This was a deliciously suspenseful read that was part psychological thriller and part second chance romance. Two former lovers find each other again under the most horrid of circumstances. A crazy serial killer’s quest to kidnap, manipulate and HUNT a couple he sees as weak has begun. Lara crippled by self-doubt and Noah by frustration.

"I know every inch of this forest.
Every. Single. Inch
They won’t escape me.
Tomorrow, I hunt."

72 Hours is standalone told primarily from the heroine, Lara’s, POV. It is Bella Jewels first foray into romantic suspense and she does a great job. Better known for her badass alpha centric contemporary new adult/ adult fiction; her approach to this story is different and appealing.

A significant event happens to Lara that lead to her withdrawing from herself and her relationship with her ex-lover Noah. She became a shadow of her former self as she’s plagued by guilt and when she finds Noah in a compromising situation Lara turns her back on the life they had built.

Noah, however, is devastated and becomes increasingly angry at Lara for refusing to hear him out. Soon things will come to a head… There is someone waiting for the perfect opportunity to present itself to take a seemingly broken couple and begin the hunt. They’ll be thrown into a maze of the serial killers making and forced to face their demons or die.

I liked the setting and the concept of the hunt with the serial killer constantly toying with them. It created a tense atmosphere that kept me eagerly waiting for each encounter between the couple and killer. Unfortunately, I had difficultly connecting with Lara. I couldn’t quite reconcile her extreme self-doubt and the event that caused it. It felt like it was a huge over reaction. As a result I didn’t find Lara’s behaviour totally believable. I was also a bit frustrated at times with her treatment of Noah.

Noah has the general characteristics of the alpha you’d expect to see from Bella Jewel but I felt there was an underlying vulnerability that I loved. I found his reactions much more authentic.

Regardless, the overall story was super entertaining and I would recommend it to anyone. It’s a fast paced, quick read that’ll keep you glued to your seat until the last page is turned! I think this genre suits the author and can’t wait to read more from her!

This was such an entertaining book! I picked this book planning to read just a bit to get a feel for the story. Before I even knew what I happened, I had finished the entire book in a single afternoon. The whole concept behind this story is incredibly exciting and everything came together very well. I am so glad that I decided to give Bella Jewel's writing a try.

Lara and Noah used to be a couple but now they can't seem to even be able to talk to each other. Noah wants to talk and tries to get Lara to listen to him but she doesn't want anything to do with him. I have to admit that at the start of the book, I didn't really care for Noah or really Lara all that much. Lara's backstory was interesting so I was curious about her but Noah really was quite stalkerish at the start of the story.

Lara and Noah wake up and find themselves in the woods and learn that they have 72 hours before they are hunted. They finally have their talk and all as forgiven between each other and they work together to try to escape the wooded area they have found themselves in. They soon find a fence and decide that they need to prepare for their attacker.

Once they are in the woods, this is a pretty fast paced book. They are either planning in order to survive or actively working to evade the man who is trying to kill them. It was fun watching them work together to outsmart the killer and even when things calmed a bit there was always a bit of tension because you never knew when he would return.

This book was incredibly entertaining but there were some things that were very far fetched. This pair both seemed to be able to do some pretty amazing things despite some pretty serious injuries. In reality, they would not have stood any kind of chance against a man with weapons and years to plan. I understood this but to be honest, it didn't make me like the book any less. I keep thinking that every action movie that I have ever watched has some of these same unrealistic tendencies.

I would highly recommend this book to fans of romantic suspense looking for an action filled and fast paced story. I look forward to Bella Jewel's next romantic suspense novel.

I received an advance reader edition of this book from St. Martin's Press via NetGalley.

I read the blurb of this book and I was immediately intrigued:

A FATE WORSE THAN DEATH.
It’s all part of his sick game. A game he’s been planning for an entire decade. Now everything is perfect: One woman and one man have been selected. They used to be a couple—and they can no longer stand one another. They are the perfect victims. He doesn’t intend for the game to be easy. He wants to push them to the brink of insanity, to make his hunt real. . .

A DESIRE WORTH FIGHTING FOR. . .
The couple has been captured and dumped into a massive wooded area. There’s only one rule in this fatal game: They will have 72 hours to find a way out before the sadistic serial killer begins his hunt . . .But what he never could have expected was the explosive passion that ignites between the two ex-lovers—one that makes them strong. Fierce. And determined to do whatever it takes to escape—and to survive. . .

