Review I loved this book! Irish singer Alanna experiences danger - from losing her voice, her husband, and possibly the baby she is carrying. Will she also lose her life? I loved the blending of the Celtic background and the Charleston setting. I loved the imaginative story line and characters. I loved the suspense and how the author cleverly gave details to solve the mystery, with the clues unfolding to the characters. Last of all, I loved the faith shining through, even in the toughest situations.

Coble's creepy mystery will have readers in its grip from the first page. The sinister setting and odd characters add to the atmospheric suspense of the tale. The ultimate resolution and the ending twist are eye-rolling, as they are so far-fetched and unbelievable. For a psychological fiction novel as pure escapism from reality, this one is a good choice.
Alanna Connolly and her husband Liam are part of a renowned Celtic music group. When Liam and his friend Jesse are involved in a car explosion and Liam is killed, Alanna's life, and that of her unborn child, is thrown into a tumult. When she returns to Ireland to tell Liam's parents, they threaten to take the child from her, so Alanna agrees to marry her manager Barry in order to keep the baby safe. Barry whisks her away to his swamp-side mansion complete with alligators and strange happenings. Alanna learns that Jesse survived the explosion and he is trying to make amends. When the odd events begin to get more dangerous, Alanna needs to figure out what is going on before it's too late.

First things first - the cover is GORGEOUS.

Irish singer Alanna enters into a marriage of convenience to save her unborn baby from the greedy hands of his powerful grandfather. She has been abandoned by her family as a child and her husband has died recently - or has he been murdered? Anyway, she is trying hard to concentrate on her child, career and even to her new husband, Barry. Barry seems sweet and is trying hard to do his best for her - yet there are certain circumstances that make Alanna to question her new life. For instance - why is Barry´s mother hating her so much? And what is with the picture on the wall? And the most important question - where is her missing sister?

This American Gothic novel set in Charleston, South Carolina is a step out of a certain writer´s character for this authoress in my opinion. While I appreciate her trying not to get "typecasted" into a certain category and venturing into a new area, I also find this novel being quite unrealistic from the start. I think if you are willing to believe the settings, then it might be a ride for you - but I was not able to leave my logic behind the doors here.

A modern mystery with gothic vibes and a dangerous psycho manipulating all the strings…? Yes, please! This book gave me the chills and kept me fascinated the whole way through. While I didn’t believe that Alanna would really be stupid enough to trust sleazy Barry, I soon got thoroughly wrapped up in following the clues to uncover all the nooks and crannies of this psychological mystery—enough so that I forgave Alanna’s initial stupidity. I liked how the Irish heritage played such a huge role in the plot.

One disappointing thing was that strip clubs and exotic dancers were shown to be fun, good things rather than the tempters they are.

One major plot “twist” was easy to figure out.

Content: expletive, alcohol, suicide, tattoos, talk of spiritual/demon possession, strip club/exotic dancers, tobacco, derogatory term

FTC Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book via NetGalley, but I also bought a copy. These are my honest thoughts based on the hardback copy I purchased.

Another great book by Colleen Coble. What do you do when the man you love dies in a car bombing and the father in law is threatening to take your baby? Do you marry someone else to gain citizenship so you can keep your child? This book will have you up all night!! You will not be able to put it down.

Couldn't put this one down. It kept me on the edge of my seat until the end. I would highly recommend this and all Colleen's other books.

Colleen Coble is a go to author for me. This story had more of a spooky feel to it, along with a psychological thriller. Per Ms. Coble she writes entertaining prose that keeps you glued to the edge of your seat until you figure it all out, and you still may be wrong. Whether you are right or wrong, you have had quite a ride.

This is the first contemporary novel that I have read from this author. It was enjoyable but predictable. I enjoyed the love story between Alanna and Liam. I enjoyed the Irish aspect of the book, the music and culture. The book had a nice gothic flare to it that I enjoyed reading. On the downside I knew what was going to happen, it was very predictable. It was however fast reading and before you know it the book is almost over.

Right from the outset, the happiness of Alanna Connolly, a beautiful red-haired Irish singer, is ruined by brutal tragedy, when her Irish husband, Liam is unexpectedly killed by a horrific car bomb. A stunned Alanna does not know whom to turn to for support in her bitter grief. Oblivious to her deep sorrow, her hard-hearted father-in-law, Thomas threatens to take custody of the baby she carries, but Alanna is determined to cling onto the last legacy of Liam she has left in this world. Liam loved God and they used to pray together. Alanna clung to her precious memories as she struggled desperately to come to terms with her devastating heartache, unmitigable sorrow and agonizing pain.

When their manager, Barry offers her a marriage of convenience for two reasons, to gain her U.S. citizenship, and to escape from her father-in-law’s clutches, Alanna accepts his unusual proposal. It seems like the perfect solution to her problems but it is actually only a short reprieve. Alanna’s doubts surface when she arrives at Barry’s family home.

