - both valid yet very heavy feelings - they are trying to cope with on their own. They're then thrown together and that creates even more of an obstacle as they navigate things and try to figure out where the line is between needing help from the other, feelings and what things look like both now and in the future. Then we have other people involved which complicate matters and it's a whole big thing that left me on edge as we tried to figure out what was going on.

I'm still trying out romantic suspense authors and books to see what it is I look for , who I like, etc and I will say this one hit the marks. There was a good balance of things without being too much for me (I'm more give me more suspense and intrigue with some romance rather than ALL romance with those things in the back) and I think because of how Colleen wrote these characters with the depth and the feelings they were going through it just made them more relatable to me and real and I cared. I cared about them separately as I'm also rooting for them to end up together at some point but it was not mushy or eye rolling the way others can be for me and I appreciated it and found that made me want more of it. I also think with Ricks background it added a lot to the crime aspect of it all and think that was a big strength and asset as we read about the main male character and his lawyer experience. It was a great mix.

THAT ENDING?! Uhm excuse me y'all, I did not expect that. While other things in the book were not as surprising- the end- I need to know asap. Bring on book two!

I did listen to this on audio and the narrator did a great job adding to the suspense of things and heightening the emotions as they came. I felt like I was listening to their conversations almost and getting a feel for them- so it definitely helped connect to the story even more than I know the physical book would. I definitely plan on getting a physical copy for my shelf.

This was a 4.5 star read! Highly recommend this one, especially if you are like me and prefer your romantic suspense with depth, mystery/ law & with romance that seems real but isnt too much or taking away from things. Grateful to netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of the audio - all opinions are honest and my own.

Colleen Coble always writes such intriguing mysteries! This one did not disappoint! I was hooked from the prologue and was anxiously awaiting the resolution by the end!

Giving this one 5 out of 5 stars! Page turner!

This was a great book. One new shock after another. The characters were very well developed and the protagonist was so believable. I was convinced she had nothing to do with the murders. This was Coble and Ackers best book yet. You won’t be able to put it down. Oh, and don’t forget to read the epilogue, you won’t believe it…. I didn’t….

This story was so good. I have enjoyed other books by Colleen Coble but hadn’t read any from Rick Acker. I will definitely read some more of his after this. There was a couple things that felt unbelievable to me but I can’t say what they were without spoilers. It was not enough that would make the story less enjoyable for me however. I always appreciate the faith content in books as well. Great read highly recommend.

Thank you NetGalley and Thomas Nelson for the opportunity to listen to this audiobook.

This is my second book by Colleen Coble and I have rated both of them 4 stars, keeping my fingers crossed to score a hat trick.
This one is legal thriller with a dash of Courtroom drama, thanks to co-author Rick Acker.

Its fast paced and romantic tension between leading characters adds to the mystery. The courtroom scenes are beautifully accomplished, Rick Acker's DA experience reflecting at its full potential. The book is narrated in third person by an anonymous narrator, that was a good creative choice and the reveal was unexpected for me.

Colleen Coble seems to be perfect at meshing romance in a thriller novel. The guilt, regret and confusion to cross the border between revisiting or letting go, of a broken relationship is so relatable. "How did they even get here ?"strikes such a personal note, beware of fuel to unreal expectations. The continuous battle between mind and heart is real, "Life wouldn't change unless made a conscious effort to repair it."

Thanks to Netgalley and HarperCollins for the ARC in exchange of an honest review.

Recommended !!

I read the hard copy of What We Hide and enjoyed it so much I decided to listen to the audio version.


It’s the same wild ride with voices! Colleen Coble and Rick Acker are a dynamic duo. Be sure to listen to Coleen at the end, explain how she and Rick got paired up through Pokémon. I won’t summarize this intriguing, captivating story but will say listening the second round I caught some things I missed earlier while reading.
The audiobook narration certainly does the book justice. Karen Peaks was able to deftly capture the characters, male and female, as well the nuances in a way that carried the story and brought it to life. I wasn’t crazy by the demeanor of Hez. I felt a prosecutor would have come across louder and more forceful. But she did portray Hez as a calm and in control guy, at least where his lawyering was concerned, not so much his husbanding or parenting.

I assure you won’t go wrong with either version or just do as I did devour them both!

Now I must trot off and read I Think I Was Murdered. This also by the dynamic duo!

A story set in the South about tragedy and secrets. Can Savannah and Hez repair their relationship after she becomes a person of interest in a murder at her university? Good narration and vivid story building make you feel like you are walking the paths of Tupalo Grove University.