I love really dark romantic suspense and this sounded right up my alley. Ex-lovers reunited?? Hunted in a dark forest?? Gimme. But this book was so, so disappointing, I don’t even know where to start. I will put it in list form:

–Description: Lara and Noah are drugged and taken to a forest where they are told by a note that they have 72 hours to escape before they will be hunted and killed. But what does this forest look like? We are told Noah walked for miles when they first awoke but couldn’t find a way out. But the author never really gives us a good description of where they are. I had a very hard time picturing it in my head, which makes it hard to read a story. Especially when the setting is so important. The first two days are very rushed as well. The author gets us to the third day very fast, and that felt odd to me.

–Injuries: Over the course of their time in the forest, Lara falls out of a tree, Noah is shot and has other bad things happen. And while Noah gets a fever due to being shot in the leg, he is STILL running around the forest. He climbs a tree. He dives into a river and swims. He fights off the bad guy, twice. HUH? I get that adrenaline will make your body stretch its limits and yes, I’ve never been shot and left in a forest so I can’t compare this to real life, but I truly don’t think Noah could be as mobile as he was in this book. There is no way. It’s one thing to survive a day like this but more than that, with so much physical exertion didn’t make sense.

–Being Dumb: Late in the book Noah hits the bad guy on the back of a head with a rock:

“He made a mistake turning to hurt you. I used the rock and hit him over the back of the head just before he turned around once you’d disappeared. Dazed him for a good few minutes. I got a head start. I found a track to the deeper water. I dove in, came out the other side, and went up a tree. By the time he got to me, he couldn’t find me.”

The bad guy was dazed for a few minutes – why didn’t he hit him again, and again until the dude’s skull was crushed in??? This bad guy promises to kill them – promises to mutilate and torture them. So you bash him once and run??? DUDE. And to make it worse, shortly after this, Noah bashes him on the head AGAIN with a rock and AGAIN flees. At this point, wouldn’t the bad guy have a concussion?? Bashed twice in the head in one day with rocks – and he is still running around trying to kill these two?

Something else really dumb: Noah manages to steal the bad guy’s motorbike – but does he ride it until he finds a way out or runs out of gas?? NO.



I kept reading because I wanted to know where they actually were and while I assumed they would end up killing the bad guy and I wanted to see how they would actually escape this never-ending forest. And you know how they escape????

Spoiler:

Hide «

They hobble out of the cave they kill the bad guy in and they find a “quiet road” and a FREAKING CAR DRIVES BY. You guys, I can’t.
Sorry for the ranting but I feel better now.

I love this author and I have read many of her books so I was super excited when I found this one.I loved the beginning in this one and I was curious about what will happen.

The premise was interesting, however it didn't reach my expectations.I really tried to connect with the characters but this didn't help at all.

I did not need 72 hours to finish this book. This is a very, quick read. Noah and Lara together as a couple was nice. I did feel the anguish and love they had endured in the past and the love they had for each other now. I am glad that this story did not try to be like other horror stories. Yet, there was no gore. This was a nice romantic suspense novel.

Although, Noah was the one that really took the lead. If it was not for him encouraging Lara to survive, she would have ended up dead. At times she did fight but not without a lot of whining as well. Yet, she pulled it together in the end. I just wished that she had done so a lot sooner. I wanted to see that Lara though out the whole story.

Additionally, this book may have been a romantic suspense but the romance was mild. It balanced out well with the story and did not distract. I am interested to see what the author has in store with the next book.

The premise of this book sounded really interesting unfortunately unlikable characters and TSTL moments had me cringing to get to the finish.

Lara was probably the most weak and whiny heroine I have ever read about through most of the book. There was nothing I liked about her and I just wanted to slap her upside the head. She cried constantly and if she wasn't crying she was whining. Noah was angry through most of the book and although we were supposed to believe he loved Lara and wanted to get back together with her I never felt the connection between the two. Unfortunately, the villain wasn't any better. His inner dialogue just didn't ring true to me and had me rolling my eyes. Not to mention he basically spelled out exactly what he was up to so the reader didn't get to try to figure anything out and it took most of the suspense out of the book.

Then there were the TSTL moments. Noah bashes the villain's head in with a rock and then runs away not once but twice. Either finish bashing his head in until he's dead or grab his gun and shoot him. He also steals the motorcycle at one point but do they ride until they reach help or run out of gas - nope. We are supposed to believe they are so far away from civilization that they can't get to help (even with a stolen motorcycle) but then it's completely contradicted by the way they are rescued at the end. Not to mention the fact that Noah gets seriously injured a few times (including being shot) but is still able to run, climb and swim.

