Gone to Dust (Gravediggers, #2)

by Liliana Hart

New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author Liliana Hart returns to her suspenseful Gravediggers series featuring five dead men tasked with saving the world…and their latest member who risks it all for love.

The world thinks they're dead. The world is wrong.

Miller Darling is one of the most popular romance novelists of her time. Not bad for a woman who doesn’t believe in romance. She’s as logical as they come, and she doesn’t believe in happily-ever-afters. What she does believe in is family, so when her brother disappears, she doesn’t think twice about packing her bag and her laptop and heading out to find him.

Elias Cole lived and breathed the life of a Navy SEAL. Now he’s “dead” and his hero’s honor tarnished. The only thing keeping him sane are the men who are like him—The Gravediggers—and the woman who makes his head spin. He’s never met anyone like Miller Darling. Her smart mouth and quick wit keep him on his toes, and damn if he doesn’t find that appealing.

When Miller receives a package from the brother who abandoned her asking for help, it’s clear she’s in over her head with the mess he’s gotten himself into. She needs a professional, and Elias is just the man for the job. Only her brother is a former SEAL—the man who left his team to die—and Elias is more interested in vengeance than saving his life.

• ISBN10: 1501150057
• ISBN13: 9781501150050
• Publish Date: 20 June 2017
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: US
• Imprint: Simon & Schuster
• Format: Paperback (US Mass Market)
• Pages: 384
• Language: English

Reviews

[thebookdisciple]

Gone to Dust is book 2 in the gravediggers series and focuses on Elias, the former Navy SEAL and Miller, the romance novelist. I really liked Miller in book 1 because she is quirky and spunky. She is also sarcastic and intelligent. Her and Elias had some sparks, but Elias leaves her high and dry after a makeout session that leaves her 1/2 undressed on her front porch. So, to say Miller loathes Elias is an understatement. Her hurt her pride and her libido so she is extra snarky when he is around.

Miller's parents were treasure hunters. They spent their lives looking for relics from King Solomon until they died in a plane crash. Justin, Miller's older brother, joined the Navy, but has now left the military and is continuing his parents research. Then Miller gets a package from Justin and her world changes. She has to save him, and to do that, she needs John Cena (seriously, that is who she keeps asking for!). Cena isn't available but the Gravediggers are.

Gone to Dust reminded me a bit of Indiana Jones meets James Bond meets Get Smart. You have the history and treasure hunting aspect of Indiana Jones, which I always find fascinating. You have the spy stuff that is reminiscent of Bond, and the bumbling antics of Miller and Tess that remind me of Get Smart! Its an odd sort of blend, but it works. The Darkest Corner, book 1, was not what I expected. The suspense and danger were less heavily featured and the story was more like a Stephanie Plum book until the end. Its not a bad thing, but it was unexpected. So, going into Gone to Dust, I had a better idea of what to expect. I love the friendship and camaraderie between Tess and Miller. Books that include positive female friendships are always welcome!

The relationship between Miller and Elias is really kind of a hate to love story. They are both attracted to each other on a physical level, but push the other away for various reasons. This leads to some great banter and some even more amazing monologues from Miller!

While you could read this as a stand alone, you might be a little confused about the Gravediggers. Gone to Dust gives a little background, but not a lot so you might be a little confused.

If you love an enemies to lovers trope with a dash of danger and a bit of treasure hunting, Gone to Dust will keep you entertained for a weekend read!



 

• POV: 3rd


• Tears: no


• Trope: treasure hunting, secret identity


• Triggers: none


• Series/Standalone: stand alone within a series


• Cliffhanger: no


• HEA: yes

East of Redemption by Molly E Lee, books by Susan Stoker, Laura Griffin, Cynthia Eden...then you will probably like Gone to Dust!

 

Gone to Dust

 See full review on The Book Disciple

[kimbacaffeinate]

Elias Cole was a former Navy Seal until he was labeled a traitor and forced into becoming a Gravedigger. As the best friend of Tess, we met the vibrant and talented writer Elias Cole in THE DARKEST CORNER, book one of the series. From the beginning, there has been some heated chemistry between these characters, but Cole is a dead man. Hart quickly fills us in on what we have missed since the first book including a heated encounter that left Miller unsatisfied.

The tale opens up with a chapter from Darling's romance novel. She is in the middle of a three-day writing binge when a delivery from the UPS man pulls her away from the novel. Through the contents of the package, we learn a great deal about Miller, her family, and her parent's death. Her brother, a former SEAL, is in serious trouble which puts Miller in the crosshairs of some dangerous people. Determined to save her brother she makes plans to travel. Elias is very familiar with her brother, and not all of it is happy memories, but there is no way Miller is going alone. The tale that unfolds is action packed, with cool technology and the full resources of the Gravediggers.

While I wish the story had a little less tell and more show, I found GONE TO DUST to be stronger than book one. I love the tension between Eve and the Gravediggers. Last Stop, Texas is certainly not a boring place. I like that we went offline on this mission. Its Temple of Doom vibe and exotic location, (minus the snakes..eek gads) added the perfect suspense, danger, and tension needed to put this couple to the test. It was fun seeing them gather clues and evade danger. I adored a killer computer named Elaine and all of the great sexual chemistry Hart delivered. 

The romance developed slowly and aside from kisses we didn't see any real action until around the sixty percent mark. Hart gives us just enough heat to set are imagination on fire, but the action happens mostly off page. There is a bit of instalove here, which I almost expect in romantic suspense, but Hart did an excellent job of building and developing a relationship with depth. This review was originally posted at Caffeinated Book Reviewer