As if Alanna’s already existing troubles were not enough, Liam’s best friend, Jesse survived the car bomb. When he takes Liam’s place in their band, it is almost more than Alanna can bear. She never really liked Jesse and now she cannot seem to get away from him. This is when dramatic events start happening, one after the other in rapid succession. that could well cost Alanna her life – or the life of her unborn child. How can she find a way out of her troubles? Read the book to solve the mystery. This is a romance with a divine touch, a suspenseful tale of love lost and found.

In a psychological fiction novel as pure escapism from reality, Colleen Coble certainly knows how to get the reader’s rapt attention. The title “Because You Are Mine” seems to give the reason for the book’s dramatic events as they unfold one after the other. This is a book worth reading by a gifted and talented author, who skillfully crafts a multifaceted plot with intricate tangles, twists and turns, filled with characters revealing the stark difference between paranoid obsession and sacrificial love.

When Alanna’s husband is killed by a car bomb while their Irish band is on tour in Charleston, Alanna doesn’t know where to turn. Her father-in-law is threatening to take custody of the baby she carries, but she doesn’t want to lose the last piece of Liam she has left. Their manager offers her a marriage of convenience to gain her U.S. citizenship and allow her to escape her father-in-law’s control. It seems like the perfect solution . . . but maybe not. She’s never really liked Liam’s friend, Jesse who was injured in the bombing and now she can’t seem to get away from him. When he takes Liam’s place in their band, it’s almost more than she can bear.
Truthfully, I really did not like the book all that much. The book started out feeling as if it were the story of Celtic Women, a group of Irish women who perform with men percussionist. I tend toward mysteries. When I read the description, I thought this one would be solving of the mystery regarding the car bombing. But it just wasn’t all that gripping. It didn’t see that there were enough suspense and clues for you to follow to the end. Yes, there is a solution to the bombing but it wasn’t that hard to figure out where things were going early in the story.
The characters weren’t all that wonderful either. In fact, I didn’t find much to admire in Alanna and there wasn’t any other character that you could admire or feel good about. Then when she takes the easy way out ‘for her baby’, she becomes more disappointing. And most of the other characters were only superficial.
Just not a book to my liking. I received a free copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

The opportunity to review this one came up and it intrigued me. It's a story very much out of my usual comfort zone, but that can be a good thing! So I said "Why not?", and here I am, striving for words to describe my feelings. It's an interesting premise for sure! I absolutely must commend Ms. Coble for creating this very Gothic atmosphere, for one thing. I could feel the same unease and confusion about everything that Alanna was feeling. I wasn't certain what was going on exactly and I knew it didn't feel quite right. So kudos to her for affecting my emotions so vividly! It was enough to keep me turning the pages to find out how it all would end.

Yet I have to admit to not quite enjoying the entire story at the same time. Alanna bugged me several times, with how she'd react to things. And overall, the weirdness of the plot just wasn't something I found very pleasing. It was simply a bit too odd for my liking, I suppose. I've never been a huge fan of Gothic-type stories, but I was hoping this one would be an exception. Sadly, not. But if you enjoy those sorts of stories yourself, this may just be right up your alley! Especially if eerie and atmospheric mysteries fascinate you. :)

**I received a complimentary copy via Netgalley. All opinions expressed are my own.

A fan of the authors work I was very pleased to find this book is a departure from her usual fare. this is a exciting fast paced mystery . I loved the surprise twist and turns. Excellent reading I loved it!

Because You’re Mine by Colleen Coble seems to be a different type of book than Colleen normally writes. If this is your first book by her don’t judge her writing or imagination by this book.
The storyline was far-fetched and predictable. The main character Alanna was too weak for my liking.
Alanna’s husband dies in a car crash while they are on tour in Charleston. His best friend survives but barely. Alanna doesn’t know what to do as her father in law wants her to live in Ireland and when she does not agree he threatens to take the baby. She accepts the marriage proposal from her manager to obtain US citizenship to try and escape her inlaws.
Her manager has some quirks about him that become even weirder once he takes her to his family home that is a decaying mansion.
Sexual content: kissing;
violence: accidents are happening, her husband is killed in the car bomb

What a lovely, mysterious, Southern Gothic romance! It reminded me of my favorite Phillipa Holt books from childhood that I read on rainy summer days.

I have always loved this authors books. She writes with such depth and makes the stories come to life. This was a bit different from her usually books, but I have to say it was so powerful and intense I couldn't put it down. When I first met Alanna I was thrilled to know she was Irish. She was beautuful with delicate skin and had a sweet spirit around her. I could hear her accent and see the freckles that danced across her face. I loved how the author gave us bits and pieces of the Irish customs. I didn't like how gullible and so trusting she was.

When an unexpected devastating accident happens, Alanna finds out her husband had died, and his best friend Jesse was barely clinging to life. It was a shock for Alanna's manager to step in when Liam's parents threaten Alanna with a lawsuit. Liam and Alanna never got around to telling their family and friends that Alanna was pregnant. So begins the sordid world that Alanna becomes apart of. I thought it was a bit much for Alanna to marry her manager Barry and live in the states to keep the baby away from Liam's parents by in Ireland. I didn't trust Barry at all and found him to be arrogant and very demanding. What has Alanna gotten herself into?