This mystery by Colleen Coble was so well-planned out and an enjoyable and quick read. Savannah Webster and her husband Hez are separated after a tragedy in their family tore them apart. Because of the guilt Hez felt he turned to alcohol and she became more of a workaholic after returning to Tupelo Grove University (TGU) as a history professor.

Savannah stumbles upon a murdered person and becomes the main suspect, so she calls Hez who is what she believes to be the best attorney there is. At first he didn't want to help because he'd just gone back to ask her for a second chance but she wasn't having it. However, he finally gave in after
certain events/evidence came about. The evidence the police had was pretty much too easy, but Hez believed her life was in danger so he knew he was best to help her.

Later, someone very close to Savannah became the one they suspected because the evidence they found on that person was black and white...good as gold...or so the police thought. Savannah once again convinced Hez to help this other suspect and he did until he was lied to and the other person withheld information that blew up on them in court. The suspects secret was a shock to everyone!

The narrator, Karen Peakes, did an excellent job with her voice inflections and the pacing of the reading. She knew which parts to slow down, speed up, speak more quietly or with more urgency, etc. I will definitely listen to her narrations in audiobooks again.

Involving mystery with a few different angles woven well together. Would have liked a bit more of the setting but the characters were great and the plot line kept me reading.

An intriguing layered mystery with characters to root for and a plot point that is so very rare in fiction today! The audiobook narrator was wonderful, though adding a male reader for the male characters would have made it even better. I was able to listen at 1.75 speed comfortably and found the reader read with an intensity that matched the story. I recommend this one!

This was an interesting read , I like the plot and the characters and the mystery was exciting and good to read. I found it an enjoyable read. I was shocked by the story and would recommend again to another to read I loved listening to it in audiobook form.

4.5 thrilling mysterious stars for What We Hide by Colleen Coble and Rick Acker. Sometimes co-authored books work and sometimes they don’t. This one was brilliant! Both Colleen Coble and Rick Acker brought their distinct styles together as they collaborated on writing this book. What We Hide was a romantic suspense mystery that included courtroom scenes and a fair share of legal battles. I listened to the audiobook of What We Hide that was narrated very well by Karen Peakes. It was fast paced, well written and quite suspenseful. What We Hide took place on the Alabama coast in a place called Pelican Harbor.

Savannah Webster had recently returned to Tupelo Grove University in Pelican Harbor, Alabama as a history professor. Jess, Savannah’s sister, was the CEO of the University. Both sisters had a strong attachment to the university since it had been started by their family. They both wanted the university to prosper and succeed.

Savannah had recently separated from her husband, Hezekiah or Hez as most people called him. They had separated after their two year old daughter, Ella, had tragically died by drowning. Hez had had a really hard time coming to terms with his daughter’s death. He turned to alcohol and pills to block the memories and pain that he felt. Hez pushed Savannah away. For all intents and purposes, Hez had vanished from Savannah’s life for the past two years. Savannah was trying to move forward with her life when Hez suddenly showed up in her office one day. He had finally stopped drinking and taking pills. Hez had cleaned up his life. Did Savannah and Hez still have feelings for one another? Savannah was so hurt by Hez’s actions after their daughter died that she doesn’t know if she was able to trust him not to hurt her all over again.

Coinciding with Hez’s return to Savannah’s life, Savannah discovered that pre-Colombian artifacts were being stolen from the University and the President of the had been murdered by someone. The authorities that were investigating the murder had named Savannah as a very likely suspect. Savannah asked Hez to represent her in these legal charges. When Jess intervened suspicion fell on Jess. Savannah pleaded with Hez to represent Jess in her legal defense. It was apparent that Jess was harboring secrets. Would Hez be able to unravel all the mysterious things that were occurring at the university and prove that neither Savannah nor Jess had any part in them before one or both of them were charged for the crimes?

What We Hide was the first book in the Tupelo Grove series and boy was it a great introduction. There were so many twists, turns and secrets throughout the book. It was told from the POV of Savannah, Hez and third unknown person. The ending was fabulous! What We Hide concluded with a masterful cliffhanger. I can’t wait to read the next book in this series now. I highly recommend this book.

Thank you to HarperCollins Christian Publishing/ Thomas Nelson Fiction for allowing me to listen to the audiobook of What We Hide by Colleen Coble and Rick Acker through Netgalley in exchange for an unbiased review.