When they finally get away we get several chapters of Noah and Lara handling the aftermath where Lara vacillates between whiny and weak again and overly tough. Honestly, there just wasn't anything in this book that worked for me.

Holy twisted ride!! Going into 72 Hours by Bella Jewel, I kind of had a sense that this won’t fit the good old romance mold and boy was I right!!!

Think Criminal Minds fucked up told by the victims/abductor POVs. It was horror crack. Once you start you won’t be able to stop as the story unfolds. It’s fast paced filled with twist and turns all the way till the end.

The main characters are Lara & Noel. A couple who recently broke up and still have feelings for each other. Lara’s past mistake lingers around and deeply effects their relationship and their break up. But Noel is back in town and ready to fight for her. What they don’t realize is something sinister has been lurking, watching, binding time. Looking for the perfect opportunity to strike!!

Oh god, my heart was beating so fast as we learned their fate. I was reading with only one I open at times, scared to see where things are heading.

“It still doesn’t feel real. They say when something so absurd, so unrealistic happens, it’s human nature to wonder if it’s real. It’s in our nature to question it, to come up with a thousand different scenarios as to why it happens, because the cold hard reality wonder if it’s real. It’s in our nature to question it, to come up with a thousand different scenarios as to why it happens, because the cold hard reality just can’t be real. I feel like that right now.”

It’s hard to say a lot without giving away the plot and I don’t want to do that. All I will say if you are looking twisted thriller but still want the contemporary element in a plot THIS IS THE BOOK!! Bella Jewel flawlessly mixes up the two giving you a story that will make your heart pound till the very last page!!!

72 Hours is the story of Lara and Noah. Lara has recently found Noah in a questionable situation. Lara immediately ends things with Noah and won’t let him explain what she saw. All the while a killer is watching them and they are his next mark. They are soon captured and Lara and Noah are running for their lives and trying to outsmart a mad man.

I really enjoyed this story. It was quite the departure for Bella Jewel and I thought she did really well with a thriller/suspense novel. I really liked that she told this story with a couple that is already in love. It was better than having to buy into them falling in love as they are trying to survive. Lara was annoying at the beginning by not letting Noah explain. It would have saved a lot of time and heartache. The climax of the story was pretty good and I enjoyed the ending. You get a very small sneak peek into to Ms. Jewel’s next suspense novel at the end of 72 Hours. I am looking forward to it.

I love a good thriller and as soon as I read the blurb for Bella Jewel's 72 hours, I knew it was just the kind of sick and twisted I was in the market for. An exciting, suspenseful, and even quite scary ride that is sure to have you nibbling your nails and making your palms sweat all while rooting for forgiveness and a fresh start.

While there isn't a whole lot of room in this anxiety inducing story for too much romance, 72 hours comes through with just the right mix of passion and suspense. Just chilling enough to keep you on the edge of your seat and just enough connection to be called an unlikely love story, this book has everything you hope for in a romantic suspense, in just the right proportions.

Lara started out pretty weak and helpless and even a little hopeless. It may be understandable considering her hang-ups and the reasoning behind them, but it also made Lara's character a little unbearable at times. Over the course of this horrific journey though, instead of cowering or giving up, Lara finally begins to truly embrace the fact that not everything that happens to you is in your control, the fact that bad things sometimes happen to good people, and her inner strength, confidence, and courage as well. I can't say I loved Lara's character for much of the story, but the growth that we see over the course of the book and her conviction at the end makes her much more endearing and likeable in the long run.

Noah is sweet, sexy, steadfast, and the perfect hero, but the question is, can Lara look past their problems in the past to really hear what he has to say and even work together, or is the pain of their problems insurmountable?

And the little snippets from the killer's perspective? Perfection. In just a few words at the end of a few chapters you are sucked into the killer's sadistic and psychopathic mind giving insights into all of his demented delusions and keeping you on the hook, dying to see where someone who lives beyond the confines of rules and even sanity can take Lara and Noah, and you.

Unfortunately, I found the conflict at the heart of this book, the conflict that seemed sure to keep this couple at each other's throats, was easily overcome and not nearly as dramatic as it was promised to be. The couple's falling out was understandable, yet Lara's pigheadedness was pretty frustrating when Noah repeatedly tried to talk to her about it. Coupled with the fact that once everything was laid on the line in a time when teamwork is paramount and discord could be detrimental, their situation was much less problematic after capture than I was anticipating and not as big a part of the plot as I was hoping for. I was extremely excited about this ex-lovers twist on a serial killer kidnapping scenario, but in the end, I was disappointed in its execution.