When they return to Barry's estate Alanna senses that something is off. Doors locked with no answer to why , a picture hanging up that resembles Alanna , Barry so possessive that Alanna can't really do anything and we mustn't forget the creature in the swamp. I was worried for Alanna's safety as accidents started happening to her.
When Jesse shows up, he has memory loss that I didn't really believe. For me I could guess right away what was going to be revealed. The story is intense with lots of secrets and a bit of violence that unnerved me. I did not like the part about the kittens and their possible demise. It made me realize how sinister and sick Barry was. Is Barry willing to kill to keep Alanna to himself? Can someone save her before it's to late?

Overall the book was a bit predictable but had enough drama to keep me interested in the story. I liked the theme that things are not always what they appear to be. I rate this four out of five for the predictability and the violence that dealt with animals.

I received a copy of this book from The Fiction Guild and publisher. The review is my own opinion.

I have to say, I had this on my to-read pile for a bit. I started it, and just couldn't get past the house, and the marriage. After getting to the point where 'Jesse' starts appearing, the novel got a bit more interesting. It did seem to pull together kind of quickly at the end. I enjoyed the depth of feeling that Alanna had for her husband Liam, her feelings, the band, but some of the emotions seemed a bit flat for me? 'Jesse's' conflicted feelings were pretty transparent before the end as to what was really being hinted at. The connections seemed a bit forced somehow, but the definite twists and turns with the marriage, the house, the secrets that were all hidden, the storm and the other elements at the end that pulled everything to a conclusion. This is definitely more of a mystery than a romance, and set in the creepy, old southern mansion right on the water. For Romantic Suspense readers, this is probably a good read. It was ok for me as a reader, although, after I got past the first little bit, I did get more into the story. I think 'Jesse' was the most redeeming character in the novel. I cared more about who he was, and his feelings than any of the other characters.

Because You’re Mine by Colleen Coble is a stand alone novel published by HarperCollins publishing group. I’ve never been a huge fan of this author’s works, but when the publisher asked me to give this latest release a try, I accepted anyway.
Unfortunately, it turned out worse than any other book by this author that I have read. I’m not a big fan of the murder-mystery/suspense genre, but when I do read books in said genre, I at least expect them to be unpredictable and hold my attention. This book was both hard to get into and, like another reviewer said, I guessed the ending (correctly) within the first 50 pages of the book. Now that’s frustrating, especially when the book is over 330 pages. In addition to finding this book predictable, I found it to be generic; by this I mean that it has all the elements one would expect from a murder mystery, such as bombs and guns and knives, as well as all the things one would expect from a suspense novel, for example, ghosts and lies and storms and snakes. In addition to these elements, there is an unfortunate amount of talk of ghosts, being haunted by someone else’s spirit, demons, a random alligator, plot holes galore, and a lot of gory details. Being in the Christian fiction genre, I did not expect the main characters to entertain so frequently beliefs in ghosts, curses, spirits leaving one body and appearing in someone else’s body, and all the gore. I suppose the main theme of the story was supposed to be something along the lines of love living even after death, but even that was drowned in the murky mess of this story. This was most certainly the book least resembling my cup of tea as any of Colleen Coble’s books, and I do not plan to read any more from her (I’ve read at least five of her works, ranging from historical to contemporary, from novellas to novels, from being set in the MidWest to New England to the South, so I’d say I’ve given her a fair chance).
Thank you to Thomas Nelson publishers for providing me a copy of this book through Net Galley to read and review. All opinions are my own and were not required to be positive.
*Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention/review it on my blog. I was not required to give a positive review, only my honest opinion – which I’ve done. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own and I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.*

I adore Alanna, Liam, and their band mates! I read this story in one sitting because I couldn't put it down. The plot was a little predictable at times yet the emotion and characters held my interest through the end. I would recommend this title to any readers who enjoy gothic mystery/suspense.

This book is outside of my norm but I received the opportunity to read it through the publisher and I'm always looking to widen my reading horizons... so, I decided to give it a try. The opinions expressed are my own.

3.5 Stars
I would have rated this one higher but I had already figured out what was gonna happen halfway through.
It was a cute southern whodunnit read.
Based in South Carolina, I liked the setting of the story because it was familiar.
I wish she had made it a little more difficult to figure out the ending though.
My first Colleen Coble book. I may consider reading another in the future.
Thanks NetGalley for the ARC.

As a rule I have really enjoyed Colleen Coble's previous books-sad to say, this one not so much. I never felt an affinity to the characters and the plot line was predictable and the ending easily figured out partway through the book. I am such a fan of hers maybe I was too anxious to read her latest book so what I anticipated from her previous books never came to pass and was disappointing.