I had recently started and dnfed a Colleen Coble book so was interested in giving her another chance and thought a co-write would be a great way to do that! I really enjoyed what we hide- especially the first 60-75% of the book. The legal aspects all seemed legit and the relationship between Hez and Savannah was really believable and touching. I also loved the descriptions of both the campus and town of Tupelo grove- very grounding and atmospheric!

However I felt like the main spoilers of the plot were fairly predictable and the books conclusion felt a little rushed… had to go back to clarify some things which is always a little annoying and stops the flow of the story.

All in all I think what we hide was a great legal thriller and will probably give the second one a read! Appreciated that while it left the story open-ended for a sequel, there were no major cliff hangers. Also think the authors did a great job incorporating the characters faith without it being preachy- rare sometimes in the Christian realm!

Thanks to Netgalley for the advance copy of this book! All opinions are my own.

Savannah is shaken when her estranged husband returns to Tupelo Grove, in search of her after tragedy and his alcohol dependancy seperated them.
After Savannah becomes a suspect in a murder case, she turns to her ex and attorney, Hez, for help. Hez agrees, in hope that he can show Savannah he's a changed man. Things start to delve deeper when the murder also links to the smuggling of artifacts and embezzlement.

It was such a breeze to listen to. I've only listened to one book by Colleen Coble, so I was excited to see another pop up. This is a first for Rick Acker however.

A great first start to a series, and I'm excited to see where things go.
My only downfall was I felt it was a bit repetitive towards the end.

Thanks to the authors, publisher and NetGalley for this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

(っ◔◡◔)っ 🖤🔮💜 𝛪 𝒓𝖊𝑐𝖊༏Ṿ𝖊ⅆ 𝖙𝕙༏𝒔 𝔸℟Ͼ 𝖙စ 𝒓𝖊Ṿ༏𝖊𝕨, 𝕓𝔘𝖙 𝖙𝕙𝖊 𝖙𝕙စ𝔘𝔤𝕙𝖙𝒔 𝑎𝒏ⅆ စ𝖕༏𝒏༏စ𝒏𝒔 𝖊𝕩𝖕𝒓𝖊𝒔𝒔𝖊ⅆ 𝑎𝒓𝖊 𝒔စ𝖑𝖊𝖑𝕪 𝑚𝕪 စ𝕨𝒏💜🔮🖤

I LOVE thrillers and I LOVE romances but I find it hard to love most thriller romances. Typically I'll find that it's not really thrilling or suspense and more just romance with some oh sh*t moments.
With this book it wasn't like that. It was more of a thriller and suspense and the romance was put into it, making it a really amazing combination in my opinion. This book really made me feel in a lot of ways, I was screaming at her, at him, and at the kid in a ton of wtf moments. Don't get me started on the dad 🙄😒 I was hooked from beginning to end and whenever I thought it was going to turn into a regular romance, it didn't. It really felt like I was watching a movie. I am going to find more of what Colleen coble writes because I just loved it. I'd love to have a epilog that said what the kid ended up being when he grew up. Definitely worth the read!

I really enjoyed the deep relationship struggles in this, mixed with a smuggling ring, murder, and spirituality.

I was rooting for the sisters and hoping a broken marriage could be repaired, despite deep loss.

I admit, I did see the ending coming but it was still an enjoyable ride.

What we hide was a enjoyable mystery with lots of twists and turns, featuring an off couple. It is Colleen Coble's first collaboration with another author, Rick Acker who i believe provided a lot of details about the legal system. Relevant since one of the protagonists is a prosecutor.

My only minor gripe was that near the end of began to feel a little repetitive and contrived. However the unexpected twist at the end sort of made up for that, and there was enough to make me want to continue the series.

I listened to the audiobook via Netgalley. The dual narrators were perfect for the male and female narrators. I wasn't required to write a positive review and all opinions expressed are my own.

I have been a fan of Colleen Coble's for YEARS. Her romantic suspense always captures my attention and makes her stories some of the best out there. Add Rick Acker to the mix, and you get a story with authentic legal procedure added in.
What We Hide gripped my imagination from the first page and ramped the suspense straight through to the end. I loved the second chance romance for Hez and Savannah.
I listened to this on the NetGalley app and thought the narrator was stellar. Would definitely recommend, whether you read the book or listen to the audio book. I'll definitely be watching for book 2 in this series!

I enjoyed this audio book more than I was expecting I would.

I loved the story line and the way this author writes. This is the first time I have ready anything from this author, and I am so glad I did! I will for sure be buying this in paperback to add to my collection.

Will recommend to all my friends and suggest we read this in our book club!