A wonderful and intriguing storyline, an enjoyable and engaging read, a thrilling and fascinating journey into the mind of a wicked and depraved killer that unfortunately just missed the mark in a few areas. 72 Hours is a good story with loads of potential from a great author. If you are a Bella Jewel fan, a lover of romantic suspense, and enjoy a good thriller, you will definitely want to give this story a try.

*complimentary copy provided by publisher for an honest review

72 Hours was wonderfully fast paced and kicks off right from the start. It's a romance supense novel and I actually liked the suspense element of the book. There were elements of the plot that were far fetched but this is fiction and so I was personally able to overlook these. Overall, I enjopyed it.

I was provided with a copy of this book from the Publisher via NetGalley; there was no inducement or obligation.

A very taught thriller that kept me intrigued with who the mystery character who causes so much danger to our lead H/h. Though these two do not have it easy anyway an interesting past relationship between the H/h adds more mystery to the book and a dose of romance, but this also seems to make the stakes even higher. I liked reading the POV of our mystery character, it was interesting to see why they tick and how they made their selections. Cannot really say anymore without ruining the story, i will say this was quite different to other Bella Jewel books i have read but it was good to see the author try something new and i think it worked well

review on goodreads under the name kimothy

72 Hours is a gripping intense journey that pulls you in, intrigues your mind, and makes you keep turning pages in search of answers.
I have always been a huge fan of Bella’s writing style and her unique and beautiful ability to adapt words to action. She writes a scene in such a way that it plays like a movie scene in your mind. Her attention to detail is impeccable. It’s not always easy to get that right. Sometimes it is way overdone and I find myself skipping over parts or there is not enough and I find myself not connecting well. That has never been the case with Ms. Jewel, and it’s one of the reasons I just devour her stories.

This story is shared in multiple POV’s. Laura and Noah were each given a voice as well as their captor. It adds a lot of layers to the story and opens the plot to engage the reader and hook them in.

The story shuffles from past tense to the present to give you a chance to understand Noah and Lara’s history. They were together for a few years prior to a misunderstanding breakup that lasted a few months before they are forced into a game with a psycho.

Once they are forced together they have no choice but to fight for their survival. Their connection becomes unbreakable and you can’t help but to hope they have a chance for future outside of the hell they were dropped into.

The bulk of this story is about the72 hour game they are forced to play. They are given 72 hours to live and then they will be hunted and killed. The brutal heart wrenching scenarios that evolve as they try to outsmart him and escape is torture to read, but fully engages you as a reader and pulls you in hard.

I won’t give any further information away about what happens in the game. It needs to be experienced reading it in its entirety so it doesn’t take away from the plot, but it’s intense and is near impossible to put down.

I would have liked to have had a little more information of Bryce, the captor. I understand he is a sick twisted individual, but it doesn’t go into a lot of detail as why he chose these two to play his game. He had this planned for a long time and exerted a lot of time plotting their demise, and I just felt like his background or motives were not really clear.

Overall, this is a great read with a lot of suspense. It’s quite dark though. I know it’s labeled romantic suspense, but there really isn’t any romance. The couple starts the story being broken up and are forced into this game together. They eventually become a power couple you can’t help but to love, and there are a few sexy moments sprinkled throughout that are great and help build the powerful connection the main characters need. However, in my opinion it’s more of a suspense thriller with a love story entwined in the background.

R

Yikes, this book kept on the edge of my seat the entire read! I am not a fan of psychological romance thrillers, but Bella Jewell's story telling and plot kept me turning pages as fast as possible. I really don't want to say much about the plot because if you like this type of book, you need to read as I did. I had no idea going in what this book was going to be about. I will say I liked both of the main characters and really felt their fear as the story progressed but also felt their strength. Their back story was well told so that you knew where each one was coming from and I liked the way it was woven into the present storyline. Although there is romance and some sex, the story itself did not really feel like "just a romance". I really enjoyed it although I hope I don't have nightmares. I really am a wuss that way! Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this book for an honest review.

