Luke

This was a shorter book, more like a novella. Whilst all 3 books in this series could be read separately I think they are best read as a trilogy, one linking to the next.

The characters are steeped in the mythology of the Native American people, something I find highly enjoyable and a great new word to explore. I'm a love of myths and legends of the world, I truly enjoyed getting to know these new ones.

I was left with more questions than answers by the end but that is not always a bad thing. What is the significance of Joe's artwork in the Casino Hotel? What was he trying to convey to Luke and Ashley? Is there really a witch involved, or just a very clever murderer at work?

Luke and Ashley were a great couple and I'm looking forward to reading more about them as the trilogy unfolds.

Entertaining, mystery with a dash of romance and lots of are you really sure that is what happened? One of three stories in the series you get a full HEA for this couple but you are left with questions to the underlying mystery that brought them together. Short engaging nighttime read.

Luke Cordova is the strong, silent and broody type watching everyone around him. Ashley Donaldson is as smart, sweet and charming woman looking for roots and wanting to help those around her as much as possible. They are the complete package as far as couples go, and It was very interesting watching them dance around each other trying to get to the truth. Looking forward to reading what happens next in this murder mystery with a dash of romance series.

If you enjoy murder mysteries with a paranormal twist then you’d enjoy Luke (Renegade Magic). However – no matter what label you may use, series or serial or trilogy, this is a story where the main characters have their happy ending but the murder mystery continues on into the next two stories with that part concluding only at the end of the third story. There are often plot threads that an author weaves throughout a series so this isn’t all that different for me… but some readers like their story to be complete at the ending, this one won’t be, not completely.

Luke and Ashley make an interesting couple. Both have their reasons for their need to discover exactly what happened to Joe. They also have their suspicions of each other and others. I enjoyed their story, it’s short but the paranormal aspect grabbed my attention as I began searching for my own clues. This is a trilogy that I will follow through to the end. Luke has my attention and now I need to know what happens next.

*I received an e-ARC of this novel from the publisher via NetGalley. That does not change what I think of this story. It is my choice to leave a review giving my personal opinion about this book.*

Luke returns home to find the killer of his Uncle. Ashley returns home to find her roots at the pueblo. These two must join together to fight the evil in place.
First in the Renegade Magic series and Luke's story . Definite page turner.

Ebook from Net Galley and publishers with thanks. Opinions are entirely my own.

Luke is part 1 of the Renegade Trilogy, each part has its own HEA but the background story intertwines. I liked Luke and Ashley however I felt the chemistry lacking something between them. Over all I really enjoyed the story and look forward to reading Tom & Rico’s stories

Live post on Blue Cat Review on April 24, 2017
Disclaimer:
The eARC of Luke was provided by Pronoun and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review, for which I am not being compensated in any way. All opinions are fully my own.
~ Judi E. Easley for Blue Cat Review

My Review:
I'd like to be able to give half stars, in this case, I'd have given Luke three and a half. I liked the story, though it was short. I'm not a fan of novellas due to their brevity. I like my stories long. I did find it interesting that each book is a complete romance, but the mystery isn't complete until you read all three books. Another writer's technique I'm not really enamored of, as most of you know. In addition to long books, I like them complete. It's one thing to build a series over time with stories and characters that are complex and complete. It's totally another thing to use cliffhangers and such to string books together. That's not quite the case here, but you still don't solve the mystery without reading all three books.

The characters in the story are well written and developed quite well so that they have depth and relate well. I hope they appear in the next two books to mature a bit, but as these are novellas, probably not. The characters for the next two books are already introduced and interesting. And there are plenty of unanswered questions left from the first book to get things going for the murder of Joe. Why is Joe's painting locked up in the hotel? Did he see too much? Is that disagreeable cop dirty? Is there a witch involved? Or is it a straight murder?

Well, Luke and Ashley have done their part in book one. In book two, it'll be Tom's part as a lawyer. And book three will belong to Rico, the artist and gallery owner. So, if you enjoy Native American mysteries, try this one out and see if you can figure out who done it before the end of the third book. Luke, book one of Renegade Magic is due out May 1, 2017.