Review: "Dangerous Kiss" by Avery Flynn (The Laytons #1)
Note: This ARC was provided by Rock Star Lit PR in exchange for an honest review.
When Claire Layton throw's a day's worth of garbage in the dumpster behind her restaurant, the last thing she expects to find is the body of one of her customers. Soon after her brother Hank, who happens to be the sheriff of Dry Creek, arrives and is followed in by his deputies, Claire receives a threatening from someone she dubs the Voice of Doom, who demands that she come up with the murder victim's phone and flash drive. He tells her that if she doesn't give him what she wants or if she informs the authorities, he'll go after her family. Claire finds herself at a loss of what to do next...and then she meets Jake Warrick.
Without much say in the matter, Jake Warrick makes his way to the town of Dry Creek, Nebraska to investigate the murder of a client's stepdaughter. Riling up the woman who discovered the victim's body and having her hose him down with water may not have been a step in the right direction if he wanted her to cooperate, but there's no denying the way his body is reacting to being around her. However, it isn't just Jake who's got his sights set on Claire. The killer is after her and is willing to do anything it takes to get what he wants. Can Jake and Claire find the answers they need before one or both of them ends up dead?
Dangerous Kiss is the first novel in The Laytons by Avery Flynn and was earlier released under two other titles, Up a Dry Creek and Temptation Creek. This is a romantic suspense story about a restaurateur, Claire Layton, who discovers a dead body in her dumpster and a private investigator, Jake Warrick, tasked to look into the murder. There's a lot of sexual tension and heat between Claire and Jake from the onset and with these two being quite stubborn, they seem to be perfect for each other. Things do progress rather quickly, but I guess with everything going on around them, they clung to one another even more.
Jake and Claire had definite chemistry and I liked that they were able to push one another and not simply abide by the other's wishes. Claire is a strong heroine and stood up to Jake AND all three of her very protective brothers. Jake is a take charge kind of guy so that even when he gives Claire the space she needs, he can't help but still make his presence felt, refusing to abandon her in her time of need. With the addition of their respective intrusive but well-meaning families and friends, the cast of characters is funny and memorable and you can't help but look forward to reading more about them in throughout the series.
I enjoyed the suspense thriller aspect of the story and there while I was right in guessing who was involved in the victim's murder, there were still a couple of surprises that I didn't see coming. With a fast-paced story and likable characters set in the quirky town of Dry Creek, Nebraska, Dangerous Kiss held my attention from start to finish, and has me curious about the rest of the books in the series. My hope, of course, is that Claire's three hot brothers get their stories told because of their very different personalities. This was a good start to what looks like an exciting romantic suspense series. Four stars! ♥
Re-release Date: 18 May 2015
Date Read: 18 May 2015
Learn more about Avery Flynn here.
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