72 Hours is Bella Jewel's best work to date. It's a fast paced thriller that kept me on the edge of my seat the whole time! ~ White Hot Reads

I'm a huge Bella Jewel fan and was so excited when I saw she had something new coming out. This is totally different than her other stuff, but I feel like she's in her element and found her stride. A mystery/thriller works for her!

Noah and Lara have 72 hours to survive. All they know is a mad man is playing a game of cat and mouse with them. He's determined to come out the victor. They have to work together, put all their differences aside and dig deep to attempt find their way out. But who will win is the question of the day?

From the very beginning I rooted for Lara. It was easy to identify with her. She made me feel. Noah was the hot, hunky, strong type who thankfully wouldn't take no for an answer. He's the kid of guy I dream about. I know, I went there.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. So much I read it in one sitting. Late into the night because I couldn't put it down without figuring out the pieces of the puzzle. This was a thrilling adventure and I hope we see more of these types from Bella Jewel soon!

From the moment I read the blurb of this book, I wasn't sure if it was going to be a good one. Reason why, because it isn't your usual Bella Jewel novel; I was mistaken. I think I like the fact that her books have taken a turn more so into suspense but in all honesty, Bella Jewel can do no wrong. The romance is still present but it's not the typical "they met and fell deeply in love" kind. The main characters were already in love but they had to rediscover it during the book. This book was great from start to finish!!

Lara and Noah have been drugged and kidnapped by a sadistic killer looking to play a game of cat and mouse. In order to survive, they have to work together in order to outsmart a skilled hunter at his own game. While he's betting on their current feelings (or lack thereof) for one to make it easier for him to kill them, they prove that love conquers all.

Rarely does a book get me so worked up to the point that I'm squealing and cheering out loud at every incident that takes place. I LOVED this book!! Its a true "edge of your seat" nail bitter!! Just when you thought it couldn't get any worse for Noah and Lara, they're faced with another obstacle to overcome and your heart can't help but to break for them. I have to say, I am digging the new turn Bella Jewel has taken with her latest book. I didn't know what to expect with this novel but I was never disappointed. There was a touch of romance but it was more gritty because of the situation Lara and Noah were in. Romance wasn't the main factor, its survival.

How long does it take for someone’s life to be irrevocably changed?

What circumstances must be endured in order to find one’s inner strength and fight for a future that isn’t guaranteed?

Lara and Noah must find the answers to these questions as they attempt to work through what’s happened between them and work together against a psychopath who has infiltrated their lives and made them his prey in a game that they have no choice but to play because their very lives count on it.

72 hours…3 days…4320 minutes…25,9200 seconds

That’s the timeframe Lara and Noah are up against…that’s the amount of time that stands between them and a killer whose fixation on his prey is so much more than a game of cat and mouse. Because at the end of this game - one that works according to his rules and his plans - Lara and Noah will find themselves with nowhere to run and nowhere to hide, fighting for their lives with very little hope of escaping the sadistic bastard’s agenda.

Lara and Noah’s story is definitely a romantic thriller; everything occurs incredibly fast when it comes to the couple entering the game and the hours that separate them as well as the decisions they make when it comes to protecting themselves against their hunter’s agenda. And, while the dynamics of the hunt are played out well and Lara and Noah’s overwhelming emotions are clearly explored, I had a difficult time understanding exactly why they were chosen by this psycho and the reasons behind his need to hunt and kill them at all costs. Readers are privy to some of this monster’s thoughts, but I wanted a deeper look…a backstory that explained how and why he turned into a killer. I get that there may not be any real reasons behind it, but someone doesn’t set-up a game as meticulously as he did without a strong need/compulsion to do so, and as scary and demented as it might be, I wanted inside his head a bit more.

Lara is quite the complex heroine. She will definitely rub some readers the wrong way due to how she initially treats Noah and how easily she seemed to give up on her two year relationship with him without even a brief discussion of what happened. I understand her insecurities and the reasons behind her personality transformation, but the man readers are introduced to and the way Noah protects Lara despite his anger doesn’t mesh well with what she allowed herself to believe happened.

It’s not that I didn’t enjoy 72 hours; I liked it…I just didn’t love it…because while I understand the need to tell a fast-paced story due to the title and the main requirements of the game, I felt like parts lacked the details I needed as a reader to truly understand what led to this deadly hunt and the depth of the relationship that Lara and Noah once shared that the killer banked on not being a factor when it came to his plans for them and the ease with which he would be successful in claiming his prey.

A complimentary copy was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

3.5/4 Poison Apples (The Fairest of All Book Reviews)